Information about Eye Allergies

Eye allergies are common among Americans. Allergic reactions involving eyes are a common complaint among Americans. Severe eye allergies can be an extremely irritating experience requiring consultations with a qualified medical practitioner. If not taken care of in time, it may even pose a serious threat to the victim's eyesight.

The most common reaction in eye allergies involve the conjunctiva, a clear layer of skin overlying the eyes, and is known as allergic conjunctivitis. Allergic conjunctivitis is divided into several major subtypes, the most common among them being seasonal allergic conjunctivitis (SAC) and perennial allergic conjunctivitis (PAC). Both arise out of an immune reaction involving a sensitized individual and an allergen. Put simply, if you are allergic to a particular substance and then come into contact with it, you experience an allergic reaction such as itching or sneezing.

Common allergens, i.e., substances that trigger eye allergies include pollen, grass, weeds, dust, and pet dander. As their names suggest, problems do not last long in SAC, but lasts throughout the year in PAC.

Apart from the all-too-familiar symptom of itching, other symptoms of eye allergies include redness, tearing, burning sensation, blurred vision, and mattering and/or mucus production

If you have eye allergies but can identify and avoid whatever you are allergic to, your allergy should improve markedly. If you fail to identify or avoid the allergens, it is wise to consult an allergist or ophthalmologist to get it treated. In the case of SAC, you may consult your allergist or ophthalmologist before the season in which you suffer from eye allergies so that treatment can start before the symptoms appear. However, if you have PAC, routine appointments with your allergist or ophthalmologist may be helpful to monitor your eye allergies.

In most cases, your allergist or ophthalmologist can diagnose eye allergies from your complaints alone.

As part of the examination, your eyes are examined to help rule out other problems. The front of your eyes is examined using a special microscope. Using the microscope, called a slit lamp, the ophthalmologist checks your eyes for dilated blood vessels, conjunctival swelling, and eyelid swelling, all of which indicate an allergic reaction. In rare and most severe cases, scraping of the conjunctiva is performed to check for eosinophils.

For treatment of eye allergies, avoidance of the allergens is the best method. When you can identify and avoid the particular allergy-causing substance, your symptoms are likely to improve dramatically. But if the problem remains even after avoidance and other forms of self-care, medical treatment is called for. Numerous over-the-counter medications, such as allergy eye drops and oral antihistamines can be used as directed for mild eye allergies. In addition, many prescription eye drops are also available to help reduce your eye allergies.

Can you recognize allergy in your dog?

Animals are in many ways just like humans. Like humans they to can suffer from allergies. Unlike humans, however, they cannot express their suffering and we need to be able to recognize the signs of illness in the dog. Recognizing allergy in your dog may be a daunting task for the inexperienced but with a little practice it can be done quite well.

What are the signs of allergy in your dog?

You will find that the symptoms of allergy in your dog are very similar to those you have when you have an allergy, i.e. heavy itchy skin, sneezing, heavy breathing with wheezing sound, lethargy, vomiting and diarrhea, runny nose, etc. Observe your dog well when it develops any of these symptoms for seemingly no apparent reason. In case you have a feeling that your dog might be suffering from allergy, then rush it to the vet who will prescribe the required medicines.

There are certain tests which will be able to confirm the existence of allergy in your dog. Hence, the best thing to do if you have any doubt regarding allergy in your pet is to immediately rush it to the vet. Do not wait for the allergy to abate by itself. Sometimes, what seems to be an allergy in your dog could be something much more serious.

A word of advice here: do not attempt to self medicate your dog with over the counter medicines. You will not know the right dosage, even if you stumble upon the right medicine and thereby you will further endanger your dog by making adding complications to its already existing woes. Sometimes, even allergy can be very damaging in their reaction, as well.

What types of allergy are known to affect dogs?

The determination of what causes the allergy, if there in an allergy in your dog, is imperative and most important to the cure. Whether it is caused by fleas, or by certain foods, or any other element in its environment, unless it is identified, the allergy cannot be treated. As in humans, dog can be allergic to certain food items as well as insects such as ticks, fleas and even lice.

If and when the dog has been identified to have an allergy the vet will be able to prescribe a regimen of medicines complemented by the removal of the allergen so the dog can live comfortably in spite of the allergy. It is always good to take the advice of the vet and not attempt to medicate the pet yourself, lest you will add to its woes rather than help it.

SEASON ALLERGY

Make The Best of Your Season Allergy

Dealing with season allergy symptoms has become a fact of life for many of us. This year has been officially called the worst allergy season ever. People who have never suffered of any type of allergies have reported season allergy symptoms such as itchy eyes, runny noses, sneezing etc.

