Aids & Alergies Health Articles

According to a study from Linkoping University in Sweden, Omega-3 fatty acids have a protective effect on allergies in children. For one year olds whose mothers had ingested fish oil during pregnancy and beastfeeding, there were considerably fewer incidences of allergic reactions compared with children whose mothers did not take the supplement. Since starting in 2005, the study comprised of 145 pregnant mothers with families at heightened risk of developing asthma and allergy. From the 25th week of pregnancy through the third month of nursing, they were asked to take nine capsules of fish oil every day. Half of them were given fish oil with high levels of omega-3 fatty acids while the other half were given a placebo in the form of a soybean pill.

The results found that children with fish-oil ingesting mothers had fewer than half as many reactions to eggs at the age of one year when compared to the placebo group. This is significant because allergic reactions to eggs early in life are strongly associated with the later development of allergic disorders like eczema and asthma.

An immunological study of the mothers’ blood supported the effect of the omega-3 fats on allergy formation. The women given fish oil had less prostaglandin E2 in their blood compared to others. This substance triggers allergic immune responses, and it isi known that increased concentration of omega-3 depresses its concentration. The study leader claims, “We have been able to show that omega-3 influences the mother’s immunological profile in a less inflammatory direction. Theoretically this can also affect the child’s immune system, which is supported by the results of the scratch tests.”

Not only do temperatures and weather conditions change as the fall season approaches, but those annoying allergies you get every year, around this time, are likely to hit again. But don’t worry just yet, there are ways to fight the annoyance so you can be as allergy-free as possible this fall.

Sometimes it is hard to distinguish whether the symptoms you are experiencing are due to a cold or allergies. The clear difference between the two is colds usually tend to be short-lived whereas allergies can run for weeks or even months. The most common allergy is pollen (also called hay fever), which causes symptoms to flare-up due to the pollen grains floating through the air. Allergies tend to occur when the seasons change and you may notice your allergies approaching at almost the exact same time every year.

There are many things you can do to help ensure you do not get allergies this fall season, and here are some of the most effective prevention tips:

• Close Your Windows – keep your windows closed in both your house and your car especially at night. This will prevent pollen and mold spores from entering your house and into the air you breathe.

• Stay Indoors – staying indoors (with your windows shut) is probably the best way to ensure you don’t get allergies this season. Most of the pollen is found outdoors, so eliminate this allergic element as much as possible.

• Use Your Air Conditioner – Turning on your air conditioner provides relief by cleaning, cooling and drying the air in your home. Dehumidifiers or air filters will also help in these situations.

• Use Air Ionizers& HEPA Filters – These products remove particulates from the air you breathe.

• Protect Yourself – If it is necessary for you to go outside to do yard work (or for other reasons), protect yourself by wearing a mask or a cover-up of some sort to keep you from breathing in the “contaminated air”.

• Take Showers and Baths – If you are outdoors for extended periods of time, take either a shower or a bath when you return home. Showers and baths will wash away some of the pollen that is left on your body. Changing your clothes when you come in from being outside is also a good idea.

If none of these things work for you and you find yourself suffering from allergy symptoms anyway, there are treatments which can help. Nasal Sprays, oral antihistamines and decongestants are all great for allergy relief. For itchy and watery eyes there are many forms of eye drops like Visine which you can purchase at any drugstore.

Immunotherapy (an allergy shot) is also a great way to help with your allergies this season. Check with your doctor before using any medications or treatments since some can potentially cause harmful side effects.

On average, 20 percent of individuals in the United States suffer from hayfever. Hayfever is caused by an allergic reaction mainly to different forms of pollen and ragweed. Hayfever has different effects on every individual depending on how severely they suffer from allergies. Some individuals may experience slight discomfort whereas the pain can be practically unbearable for others. So how do you know if you have hayfever? The following is a list of categories to consider in order to determine whether or not you are suffering from hayfever:

When Does It Occur?

Hayfever is a seasonal reaction which often starts in early June and continues through to the middle of July. Whenever pollen and ragweed season begins (usually near the beginning of seasons) is when you are most likely to start experiencing the symptoms.

