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Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Help! I Can't Stop Sneezing - Allergy Solutions

Allergies occur when your immune system overreacts to foreign substances in the environment called allergens. Exposure to what is normally a harmless substance, such as pollen, causes the immune system to react as if the substance were harmful. In essence, allergies are your body’s effort to get rid of substances it feels are dangerous. You might have allergies, but there are a number of things you can do to help prevent, treat and live with your symptoms. A few helpful tips to make your life with allergies a little easier: keep windows closed to help eliminate pollen in the air; use and air filter and clean it regularly; stay away from damp areas where mold grows; wear a mask and gloves when you clean the house.
More and more people yearly are being diagnosed with allergies. If you are an allergy sufferer learning effective strategies to control allergy symptoms is very important and could tremendously improve the quality of your life.
Tree pollens, grass pollens and other allergens can antagonize your senses and keep you from full enjoying outdoor activities. If you are a seasonal allergy sufferer, you know that sneezing; itchy, watery eyes; a runny, stuffy nose; and other allergy symptoms can keep you from feeling clear-headed. There are a number of effective over-the counter allergy medications. Or you may need to consult with your doctor about possible prescriptions.
A popular over-the-counter choice is an antihistamine. Some popular antihistamine choices are: Benadryl or Sudafed. A common problem with using these antihistamines is that they can dry out your nasal passages to much causing irritation from being too dry. In this case a nasal spray would work better. Nasal sprays do not dry out the nasal passages as much.
If the over-the-counter solution is not working for you, you may need to check with your doctor about a prescription an allergy medication. Some of these medications include: Zyrtec, Singulair, Flonase and Nasonex.
There are also Natural solutions such as medications or supplements. Some of the natural remedies include: Vitamin B12, B5, Vitamin A and grape seed oil. Sometimes the best road to take is to try both: a natural solution and an over-the-counter or prescription medication.
I hope that this information helps. I have been an allergy sufferer all my life and I know it can make your life miserable! There are remedies out there; unfortunately the same remedies do not work for each individual sufferer. Good luck on your search, I hope you find some relief.
Lisa is a published author on Asthma and Allergy Relief.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lisa_McKennon

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Allergy and Asthma Relief and Treatments

Types of asthma and common triggers of asthma attacks:
There are three main types of asthma, allergic, idiopathic, and mixed asthma.
The first main type of asthma is allergic asthma. This type of asthma is caused by airborne and seasonal allergens. Some of these Allergens include pollen, mold, pet dander and dust mites. Once you are exposed to an allergen, it acts as a trigger for an asthma attack, causing coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath. By avoiding the allergen, the asthma can be controlled.
The second main type of asthma is idiopathic or non-allergic asthma. This type of asthma is not related to any specific allergen or substance. Common triggers for idiopathic or non-allergic asthma include the common cold, a respiratory tract infection, exercise, emotions, environmental pollution or some food additives such as sulphates. Over time, asthma attacks can become more frequent and severe if left untreated. This type of asthma can also develop into a more serious respiratory condition, such as chronic bronchitis, or emphysema.
The third main type of asthma is mixed asthma. An individual could have a combination of both allergic and idiopathic (or non-allergic) asthma. This is the most commonly diagnosed.
Different treatments for asthma:
It is important to know what your personal asthma triggers are. Preventative medications do not stop an asthma attack, they only help improve your day to day functioning. Therefore, knowing your personal triggers is a must. Triggers can include weather conditions like extreme temperatures, pet dander, dust, mold, pollen, dairy products, emotions, and exercise. It is possible to eliminate some triggers like pet dander, dust mold, pollen and dairy products. Pets can be bathed to help with their dander. Frequent cleaning for dust and mold problems helps along with keeping windows closed and running the air conditioner during the spring and summer seasons.
Bedrooms are good rooms to target to get rid of a lot of dust. Dust and dust mites collect in pillows and mattresses. There are covers for pillows and mattresses that help to eliminate dust mites. Also the regular cleaning of sheets, blankets and curtains will help. It is recommended when possible not to have carpet or throw rugs as these items also collect dust and present problems.
According to medical theory, asthma is a hypersensitivity reaction of the lung. The bronchioles of the lungs start to constrict when triggered by stimuli. When your body is weak, the hypersensitivity reaction is more extreme and the asthma attack is more severe. Once the lungs become hypersensitive easily, it is almost impossible to remove these reactions. In Chinese concept, asthma is most likely triggered when the body is weak. According to Chinese alternative medication, eating a certain Chinese bird nest which can only been found in a cave is very good at controlling asthma. It is a bird's salivary secretion which contains lots of minerals. Some believe there are some Chinese herbs which are good for asthma also.
Some asthmatics try Chiropractic care not just for symptomatic relief of asthma and allergies, but for a complete change in how the body responds to allergens and infections. The nervous system controls all of the functions of the body and allergies are an inability to respond properly to something we are sensitive to. It's not the pollen or mold or food that gives us the allergy it's the way the body responds to the allergen. So the medication that helps with our symptoms is suppressing the body's response to something we are sensitive to. A Chiropractor performs an adjustment in a patient's spine which provides more comfort and freer breathing. They also recommend a change to a more natural diet with whole foods. It is recommended to take the most natural approach possible. First make sure your nervous system is doing exactly what it should. Get checked by a Chiropractor who will be able to recommend nutritional supplements which will help strengthen the glands in the body that have the most to do with allergy response, the adrenal glands. They put out adrenaline, which is a hormone that, when injected into the body, will immediately stop an allergic response.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lisa_McKennon

