Everything About Allergy

Skin asthma attacks are caused by insect bites, dust, contact with grass and certain animals, or food. The skin becomes itchy, become swollen and breaks – the wound doesn’t bleed but it produces fluids that actually protect the skin from infection.

A common treatment for open wounds due to skin asthma is potassium permanganate dissolved in hot water. The affected area is washed with the solution while it is hot, but tolerable. It helps in healing the wound and making it dry. A special cream formulated by a dermatologist is then applied to the open wound and is kept exposed to air until it dries.

When my son was just one-month old, he developed a respiratory infection accompanied by a mild wheeze and rashes all over the face and neck. This quite alarmed our pediatrician, who is also a pulmonologist.

She told me that, although it was too early for a definite diagnosis as to my son being atopic or asthmatic, it was better to put some preventive measures in place. In retrospect, I am thankful for our pediatrician’s sound advice.

According to the WHO, asthma is leading chronic disease among children. It is also the most common cause of hospitalization in this age group. Because of this, experts are continually studying

Experts agree on the following measures to prevent or delay the onset of allergic diseases in children:
1. Exclusive breastfeeding for at least 9 months
2. Use of hydrolyzed milk formulas
3. Maternal avoidance of allergenic food during pregnancy and while breastfeeding
4. Delaying the introduction of solid food, especially allergenic ones
5. Exposure to endotoxin

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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A previously unknown cellular switch that triggers asthmatic attacks has been discovered, and is opening a new avenue of understanding for the way it works. This discovery is going to add more treatment options that allows symptomatic treatment preventing the trigger from activating thus halting the attack as needed. many other diseases of the lungs and airways can also benefit from the research that is going back to the molecular level at how these attacks are triggered. There is a mechanism that triggers the human body to react that is normal for our immune system, but with an asthmatic attack, the body seems to be over-reacting resulting in the gasping reaction as the body seems to be trying to rid itself of the irritant. Continue Reading »

Rhinitis is associated with allergens in the air and is considered to be more of a seasonal illness by most. The surprising part is that allergic rhinitis is known to cause death if it is compounded by obstructed nasal passages which may explain the disassociation of the allergy to snoring or daytime sleepiness. The presence of a blockage in the nasal cavities tends to aggravate the effects of the rhinitis causing blockage of the pathway effectively suffocating people in their sleep. These blockages are also responsible for other symptoms such as headaches, thirst, disturbed sleep, sleepiness during the day and more, all of which can cause serious social disruption enough to make behavior unpredictable. Continue Reading »

Scientists have discovered that a specific compound chmokine eotaxin, to be responsible in the over-reaction of the human body to infections. This compound is the chemical marker that prevents our immune system’s security guards that detects invaders and then directs killer cells to the site to effect an attack to defend us. Exposure to eotaxin tends to block the ability of patrolling attack cells from becoming seekers that finds these invaders thus causing the system to go haywire. The jumble of cellular response triggers a confusing to the body’s immune systems that a violent mass production of killer cells ensues in what can be called a panic attack as it knows there are invaders for the normal defenses aren’t really working but they are not getting anything done. Continue Reading »

Do you know that allergies and the medication that people consume to tame them are worth an estimated $18 billion Dollars. Over 50 million Americans alone suffer from the disease and global figures are mind-boggling. The term allergy actually denotes a drastic reaction by the human body to known allergens such as pollen, dust, food and many other irritants that causes reactions within the body. The gene that makes one person highly reactive to one allergen may actually not affect the next person which is due to the individual characteristics of the human body and the differences in the way we react to them. Nobody is immune for even a child can be born allergic of all things milk, to the elderly who got welts as an allergic reaction to new medication. The best defense is to steer away from these allergens but some being seasonal, the only way to deal with them is to take medication that does not actually cure the disease but tames the allergic reaction making it more bearable.

image source: www.fisherwy.blogspot.com

Dust, cats, peanuts, cockroaches. An odd grouping, but one with a common thread: allergies — a major cause of illness in the United States. Up to 50 million Americans, including millions of kids, have some type of allergy. In fact, allergies account for the loss of an estimated 2 million schooldays per year.

What Are Allergies?
An allergy is an overreaction of the immune system to a substance that’s harmless to most people. But in someone with an allergy, the body’s immune system treats the substance (called an allergen) as an invader and reacts inappropriately, resulting in symptoms that can be anywhere from annoying to possibly harmful to the person.

In an attempt to protect the body, the immune system of the allergic person produces antibodies called immunoglobulin E (IgE). Those antibodies then cause mast cells (allergy cells in the body) to release chemicals, including histamine, into the bloodstream to defend against the allergen “invader.”

Asthma is an allergic reaction to substances, and may manifest through the lungs where the patient experiences difficulty in breathing. It may also be in the form of allergic rhinitis, where an attack of sneezes occurs. Asthma may also manifest in the skin, which is less dangerous than a lung asthma, but have similar effects – swelling.

Asthma is also hereditary – it is passed on through the family blood line. It is also possible for siblings to have the condition all at the same time. It is likely for children of “asthmatics” to manifest one of the three conditions mentioned above.