Symptoms

There are many symptoms which may indicate you are suffering from hayfever. The most common symptoms are listed in categories below:

1. Eyes – An individual suffering from hayfever will experience many difficulties with their eyes. Itchy, watery eyes are an indication of hayfever as well as swollen red eyes. The best way to prevent yourself from scratching your eyes is to use Visine or some other form of eye drops. These drops will also reduce the redness your eyes may be experiencing.

2. Nose – Sneezing, running and stuffy noses are usually a good indication that you may be experiencing hayfever. Sinus problems (especially a plugged nose) can potentially cause severe headaches. To treat these symptoms use any form of nasal spray to clear your nose as best as possible.

3. Breathing – If you have hayfever, you may find it difficult to breathe. You may also notice wheezing or tightness in you chest. These symptoms are often identified as the same symptoms of asthma. They can be treated with the same forms of treatment for asthma sufferers. Possibly a puffer.

Suffering from hayfever can make it difficult to work and function on a daily basis. Unfortunately, hayfever tends to strike at the most inappropriate times such as when exams are being held for college or university students. It can also greatly affect your appearance and performance at work. There are easy ways to treat hayfever; the most appropriate perhaps is to visit your doctor who will prescribe medication to help you cope with your symptoms.

Almost 40 percent of the human population will suffer from allergies at some point in their lives. Itchy eyes, stuffy nose, coughing and sneezing are among the most common allergy symptoms and they can make any individual feel tired and weak. Many people often wonder if they can avoid allergies by doing things differently in their day-to-day routines. The answer is yes. However, before you change your schedule to avoid allergies you may want to find out the cause of your allergy. It is a good idea to determine if it is worth the hassle. The following is a list of things which may trigger the allergies in your system to act up:

Pollen, Dust Mites and Mold

These substances are well-known for causing allergies. Different factors determine the levels of these substances on a regular basis. If pollen levels are high, you will be more likely to suffer from allergies. The best way to avoid these substances is to stay indoors and to dust and clean often. If you go outside, make sure you shower or bathe as soon as you return home. This will wash off any unwanted substances like pollen or dust which may be on your clothing or your body.

Genetics

Regardless of how much you are exposed to pollen or other allergy-triggering substances, you may suffer from allergies purely due to genetics. If two people are in the exact same conditions at the exact same time, one person may suffer more than the other because it is in their blood. You can thank your parents for that and there is nothing you can do to prevent this from happening.

Low Immune System

If your immune system is too weak to fight off the allergies, you will end up suffering for a good part of the year. Your immune system may be weak for a couple of reasons. First, if you do not get enough vitamins and minerals your immune system will lose its strength and will become ineffective in fighting allergies and other forms of viruses or infections. Also, your immune system may be low due to mental stress. Mental stress can make you physically weak and cause your body to shut-down. When this happens, your immune system shuts down as well. To strengthen your immune system make sure you get lots of vitamins, eat a healthy diet and avoid stress as much as possible.

Many studies have been done and there is no “one thing” which has been proven to cause allergies. Allergies can be caused by one of the reasons listed above or possibly a combination of many different reasons. Nevertheless, it is important to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Exercising, sleeping and eating healthy will all play an important role in avoiding allergy symptoms.

Itchy, watery eyes, runny nose and sneezing are all common symptoms which a vast majority of us experience as allergy symptoms at specific times throughout the year. Many individuals do everything in their power to avoid allergies including changing their diets, staying indoors or taking vitamin supplements. These may contribute to fighting allergies, but there is another effective way to do so. Immunotherapy or allergy shots are gaining popularity. Getting an allergy shot can be scary for some people, so we thought it would be best to fully explain allergy shots and address some common concerns.

How Do They Work?

Allergy shots contain a small amount of the substance which you are allergic to. If you are allergic to pollen, a small amount of pollen would be added to the shot. The amount is small enough so that it does not cause you to suffering from allergy symptoms, but enough so that you body gets used to fighting the allergen. Therefore, the next time your body comes in contact with that substance, it will be familiar with fighting it off and you will most likely not suffer from allergies.

Are Allergy Shots Safe For Everyone?

Although most people will have positive results from allergy shots, they are not right for everyone. Allergy shots are not recommended for individuals suffering from severe heart problems, asthma or other respiratory problems. Also, children under the age of 5 should not be exposed to allergy shots for safety reasons.

What Is The Procedure?