Fact is more then 20% of American population suffers with some sort of allergies; 14 million visiting their doctor and it was estimated 4 million sick days will be taken due to the season allergy. Hartford, Connecticut took the number one position in seasonal allergies this year due to high pollen count.

Here are some myths and facts to treat the season allergy:

* Myth - cold medications. These medications are only efficient for colds and will not help in any way your allergy symptoms. Do not have them even if friends and family tell you they are effective. Only allergy medications will help you get relief.
* Myth - air purifiers. It is true that this will help to a certain degree, because keeping the air clean, which the air purifier achieves, is part of keeping the allergies at bay, however, they cannot clean out pollen.
* Fact - Over the counter medications do work. Those that are available in pharmacies are great provided you already know that you are suffering from season allergy. Do not self medicate.
* Fact - Know your condition and be aware of the foods and places that trigger the allergies. Avoid the following (to name a few): carrots, apples and pears.
* Fact - Have a shower before you get to bed. Cleaning off all the dust and pollen is very effective. You can even take a shower when you get back home for fast relief.
* Fact - sunglasses block pollen from getting into your eyes preventing you effectively from season allergy.

Treating season allergy symptoms is not as simple as some new set of laws do restrict over the counter sale of some decongestants. That is any medication containing pseudoephedrine will be sold only by prescription and that too limited amount a month.
The good news that is many of the over the counter drugs are very effective and can cure you of the season allergy.

Surviving season allergy is not an easy task, it's something you have to constantly be conscious about and in control of; with constant surveillance and organization, care and a lot of love and understanding from your family you should get through even the worst of the seasons.

Allergy Free Air Filter - a Wonderful Tool Against Allergy in Your Home

It has been said that most allergies come from inhaling some type of allergen, be it pollen, mold spores, animal dander, dust mites, and the list will go on and on. A disturbing fact is that more than 80 percent of the air that we breathe in every day actually contains dead skin particles.

What is an allergy?

An allergy is a reaction, some of the times a pretty violent reaction, to a trigger which make the body uncomfortable. Reports have shown that the most common type of allergy is a dust allergy. Dust is made of a million-and-one ingredient, the majority of which as it is mentioned earlier is dead skin. The rest contains dust mites (an active allergy ingredient), germs, possible mold spores (if the area is humid) and so on.

It is always better to prevent a disease rather than look for its cure once it has attacked you. Hence having an allergy free air filter makes a great deal of sense if you are known to be prone to any type of allergy. An allergy free air filter will ensure that the air you breathe in is free of any pollutants that can cause you an allergic reaction. It is a simple yet extremely effective device that everyone should actually have installed, if you are allergy prone.

How does an allergy air filter work for you?

Considering that the most common allergy is indeed the dust allergy, it is okay to surmise that if the dust is removed from the air, the chance of allergy will be minimized. The allergy free air filter does exactly that. It removes from the air all types of particles however small that may cause you or even your pets' allergy. This is why these air filters are placed in the air conditioner, or where the fans are installed; so that when the air is circulated it will go through the air filter which will remove all the harmful particles leaving you to inhale clean and allergy free air.

This is why an allergy free air filter can be an invaluable asset to your home. The presence of such a filter can make a great difference to the way you feel, especially if you live in an area which has exposure to pollen or mold spores. It is worth the minor investment.

What Is an Allergy Symptom?

In this brief article, we will define an allergy symptom and discuss some specific systems and what they mean to you as an allergy sufferer. An allergy symptom is any symptom associated with allergies such as a running nose, itchy eyes, watery eyes, sneezing, itchy skin, and more. We will go into some detail about where a symptom comes from and why they appear as well as a brief discussion about how to cure those symptoms if time permits.

What are some of the symptoms?

Some of the most common allergy symptoms occur for the seasonal allergies such as hay fever and include the itchy watery eyes, runny nose, and sneezing aspects of allergenic symptoms. Other cases of allergies feature more serious symptoms that can be more harmful and troublesome such as absentmindedness, dizziness, trouble swallowing, nausea, constipation, diarrhea, skin rashes, vertigo, vomiting, and other serious cases of health issues that may spring from how the body deals with the allergen itself.

Airborne allergies are, however, the most common form of allergies and tend to feature the most common form of an allergy symptom as well. Most of these symptoms are related to the sinuses as the hay fever and other allergies like hay fever tend to affect those systems of the body. Sneezing, a clogged and runny nose, itchiness in the eyes and throat, coughing, postnasal drip, and swollen eyes (a symptom called "conjunctivitis") are all parts of the airborne allergy symptom repertoire.

Why do these symptoms occur?

Most times, the allergic reaction is coupled with a portion of the allergen. In other words, if the allergen is known for entering the lungs it will likely attack portions of the body related to the lungs and to breathing. An airborne allergy, thus, will likely attach itself to the breathing apparatus and my cause coughing or the nose to run because of the way it affects the system directly. There are other reasons for this that scientists studying allergy immunology are aware of, but the basics of most allergies are that they are "system attackers" in general.

