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The Most Common Food Allergies

* Milk *

Being allergic to cows milk isnt 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 doesnt necessarily mean youre
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 doesnt
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.

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.

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 theyve 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. Thats 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
isnt a good thing. San Antonio isnt 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 its 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 isnt 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.

Heres A Test To Fail

To diagnose an allergy, the first thing your doctor
does is talk with you. Hell discuss your symptoms,
any medications youre 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. Its
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,
youll 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 youve developed a rash.

The third type of test is the blood test. This may be
used if you have a skin condition or if youre 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.