Alergy

Alergy - Looking For A Challenge?

Ever wonder what are the most challenging places for allergy sufferers to live?

The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America wondered that too. So they’ve been researching and publishing a yearly report.

Each spring and fall, they gather information based on 3 factors. They check the pollen scores, the number of allergy medications used and the number of allergy specialists per patient.

Their report lists the top 100 places an allergy sufferer would find the most challenging. That’s just a polite way of saying the 100 worst places to live with allergies.

Looks like Texas tops the list. They have 7 cities in the top 70. Austin is number 1 with a score of 100. This is one time a score of 100 and the number 1 spot isn’t a good thing. San Antonio isn’t far behind Austin with a score of 98.75. That puts it in second place.

Third place is claimed by Oklahoma City, OK. They get a score of 96.25. But it’s not all bad in Oklahoma. Tulsa with a score of 83.00 is the only other city to make the list.

Florida has 11 cities in the top 100, with Lakeland leading the way with a score of 93.75. Orlando is right below them with a 93.20.

Los Angeles isn’t far down the list. It ranked 11th, scoring 82.75. And our nations capital ranked 70th with a score of 51.45. Seattle, WA. finishes the list with a nice low score of 25.45. …Read more >>

Allergy Test

Allergy Test - Here’s A Test To Fail

To diagnose an allergy, the first thing your doctor does is talk with you. He’ll discuss your symptoms, any medications you’re currently taking, and your personal and family history. A physical examination is also necessary.

The next step is the tests. There are 3 types of tests. The skin test, patch test or blood test.

The skin test is the most common test used. It’s generally the most accurate and certainly the least expensive. With the skin test, a small amount of an allergen is put on your skin and then the spot is pricked or scratched with a needle. You can also have a little bit of the allergen injected into the outer layer of your skin.

If you have an allergy to the substance that was used, you’ll have swelling, redness and itching in the tested spot within 20 minutes.

The patch test is used to diagnose contact dermatitis. A small amount of allergen is put on your skin and covered with a bandage. Your doctor will check the spot in 48 hours to see if you’ve developed a rash.

The third type of test is the blood test. This may be used if you have a skin condition or if you’re taking some type of medication that might interfere with a skin test.

A blood sample is taken and sent to a laboratory. There they add allergens to the sample and measure the amount of antibodies that are produced to attack it. …Read more >>

Have We Become Too Clean?

It seems the more advanced our society becomes and the cleaner we get, the more prevalent food and other allergies become.
The occurrences of common allergies are much higher in more developed countries than in their lesser developed counter parts. And the numbers are increasing as industrialization spreads through out the world.

According to the hygiene hypothesis, the modern methods of cleaning and sanitizing get rid of too many germs. The body’s natural immune system doesn’t have enough to do.

In children, it doesn’t develop the way it should. And since allergies are an incorrect response of the immune system, childhood and adult allergies have become more prevalent.

Studies also show that common allergic diseases like hay fever, eczema and food allergies are found less often in children from large families.
Apparently being exposed to infectious agents (germs) by brothers and sisters is a good thing. It helps the immune system learn what it’s supposed to protect our bodies from.

Antibiotic usage during a baby’s first year and the growing use of antibacterial cleaning products has also been linked to an increase in asthma and other allergies.

The hygiene hypothesis explains that the antibacterial cleaning products and antibiotic drugs limit our immune system’s exposure to infectious diseases, parasites and other bacteria.
This limits the immune systems development. Because of the lack of dirt and germs, the immune system doesn’t learn what it’s supposed to be protecting the body from and goes after the wrong things. …Read more >>

The Coming Of Spring

Spring is just around the corner. And with it comes all the lovely pollen. Lots of people have no problem with spring. They welcome it with open arms.

But for thousands of people, spring means runny noses, itchy eyes and congested breathing. These people suffer from an allergy. Probably the most common allergy, affecting the most people is the allergy to pollen.
Spring brings new growth and with this new growth, plants have the urge to produce fruit or seeds.

Basically, pollen is created by the male plant parts and taken to the female plant parts. While some plants depend on insects to do their pollinating, many use the wind.
The pollen grains are carried by the wind to other plants to keep the species alive and flourishing.

Most people are just annoyed by the collection of pollen on their automobiles, porch, patio and everything else that sits around outside. But for the people allergic to pollen, their problems are more than annoying.

