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Allergy Shots As A Potential Eczema Control

Can you believe that an estimated one third of all Americans suffer from allergies in one form or another? Allergies today are the most common cause for chronic nasal congestion in children. Furthermore, for some people who suffer from both allergies and eczema, allergy shots are an effective way to manage their eczema flare-ups. A general practitioner will often provide a referral to an allergist for a patient with eczema. An allergist is a doctor who is trained in helping pinpoint the source of a patient’s allergy and then in helping the person treat the symptoms, thereby reducing the frequency of flare-ups.

How does it work? Allergy shots are a form of allergy and asthma treatment in which increasing, controlled doses of an allergen are injected into a patient over a period of time. The goal in using allergy shots is to increase a patient’s natural ability to tolerate a particular allergen, while simultaneously, decreasing the symptoms that result from an allergic reaction.

Allergy shots, also known as allergen immunotherapy, are similar to a vaccination. They serve to increase the ability of the immune system to work properly. The stronger the immune system is, the easier time it will have blocking an allergic reaction. An allergic reaction occurs when the body mistakes a common, harmless substance for an invader. When the body is exposed to the invader, it undertakes a series of chemical reactions as protection. As long as the person administering them is a trained professional, allergy shots can be both effective as well as safe and can be successfully used on children as young as four or five years of age.

Of course, this is not without debate. Some people believe in the effectiveness of allergy shots in the control of eczema while others are less impressed with the results. Research into allergy shots as treatment for eczema has shown that in some cases they can cause worsening of the symptoms. However, allergy shots have been found to be beneficial in treating other problems such as allergic rhinitis also known as hay fever, the symptoms of which are a runny nose, sneezing and watery eyes; breathing problems relating to asthma and symptoms accompanying an insect sting allergy. So each individual case must be considered before treatment is begun.

Allergy shots contain a purified form of the suspected allergen. Customarily, the shots are given to a sufferer throughout the year, over a five-year span of time. The allergy shot dosage begins small and then increases gradually over the first four to six months, little by little. After that time the dosage levels off to what is called a maintenance dose. This amount is then administered to the patient for up to a period of three years.

It is necessary to go for your allergy shots once or twice weekly at the start of treatment. The dose begins slower, gradually increasing to allow the immune system to become accustomed to it as well as to allow it time to begin to build an immunity to the substance. This is often called the buildup phase. Once this is reached, the aforementioned maintenance dose is administered and then the frequency shots begins to decline. It goes from a weekly shot, to bi-weekly, and then, in many cases, to a monthly shot.

Allergy shots have been found be more effective on some allergens than others. For example, they are most effective on inhaled allergens such as pet fur, dust, pollens, and mold. That may offer explanation as to why hay fever and asthma would respond better to allergy shots than eczema. The particular changes that the body undergoes with eczema may not respond as well to treatment. Only further research will answer those questions.

Linda Williams
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/allergy-shots-as-a-potential-eczema-control-108963.html

Finding a Successful Allergy Treatment

Millions of people suffer from allergies each year. When certain materials come into contact with a person suffering from a specific allergy, their immune system mistakenly believes the material to be harmful. In response, the body will then produce histamine and other chemicals as a form of protection. Due to the presence of these chemicals within the body, reactions will take place such as a rash, swelling, and itching. In some cases, people may be affected by objects within the environment such as pollen, pollutants, mold, and dust. Reactions to environmental substances may include eye or skin irritations or breathing difficulty. In all cases, finding a successful allergy treatment is dependent on the type of allergy.

The most important step in successful allergy treatment is to avoid the materials that are causing the allergy symptoms. In order to prevent an allergy reaction, testing must be completed to find out which specific substance is causing distress within the individual. Allergy treatment must begin with testing the skin to find out what substances react with the skin when they make contact on the body. An allergist, a doctor that specializes in allergy treatment, will use a scratch test or a patch test to introduce various materials onto the skin to see if the skin has a reaction. If the site of the skin test reacts with redness or swelling, it is determined that the individual is allergic to the corresponding allergen.

The doctor will then recommend the right course of action for an allergy treatment based on the results of the skin tests. The doctor will also obtain a detailed medical history and a detailed description of the types of allergy episodes the individual has encountered. Several options are available in allergy treatment. Avoidance of the substances causing an episode can prevent distress. Pets, mold, pollen, dust mites, or certain foods, depending on your allergy, should be eliminated from your daily life and exposure should be kept to a minimum. Allergy medications may also be recommended by your doctor and include antihistamine, decongestants, mast cell stabilizers, or leukotriene modifiers. These medications can help reduce inflammation, block histamines, or eliminate nasal and sinus congestion.

