Tag: allergies

Food Allergies in Kids

Food allergies are a common problem in kids. Nearly two million children have food allergies in the United States. Some food allergies are life threatening, even if the food is taken in very little quantity. Peanut tops the list of notorious foods which cause allergies. Following it are milk, especially cows milk, soy, eggs, wheat, seafood and other nuts.

Food allergies are caused when the immune system is confused. The job of the immune system is to protect the body from diseases, bacteria, viruses and germs. The antibodies produced by the immune system helps to fight these minute external organisms which makes the person sick. But if the body is allergic to certain food, the immune system mistakes the food to a harmful foreign substance and takes action towards it thinking that it is dangerous to the body. The body acts adversely, when it isnt supposed to do so.

When the immune system detects allergic substance, the antibodies produce mast cells. They are a kind of immune system cell which release a chemicals, such as histamine, in the bloodstream. These chemicals affect the respiratory system, digestive system, nose, eyes, throat, and skin. Initial symptoms are runny nose, tingling sensation in the lips or tongue, and itchy skin rash like hives. The reaction can be mild to severe and depends on every individual. The symptoms can appear right after the food is consumed or after few hours. Other symptoms are cough, wheezing, nausea, hoarse voice, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach ache, and throat tightness.

A sudden and harsh allergic reaction is known as anaphylaxis. The patient encounters many problems, all at once which involve blood vessels, the heart, digestion, breathing, and skin. The blood pressure drops very steeply, the tongue swells and there is swelling in the breathing tubes. Patients who have such allergic reactions should be ready to handle emergencies. They should always carry some type of medicine which will help to combat or reduce the adverse affect of the food.

Most of the times, it is very easy to detect the cause of food allergy. Problems such as hives begin to surface as soon as the child eats the substance he is allergic to. At other times, it becomes very difficult to determine the cause of allergy. In such cases, everything should be observed under close surveillance. Food items which are made out of many ingredients should be thoroughly checked for the allergic cause. Most of the times, allergies are inherited from other family members or other kids born with food allergies. Changes in the surroundings and the body play a major role in these kinds of cases. Some of the kids arent actually allergic to the food and show only mild reaction. Like people who are lactose intolerant suffer from diarrhea and belly pain after consuming milk and diary products. This is not an indication that the child is allergic to milk. This reaction happens because their body is incapable of breaking down the sugars which are found in diary products and milk.

If the conditions are severe, a doctor should be consulted immediately. If food allergy is diagnosed, the doctor refers to an allergy specialist. The doctor asks questions like eating patterns, past allergic reactions and the time period between the consumption of food and the surfacing of the symptoms. The specialist can also ask about allergy related conditions like asthma or eczema and whether allergic reactions are hereditary. Usually skin test and blood test is done to test the antibodies and the reaction they have on the skin when it is exposed to the allergic substance.

Kids who are allergic to egg and milk outgrow them as the age progresses. But allergies which are severe and are related to items such as peanut, shrimps, and some kind of fish, last for a lifetime. Other than food, children can be allergic to certain medicines and flower pollen. The best way to avoid allergies is to avoid the cause of it. No specific medicine has been developed for the cure of allergies.

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What is An Air Purifier?

Air purifiers; there is a good chance that you have heard of them before. Despite the fact that you may have heard of air purifiers before, do you know what they are or what they do? A large number of individuals do not. Air purifiers can greatly benefit you and you family, but before the benefits can be felt, you must familiarize yourself with air purifiers, namely what they are and what they do.

Air purifier, also commonly referred to as air cleaner, are electronic devices. The goal of these electronic devices is to clean the air. This is done by eliminating harmful air contaminants. Air contaminant is another word that is used to describe air particles. No matter what they are called, they could be harmful to your health or to those who visit your home. That is why it is recommended that all homes have an air purifier in them. In fact, in addition to be recommended, some homeowners are actually urged to have an air purifier for their home.

If you are wondering why someone would be urged to have an air purifier in their home, you may be wondering who those individuals are and just who it is that is doing the urging. Well, the truth is that there are a fairly large number of individuals who are urged to have air purifiers. These individuals may be those who have pets or who have in-house smokers. It has been said, and actually proven in multiple studies, that pets and cigarette smoke causes unhealthy air particles to form. With an air purifier, those particles will either be completely eliminated or reduced.

In addition to those who have a house with pets or a cigarette smoker, it is also advised that those with allergies purchase an air purifier for their home. Air purifiers work to eliminate common dust particles, which is a common cause for allergies. As previously mentioned, air purifiers are also recommended for those with pets. In addition to keeping your homes air clean, an air purifier may also help to reduce an allergic reaction to pets or pet hair.

Although it is important to know who can benefit from an air purifier, you may also be wondering exactly how they work. With air purifiers, you will find that different purifiers work in different ways. This is because many air purifiers are produced by different manufacturers. Each of those manufacturers is likely to develop their own product in their own way. Despite these differences, there are a number of different air purifiers that use ionizers and filters. These filters often filter out harmful air purifiers by preventing them to pass through the system. Essentially, this means that only safe, clean, and breathable air is allowed to pass through.

