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Allergy and Asthma Prevention in Children

Lightning — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 13:43:08 +0000

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

Hay Fever: Season & Symptoms

Lightning — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 01:10:27 +0000

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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The Hygiene Hypothesis

Lightning — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 23:04:17 +0000

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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Elimination Diet for Food Allergies (Part 2)

Lightning — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 07:04:39 +0000

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.

Elimination Diet for Food Allergies (Part 1)

Lightning — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 11:26:49 +0000

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 cows milk.

Read Part 2.

On/Off Switch for Seasonal Allergy Triggers Found

Lightning — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 15:07:06 +0000

People who fear seasonal allergies may find some relief that researchers have actually found the triggering mechanism, or the on/off switch that triggers allergies in the lab and may soon be on the hunt for similar mechanisms in humans. Seasonal allergies affect a lot of people the world over and is considered to be a billion dollar industry for those who make and develop cures to relieve those runny noses. The study has also found that the human body has a proper balance that is upset by these allergens, but should also be capable of doing the balancing act on its own without medication. The researchers are now looking at the possibility of specific genes that may be damaged ths resulting in the inability of the immune system to cope and maintain the balance which we often rely upon for the rest of the year. Time will tell if similar mechanisms and the specific cure for these abnormalities may eventually lead to more effective cures for the millions who suffer, sneeze and get runny noses each and every spring, for a better tomorrow.

Cigarette Smoke Stops Allergies !!!!!

Lightning — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 14:51:00 +0000

Everybody knows that smoking can eventually kill you but new research is saying that smoke form these deadly things can indeed prevent some allergies. The study shows that the smoke form cigarettes actually lessens the response of immune cells to specific types of allergies. The surprising thing is that smokers are apparently getting some improvement in the way their bodies react to several allergens, either softening the blow or halting adverse reactions all together. This all sounds crazy but the ground-braking research shows that smokers have a slightly varied way of reacting to allergens compared to normal non-smokers who react to the slightest presence of these nasty substances. But don’t go grabbing a pack for it does cause lung cancer and even with lessened reactivity to specific allergens, it may actually shorten your life by a lot of years.

Research Finds Trigger for Asthma Attacks

Lightning — Thu, 14 May 2009 15:34:43 +0000

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.
The trigger occurs in cells known as mast cells that were derived from human stem cells from human umbilical chords that when exposed to certain toxins died and triggered the over-reaction by the body. The human body has a very complex immune response system that can be compared to a computer anti-virus that scans the body, looks for cellular signatures that are unidentified, attacks obtaining genetic information on the invader then sending that acquired information to the body’s immune system to make cells that are genetically capable to deal with these invaders.

Nasal Obstruction Adds to Night Problems

Lightning — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 15:30:29 +0000

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.
Allergic rhinitis seems to be a simple amplifier of such problems in the breathing pathways that are themselves health risks. Anybody who has rhinitis should get their nasal packages checked out for they might have an unseen problem in their nasal passages that may help alleviate the problems being experienced and blamed solely on the allergy.

New Discoveries Fuel Drive to Understand Allergies Better

Lightning — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 15:26:12 +0000

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.
The body seems to hope that the mass production of these killer cells may get some lucky ones to lock onto the invaders and ensuing the attack. The weakened detection system lacking the seeker cells over-reacts and results in the allergic reactions we all experience from triggers and can result in anaphylactic shock that can kill if left untreated and not monitored properly. This reaction is under scrutiny and understanding how the eotaxin can prevent the normally very effective allergic reaction system from going haywire.