Living With Allergies - A 5-Step Relief Plan For Allergies

If you suffer from allergies, whether they are seasonal or last all year round, chances are you've tried one or more things that you thought would be effective. But if you're reading this article, chances are you've not found the combination that spells relief for you. For some relief may mean staying indoors and waiting for the allergen producing season to be over. But what a shame that is since there are an increasing number of things that can be done to help ease symptoms and eliminate the triggers. The following five steps will bring you closer to relief from your allergies and allow you to look forward to the warm days ahead. 1. Modify Your Diet--Surprisingly many people don't even consider the idea that changing what you eat and drink can make any difference to the symptoms of allergies. But when you stop to think about it - it makes perfect sense. Your body suffers from the symptoms of an allergy because of the way in which it tries to defend itself against the allergens it perceives to be a high threat.

But the food and drink you eat is what your body uses to create its defenses in the first place. The best thing to do is to try to increase the amount of antioxidants which you eat and drink when your symptoms increase. One of the best ways of achieving this is to drink green tea, which is rich in antioxidants. Almost all teas are good for this, but green tea has the highest quantity, and it has been shown that sipping green tea throughout the day can provide real allergy relief. Increase fruits (especially blueberries) and vegetables such as red cabbage and spinach. You might also find that pinto beans, pecans, walnuts and cinnamon also provide relief. 2. Use Medication--Today there is a wealth of over the counter medication available to keep your symptoms under control. These cover most of the common allergies such as hay fever and pet allergies, and offer relief from most of the usual symptoms like runny noses, sneezing, watery eyes, and itchy skin. If the problem is severe see an allergist who can prescribe medications that will work. 3. Seek Out Alternatives to Medication--Not everyone likes to take medications, and there are alternatives which have been proven to achieve incredible things for many people. One such example is acupuncture which has proven to be very successful for many people and has achieved such mainstream status these days that in many cases health insurance companies are willing to cover the costs in order to help provide allergy relief. The results from these treatments can last a good deal longer, and may consider it to be much healthier overall. 4. Plan With the Weather Forecast in Mind--Many modern weather forecasts will provide information on pollen levels. Although not everyone who has an allergy suffers when pollen is in the air, a vast proportion do, and with proper planning can be avoided.

If the pollen levels are high choose indoor activities for the day. Otherwise, many people wear a mask during high pollen count days, and restricting outdoor time to the shops to later in the day. 5. Remove Airborne Triggers From Your Home--Allergy relief should start at home, and for many people this means using a HEPA vacuum cleaner to remove dust rather than sending it airborne again.

Also, using a high efficiency particle arresting (abbreviated as HEPA) air purifier to clean the air is recommended by allergists as a proactive, and non-invasive way to eliminate the triggers that cause the problem, thereby reducing the need to medicate once the symptoms have occurred.

Beware Of Food Allergies

Food allergy is an adverse immune response to food that the body mistakenly believes as harmful. In food allergy, our immune system releases antibody called IgE(Immunoglobulin E) to fight the food allergen. These allergens are food substances that create an allergy. Food allergy may appear more often in someone who has family members with allergies, and symptoms may occur after that allergic individual consumes even a tiny amount of the food. Allergy to food is a hypersensitivity reaction. This means that before a person becomes allergic to a certain food, he should have been previously exposed to the food, in other words, he is sensitized to food.

Peanuts, tree nuts, fish and shellfish, cows' milk, eggs, soya and wheat are the most common problem foods that can cause food allergies. Usually, allergic reactions to food happen two hours after meal. Some food allergies result in immediate, severe and even life-threatening symptoms, while others cause symptoms which may take longer to develop. Allergic reaction can affect the respiratory system, gastro-intestinal tract, skin or cardiovascular system. These symptoms include runny nose, itchy skin rash, tingling in the tongue, lips or throat, swelling, abdominal pain or wheezing.

Mot people experiencing allergic reactions do not recognize that they have allergies to certain food, before they become severe therefore, that is why most food allergies go undiagnosed. Learning how to recognize an allergic reaction will help you get the medical care needed if a reaction occurs.

It would be best to get tested for food allergy now. Allergy testing is important because those that are suffering from allergies may be experiencing discomfort and symptoms that can be treated. Allergy test is also best for determining the foods that is triggering the patients' allergic symptoms. Also, some allergies are potentially dangerous, and thus knowing your food allergies can save you from allergic reactions and also from doctor's bills.

It is suggested that non intake of the problem food is the treatment for food allergy. People with allergies should identify and prevent them. Although at times the reaction is mild, reactions have the potential of causing illnesses and sometimes, can be fatal. In case you are experiencing an allergy and you do not know what causes it, go for allergy testing. This test will be very useful in order to avoid foods that you are allergic to.

Is it Allergies or Asthma When I Can't Breathe?

When you have trouble breathing, how do you know if it is asthma or allergies? It is all too easy to assume that if someone is experiencing tightening of the throat or a constriction of the bronchial passages or airway, then it must be some form of asthma.

The advice in this article in no way supersedes that of a physician, but is meant as a first step towards awareness. The following five points will help when trying to deciding whether the breathing difficulties being experienced are due to asthma or to an allergic reaction.

1. Timing--One of the first things that you should consider is when the symptoms occur. If, for example, the breathing difficulty only occurs after exercise, or at stressful times, or after laughing very hard, then the chances are that the condition is asthma based.

However, there are some gray areas where it may be hard to tell. For example, some asthmatics can find the condition triggered by strong odors, such as cleaning agents and detergents.

This could easily be confused as being an allergic reaction, and so unless the cause is very obvious, make no further assumptions as to whether it is asthma or an allergies, but check the next four points on this list.

2. Flaky/itchy skin--Check the skin for any flaky or irritated patches. You may not have associated the breathing difficulty with the itchiness of the skin, but the two may very well be twin reactions to a common cause. Eczema is a condition that causes flaky, damaged, and irritated skin. If this occurs at roughly the same as the breathing difficulty it tends to indicate allergies.

3. Nasal Discharge--The body's main way of getting rid of any foreign body or unwanted irritant is to flush it out, which results in a discharge. This is exactly what happens if you have a cold for example - the body tries to flush out the harmful bacteria by causing your nasal glands to work overtime.

With allergies, the body over reacts to a harmless allergen, and this can result in a excess mucous in the nose. If you find your breathing difficulty occurs as a result, this is highly suggestive of an allergic reaction.

4. Discharge from ears--This isn't always easy to spot because we can't look in our ears. But if you do notice that need to clean your ears more frequently, that there is extra wax build up, or even that your hearing is deteriorating slightly, then this can also suggest an allergic reaction.

If you notice any discharge from the ears, either one or both, this may be indicative of an allergy, and needs to be checked immediately by a physician.

5. Watery Eyes--Watery eyes can be the result of your eyes attempt to flush out irritants, or a sticky discharge which may be yellowish in color usually indicating infection. Either of these may be strongly suggestive of the body over reacting to some form of allergen, and is likely to mean that any breathing difficulty you experience is the result of an allergic reaction.

Asthma very rarely occurs in conjunction with other symptoms. The only exception tends to be the fact that many asthmatics have a tendency to suffer from eczema, though this does not usually happen at the same time. Eczema may occur quite independently of any breathing difficulty, and will last for much longer than any allergic reaction would.

Knowing and understanding these different symptoms and whether they indicate asthma or allergies will help you to ensure you get the right treatment for the right condition.