Tag: Food allergies

What Is An Allergy?

Theres a lot of talk about allergies. But just what
is an allergy and what causes them? Why do some people
have them while others dont? And why are people with
one allergy more inclined to have many?

The immune system is set up to protect our bodies from
harmful, foreign substances. Like viruses and bacteria
(dirt and germs). Sometimes the immune system doesnt
develop properly or is just oversensitive and doesnt
react right.

In these cases, it reacts to things that arent
harmful and dont usually cause people any problems.
These things are called allergens. The term allergens
is just an easier way to say things that cause
allergies.

When the oversensitive or improperly developed immune
system sees these allergens, it sends out chemicals
like histamine. Its the histamines that cause the
symptoms that are common with allergies.

Symptoms like itching, watery eyes, runny nose,
swelling, hives or rashes. Different people have
different symptoms, but the causes are the same.

The symptoms that are displayed depend on the part of
the body the allergen comes in contact with. Allergens
that are breathed in, like pollen or dust cause
coughing or wheezing, stuffy or runny noses and an
itchy nose and throat.

Plant allergies usually come in contact with the skin,
so they cause rashes.

Food allergies usually result in nausea, vomiting,
stomach pains or in severe cases, life threatening
reactions. Drug allergies tend to involve the entire
body, so they have a variety of symptoms.

This entry was posted on Friday, March 14th, 200

Types Of Allergies

Its estimated that 60 million Americans suffer from
some type of allergy. Thats 1 out of 4. Its the 5th
highest chronic disease in America and the 3rd most
common chronic disease in children.

Many people suffer from more than one allergy type.

Pollen from trees, grass and weeds are in the
indoor/outdoor allergy category. Other common
indoor/outdoor allergy triggers are mold spores, dust
mite and cockroach allergen and cat, dog and rodent
dander.

About 75% of people with allergies have indoor/outdoor
allergies. The most common pet allergy is cat dander.

Skin allergies are another common allergy. The most
common causes of skin allergies are plants like poison
oak, ivy and sumac.

Allergic reactions can also be caused by skin contact
with latex, cockroach and dust mites and even some
foods. Skin allergies are the main allergy for about
7% of allergy sufferers.

While we here a lot about food and drug allergies,
theyre the primary allergy of only about 6% of
allergy sufferers. Food allergies are more common in
children.

Peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, wheat, soy, fish and
shellfish are responsible for 90% of all food
allergies. Food allergies claim over 200 lives yearly.
When it comes to common drug allergies, penicillin is
the winner.

Almost 400 Americans die every year from allergies to
penicillin.

Latex and insect allergies both claim around 4% of
allergy sufferers. Latex allergies result in 10 deaths
a year and nearly 100 deaths a year are the result of
insect allergies.

Eczema Treatment Cannot Begin Without Knowing What Caused It

Eczema is a skin disorder. It is one of those problems that has no cure and can return and you cannot undergo eczema treatment without knowing first what caused it.

Some doctors believe that there is an imbalance in the body which is why you have eczema. In some cases, the body is producing too many or too few hormones. One example is when you have low thyroid function. When this happens, you will also have poor blood circulation and your skin will now develop the symptoms of eczema such as blistering, itching, oozing and swelling.

Eating also causes some people to have eczema. In fact, some patients have complained of certain food allergies before the flare-ups occur.

We all know that if we sustain an infection, the immune system will not work properly and your body will shut down. When this happens, we are also vulnerable to this skin disorder. A casing point is the growth of Candida albicans which is a yeast type infection.

Aside from ingesting something that may soon make you give you eczema, it is also possible that you either inhaled it or this was absorbed by your skin. This can happen if something overloaded your kidney and liver.

Believe it or not, stress has also been known to cause eczema because the body produces cortisol, a hormone that affects the intestinal tract by destroying friendly bacteria. As a result, your digestive system becomes impaired. You will feel pain in your stomach and when it happens more often, you may soon develop ulcers. This will soon affect other systems in the body and then make you vulnerable to eczema.

Eczema is also hereditary. This means if someone in your family like your parents or grandparents had this before, there is the possibility that you will also have it.