Once you have decided that you would like to get allergy shots, you will receive a shot 1 or 2 times a week for about 6 months. Afterwards, your maintenance shots will require you to get one shot a month, year round for about 3-5 years. Once you have received allergy shots on a regular basis for a couple years, you can discuss it with your doctor and they may tell you its okay to stop getting them at that point.

What Are The Side Effects?

Although allergy shots are effective for many individuals in eliminating allergy symptoms, certain individuals may experience some harmful side effects. Some people may experience feelings of shock when the shot is initially injected, others may feel light-headed or nauseated. For this reason, doctors are required to keep patients in their office for at least 20 minutes after receiving each shot in order to ensure the patient’s safety.

Some people swear by allergy shots while others criticize the effects or claim they don’t work effectively. If you are considering receiving immunotherapy, contact your doctor to discuss. Your doctor will give you more insight in order for you to determine if this is something you really want to do.

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, each year 10 to 50 million Americans develop an allergic rash after contact with Poison Oak, Poison Ivy and Poison Sumac Plants. The invisible oily resin called urushiol causes the ill effects of these poisonous plants.

Poison ivy, oak, or sumac is found in every state except Alaska and Hawaii. These plants are important to the eco-systems where they thrive. The small, white or bluish berries found on the ivies feed a number of birds and small animals. The irritants found in urushiol oil do not effect most animals and the tangles from the plants serve as shelter.

This oily resin can stay on pets, shoes, hiking boots, clothes, toys, garden tools, lawn mowers and anything else that has made contact. In fact, the oil stays active on any surface, including dead plants, for up to 5 years.

Symptoms

After making contact, the reaction (called dermatitis) may include a rash followed by bumps and blisters that itch. Scratching does not spread the outbreak but may cause infection because it allows bacteria from dirt on the hands to enter the skin. Symptoms can last ten days to several weeks to heal.

Mild Symptoms

Severe redness
Signs of infection, such as pus
Rash in mouth, eyes, or genital area
Rash on a large portion of your body or face
Mild symptoms can be treated with simple and natural home remedies. See below.

Severe Symptoms

Swelling of the throat, tongue, or lips
Difficulty breathing or swallowing
Weakness or dizziness
Bluish lips and/or mouth
Unconsciousness
Severe Symptoms need immediate emergency medical care.

Caution

NEVER burn poison ivy. Burning these poisonous plants puts the urushiol resin in the air and can get in your lungs and possibly your neighbor’s lungs. If you get poison ivy in your lungs, you will need to go to the hospital.

Pet Alert

The only threat to resin on our pets is if it is rubbed off onto other things or people. If your pet merely has the bumps and is itching, you can not catch it from them.

Treatment

Because urushiol is a oily resin and not a water based fluid, it will not evaporate and it can linger for several years.

Use mild soap and cold or cool water to wash off the resin. Do not use hot water because it opens your skin pores and thus absorb more of the oil.

You may want to apply rubbing alcohol to the affected area(s) with cotton balls, and then rinse again with cold water. You can apply calamine lotion, a zinc oxide ointment, or baking soda paste (3-tsp. soda to 1-tsp. water) to the affected area(s), or soak in an oatmeal bath, to relieve the symptoms somewhat.

Generally, the best treatment is time — the rash and itching should go away on its own in one to two weeks. Try to keep your hands away from your eyes, mouth, and face, and scratch as little as possible, as this will irritate the rash further and may introduce infection.

This article is for general information only and not intended for or to replace any medical advice. Always check with your doctor for treatment of any health condition.

As the holidays near and the air becomes more frigid, families gather around fireplaces and wood-burning stoves seeking warm comfort. Unfortunately for many — especially those who suffer from asthma and allergies — the use of such heating devices can trigger health-related disasters in unexpected ways.

Dr. Leonard Bielory, director of the Asthma and Allergy Research Center at the UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School in Newark, says emergency room visits from asthma attacks quadruple following the fall’s first frost. “There are particles and toxic agents emitted by burning wood that, when inhaled, may cause shortness of breath or wheezing and possibly a life-threatening asthma attack that may require emergency health care.”

Wood Smoke Break Down

Wood smoke from fireplaces and wood-burning stoves contain fine particles and gases that can pose a serious health threat to you and your family. The smoke emitted from wood burning contains the following:

Fine Particles: These particles are so small that several thousand of them could fit on the period at the end of a sentence. They reach the deepest recesses of the lungs and accelerate hardening of the arteries, negatively affecting heart function.