How are the symptoms cured?

An allergy symptom can be cured in a number of ways depending on the actual system it affects and how drastically the body is affected. Many people can simply take, for example, an antihistamine for a hay fever type allergy and go about their day while others simply will not respond to the antihistamine. It is essentially a matter of the biological makeup of the allergy sufferer in terms of how they react to certain medications and how much medication is needed to cure the allergy symptom.

Where is The Best Place to Live if I Have a Pollen Allergy?

The National Allergy Bureau has a network of pollen counters across the country that uses air sampling equipment to capture airborne (pollen) allergens. The number of pollen grains are collected, counted, and recorded. Counting stations generally open in March and April, when pollen counts begin to grow. For people with a pollen allergy, the pollen count is a very important measure in their life.

In warmer climates, the stations remain open all year. A definition of pollen count is the number of ragweed pollen grains in a volume of air over a 24-hour time span, in a particular place. A pollen allergy can be adversely affected by high local pollen counts. Pollen allergy counts are generally based on a count of 1 to 12. A low count is four and under; moderate is 4-8; high is 8 or higher.

Since a pollen allergy is seasonal, there are places within the United States that might be better for some people to live where the count is lower. Many have considered Arizona and Nevada ideal because of the lack of plants that would spread wind-borne allergens. However, some cities have become more popular and residents bring plants and flowers with them; there has been an increase in pollen and, hence, pollen allergy sufferers.

Some people move to avoid certain plants or allergens, and sometimes this is helpful. Mountains and forests generally have a low degree of weed pollen but may have quite a bit of tree pollen. Mountains, however, if bare, would not have the same result. Areas with a lot of human population including homes and farms generally have a high amount of grass pollens. The Pacific Northwest has a lower degree of weed pollen but has standard amounts of all other types. These are indicators that someone with a pollen allergy must consider on a daily basis.

The Importance of Being Aware

No matter where one lives or vacations, it is important to heed the local pollen count and stay indoors and/or away from allergens as much as possible to keep a pollen allergy from interfering in the pursuit of a healthy and happy life. There are various prescription and over-the-counter medications that can prove helpful in dealing with annoying symptoms.

Avoiding a pollen allergy does not ensure that one will not have allergic reactions to other substances; for instance, smog, air pollution, and cigarette smoke are often more bothersome than pollen. An allergist or family practitioner can advise about relocation efforts or simple steps to take to make life more pleasant.

ALLERGY FOOD TREATMENT

The Facts of Allergy Food Treatment

Allergy food treatment is a very serious affliction with very serious consequences.

Many food allergy victims suffer the most common symptom: swelling of the mouth and throat obstruction with difficulty in breathing normally.

Testing can be extremely difficult without a full knowledge of the food ingested by the afflicted. Treatment can only be implemented when fully convinced of the type of allergy.

There are four food reactions one should be aware of:

* The classic food allergy - let us take the classic fish/peanut allergy where the immediate effect can be seen with the swelling of the throat. Here the allergy food treatment requires adrenaline injections and oral resuscitation. Another such allergy is triggered by fruit and vegetables, such as apple, tomato, peach and celery; here almost the same phenomenon occurs with the allergy located in the mouth and throat.
* Food intolerance - this is caused due to enzyme deficiencies and other mechanisms that copy allergic reactions but do not involve the immune system. Here malabsorption may occur or adverse reaction to natural chemicals that food contains as well as allergy to food containing preservatives and colorants.
* Food toxicity - this is caused by contaminated (bacterial endotoxins) or poisoned food. These toxins may naturally exist in foods such as alkaloids in potatoes. A reaction takes place and the skin starts itching, rapid pulse as well as skin flushing occurs.
* Food aversion - where the person self induces the allergy, believing that a particular food gives him/her the allergy.

Food allergy treatment can only begin once you have determined what type of allergy you are suffering from. In order to get the right treatment in time, you must consult your doctor as soon to explain your reaction. Food allergy treatment can be crucial; the situation can quickly turn fatal with dire consequences.

Some potentially allergic foods in adults

* Tree nuts - Brazil nut, hazelnut, almonds, walnuts, pistachio, cashew etc.
* Fruit such as - peach, apple, strawberry etc.
* Vegetables such as - tomato, parsley, celery, potatoes etc.

Up to 15% of the general population has reported some sort of adverse food reaction. The general feeling amongst the common individuals is that doctors under diagnose and of course the doctors feel that they over diagnose. Some individuals just note having developed an adverse reaction with a particular food item and instead of seeking food allergy treatment they simply avoid the food without ever consulting a doctor.