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

NATURAL HERBS FOR ALLERGIES - TREAT ALLERGIES WITHOUT MEDICATION

Modern medicine has made many advances over the years in treating allergy symptoms. Sometimes the cure may be worse than the illness. Many decongestants will lead to a dry mouth and a rise in blood pressure. Antihistamines tend to make you drowsy and groggy.
Are there any natural herbs that will help treat the symptoms of allergies without all of the unpleasant side effects? The good news is that you can find many natural herbs for allergies that will offer relief from your symptoms the holistic way. Natural herbs that will actually help to prevent the symptoms rather than treating them once they start. This can be an effective way of managing many of the seasonal allergies that a number of people suffer from.
I have heard about antihistamines, but what are they?
Antihistamines prevent the body from producing histamines. Histamines are a chemical by product when antibodies attack a foreign substance in the body. For allergy suffers, the body has mistakenly identified a benign substance to be a threat to the body. The immune system has created an antibody to attack and destroy this threat. Histamines create the allergy symptoms like runny nose, watery eyes and coughing, so when your body cannot produce as many, your symptoms are reduced as well.
Herbal Antihistamines
Stinging Nettle - This herb works very well as a natural antihistamine, without the drowsiness that comes from using many of the over-the-counter medicines that are available. Stinging nettle can be purchased in capsule form from many natural food and vitamin stores today.
Butterbur - Another herbal antihistamine, which is a harder herb to come by in the United States, but nevertheless effective as a natural means of treating allergies.
Quercetin - Is another good natural herb for allergies, and has the added benefit of acting as a natural antioxidant that can reduce the risk of some types of cancer.
Plantain - Has been used for a long time in treating respiratory complaints including cough and inflammation. It also has anti-catarrhal and antispasmodic properties.
Chamomile - According to German studies it may slow allergic reactions, such as those that trigger asthma attacks, by increasing the adrenal glands' production of cortisone, which reduces lung inflammation and makes breathing easier.
Before taking a natural herb to treat your allergies, consult with your allergy doctor before taking anything. Some herbs can have side effects with other herbs. They can also have potentially dangerous interactive effects when taken with other over the counter and prescription medicines.
For more information on living an allergy free life try visiting http://www.allergyanswersguide.com, a popular allergy facts website that offers advice and resources on allergies in children, dogs for people with allergies and yeast allergies.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Willhelm_Williams

ALLERGIES, ASTHMA - WHAT CAN YOU DO?

