Each year, about midsummer, millions of children and adults begin to show various significant allergy symptoms. They sneeze, their eyes itch and become watery. They feel wretched for a month or two. Then the symptoms abate. These persons are suffering from attacks of hay fever - a prime example of what physician would call an allergic reaction.
To understand what allergies are, we must point out that when the normal equilibrium of the human body is threatened by an external agent, a sequence of automatic defense mechanisms moves into action. If the body becomes overheated, for example, it begins to perspire in order to cool itself. If it becomes too cold, it starts to shiver in an attempt to get warm.
An allergy is also a response to an external agent. But in this case the response to this outside source is excessive and the reaction is neither normal nor desirable. Read the rest of this entry »
Among the most common types of allergies is mold allergy, because mold can develop just about anywhere and can happen at any time of the year. We more popularly know and identify mold as that yellowish or greenish substance that results from our failure to throw out organic materials and clean out dark and damp spaces. But, what is mold, really?
There are two plant groups in the family of fungi: molds and yeast, each of which has around a thousand permutations and versions to its name. While yeasts are characterized by single cells, molds are comprised of multiple cells that branch out when they grow. Both fungi subfamilies are allergic offenders, but only about a few mold species trigger allergic reactions in people.
Molds, when they multiply, also produce millions of spores. These spores are what cause allergies. When inhaled, these microscopic spores give birth to allergic rhinitis. And because they are so tiny and microscopic, escaping exposure to mold spores and susceptibility to mold allergy may be difficult to accomplish. Mold spores can easily bypass our bodies protective functions and lodge themselves into our respiratory organs.
Some people experience a more severe mold allergy attack when they take in food that has been processed with fungi, like cheese. There are also instances when dried food and some mushrooms, as well as yeast-related foods, like vinegar and soy sauce, help worsen the attack. We cannot say exactly the same for penicillin, however, though it is made from the mold Penicillium, because studies have not shown any blatant relationship between it and mold allergy.
Mold allergy can also come with the season, usually from spring to just before fall ends. Mold season is usually at its highest during the summer, because of the moisture and heat. Some molds thrive in cold temperatures, but most of them simply remain dormant until they are unfrozen and given the chance to grow again. Molds are particularly present just after the spring thaw because they feed on dead vegetation that that have been hit by the winter season.
Wherever there is moisture, you can be sure that molds will be there to grow. The best places they can thrive are damp closets and basements, unmonitored refrigerators, bathrooms, air conditioners, mattresses, house plants and uncleaned garbage pails, among others.
Given this information, households should make sure that all spaces are ventilated well and mold-attractive objects aired out regularly to avoid the development of molds.
The most common molds found in the United States are Cladosporium and Alternaria. Actually, there are many other mold species that they usually outnumber the pollen that spreads in the air. Worse than pollen, they can thrive both indoors and outdoors, and can be very tricky to detect at their early development stages. Most people recognize the presence of mold only after they have grown to annoying and smelly levels.
Continuous exposure to mold will not just bring about mold allergy but also lead to lung disease or asthma. If you have started to feel weird coughing symptoms and some wheezing, better have yourself checked immediately to nip the problem at the bud. Your physician will likely have you undergo a series of tests, including X-rays and blood sampling, to determine the cause. Needless to say, mold allergy, while seemingly temporary, is still not something that you should take for granted.
Perhaps the most noticeable and annoying of all allergies is skin allergy, not just because they create maps and maps of little red blotches all over our bodies when they attack, but also because they leave marks when left untreated or if we fail to respond to them the right way, like frequent scratching.
The most common of skin allergies include eczema, contact dermatitis and uticaria, also known as hives. People usually mistake dermatitis for eczema and assume immediately that they are one and the same. However, dermatitis is just the milder version of eczema, which is considered one of the most serious and advanced types of skin allergy.
Meanwhile, contact dermatitis, true to its name, occurs when our skin comes in contact with a certain allergen that caused the outbreak. Symptoms of skin allergy usually come out within 30 minutes after the skin has been exposed. Inflammations ensue, with levels depending on the degree of contact. They include scaling, redness and blisters.
Hives
Hives are usually harmless. They are comprised of roundish red welts that come out in groups and are normally very itchy. Their sizes also vary, with diameters ranging from several millimeters to around a few centimeters.
They are triggered by a number of factors, including insect bites, food and certain types of drugs and medications. Hives that stay for over six weeks are commonly referred to as chronic urticaria, while those that last for less than the said period are called acute urticaria. Also, while it is said that hives are harmless, their exact cause has yet to be determined, that’s why it is a little difficult to prevent.
Treatment for skin allergies
Skin allergies, although very annoying and not always preventable, can be treated. You may use topical ointments and steroids to help relieve the itchiness and the swelling, and these are available over the counter. You don’t normally need a prescription to gain access to these medicaitons, but it is still always best to consult your dermatologist instead of immediately resorting to self medication.
