Tag: allergic reactions

Allergic To Food?

Food allergies are the most common and prevalent type
of allergy. Up to 12 million Americans suffer from
some type of food allergy.

The most common culprits are eggs, fish and shellfish,
peanuts and other tree nuts.

Children are most commonly allergic to the same foods
but with the addition to milk and other dairy
products.

Corn and corn products also commonly cause allergic
reactions in children.

Most allergic symptoms are often only bothersome, but
they can be life threatening.

The most common symptoms are itching of the mouth,
eyes and skin, hives, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea,
often but not always accompanied by stomach cramps and
wheezing, shortness of breath or trouble swallowing.

The more severe symptoms can include swelling. The
swelling tends to focus on the face area causing
swelling of the eyelids, lips, ears and tongue.

Mood swings and depression is another symptom.

The most severe symptoms can result in death. Around
200 deaths each year are reported from both the
initial allergic reaction and secondary complications.

There is currently no cure for food allergies. While
allergy shots have been developed to help with many
different types of allergies, none have been
successfully made for food allergies.

The people with the allergies usually avoid those
foods that cause the allergic reaction. Epinephrine
can relieve the symptoms, and is often carried by
people diagnosed with food allergies to be used in an
emergency.

Some scientists believe genetic engineering may create
vaccines, but thats still years away.

Eczema Treatment the Herbal Way Is It for You?

Eczema Treatment the Herbal Way Is It for You?

If you are suffering from eczema, an herbal eczema treatment is available for you. Herbal remedies are very appealing because they are a natural means of helping our body cope with many problems with little or no side effects. This is especially true when it comes to combating different kinds of illnesses; we often have to live with certain side effects brought about by the consumption of conventional forms of medications. Name anything you are afflicted with and chances are theres one herbal treatment right for it.

A person afflicted with eczema should always see to it that his or her immune system is maintained in top form. This will prevent the likelihood of appearance of flare ups, which is characterized by redness, itching and swelling. Ask anyone with eczema and he or she will tell you that itchiness is the worst of all the skin diseases symptoms. It can give you sleepless nights and an unsightly thickening of the affected skin due to scratching.

Herbal treatments for eczema come from different places all over the world. There are ones from India, China or even right at your very backyard. The best place to look for herbal treatments for eczema is by visiting your nearest local food and health products store.

Some of the most popular herbal remedies for eczema are the following:

*Milk thistle also good for treating other disorders related to a malfunctioning liver.

*Gotu Kola a plant from India often used as an additive to balms for dry, cracked skin.

*Pau Darco derived from the bark of the same tree which originates in South America; its often used to help boost the immune system of the body.

*Licorice its roots are effective for reducing swelling and other allergic reactions; also great for restoring the normal functioning of the liver, thus treating any condition associated with a damaged liver.

*Primrose its oils are popular among Europeans for many skin problems, including eczema.

Gamma Linolenic Acid (GLA) is a substance found out to do wonders on eczema. Sometimes called gamoleic acid, GLA is a form of a fatty acid found primarily in vegetable oils. However, there are a few herbs and herbal products that also contain GLA. Some of them include primrose oil, licorice root and chamomile. GLA is also often sold as a dietary supplement, recommended for those suffering from auto-immune diseases and inflammation.

Although such herbal treatments for eczema may be beneficial, one must not expect it to work instantly like magic. It may take a few applications before the initial results may become noticeable. You should consult a reliable herbalist or a naturopath one who prefers to use natural remedies such as foods and herbs than by means of synthetic drugs or surgery. He or she believes in the bodys inherent ability to heal, restore and maintain its health. A herbalist or naturopath will be able to help you out with picking a natural remedy for your eczema based on many factors, such as the severity of the condition, your skin type and lifestyle.

However, if you are currently on medications for your eczema, it is always best if you consult your doctor first before taking on a natural eczema treatment such as herbs. Although it is true that these herbal medications for eczema will produce no little or side effects, they might interfere with the medications you are currently taking; thus, potentially causing more harm than good.

Eczema Treatment for Newbies

Have you been recently diagnosed with eczema? Are you having trouble dealing with it? Here are a few tips on eczema treatment and what they can do for you.

When diagnosed with eczema, your doctor will also most likely tell you what kind of eczema you have. He will also most likely tell you how bad your case of eczema is and prescribe you with medications and how to go about treating your condition. To do this you usually have to provide your doctor with your medical history to make sure hes not prescribing you with anything that can cause an allergic reaction.

Basically you treat eczema to control itchiness, avoid inflammation of the affected area of your skin, to clear infections, to decrease those scaly lesions and try to prevent or at least reduce new lesions. All of these things arent cured with just one type of treatment. It usually requires a combination of one or two treatments to relieve you from your eczema woes.