Nitrogen Dioxide: This odorless gas that can irritate your eyes, nose and throat and cause shortness of breath. In people with asthma, exposure to low levels of NO2 may cause increased bronchial reactivity and make young children more susceptible to respiratory infections. Long-term exposure to high levels of NO2 can lead to chronic bronchitis.

Carbon Monoxide: This odorless, colorless, poisonous gas interferes with the delivery of oxygen throughout the body and may cause headaches, dizziness and, at higher concentrations, death. Those with cardiac and respiratory disease may be more sensitive to lower levels of this gas.

Toxic Compounds: These include such compounds as formaldehyde, benzene, methyl chloride and methyl ethyl ketone (a wide range of compounds that usually have no color, taste or smell.) Some cause direct and negative health effects by penetrating deep into the lungs.

Carbon Dioxide: This greenhouse gas contributes to global climate change.

The above particles found in wood smoke are too small to be filtered by the nose and upper respiratory system, so they end up deep in your lungs. They can remain there for several months causing structural damage and chemical changes to your body without you even being aware.

Not Just Your Household’s Health at Risk

If you don’t have a fireplace or wood-burning stove at home, don’t feel at ease just yet. You’re heath still may be at risk … from your neighbor’s fireplaces and wood-burning stoves.

Because wood smoke contains such tiny particles, the smoke is not stopped by closed doors and windows, and seeps into nearby neighbors’ houses. In fact, during winter months, wood smoke does not rise and often hangs close to the ground, entering yards, houses, schools, and hospitals. Subsequently, areas with valley locations and poor air circulation are affected most.

A recent University of Washington study in Seattle and an EPA study in Boise, Idaho neighborhoods found that indoor PM10 levels (particulate matter – one of six major air pollutants for which there is a national air quality standard) from wood smoke in homes without wood stoves reach an astonishing 50% to 70% of outdoor levels when burning wood. Neighbors to wood fires may unwillingly be breathing smoky air, even if they are not wood burners.

A Higher Risk for Lung Cancer

According to Medical News Today, “Burning wood may be associated with lung cancer, even with people who do not smoke.” Scientists from Mexico gathered blood samples from 62 patients with lung cancer, 9 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and 9 control subjects. Of the patients with lung cancer, 23 were tobacco smokers (37.1 percent), 24 were exposed to wood smoke (38.7 percent), and 15 were not in either category (24.2 percent).

Study results show that 38.7 percent of the patients with lung cancer were nonsmokers who were exposed to continuous wood smoke for over 10 years.

A Few Suggestions

Whether it is to have a nice romantic evening with a loved one, or to warm those toes after playing in the snow, chances are you will find yourself lighting the fireplace or wood stove this winter. And you CAN go ahead and enjoy doing so. But before you do, here are a few suggestions offered by the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey that you should follow:

Only use an EPA approved fireplace or wood-burning stove.

Don’t allow those with respiratory conditions such as asthma or allergies to be exposed to a fireplace or wood-stove for too long.

Make certain there is adequate ventilation to offset any smoke that is emitted (open windows a crack if need be).

Avoid using a chemical accelerant, like lighter fluid, to ignite the fire.

Properly maintain your fireplace or wood stove.

Have your chimney cleaned annually to help prevent fumes from backing into the house.

Be certain the room is aired out and dust and vacuum the area thoroughly after it has been used.

Don’t use a fireplace or wood-burning stove as the only source of heat.

If you use a fireplace or wood-burning stove, or live in an area where neighbor’s do, it is also extremely important to keep your home’s surfaces like furniture and floors clean to the microscopic level. The fine particles from the smoke settle and then, from walking, sitting down, etc., can be kicked back up into the air.

It is strongly recommended that you DON’T use typical cleaning tools like rags, cotton mops and sponges for cleaning, as they are incapable of effectively removing the fine particles.

PerfectClean ultramicrofiber cleaning tools – including dusters, terry cloths and more – are the ideal solution, as they are constructed of fibers that are just 3 microns in size (even smaller than many bacteria, so highly effective at removing fine particles.) You are strongly encouraged to read about PerfectClean products in this previous article.