Hydrocortisone is a known steroid medication against skin allergy. Antihistamines also work just as well and are available both in topical (like corticosteroids) and in oral form. People who are allergic to certain types of food usually take in antihistamines before they eat offending foods so that outbreaks don’t occur.
You can also ask your doctor about steroid injections, which include methylprednisolone, dexamethasone, prednisone, triamcinolone and betamethasone. Some antihistamines, however, are sleep inducers, like hydroxyzine and diphenhydramine, so you might want to steer clear of these drugs if you want to stay awake while medicated. Recommended antihistamines include Seldane, Benadryl, Atarax and Tagamet.
Almost everyone suffers from some kind of skin allergy, with varying levels. Thus, if you are suffering from skin allergy, you are not alone. Treatments and medications are available to combat them so you don’t have to worry too much about major outbreaks. Just be sure to stay away from potential triggers and keep your drugs in hand.
Why You Should Not Scratch Those Itchy Eyes
There are times when you feel like doing something, but you cannot do it, due to the fact that you get allergic reactions doing so. Times wherein you like to sunbathe but you cannot because you get rashes all over your body. Or another time when you want to organize your closet then suddenly your eyes start to itch. Do not fear for there are natural remedies that are available worldwide that provide relief to allergy symptoms.
A walk in the park is such an enjoyable task for you, yet you cannot pursue this enjoyment because everytime you do so it turns into a series of non-stop sneezing, coughing and, worst of all, itchy eyes. Itchy eyes are very tempting. You should never do anything that may irritate your eyes, and scratching will definitely irritate them. However, due to the incessant itching, you might just ignore this major health rule.
Instead of rubbing your eyes, thus causing the itchy situation to worsen, you should just see if what you are suffering from is a seasonal allergy. Now how are you going to do that? All you have to do is to check the symptoms and see if the variations you are experiencing are similar to the symptoms of a seasonal allergy.
What are its symptoms then? Seasonal allergies involve coughing, sneezing, scratchy throat, and itchy eyes. Misidentification happens all the time between seasonal allergies and other kinds of allergies. Here is a tip so that you can avoid misidentifying the symptoms you feel with other allergies: seasonal allergies stop at some point; depending on where you are located and whatever substance it is that you are allergic to.
Itchy eyes are probably the worst symptom of an allergy because oftentimes you just cannot resist scratching. And when you do scratch them, you end up getting swollen eyes. Your eyes are very detrimental to your daily living because your vision is your most important sense, which means, losing your vision would make life a whole lot harder for you.
You can also get itchy eyes with every breath you take since every breath contains millions and millions of microscopic particles. These particles are oftenly, and are supposed to be, warded off by the immune system, but sometimes some harmful airborne substance can still explain this filtering and enter the body, thus causing various allergy symptoms. Your immune system usually ignores harmless airborne particles, and sometimes even mistakes these harmless airborne particles for dangerous ones.
This mistaken identity will then result into the release of a substance called Histamine, which then leads to a condition termed as Allergic Rhinitis and Hayfever. Itchy eyes and other major allergy symptoms are then seen in these conditions. To be able to avoid these said sicknesses, you have to, first and foremost, know what other signficant symptoms allergic rhinitis and hayfever have.
First, you will be observing clear discharge coming out of your nose, otherwise known as a runny nose. Your eyes will also become red and puffy, like as if you have cried for the whole night. They will also itch like crazy. You will also be finding dark spots under your eyes, which give you a ghastly look. Sneezing and an itchy nose should never be ignored for these two are most oftenly associated with each other. Your nasal passages are also extremely swollen. Your throat will also be totally irritated, which will, in turn, result into a sore throat. And aside from these, you will also be feeling fatigue.
If you do not want to experience these symptoms, you can try antihistamine drugs which will do good in blocking the release of histamine and will reduce, or even better, prevent the allergic reaction. No allergic reaction, no symptoms. These antihistamine drugs come in tablets, inhalers, nasal sprays, syrups, and eye drops.
However, these antihistamine drugs can sometimes cause unwanted side effects. Quercitin is a famous flavanoid, which are usually found in onions and apples. It is considered to be a bulding block for other flavanoids. Flavanoids are very important anti-oxidants, which are usually found in fruits and different kinds of vegetation. They can reduce inflammation, strengthen your blood vessels, boost your immunity, and improve circulation. Quercitin prevents allergy symptoms, especially itchy eyes and nasal congestion.
Itchy eyes are not so hard to cure, nor treat, but the resistance and endurance should be of maximum level. Wanting to itchy your eyes while knowing you should not is very hard to handle. Itchy eyes are most commonly caused by certain allergies. Therefore, you should just avoid having any of these allergies to be able to avoid this particular symptom.