Treating your eczema isnt something that happens overnight. It usually takes a certain period to reduce the severity of your condition. It has also been proven more effective to keep a number of treatments working to complement each other to help ease irritation. This works for all cases of eczema. This usually entails changing your habits and routines that may be causing allergic reactions.

You either have to do really simple things like changing the things you keep around you, the types of soaps or lotions you use to even maybe changing your job or your whole environment. You have to be really careful about finding out what triggers flare-ups. If you can successfully identify it you will be able to increase the efficacy of your treatment and even lessen the side effects you may feel when youre on medication.

The kind of medication you might need will depend on a lot of things. These of course include what case of eczema you have, your medical history (which also includes the different kinds of treatments youve already had) and of course your preferences. Most often topical medications like lotions and creams are what are prescribed. However, for those with a much more severe case of eczema they give you options for phototherapy or systemic medication. Phototherapy is a procedure where light therapy is used while systemic therapy is a medication that circulates throughout your body.

Recently treatments for eczema have largely improved and there are a lot more choices to choose from. There are a number of very popular and effective treatments for all kinds of eczema and most cases can be controlled.

However, it has to be said again that eczema is a condition that will take a certain amount of time to relieve. Eczema treatment can be a pain in the pocket but if your symptoms do not go away you should consult your doctor to make sure you are using the right treatment. You also have to remember that relaxation is a key player when treating eczema. Avoid stress because this triggers your flare-ups.

Always take note of the things that may trigger your eczema problems. The best way to control these instances in a safe and fairly easy manner is to be on a healthy diet. It is also best to stay in a clean, relaxing and safe environment that wont cause you any stress that may worsen your condition.

Is an Eczema Treatment Using Antihistamines the Best for You?

Is an Eczema Treatment Using Antihistamines the Best for You?

Antihistamines are used to suppress the bodys natural production of histamines. When one is exposed to certain allergens substances that cause allergic reactions the body produces histamines as part of its defense systems. This is why an eczema treatment may sometimes include antihistamines to lessen the symptoms of the skin disease, such as inflammation, reddening and itching of the affected areas.

However, antihistamines interfere with the role of histamines in suppressing allergic reactions. So if you are suffering from eczema, you might as well give scrambling to your doctors clinic right away to get a prescription a second thought. Antihistamines may give you side effects even worse than the eczema symptoms you are trying to do away with. This is why many doctors recommend other forms of topical treatments for flare ups, such as ointments, foams, lotions and gels.

How do antihistamines work?

Certain organs in the body the skin, lungs and the length of the digestive system naturally contain high amounts of histamines. In fact, almost any of your bodily organs have them for defense. Aside from immune regulation, histamines also play other roles in the body such as:

* Secretion of digestive acids in the stomach
* Regulation of sexual response
* Regulation of sleep
* Relay and modulation of signals from one neuron cell to the other

As part of the bodys immune system, histamines trigger the pooling of blood supply in areas where foreign or invading organisms are present, such as in injured body parts like wounds. This is to supply larger concentrations of everything needed for the bodys efficient healing. However, large concentrations of histamines in a given area also results to inflammation, reddening and itching yes, just like the symptoms present during eczema flare ups. That is why certain treatments for eczema make use of antihistamines to get rid of such symptoms.

Can I use eczema medications with antihistamines?

Not just about everybody can take antihistamines. Many doctors advise people to steer clear of antihistamines if they have:

* Asthma
* Chronic bronchitis
* Hypertension
* Glaucoma
* Problems with the liver or kidney and other organs
* Any chronic illness

Histamines are also contraindicated for pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers, or if one is currently taking medications, be it conventional or all-natural. If you suffer from eczema and have one of the things mentioned earlier, then you should consider resorting to other modes of treatment for eczema, the ones that do not contain antihistamines.

Taking antihistamines for a long period of time can actually do more harm than good. It can cause histamine deficiency, which contributes to:

* Mouth ulcers
* Headaches
* Excessive hair growth
* Ringing in the ears
* Eye and ear problems
* Mental and emotional disorders such as schizophrenia

Half of the people classified as having schizophrenia, according to studies conducted, have low levels of histamines circulating in their blood stream. The depletion of histamines may be due to certain antipsychotic drugs prescribed for them. However, increasing the levels of histamines in their blood stream significantly improved their condition. Also, it is said that people with low levels of histamines usually experience anxiety, paranoia and hallucinations.

If you suffer from eczema at the same time with other conditions such as difficulty in breathing, you should consult your doctor for an eczema treatment other than that with antihistamines.