Archive for the 'Allergies' Category

Winter Allergies: What Can We Do About Them?

Allergic reactions occur when your immune system overreacts to normally harmless substances, such as dust mites, pet dander, mold and cockroach droppings. Most people think allergies  only act up in the spring, but the winter can be just as difficult because it’s harder to avoid allergens when you’re stuck indoors.

Winter Allergies – What Can We Do About Them?

Mostly we think of spring as the Allergy Season. Often we can see clouds of pollen and blossom blowing in the wind. So it comes as a shock to learn that many allergy sufferers have an awful time in the winter.

Allergies can be triggered by many different things; pollen from flowers and trees are often responsible but for the Winter Allergy sufferer household mould is often to blame.After all in the winter we have the windows and doors sealed to prevent cold wind and rain chilling us. But the result of sealing the house is the rise of humidity which is exactly what mould needs to grow.

Doctors have advised that keeping the humidity below 35% helps not just to inhibit mould but dust mites too.

The common allergens in winter are deemed to be perennial — that is, animal dander in the home or on other people’s clothing, house dust mites that grow to large numbers in your mattress and pillow, and mould. Cockroach and mouse dander may also play a role.

If allergy skin tests are negative, it’s possible that a seasonal allergen or a virus produced an initial inflammation that has now become self-sustaining and persistent.

Allergies can trigger or worsen asthma and other respiratory illnesses especially in the winter when families spend more time indoors, which increases their exposure to irritants like dust mites, pet dander, smoke, household sprays and chemicals, and gas fumes – any and all of which can make their lives miserable.

For treatment of winter allergy and asthma, the best approach is prevention. The following measures are recommended:

A). Keep animals outdoor if possible and wash them once a week.

B). Keep the house dust-free as much as possible. Vacuum the carpet once or twice a week. A good vacuum cleaner with HEPA-FILTER is

very beneficial. The curtains and shades must be free of dust. No feather pillows and plush toys should be removed from children’s bedroom.

C). Smoking should absolutely be avoided.

Avoiding allergies and asthma in the classroom: Tips from the AAAAI

MILWAUKEE-For children with allergies and asthma, going back to school presents questions beyond what to wear or bring. Are there

peanuts in that birthday treat a classmate brought in? Will running in gym class trigger an exercise-induced asthma attack? Could a sting from a bee during recess cause anaphylactic shock? It is reported that more than 9 million children under the age of 18 suffer from allergies and asthma and must face questions similar to these, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI).

Tips for Fighting Winter Allergies

The air outdoors is crisp and pollen-free. But make sure the air indoors is just as clean.Warm up.A cozy night in front of a warm fireplace — there’s nothing better. Just make sure you store firewood outside, to keep mold and pollen where it belongs.

Clean heating ducts and filters.

Dust and dust mites thrive in your heating system. Professional cleaners can give your ducts a clean bill of health. Change heat system filters at least once a month.

Two new studies help to show the power of nutrition to assist allergies and asthma. In one study people with higher levels of folic acid in their blood had had fewer IgE antibodies, fewer reported allergies, less wheezing and lower likelihood of asthma. In another study researchers found that lower blood levels of vitamin D in children were linked to allergy and asthma severity.

There is a national epidemic of asthma in children, in part due to obesity and in part due to the overuse of antibiotics that has caused an overgrowth of Candida, in turn causing excessive production of airway inflammatory signals coming from the Candida.

Nutrients are certainly important and low levels of key nutrients may allow such problems to manifest. Magnesium has long been known to be lacking in individuals with allergies and asthma. Vitamin C and bioflavonoids, especially quercetin, are of immense help.

In the new folic acid study researchers look at medical records of 8,000 people ages 2 to 85, comparing folic acid blood levels to levels of IgE antibodies, a key immune system marker that elevates to an allergen. People with higher blood levels of folate had fewer IgE antibodies, fewer reported allergies, less wheezing and lower likelihood of asthma. The researchers believed that folic acid was acting to help reduce inflammation.

“Our findings are a clear indication that folic acid may indeed help regulate immune response to allergens, and may reduce allergy and asthma symptoms,” says lead investigator Elizabeth Matsui, M.D. M.H.S., pediatric allergist at Hopkins Children’s.

In the new vitamin D study the researchers found that “children with lower vitamin D levels were significantly more likely to have been hospitalized for asthma in the previous year, tended to have airways with increased hyperreactivity and were likely to have used more inhaled corticosteroids, all signifying higher asthma severity. These children were also significantly more likely to have several markers of allergy, including dust-mite sensitivity.”

It appears that nutrient deficiencies of common nutrients set the stage for excessive inflammatory reactions, which include allergy and asthma. Parents should obviously improve the quality of the diet of any child with such a problem.

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