Allergy medications can be utilized on a short term basis, or if the allergy is more severe, a long term medication may be recommended. Short term medications do not require a prescription but can cause drowsiness. A long term allergy treatment may require a prescription medication that does not cause the same side effects as a short term over-the -counter medication.

Allergy treatment depends on the specific allergy symptoms and the recommendations of the doctor. Certain over-the-counter medications could be used such as nasal sprays, creams, eye drops, pill or liquid decongestants, and antihistamines. Prescription strength allergy treatment may be suggested by doctors if the allergy is severe and needs a quick resolution due to shortness of breath or difficulty in breathing.

Each individual will require their own specific allergy treatment. There are many options to help relieve the discomfort allergy sufferers experience during allergy attacks. Working together with the doctor and routinely monitoring your current health status can lead to successful management of outbreaks and long term allergy treatment.

Riley Hendersen
http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/finding-a-successful-allergy-treatment-108751.html

Allergy Testing: Determining What You Are Allergic To

Do you find yourself getting a stuffy nose or runny nose in the spring time when the trees are in full bloom? Do you eyes start to water when you visit your aunt’s house that has two cats? Do you suffer from painful headaches that are right behind your eyes? When a weather front is about to blow through do you get painful headaches and pressure in your head?

You might have an allergy, but you are not sure of the specific allergen that is triggering your allergic reaction. An allergy doctor will recommend an allergy test or two to diagnose your condition.

There are different types of allergy tests each used to determine different types of allergies. Each test works better for determining certain categories of allergies.

It is a good idea to be familiar with the different methods of allergy testing before you make an appointment with your doctor. Tests can fall into three categories: prick tests, elimination tests, and blood tests.

Prick Tests

The scratch tests are probably the most common type of allergy testing that is done. A grid drawn on either the arms or the back and a small amount of the suspected allergen is placed into the grid and the skin is pricked. This allows a small amount of the allergen to be absorbed by the skin. The site is then observed to watch for indication of an allergic reaction such as swelling, redness or itching. A result is often detected in as little as twenty minutes with this method of allergy testing.

With this method many different types of allergens can be tested at the same time. This makes this method very useful when the allergen is unknown, for airborne allergens and for allergies from foods and insect bites.

Elimination diets for food allergies

If a food allergy is suspected, another type of allergy testing that is often performed is the elimination diet. In this process, a variety of foods that are potential allergens are eliminated from the diet for a period of several weeks. Each food is then individually introduced back into the person’s diet, with careful observation to see which selection will cause the allergy symptoms to return.

This method of allergy testing works best on mild allergic reactions, but can be potentially dangerous for severe, anaphylactic allergies. If a severe allergy is suspected, there is a third method of allergy testing that is preferred to ensure that a potentially life-threatening substance is not introduced into the body in any way.

Blood Tests

The final type of allergy testing that is commonly performed is called a radioallergosorbent test, or RAST. This test is done in the laboratory, using blood that is drawn from the patient. The blood is examined for the presence of immunoglobulin (IgE) antibodies, since this will indicate whether the immune system is producing an allergic reaction in the body. Elevated levels of these IgE’s can tell your doctor whether you are allergic to certain types of allergens, although this type of allergy testing does not tend to be as accurate or precise as other methods.

Allergy testing is the best way to determine exactly what you are allergic to. There are several different methods each with their strengths and weakness. You will need to work with your allergy doctor to determine which allergy test method is the best for you to determine what is causing your painful allergic reactions. With this knowledge you will be able to avoid the allergens and increase your quality of life.

Wilhelm Williams
http://www.articlesbase.com/medicine-articles/allergy-testing-determining-what-you-are-allergic-to-127858.html

How can i lose my allergy to cats?

I have a reaction to cats when i am around them or touch them. Symptoms are sneezing, puffy and itchy and watery eyes, itchy throat, blocked and itchy nose. But i really love cats. Is there any way i can overcome my allergy to them? Any drugs or anything?

There are drugs, which you should use. Spending time around cats will decrease your allergy symptoms as your body gets used to it. If you get a cat you should groom once a week and a bathe them once a month, and install a hepa filtration system (or better) if you have central heating, or place indavidual air filtration ystems in the rooms you use most. Vacuming helps a lot and I mean vacum everything!

How exactly does Asthma relate to an individual?

Hey,

This is a question which has plagued me for a while and I would like some insight into it.

Is a person’s Asthma and how severe it is related to their genetics? If so, does that mean an individual’s Asthma can’t get worse?

