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Archive for the ‘Allergy’ Category

Sensitivity to environmental substances is incredibly common among human beings. While severe reactions to substances occur in many people, mild allergies to pollen or dust mites are much more prevalent. However, humans are not the only mammals affected by these strange sensitivities. Canines are just as likely to have allergies as humans are. However, the way in which these allergies present themselves can be very different. It is important to know what signs to look for in your protection dog, and what actions to take if you suspect your dog may be having an allergic reaction.

Unlike in humans, where mild allergies to pollen or mold manifest as a stuffy nose, or watery eyes, dogs with these types of allergies often suffer from skin irritation, especially around the ears, paws, flanks and groin. While this is often nothing to be overly concerned about, excessive licking and scratching can create sores in the skin that may become infected.

It is also possible for your dog to have a food allergy. In severe cases, vomiting, diarrhea or even seizures may occur, but often the symptoms are harder to spot. Flatulence, sneezing, and general irritation of the mouth, throat, or intestinal tract may all result from a food allergy.

Finally, canines can sometimes be sensitive to certain types of insect bytes. This is especially true of dogs who have previously had very little contact with this type of insect. A dog with an allergy to flea bytes may suffer from irritated skin and itchiness in the area for as long as a week after the byte.

Detecting and pin-pointing allergies can be a very difficult task. It is common for allergies to develop over time rather than being present for birth, which makes the task of narrowing down possible allergens even more difficult. In all cases, you should make an appointment with your veterinarian if your German Shepherd or Belgian Malinois is suffering from any of the above symptoms. Every case is different, so it is up to you and your veterinarian to pin-point possible allergies. Of course, knowing what symptoms to look for is the first step in keeping your personal protection dog happy and healthy.

The other day I was visiting with my friend who had a cold and she made a comment that her cold “wouldn’t go away”. I asked her how long she’d had it and she told me it was almost a month. Shocked, I asked her if she considered the possibility that she might have sinusitis. She dismissed it quickly at first and said she has never had sinus or allergy problems before, but after doing some digging on the internet, it turned out that her “cold”, wasn’t a cold at all….She had sinusitis.

Because the symptoms of a cold and sinusitis are so similar, it is difficult to distinguish one from the other. Although I have written on this subject before, I do think that it is a good time to re-visit this subject, because often times, sinusitis is confused with your typical flu and cold symptoms, and knowing exactly what you have, means making the right diagnosis, and treatment plan.

So How Do I Know My Sinusitis Isn’t a Cold?

A typical cold lasts approximately two weeks, so if your symptoms persist longer than that, you may have a sinus infection or sinusitis. Having suffered from sinus conditions throughout my lifetime, it’s easy for me to distinguish one from the other, but if you are not typically prone to a sinus infection, how would you know the difference?

Both colds and sinus infection cause fatigue, stuffy runny nose, sneezing and sinus congestion, so it’s understandable that so many people misdiagnose their condition. To help you determine the difference, let’s look at what these two ailments DON’T have in common. The following are sinusitis related symptoms:

My husband is tormented with sinus and allergy problems. We live in an area that has heavy pollen in the spring and fall. He spends these months sounding as though his head is stuffed with cotton wool. The fallout from his malady is a dreadful snoring problem. So dire at times that we have separate bedrooms.

Numerous trips to doctors over the years led to ineffective treatments that included antibiotics and sinus surgery. However, one doctor recommended an air cleaner. We purchased an air purifier and found his snoring reduced markedly. If the air borne pollutants such as tobacco smoke, pet dander, dust, mold, mildew and pollen are removed or reduced the respiratory passage is not aggravated. If the respiratory system is less irritated the snoring drops off. It’s actually very simple.

However, evaluating all the air purifiers was a great deal of work. Here are the five most popular air purifiers. If you want to cut through the marketing baloney and find out what people are actually buying this will help you. Here are the five most popular air cleaners:

#1 IQAir HealthPro and the IQAir HealthPro Plus is one of the world’s most advanced air cleaners. Voted by Germany’s consumer foundation as the most effective for allergy sufferers. It uses the same HyperHEPA technology that is in hospital operating rooms. The IQAir cost 3 times the typical “market rate” for a cleaner. If you have really serious allergies it’s worth the money. If your allergy problem is moderate go with a cheaper unit.

#2 Honeywell Enviracaire 50250 Air Purifier is a compact unit perfect for just one-room purifier. You’ll probably end up buying two units. There are two filters –the main HEPA filter and a ‘pre-filter’ that catches large particles like pet hair and extends the life of the HEPA filter. It’s important to clean the pre-filter regularly.

#3 Whirlpool Whispure 450 Air Purifier. This model receives high ratings in many consumer reviews. At the lowest setting their operation is unobtrusive. It is not a small unit so check out the dimensions. It needs two filters –the HEPA filter is expensive.

#4 Alen A350 Air Purifier is ideal for a single room or office. A light, versatile design — floor use or wall mountable. Simple filter change. Only thing it doesn’t remove is tobacco smoke.

