Health ShortsAllergies
Fighting Allergies Indoors
For many allergy sufferers the indoors may offer little respite from outdoor pollens and molds. Dust mites and animal dander can team up to make your home a haven for allergens. · If you or other family members suffer from year-round allergies, there are a few steps you can take: · Choose wood, linoleum or tiled floor surfaces plus washable throw rugs. · Choose window shades or blinds rather than curtains. · Get a zippered dust-proof cover for your mattress. · Avoid getting a dog or cat. If you have a pet, limit it to certain rooms and keep it out of bedrooms. Have someone bathe cats and dogs weekly.
Food Allergies Run in Families If your brother or sister is allergic to peanuts, your risk of developing the same allergy is 10 times greater than it would be if you grew up in a family without allergies, according to Scott Sicherer, M.D., author of The Complete Peanut Allergy Handbook. Your risk is also higher if someone in your immediate family has other types of allergies such as asthma or eczema. For families with a history of allergies, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that infants be breast fed for at least four to six months and that they not be fed cow’s milk, wheat, corn, citrus fruits and soy products until their digestive systems are mature (after age one). Fish, peanuts, tree nuts and shellfish should not be introduced until after age two.
Signs of an allergic reaction include flushing, hives, swelling of the face and throat, a runny nose, coughing and wheezing, difficulty breathing, a drop in blood pressure and shock.
[SOURCE: Rachelle Laliberte, “Was It the Peanuts?” Preventtion, December, 2005] For Some, Nuts Are Life Threatening
Only about three percent of Americans are allergic to nuts, but for these individuals accidental consumption of even traces of nuts can be life-threatening. The most common nut allergy is to peanuts, a legume rather than a tree nut, but allergies to other nuts are also common. Producers must exercise care in processing and labeling to guard against cross contamination. [SOURCE: Julie B. Hirsch, "Crazy for Nuts: Consumers Love Their Taste and Nutritional Benefits, But Nuts-Like Other Food Allergens-Present Unique Challenges to Processors," Food Processing, March, 2003]
Green Tea: A Super Beverage
Green tea has been the subject of studies showing a long list of potential health benefits, including its ability to fight cancer, heart disease, arthritis and tooth decay. New research suggests that green tea may also be effective against allergies. Japanese researchers have identified a compound in green tea that may block an allergic response. The compound, methylated epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), has been found to fight allergic reactions in rodents but hasn't been tested in humans. Many individuals, however, have used green tea to counter allergic symptoms.
[SOURCE: "Green Tea May Fight Allergies," Immunotherapy Weekly, October 16, 2002]
Humming To Relieve Sinusitis?
"If you could hum your way through the day, you would not get sinusitis," wrote Swedish researcher Dr. John Lundberg. Sinusitis occurs when bacteria become trapped in a stale air environment within the sinuses because of blocked nasal passages, usually associated with a cold or allergy. Humming, according to the Swedish scientists, keeps fresh air flowing in the nasal and sinus passages, clearing the openings and helping kill off bacteria.
[SOURCE: "Research Briefs: Humming Could Cure Sinusitis," GP, August 5, 2002; American Thoracic society Journal, July, 2002]
Is It an Allergy or a Cold?
When your nose won't stop running, and you're constantly sneezing, do you have a cold or are you allergic to airborne pollens or mold spores? If you're allergic to pollens, your symptoms will probably be seasonal. Both colds and allergic reactions can cause a runny nose, watery eyes, sneezing and itchy throat. Colds tend to last only a week to 10 days, have thicker nasal secretions and are more likely to involve a low-grade fever, sore throat, hoarseness and general feeling of malaise. [SOURCE: Michelle Meadows, "Itching for Some Allergy Relief?" FDA Consumer, May-June, 2002]
About 85 percent of children who are allergic to eggs, milk or soy outgrow their allergies by age 10, according to the Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. An allergy to peanuts is more likely to continue past that age, persisting into adulthood for 8 of 10 persons.
A Johns Hopkins study found that a widely available blood test can safely determine if the allergy has subsided. Introducing food to which the child has had a reaction should not be done without consulting a doctor.
[SOURCE: Laura Flynn McCarthy, “Myth Buster,” Parenting, November 1, 2005;”New Food-Allergy Test,” Prevention, January, 2005] New Idea for Treating Food Allergies
A new approach for treating food allergies now being studied involves gradually re-introducing the problem food, starting with minute quantities. In one of these pilot studies, children allergic to peanuts were initially given the equivalent of 1/3000th of a peanut per day. By the end of six months most were able to eat a peanut a day with little or no reaction. It’s hoped that increasing tolerance to the problem food will help eliminate life-threatening emergencies. Doctors warn that this is not an approach to try at home. [Salynn Boyles, “Treating Allergies with Alergic Food,” WebMD Medical News, November 28, 2006]
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