No medical insight merely something that I’d like to know the answer to.

Cheers.

It’s the number one most treatable disease on the planet. While it is possible for a person who is still in the growth and devolopment stages of their life to have their asthma get better their airways still have the underlying sensitivity and when they become older adults the asthma always comes back to varying degrees, dependant on what the specific triggers are. Asthma can always get worse especially if untreated or undertreated. A the airways become remodeled and thereby increasingly more sensitive and reactive.

Cat Allergy

If we were smart we would avoid things that we are allergic to but who said most of us were smart or sane when it comes to our pets. For most cat lovers there is no way they are going to part with their beloved pet because of a cat allergy.

That means you’ll need to learn to manage your cats and your cat allergy symptoms. Although you might not rid yourself of your cat allergy you should be able to make your symptoms manageable.

In case you have forgotten we’ll give you a little reminder about the allergens and the fact that they are airborne so when you breathe them in you can have a cat allergy reaction. There is a high rate of contamination and recontamination.

1. No More Monkeys Jumping On The Bed

Okay no monkey’s here but there will be no more cats sleeping on your bed. This might be the hardest habit to break but it’s a small price to pay to wake up clear headed in the morning and without your cat allergy bothering you.

2. No Trespassing

The bedroom has to become a cat free zone and this will reduce the allergens to almost zero. Don’t give into your cats. They’ll find somewhere else they love to curl up and you’ll find yourself suffering a lot less with your cat allergy.

3. Give Me An H..E..P…A

HEPA air filters do a great job of cleaning the air in your home and because cat dander is so difficult to pick up this is a smart way to be effective and help your cat allergy.

4. HEPA Vacuum

Vacuuming just became that much more important. You need to invest in a HEPA vacuum cleaner and you need to vacuum walls, carpets, furniture, and just about anything else that lives in the house other than Grandma’s fine china. You need to do it at least twice a week to reduce your cat allergy.

5. Steam Clean

Using a vapor steam cleaner to clean your home will kill the proteins in the dander. This has been scientifically proven. What that means is for under a hundred dollars you can rid your home of everything and you’ll find your cat allergy is forgotten.

6. Wash Em Now!

Always wash your hands right after handling your cat and make sure you do not rub your eyes at any time even after you’ve washed your hands. Your cat allergies will be better.

7. Heat It Up!

Wash all your bedding in water that is 140 degrees and do this twice a month to eliminate dust mites and cat allergens.

8. Bath Your Cat

Yes we know that this task could easily be worse than your cat allergy but you simply have to do it at least once a month and more often if you can.

What’s most important to realize when you suffer from a cat allergy is that you do not have to get rid of your cat. Your cat is a family member and getting rid of your cat is like getting rid of one of your children. You can have your cat and your cat allergy too.

Steve Johnson
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/cat-allergy-131188.html

Know More About Food Allergy

The most common food defeated symptoms found in small children is allergic to cow’s milk, because small children drinks cow’s milk in everyday life. When they begin grows up then get more supplementary food such as eggs, then they may allergic to eggs also. For the adolescent and adults, the allergic to seafood are found in most cases

What are the symptoms of food allergy?

Food allergy disease can effect to every system of the body , but the most common cases found with; - Alimentary canal symptoms ( vomit , stomachache , suffer from diarrhea) - Skin (urticaria) - Breath system , (sneeze , catarrh , cough, breath uncomfortably) in some cases, patient might get severe symptoms and die.

How do you know that what kind of food that you allergic to?

Once you have noticed that there is the same symptoms happend repeatedly after meal, you should go to see a doctor and investigate, then have a check-up. The most important information for the doctor that you should remember kind of the food that you have taken, the quantity that eat, the symptoms that happens so the doctor can diagnose easily. But in the some people who are suspected that allergic various kinds foods or not sure that which kind of food that allergic to. Doctor may ask the patient taking notes of what they have eaten in detail as well as unusual symptoms that happen for better diagnose. Besides, there is a skin test to identify the kind of food that patient allergic to, which takes only 15 minute for take the skin testing. Another option is to take blood test for food allergic. However the most accurate diagnosing method is to let the patient has a meal that suspect to be the cause of allergy, if the symptoms appear from eat certain kind of food and that symptom disappears when stop eating ,as a result , that patient is allergic to such food. However, this testing step should be within close supervision of a doctor, especially in case of allergy symptoms is severe.

What is the most effective way to cure?