If you make the decision to purchase an air purifier or cleaner, and with all of the benefits there is a good chance that you will, you are advised to shop carefully. You will find that many air purifiers claim to be the best, but very few are. Although you may wish to purchase a low-cost air purifier, you are advised to be cautious when doing so. Many cheaper air purifiers are low-performing and the high-performing ones may need to have their filters replaced every few months. If this is the case, you will want to check the cost of replacement filters; in some cases the filters may end up costing more than the machine originally did.

Eczema in Children

When a skin rash cannot be blamed on poison ivy or chicken pox, the culprit is eczema. In this condition, the skin turns red, scaly and develops sores. The itching is beyond the limit and the skins starts to shed in the form of scales. Dermatitis is the other name for eczema. Dermatitis actually means inflammation of the skin and the skin turns pink and sore. Eczema is a common child problem as out of ten kids at least one kid gets eczema and majority of them get it before they turn five years old. Children who are above five years are also at a risk of developing eczema, but once they become teenagers, the chances are negligible.

Not only does eczema dries the skin, it also makes it itch horribly. The skin break out can even take the form of rashes. Eczema is a condition which comes and goes frequently and therefore it is chronic. When any foreign bodies come in contact with the skin, a special kind of cells present in the skin will react to them. Basically, they inflame the skin as a measure of protection. The harmful foreign objects trigger the reaction and make these special cells to over react. This turns the skin itchy, sore and red. Children, who get eczema frequently, have a larger quantity of these special cells.

Usually, people who have family members with asthma, hay fever or any allergies are more prone to getting eczema. It is in their genes to get eczema and this problem is passed over to them by their parent. Some scientists say that people, who as children have had eczema, are at a higher risk of developing asthma or hay fever later in their life. Allergies can only make eczema worse. The good news is that eczema is not contagious, so children can be happy about not catching the infection. The first symptom of eczema is rash development. These rashes may seem to go away in the beginning, but will return back. Although eczema itches badly, not all rashes will itch. Eczema will start to develop behind the knees and inside of the elbows. It will slowly spread to the face and other body parts.

Because rashes can be caused due to many other reasons apart from eczema, the doctor will examine the rashes and its cause very carefully. If eczema is confirmed, the child may have to use a moisturizing cream or lotion to stop the itchiness and drying of the skin. In serious cases, the patient will be recommended corticosteroids. It is a steroid cream or ointment which needs to applied to check skin inflammation. If the itching is really irritating, antihistamine can be taken in either liquid or pill form. And if the scratching had resulted in an infection, antibiotics will also be prescribed. The problem doesnt get solved forever, but it makes the condition better for the time being.

There are certain things which trigger eczema and should be avoided by children who get eczema frequently. Perfumes, detergents, soap, dry air in winters with very little moisture, and sweaty and hot skin. Also when coming in contact with dust mites and scratchy fabrics can increase skin irritation. The child must abstain from scratching even if the skin is itching badly, as that will make the skin itch more badly. The skin can also get infected with bacteria because of skin breaking and bleeding. A washcloth can be dipped on cool water and placed on the area of itchiness. The parents should cut the nails short of the child so that he/she doesnt hurt himself while scratching. Lastly, lots of water should be consumed to provide moisture to the dry skin.

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The Benefits of Owning an Air Purifier

If you watch television, listen to the radio, or surf the internet, there is a good chance that you have heard of air purifiers before. Air purifiers are electronic machines that work to make indoor air healthier. This is done by trapping harmful air particles in the filters or collection grids. Essentially, this means that your air will not only be healthier, but easier to breathe.

Despite the fact that you know what an air purifier is and what it does, do you know the benefits of owning or using one? If you do not currently own an air purifier, also commonly known as an air cleaner, there is a good chance that you will want one, after examining the benefits of using one. That is right, air purifiers are that good.

As mentioned above, air purifiers work to eliminate dangerous or unhealthy contaminants from the air. Doing this makes the air inside your home easier to breathe. This is great for young children, the elderly, as well as those with allergies. When breathing cleaner air, your health is likely to improve. There is a good chance that you may find yourself getting ill less often.

In addition to getting ill less often, it has been said that the air we breathe has an impact on our emotions and wellbeing. Therefore, this means that breathing cleaner air, thanks to an air purifier, you may not only be healthier, but you may also enjoy life a little bit more. When you think about it, it is actually amazing what clean air can do for a person.

Another benefit to owning an air purifier is the cost of owning one. Unfortunately, many individuals believe that air purifiers cost too much money. It is true that their costs can be high, but you need to think about what you are getting from them. Can you really put a price tag on clean, healthy, and breathable air? Even if you must put a price tag on it, you will find that you have a number of different options. Air purifiers come in a number of different makes and models. Each of those makes and models costs a certain amount of money. This means that, with a little bit of research, you should be able to find at least one air purifier that is within your price range.

As great as air purifiers are, it is important to remember one thing. You can not reap the many benefits of owning an air purifier if you do not use it. There are many individuals who make the purchase, but do not properly use their air purifiers, if they even use them at all. In most cases, you will find that air purifiers work best if you use them all of the time. This will allow your air purifier to keep up with all of the air particles floating around inside your home or inside a particular room. Essentially, this means that if you make the decision to purchase an air purifier, make sure you actually use it.

As you should easily be able to tell, air purifiers have a number of different benefits. Each of these benefits are likely to help you out, in one way or another. Therefore, if you havent thought about purchasing an air purifier before, it is about time that you give it some serious though. You may very well find it to be one of the best purchases that you ever made.