30% to 35% of all North Americans have allergy asthma. These numbers have increased significantly in the past 20 years. As a result both the sufferer and the sufferers’ family have seen a reduction in both quality of life and productivity. The impact can be devastating and even life threatening.
The allergy asthma population is on the rise yet research is on the decline. That doesn’t make a lot of sense. If you suffer from allergy asthma depending on the level of severity you can try to make improvements on your own or you may have to seek medical assistance.
There are several natural medicines that have shown excellent results for allergy asthma that is considered mild to moderate. Anyone dealing with severe problems needs to consult their doctor. Sometimes changes in lifestyle such as what you are exposing yourself to can help. Other times boosting the immune system or reprogramming it will make all the difference in the world.
Allergy asthma is one of the fastest growing allergies and asthma is becoming the fastest growing hospital admission in children and it is killing hundreds every year.
Allergies in general are growing with 2-5% of children and 10% of adults developing food allergies with many able to resolve themselves with dietary changes and often the use of herbal supplements. A small percentage will be dealing with more life threatening factors that must be addressed immediately. And many dealing with allergy asthma will need to work with their doctors.
Hay fever now affects about 25% of the population and it often leads to sinusitis and although it is often trivialized it is like allergy asthma seriously impairing a person’s ability to function.
Many of you might not realize the eczema can be a result of an allergy. In fact 10% of all eczema is allergy related and like allergy asthma you may need the help of your doctor to find the best approach to reducing it. There are many excellent herbal and natural products that can work well to eliminate eczema and reduce symptoms.
Anaphylaxis is the most serious allergy asthma – this is a reaction that can kill so suddenly those surrounding don’t realize what is occurring until it is too late. Anaphylaxis affects around 2% of the population and what happens is when the allergy strike the air ways are restricted and the person cannot breath thus suffocating.
Thankfully we are becoming much better at recognizing allergies in both children and adults. That means those suffering from allergies, and allergy asthma are getting better diagnosis and thus better treatment. In some cases with a little bit of diligence you can do a lot to help yourself using natural and herbal products. In more severe cases you will have to work with your doctor for the best outcome.
If you believe you have allergy asthma it is important to diagnose and find out exactly what is going on treating it before it gets more serious or even life threatening. There are some excellent asthma medications on the market that help you breathe and they have very few side effects.
So don’t delay if you think you have allergy asthma. You want to deal with it before it affects your quality of life.
Get all the latest information about Allergies from the only true source at http://www.1allergyinformation.com
Be sure to check out our Allergy Asthma pages.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Roger_Michaelson

HOW TO CONTROL YOUR ASTHMA ALLERGY SYMPTOMS

If you suffer from asthma, or know someone who does, then learning effective strategies to control asthma symptoms is very important and could even save your life.
Asthma symptoms can range from just annoying to life threatening, and anywhere in-between, and it is on the rise.
More and more people yearly are being diagnosed with asthma, and it continues to be one of the most common respiratory conditions in America and Europe.
However, the good news is there are both medical and natural ways to relieve the symptoms of asthma, and scientific studies are discovering new ways of preventing or relieving the symptoms.
There are a number of studies that have been taking place looking at the role diet has in the development and treatment of asthma.
In a recent study, focused on the diet of young children with asthma, it was found that those children who regularly ate dairy products like full fat milk were less likely to develop asthma.
They also experienced less wheezing when compared to other children who did not eat such foods. The results of the research indicate that dairy products are one food that can reduce the symptoms of asthma in children.
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Another food group that has been used to reduce the symptoms of asthma are foods that contain whole grains, like whole wheat bread.
The same study found that fresh vegetables, fresh fruit and fruit juice also seemed to have a beneficial role in reducing the levels of asthma in the children.
Aside from these interesting and very promising results, it is still unclear what triggers asthma. Food allergies have been cited in a number of studies, and so children should be checked for allergies if there are signs of asthma when they are younger.
If an allergy is found, then it is much easier to tailor the diet to avoid the foods that trigger an allergic reaction, and switch to foods that have been shown to have a beneficial effect on reducing asthma.
In this way, not only is the cause of the asthma being removed from the diet, but also the body is being given every chance to fight the onset of the condition.
There are some other triggers that are easier to control. Asthma symptoms can sometimes come about when food that is either too hot or too cold is consumed, and also if someone overeats.
Worth noting is that some food preservatives and additives can trigger some peoples asthma symptoms also, and this includes sulphites that are added to many of the processed foods available today, and in meat products.
Changing your diet to help alleviate or reduce asthma symptoms is a strategy that can be easily incorporated into your own or your child’s life. However, always seek the advice of a medical professional before considering any changes to medication that has been prescribed.
Working with your medical advisor to introduce natural ways to control asthma allergy symptoms to work alongside conventional medication can often be a very effective approach in relieving symptoms.
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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Billy_Henders