year-round perennial allergies

Perenial allergies can occur year-round, because they are caused by allergens in your living environment�often your home. Common culprits include house dust mites (or more specifically, their droppings), animal dander, cockroaches, and feathers such as those in down comforters and pillows. Allergies can also be caused by certain foods or exposure to irritants such as paint fumes, cigarette smoke, chalk dust, or heavily polluted air.

To tame common indoor allergens, clear out the extra clutter in your bedroom, along with carpets and drapes; encase your mattress; box spring, and pillows in airtight, allergen-proof covers; wash bedding weekly in scalding water; and avoid bedding made of down, kapok, or cotton. Also, consider using a 3 percent tannic acid spray, which causes dust mite droppings to be less reactive, or benzyl benzoate, which kills the critters. Vacuum frequently using a double bag or a HEPA filter; wear a dust mask while cleaning; and use your air conditioner regularly, to reduce the growth of dust mites and mold. You might even consider an air-purifying system. Also, banish pets from the bedroom and careven from the house, if you can. And bathe cats and dogs weekly. To control mold, keep the house dry and well-ventilated and wipe down humid areas, such as bathroom surfaces, with a fungicide or bleach.

controlling allergies during travel

• When travelling, take plenty of medication with you - in a carry-on bag, in case your luggage decides to take its own vacation. Keep a list close at hand of all your family's medications; treatment plans and emergency telephone numbers.

• Be sure to request a nonsmoking room in hotels and motels and a nonsmoking rental car. Be aware of other possible allergens in hotels, such as fresh paint or holiday decorations. It you're staying with relatives, discuss allergy prevention before your arrive. Staying in a hotel can sometimes be more cost-effective than endangering you or your child's health.

• Traveling to other climates and higher altitudes can be stressful to people - especially children - with severe asthma. Cold and dry air can cause bronchospasm if a person's asthma is unstable.

• In the warmer climates, family trips to zoos; circuses, fairs and ranches can be unpleasant for those with animal allergies. Molds are also common.

winter allergies precautions

Schedule enough time for rest, drink plenty of water and don't allow the excitement to get you off your schedule of medication. Prevention is the best precaution. Be sure your asthma management plan is up-to-date.

Wash your hands frequently. Many cold and flu viruses are transmitted hand to hand, then hand to mouth, nose or eye. Washing your hands frequently-especially any time you've been out shopping or at parties-will make a big difference to your health.

Wear a muffler or scarf around your mouth in very cold temperatures. It will trap warmth and humidity and prevent airway discomfort.

Never store firewood in the house. Minimize use of the fireplace and always clean out the ashes after each use. Make certain your chimneys and flues are in proper working order.

types of allergy medications

Many medications can prevent or reduce the symptoms of allergies. These include:

• Antihistamine tablets, available by prescription and over-the-counter (OTC), turn off the tickle and dry up your nose and eyes by blocking the effects of histamine, the chemical responsible for causing many allergy symptoms. Newer, non-sedating prescription products are the least likely to make you sleepy or cause other side effects. Astelin (azelastine) is the first prescription antihistamine in nasal spray form.
• Decongestants, sold OTC in pills, sprays, and drops, open blocked nasal passageways and relieve congestion. These drugs can cause nervousness, racing heartbeat, and rapid pulse. If you have high blood pressure, a heart condition, thyroid disease, diabetes, glaucoma, or prostate problems, talk to your doctor before using. Use of decongestant nasal sprays for more than a few days in a row can cause rebound congestion.
• Combination products contain a decon- gestant, antihistamine, and/or a painkiller. It generally is better to buy a product that targets only your specific complaints, so you don't take too much medicine or experience too many side effects.
• Prescription steroid nasal sprays halt the release of histamine and soothe irritated airways.
• Atrovent (ipratropium bromide) is a prescription nasal spray that blocks the trigger for nasal secretions, helping to relieve runny nose.
• Nasalcrom (cromolyn sodium), which is available OTC, is designed to prevent and relieve itchy, runny nose, nasal congestion, and sneezing by inhibiting the release of histamine and other symptom-causing chemicals.
• Prescription eyedrops such as Crolom (cromolyn sodium) and Alomide (lodoxamide tromethamine) help head off redness and itching in the eyes.
• For those who find insufficient relief with medications, allergy injections (immunotherapy) are tiny doses of an allergen given to desensitize the body until there is no reaction.

allergies - general information

Your eyes are watery, your nose is itchy and runny, and you've got a throbbing headache from the pressure in your sinuses.

You're suffering from allergic rhinitis, and you're not alone. As many as 50 million people of all ages regularly suffer those same uncomfortable symptoms. They're caused by irritants called allergens-normally harmless substances that trigger overreactions in the immune systems of susceptible people.

Perennial allergies can occur year-round because they are caused by allergens in your living environment-often in your home. Allergies can also be caused by exposure to irritants such as paint fumes and cigarette smoke.

Pollens and molds are the main causes of seasonal allergic rhinitis (often called hay fever). In the United States, ragweed pollen prompts most seasonal symptoms. Grass and tree pollens are responsible for the rest.

Food allergies - most common allergies

Food allergies are among the most common allergies observed among the general population. Recent evidence presented during the Scientific Poster Session at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology confirms that there is no lack of food allergies being observed in clinical practices throughout the world.

More than a dozen presentations described allergic reactions to a wide range of common and exotic foods. These manifested in various ways, from mild rashes to severe and immediate anaphylactic reactions. There were reports of reactions to common foods, including:

• Kidney and white beans found in chili

• Beef and venison

• Coconut and walnut

• Mulberry fruit

• Corn, and

• Mustard.

Rare food allergies were reported by two patients enrolled in a study on the use of shiitake mushrooms (the second most commonly eaten mushroom in the world) for lowering cholesterol; they developed eosinophilia that was associated with other immunologic changes.

Rambutan (a malay word meaning "hair") is a fruit found in Thailand that can cause an acute allergic reaction.

The Naval Medical Center reported on an American sailor who developed hives and throat swelling while on duty in Thailand after ingesting a fruit called rambutan (the Malay word for "hair") (see photo). Interestingly, he had never eaten the fruit before and had probably cross-reacted with some other pollen.

One patient had used a capsaicin-containing (0.075%) analgesic cream for 4 years with no problems. However, during that time she did notice facial edema and other allergic signs whenever she ate peppers (Capsicum). It is likely that the repeated use of the cream sensitized her to the capsaicin that is naturally found in hot peppers.

Although these cases represent somewhat unique reactions to common foods, it should be remembered that we are all at risk for sensitization to some foods. Allergic reactions to foods may be more common than we think. source:AAAAI

Do Allergy Shots Help Asthma?

Because allergens trigger bronchoconstriction in more than half of asthmatics, investigators at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine studied ragweed pollen immunotherapy in asthmatics with symptoms during ragweed pollination season. Compared with placebo, purified ragweed pollen immunotherapy produced a small but statistically significant increase in peak expiratory flow and reduced the use of asthma medications during the first year. However, benefits were not apparent during the second year of therapy. Because asthmatics usually respond to multiple allergens (including house dust mite feces, which are generally not responsive to allergy shots), immunotherapy for asthma appears to be of limited value.