So now what? Well, knowing what caused eczema will make it easier for doctors to figure out how to help you. If the trigger factors were determined, you will be advised to stay away from it so that after you have undergone treatment, you will not encounter flare-ups.

Should eczema be stress related, you will be advised to stay away from activities that make it come back. You could talk to your boss and tell them about your condition. This will allow him or her to lessen your workload and give this to someone else rather than seeing you in such terrible shape.

Sadly, there is nothing you can do if it is genetic. The only thing doctors can do is tell you what to do when it happens and how to prevent it from recurring. Proper hygiene is probably the best advice because with the help of moisturizers, you will be able to keep your skin healthy.

There are also supplements you can take to help fight against eczema and you can get this over the counter at the drug store.

Based on the different causes mentioned, you can say that doctors have not really pinpointed the exact cause of eczema. Yes there is speculation that certain abnormalities may have caused this but this is different for each person who has even been diagnosed with it.

The only good news is that there is eczema treatment available. Before you try anything, it is best to get yourself diagnosed rather than self-medicating because you could only make matters worse.

The Science of Arthritis

The Science of Arthritis
Adam Waxler

In order to understand how to handle arthritis pain, you need to understand how the body works and how arthritis can impede the body from working properly. Once someone has a general understanding of the science behind arthritis, one can better understand how to handle arthritis pain and get some arthritis relief.
First of all, there are several different types of arthritis. The two most commonly known forms of arthritis are osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, there are three other major types of arthritis. These other forms of arthritis are systemic lupus erythematosis, ankylosing spondylitis and gout. Lets take a look at each:
Systemic Lupus Erythematosis (SLE) This form of arthritis mainly affects women. It develops in the skin, internal organs and joints.
Ankylosing Spondylitis This form or arthritis affects the spine and can also affect the ankles, knees, lungs, heart, shoulders and eyes.
Gout This is a painful affliction mainly for men, about one million of them in the United States alone. Uric acid build up, due to an internal chemical malfunction, forms crystals that get stuck in a joint, generally the big toe, and become inflamed.
Where two bones meet, called joints, are covered with cartilage, also known as gristle. This cartilage is sturdy, elastic, and spongy or compressible, and keeps the bones from moving against each other at the joint. Healthy joints can handle some fairly heavy pressure. For example, when taking a walk a persons knees handle a force of three to four times a persons total body weight, while deep knee bends can increase to nine times the bodys weight. Unfortunately, arthritis effects how joints function properly in your body.
Surrounding the bones and cartilage is a strong, fibrous capsule lined with synovium, a thin membrane that lubricates the joint area with fluid. The end result is less friction or smoother rubbing together of the bones. This fluid also feeds the cartilage cells, keeping them healthy, and is pumped into them during joint movement. Therefore, lack of movement can be unhealthy. By understanding more about how joints work it is easy to see why exercise plays a crucial role in arthritis relief.
Arthritic joints can be affected with inflammation when bacteria or a virus (or other undesirable element) enters the joint area or when an injury occurs. What happens is when foreign matter enters this area or the area sustains injury, white blood cells, antibodies and other natural fighting mechanisms automatically kick in internally to help. These fighters cause swelling, redness and heat as the body fluid moves around. Symptoms of inflammation, one of the uncomfortable issues associated with arthritis pain, are redness, swelling and tender joints.
The exact science of what actually causes arthritis is still being researched. For most forms of arthritis, the causes are unknown. Injury, overuse of joints and mechanical issues with joints (like skeletal abnormalities, worn out joint muscles) can lead to arthritis. Many arthritis experts also point to issues relating to bacteria as one of the main culprits causing arthritis. Heredity, stress, drugs, food allergies and viruses have also been linked to some forms of arthritis. Likewise, diet, poor circulation, and lack of movement have also been connected to arthritis.
While it appears that arthritis may be caused by many factors, the good news is that at least some of these factors can be controlled. Clearly, a healthy diet and plenty of exercise will go along way towards arthritis relief.
Copyright 2006 Adam Waxler

About The Author

Adam Waxler publishes a series of health & fitness information products and web sites including his new resource filled with with FREE articles and tips on Arthritis Pain Relief & Prevention @ http://www.1-800-health-teacher.com/arthritis.