The most effective way is to avoid or never eat the food that you allergic to. You must also avoid every kind food that participate or assemble of the nutrient that you allergic. For example, if you allergic to cow’s milk, then avoid the food that have milk is the components, such as, ice cream, biscuit and eat soybean milk instead. Medication treatment should be used only to cure specific symptom that appear from time to time such as use medicine to heal urticaria symptoms, medicine to decreases catarrh etc.

Can food allergy be permanently cured?

In some case, if patients can avoid and haven’t take the food that they allergic for about 1-2 year consecutively, as a result , the allergic symptom disappear and permanently cured. However, seafood allergy and peanut allergy can not generally be cured. For babies who allergic to cow’s milk, about 50% of them this symptom is likely be disappear when they are 1 year old , 85% when they are 3 years old , and only 15% still got the allergy and 25 % of a child who are allergic to cow’s milk , often have the symptoms that allergic to other food.

How to prevent from food allergy?

For a family who have the first child got the disease allergy can reduce a chance for the next child to get the disease by breast-feed at least 4 month or more. Mother who breast-feed a child should also avoid the food that cause the disease such as , egg , cow’s milk , seafood , and peanut nut during the breast-feeds period.

Dr Thannie Santinukul
http://www.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/know-more-about-food-allergy-89824.html

What is a prescription strength allergy medicine that is equivalent to Zyrtec?

Now that Zyrtec is available over the counter, I pay a lot more for it than I did w/ my co-pay for the prescription. Is there a prescription allergy medicine that is similar to Zyrtec?
Aidan takes Singulair too. DUH, why didn’t I think of that?!!! That’s a 1/3 of the price of what I’m paying for Zyrtec right now. Thank you!

My husband takes Singulair.

Do you need a prescription to buy asthma medication?

I’m going on a hiking expedition and the First Aid Kit list we got says that I should pack asthma medication as well, even if none of our group members have diagnosed asthma. All the First Aid Kits that I’ve seen on the market here in Singapore don’t have asthma puffers, so I’m planning to get it separately. Does anyone know if a prescription is needed to buy asthma puffers? Thanks in advance.

Yes you need a prescription. Call your doctors office and ask them about it. Most likely they will have a trial size albuterol inhaler that they can give you. Instead of the normal 60 puffs the vial only has like 15 or 30 or something like that. Make sure you have some benadryl too for allergic reactions to plants and stuff. Anyways I hope I helped. take care and enjoy your hike

Your Guide To Cat Allergy Symptoms

My sister recently lost her cat Topaz. She had been a long time member of our extended family. As much as my kids loved her they experienced cat allergy symptoms whenever they went to visit their aunt. Both my children have mild asthma which typically means they are going to be allergic to cats. My sister actually has asthma herself but she loved Topaz enough to manage through her cat allergy symptoms.

You don’t necessarily need to see an allergist to determine whether you are allergic to cats. The allergic reaction is usually immediate upon entering a room with a cat or cats. So it doesn’t take much to put the dots together. Can you get rid of your cat allergy symptoms without getting rid of your feline friend? First we need to identify your symptoms.

Common Cat Allergy Symptoms

*Uncontrollable Sneezing
*Watery Eyes
*Wheezing
*Hives
*Eczema

An allergy to cats is caused by contact with the dander and the saliva that are in the air. They may also be on surfaces where you sit or sleep or even in the carpets around your house. Cats lick their fur when they are cleaning themselves and when that happens they deposit a protein on their fur that is the actual allergen. Cat allergy symptoms can be experienced in areas where you might not expect. Due to the nature of the allergen it can stick to clothes and hands and can therefore appear in the office or other places where cats are not allowed.

You can attempt to treat your symptoms with medications but for cat allergies it is best to consult with a doctor. Antihistamine medications and allergy eye drops may help. If your cat allergy symptoms can not be managed it may be time to consider giving your cat away. This is a last option but may be your only resort particularly if anyone in the family suffers from asthma. Their symptoms, like wheezing, are more serious and therefore be the bigger priority.

If your cat allergy symptoms are mild or moderate and you can’t imagine finding a new home for your feline family member here are some tips that may minimize your allergic reactions.

1. Get an air purifier with a HEPA filter
2. Keep your cat out of your bedroom where you spend the most time
3. Try to contain your cat to certain areas of the house
4. Vacuum your carpets with HEPA Vacuum Cleaner at least 2 times a week
5. Wash your hands after touching your cat

Cat allergy symptoms can come between you and your cat but if you really care about him you can do everything possible to manage your symptoms. Please keep in mind that new treatments are always being researched and keeping up to date on these may help you find the ultimate cure.

Marilyn Franklin
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/your-guide-to-cat-allergy-symptoms-139237.html