The most common symptoms of an allergy to pollen can be seen every where. Runny noses, itchy watery eyes, sneezing and coughing are yearly evidence that spring is in the air.

The pollen irritates the areas that come into contact with air. That means eyes, nose, throat and lungs. As the pollen blows on the wind, it causes problems that turn the joy and beauty of spring into anything from a nuisance to a nightmare for the thousands that suffer from this allergy. …Read more >>

Types Of Allergies

It’s estimated that 60 million Americans suffer from some type of allergy. That’s 1 out of 4. It’s the 5th highest chronic disease in America and the 3rd most common chronic disease in children.

Many people suffer from more than one allergy type.

Pollen from trees, grass and weeds are in the indoor/outdoor allergy category. Other common indoor/outdoor allergy triggers are mold spores, dust mite and cockroach allergen and cat, dog and rodent dander.

About 75% of people with allergies have indoor/outdoor allergies. The most common pet allergy is cat dander.

Skin allergies are another common allergy. The most common causes of skin allergies are plants like poison oak, ivy and sumac.

Allergic reactions can also be caused by skin contact with latex, cockroach and dust mites and even some foods. Skin allergies are the main allergy for about 7% of allergy sufferers.

While we here a lot about food and drug allergies, they’re the primary allergy of only about 6% of allergy sufferers. Food allergies are more common in children.

Peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, wheat, soy, fish and shellfish are responsible for 90% of all food allergies. Food allergies claim over 200 lives yearly. When it comes to common drug allergies, penicillin is the winner.

Almost 400 Americans die every year from allergies to penicillin.

Latex and insect allergies both claim around 4% of allergy sufferers. Latex allergies result in 10 deaths a year and nearly 100 deaths a year are the result of insect allergies. …Read more >>

The Most Common Food Allergies

Milk : Being allergic to cow’s milk isn’t the same as being lactose intolerant.

Eggs :

You can be allergic to either the whites of the yolk. This type of food allergy is more prevalent in children, but does affect some adults.

Peanut : Most people, adults and children with food allergies, are allergic to peanuts too.

Tree nut : More children have nut allergies than adults. The symptoms of nut and peanut allergies are the same, but being allergic to one doesn’t necessarily mean you’re allergic to the other.

Seafood : This is more common in, but not limited, to children. The fish allergens can be passed through the air by people eating or cooking fish near you.

Shellfish : Similar to seafood allergies. But having one doesn’t mean being allergic to the other.

Soy : People allergic to soy need to be especially careful when eating Asian foods or using Asian sauces.

Wheat : This is most commonly a food allergy, but can also be a respiratory contact allergy.

In the United States these are referred to as “the big eight”. Over 90% of U.S. food allergies consist of these foods.

Allergens differ in other countries, but these 8 make the top 10 in many places through out the world.

Food allergies may be based on contact. In East Asia where rice makes up a large part of the diet, rice allergies are more common, as are celery allergies in Central Europe. …Read more >>

What Is An Allergy?

There’s a lot of talk about allergies. But just what is an allergy and what causes them? Why do some people have them while others don’t? And why are people with one allergy more inclined to have many?

The immune system is set up to protect our bodies from harmful, foreign substances. Like viruses and bacteria (dirt and germs). Sometimes the immune system doesn’t develop properly or is just oversensitive and doesn’t react right.

In these cases, it reacts to things that aren’t harmful and don’t usually cause people any problems. These things are called allergens. The term allergens is just an easier way to say “things that cause allergies”.

When the oversensitive or improperly developed immune system sees these allergens, it sends out chemicals like histamine. It’s the histamines that cause the symptoms that are common with allergies.

Symptoms like itching, watery eyes, runny nose, swelling, hives or rashes. Different people have different symptoms, but the causes are the same.

The symptoms that are displayed depend on the part of the body the allergen comes in contact with. Allergens that are breathed in, like pollen or dust cause coughing or wheezing, stuffy or runny noses and an itchy nose and throat.

Plant allergies usually come in contact with the skin, so they cause rashes.

Food allergies usually result in nausea, vomiting, stomach pains or in severe cases, life threatening reactions. Drug allergies tend to involve the entire body, so they have a variety of symptoms. …Read more >>