#5 Blueair 601 Air Purifier is large but its clean lines blend in. It’s built from steel and its 10-year warranty inspires durability. Its on rollers so is easy to move around. It’s quiet and the filters are easy to change.

Cockroach allergy problems can play a significant role in people with asthma.

People with a sensitivity to cockroaches often develop a rash if one of these insects crawls over their skin.

Direct contact with these insects is not generally the main problem.

Cockroach infestations cause a high level of ***** and body parts from dead insects, as well as saliva. Long term exposure can eventually cause some people to become sensitive to cockroach contamination, causing an allergy.

This is a similar problem to dust mite allergies, the main difference being that cockroaches are physically bigger (and more discussing) than dust mites.

This is particularly a problem with inner-city children who are more likely to live in an infested home. Many hospital visits dealing with an asthma attack can be attributed to cockroach allergens.

In some areas, most homes have a cockroach problem. A house can harbor thousands or even hundred’s of thousands of insects, generating a very large amount of air-bourn allergens within the home.

If you see just a single insect, you can be almost certain that it represents hundreds or thousands of others, hidden in cupboards, in walls, under the sink, behind the fridge etc.

The insects or their eggs can hitch a ride into your home with groceries, second hand furniture and other items brought into the home. In some areas they may simply crawl in from the outside.

Apartment buildings are worse, since once one unit gets infested, the insects can easily find their way into other units.

The best way to deal with a cockroach allergy is to get rid of the insects. Hire a professional pest control company, and if possible, stay out of the house for several days to minimize your exposure to the toxic chemicals used to exterminate cockroaches.

Dealing with allergies pollen related issues can be a huge deal for those who love to work outside. When allergy season comes along, a person may long to go out and begin planting or just take a walk around their neighborhood.

However, because of their negative reactions, they may be unable to perform these simple acts. The question of how one deals with this condition at the peak times of the year is up for grabs.

Many different websites give a person varied information on how to deal with these seasonal allergies, but a few tidbits of information are staples that no one can deny if they want to effectively deal with their circumstances.

One of the best ways for a person to deal with allergies pollen symptoms is to do major spring cleaning. Cleaning one’s living space can help to reduce the allergens in their home quicker than anything. In order to get rid of residue pollen, one should make sure to wash their bed linens in water that is at least 130 degrees.

This will ensure that all the pollen and dust mites are killed. Also, a person should vacuum at least once a week. The vacuum should have a HEPA filter on it.

Since negative reactions to various things are so rampant these days, most new vacuum cleaners are equipped with the new filters. If one has serious negative reactions to pollen related problems they should consider putting a special covering on the bed that is allergen proof.

Having allergies pollen related problems can be hard to swallow when it comes to yard work. If one must do certain things such as mow the lawn, they should wait until peak pollen time is gone and should definitely wear a mask.

Even with a mask however, one’s airways can become constricted causing coughing and breathing issues. This is one chore that should be delegated to another person in order to avoid having to cough for weeks to come.

Allergies pollen linked symptoms can slow a person down when certain seasons such as spring and fall come around. The pollen count can be so devastating that the act of breathing may be difficult for some.

If an individual who suffers from allergies pollen associated issues is well informed of their condition and knows how to take steps to avoid an allergy flare up with the seasons will be looked at as something of a welcome change and not something that can make a person swell.

Incoming search terms for the article:

“All food is good.” But all food may not be good for all
people.

Obviously, we need food everyday to give our bodies the
nutrients it requires for us to function properly.

Unfortunately, sometimes food can make us ill; not because
of food poisoning but as mentioned above not all people can
eat all food.

There are cases where people are allergic to certain kinds
of food. In order to properly manage it, you must be aware
of the food that causes an allergic reaction. In other
words, avoid food that contains certain kinds of allergens
that causes your body to react.

Manage Your Diet

It is of utmost importance to watch what you eat if you are
allergic to certain kinds of food. An allergy attack is no
pleasant experience and could require hospitalization. For
example, some allergic reactions can cause swelling in the
air passages restricting oxygen that may result in
suffocation.

Common Allergy Foods

So what are some foods that commonly result in allergies
that the body could react to. Fish, peanuts, shellfish,
milk, wheat and soy are among the most common. However, you
may find that all of these give you no problem. So you must
find out which one(s) do bring on an allergic reaction.

Check with your doctor or allergist if you feel you have an
unknown food allergy. Physicians can give you a series of
tests that will identify the food that may be giving you
problems.

How to Avoid Allergic Reactions

Obviously, avoid the food that is causing allergic reactions
once it has been properly identified. This simply means
that you should never eat food that you are allergic to and
never cook food with an ingredient that contains the food
allergens.

When Dining Out

If you are out dining in a restaurant, you should inform the
waiter or waitress about your food allergy. Make sure that
they know which food allergen you have; Inform them not to
include it or cook it with your food order.

These are some of the common food allergens that you should
know about in order to properly manage and minimize the
risk of future allergy attacks.

If you apply all these tips, then avoiding a food allergy
will seem like a breeze.