Everything About Allergy

Hay fever is an allergic reaction caused by the pollens of ragweed, grasses and other plants whose pollen is spread by the wind.

Usually, rag weed season starts around August until around mid-October.
These months are probably the most dreaded for people suffering from hay fever. During these times, they experience severe allergic symptoms such as sneezing, runny nose, red, itchy eyes and even fatigue.

Sometimes, they develop Oral Allergy Syndrome (OAS), where the mouth becomes extremely itchy and swollen when eating certain foods. The explanation for this phenomenon is that certain proteins present in these foods are similar to those in ragweed. Fruits and vegetables that may trigger an OAS are melon, banana, potato, cucumber and zucchini.

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There are two kinds of allergic responses: acute response and late-phase reaction. Acute responses are physical reactions that manifest immediately after exposure to a certain allergen. It may subside after manifestation, or it may develop into a late-phase reaction which may be harmful. During initial exposure, the immune system reacts and produces anti-bodies. This process lead to symptoms such as mucous secretion, nerve stimulation and smooth muscle contraction. These symptoms may manifest in a certain area of the body, or localized, or in several areas at the same time or system-wide. For example, asthma is localized to the respiratory system.

(source: Wikipedia)

Allergic reactions are common for those who both lead a sheltered and an unsheltered life. There are various drugs meant to deal with allergy however, the most natural way to deal with allergy is to literally get immunity. This is done with constant exposure to the same kind food one rouses an allergic reaction from. This however, is done gradually. For instance, if you are allergic to shell fishes, then what you do is eat a shrimp or a crab a day so as to allow your body to ingest the ingredient without alarming it with the number of what you will be consuming. It is also necessary to double check your consumption rate and don’t go overboard for this will surely trigger your allergy to go on a hyper drive. This is advisable for people who don’t hyperventilate with their allergic reactions. If you have a hard time breathing due to allergic reactions, best not risk this method.

While staying germ-free can prevent the spread of disease and infections, are cleaner lifestyles responsible for the rise of allergies in children today?

“It’s called the hygiene hypothesis,” says Marc McMorris, M.D., a pediatric allergist at the University of Michigan Health System. “We’ve developed a cleanlier lifestyle, and our bodies no longer need to fight germs as much as they did in the past. As a result, the immune system has shifted away from fighting infection to developing more allergic tendencies.”

The body’s immune system is designed to fight infections, but also recognizes foreign substances as allergens. The use of vaccines and antibiotics has eased the immune system of the burden of fighting.

Even our homes have changed how our immune system functions. Air tight doors and windows - designed to save energy - have created an increased concentration of indoor allergens.

“The natural immune system does not have as much to do as it did 50 years ago because we’ve increased our efforts to protect our children from dirt and germs,” says McMorris.

He advises parents to just let kids be kids. Let them play outside and with friends, and don’t worry about them coming into contact with dirt and germs. But always be cautious with children with life-threatening food allergies, he cautions.

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After following the elimination diet, your doctor will ask you to gradually reintroduce the foods you were avoiding into your diet, one at a time. This process helps link symptoms to specific foods.

Again, you will be asked to record in your food journal any symptoms that arise with each food being re-introduced. This will enable the doctor to confirm the cause of allergy. As a final confirmatory step, you will be asked to eliminate those foods that caused symptoms upon re-introduction to check if the symptoms go away.

It is important and highly recommended to seek the expert advice of your doctor before starting the elimination diet. Removing certain foods may lead to an unbalanced diet and, consequently, other health problems.

Read Part 1 here.

True to all disease and illnesses - prevention is the best cure. For “asthmatics”, or people with an asthma condition, they can choose to live a healthy lifestyle and enjoy more years free of asthma attacks.

Proper diet and exercise is a must. Although an appropriate exercise plan should be discussed with a doctor to avoid triggers, and a dietician or nutritionist can come up with the right diet plan. Smoking is definitely a no-no for those with lung asthma.

Be aware what triggers an asthma attack - and avoid it. Involve the family so they can make the necessary adjustments like cleaning more often or replacing the carpet with hardwood floorings.

Stick with your treatment. Be disciplined and you’ll be worry free.

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One of the tried and tested methods of determining food allergies is the elimination diet.

The elimination diet involves removing specific foods or ingredients from your diet that are suspected to be causing your allergy symptoms. These are usually the common allergy-causing food such as milk, eggs, nuts, wheat and soy.

During this time, you will need a food diary for keeping track of the food you eat, and to read food labels carefully. If the symptoms are relieved once a certain food is removed, your doctor will be able to identify the cause of allergy.

It is important to make sure that you eat the equivalent substitute of the food you have eliminated from your diet. For example, drink tofu-based milk in place of cow’s milk.

Read Part 2.

There are two main categories of the causes of allergy - host and environmental factors. Host factors are internal, like heredity, gender, race, age and heredity. Environmental factors are the external aspects such as exposure to infectious diseases in childhood, pollution, allergen levels and changes in diet.

Genetics play a big role in coping with allergy. Allergic parents will bear allergic children, twins are likely to have the same allergies. Racial factors may be associated with environmental factors and changes experienced by migrants. Early exposure to allergens increases the probability of developing allergy in childhood. Although exposure to bacteria and viruses in childhood is said to protect against the development of allergy.

(source: Wikipedia)