Health and Pills » Allergy http://healthandpills.com Guide To Good Health and Drugs: Tablets, Gels, Capsules Tue, 07 Feb 2012 09:49:47 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Adverse Reactions to Drug and Food Additives: Supplement http://healthandpills.com/disorders-and-conditions/allergy/adverse-reactions-to-drug-and-food-additives-supplement http://healthandpills.com/disorders-and-conditions/allergy/adverse-reactions-to-drug-and-food-additives-supplement#comments Sat, 31 Oct 2009 10:19:00 +0000 admin http://healthandpills.com/?p=368 Questions and Answers

1. Is it possible or desirable to have an additive-free diet?

You can avoid food additives in the U.S. by eating at restaurants that say “no food additives” and buying natural, unprocessed foods for the home. Generally, however, people are anaphylactic to only one particular substance. If they can figure out what that is, they can avoid just that substance specifically; they don’t have to strive for an additive-free diet.

2. Are additives in general harmless unless one has a specific allergy to them?

That is correct. The Food and Drug Administration has a list of additives that are considered to be safe. Those have no obvious problems associated with them, unless one looks at a particular group of people who have an unusual sensitivity to a particular chemical.

2. How do asthmatics respond when they eliminate sulfites from their diet?

They do not generally improve, because only five to 10% of asthmatics are in fact sulfite-sensitive, and they are of necessity already avoiding sulfites because otherwise they would be having reactions all the time; the remaining 95% will not notice any difference at all.

3. Are there any potentially dangerous additives that might not be labeled?

In the U.S., I would say no. It’s fairly well covered.

4. Are there any additives that might appear on labels under confusing code names or numbers?

The commonest confusion tends to arise in the case of monosodium glutamate, which often appears on labels as hydrolyzed vegetable protein, or added hydrolyzed something-or-other, but not as MSG. In addition, some colourings appear under the name “natural colours,” though they may provoke hypersensitive reactions in some people. The term “artificial colouring,” or “other approved FD&C dyes,” may also appear in place of the actual name of the dye used. The dye Yellow No. 5 (tartrazine), for example, must be named specifically, but there are other individual dyes for which no such regulation exists.

5. Does the food or drink make any difference in how the additive affects the system? Is there any difference between equal doses of sulfites in a potato salad and in a carbonated drink?

When sulfites are present in a liquid or gas medium, then it’s much more likely that they will be inhaled by an asthmatic and provoke a reaction. If it is actually a constituent part of the food, for example if it is bound to a potato, then it’s much less likely to escape as sulfur dioxide. Of the five percent of asthmatics who are sulfite-sensitive, probably 95% would have no reaction to the potato, whereas they would be much more likely to react to the sulfites in a carbonated drink.

]]> http://healthandpills.com/disorders-and-conditions/allergy/adverse-reactions-to-drug-and-food-additives-supplement/feed 0 Adverse Reactions to Drug and Food Additives http://healthandpills.com/disorders-and-conditions/allergy/adverse-reactions-to-drug-and-food-additives http://healthandpills.com/disorders-and-conditions/allergy/adverse-reactions-to-drug-and-food-additives#comments Sat, 31 Oct 2009 10:16:27 +0000 admin http://healthandpills.com/?p=365 Glossary:

Urticaria: Commonly known as hives, this is a temporary skin condition marked by pale, patchy swelling and itching.

Angioedema: A flushing and swelling of the skin caused by the effusion of fluids into the tissue.

Anaphylaxis: A general, rather than local, allergic reaction characterized by difficulty breathing, wheezing, a shock-like state, or any combination of these symptoms.

There have not been many rigourously controlled studies in the area of additives and allergy, and so much of the evidence for specific links between substance and reaction is anecdotal. Those additives that have most often attracted the attention of investigators can be grouped into about seven substances or families of substances: dyes, parabens and benzoates, BHA and BHT, nitrates, aspartame, MSG (monosodium glutamate) and finally, sulfites.

Sulfites are used heavily in both foods and beverages for their ability to inhibit certain enzyme reactions. It’s the enzyme reaction that causes an apple or an artichoke to turn brown when it is cut, that blackens mushrooms and causes spots to form on fresh shrimp. Sulfite also prevents browning that is caused by non-enzymatic reactions in wine, dried fruits, vinegar and other products and is used in particularly large quantities for this task. Because sulfites are also antioxidants they are used by many pharmaceutical companies in drugs such as Novocaine, Demerol, thorazine and some brands of eyedrops.

Sulfur dioxide is a known irritant for asthmatics, but heat or acid — such as the gastric acid in the stomach — cause sulfites to release sulfur dioxide. For that reason, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires the declaration of sulfites on food labels if they make up more than a certain proportion of the contents. The FDA also banned the use of sulfites on fresh vegetables, for example, in salad bars where it was once common.

Benzoates such as benzoic acid and sodium benzoate are widely used as preservatives in food and beverages for their antibacterial qualities. Parabens, similar preservatives, are used more in drugs and cosmetics. The worldwide consumption of benzoates, used since the early 1900s in food, is over 10 million pounds. Benzoates have low toxicity, and in fact occur naturally in prunes, cinnamon, cloves, tea, anise and many berries.

Monosodium glutamate is an amino acid commonly used as a flavouring. While it appears naturally in some foods like Camembert cheese, it’s used mainly as an additive, particularly in Chinese and Japanese food. A single bowl of Wonton soup can contain 2.5 grams of MSG. It’s also one of the “secret herbs and spices” in Kentucky Fried Chicken.

Aspartame (NutraSweet) is another additive that enhances flavour. Temporarily banned in the mid-1970s because of fears that it caused mental retardation and endocrine dysfunction, aspartame is now back as a common additive in foods and carbonated drinks. Nitrates and nitrites are preservatives that also add colour and flavour, and are common in preserved meats such as salami. Butylated hydroxanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) are antioxidants that appear in many grain and cereal products.

Dyes used in foods are either coal-tar derivatives called azo dyes, the best-known of which is tartrazine, or dyes derived from other sources known as non-azo dyes.

Allergic reactions: Urticaria, angioedema and anaphylaxis

Tartrazine and other dyes, benzoates and parabens may aggravate urticaria at times but none of them have been shown to cause it. Parabens have been shown to cause an anaphylactic reaction on a few rare occasions, but never when taken orally. Sulfites also have been known to cause anaphylaxis. MSG is responsible for an allergic reaction known as Chinese restaurant syndrome (CRS), characterized by headache, nausea, chest tightness, sweating and a burning sensation along the back of the neck. The symptoms affect only MSG-sensitive individuals who eat free MSG (usually added in the restaurant as a condiment) on an empty stomach. MSG has also been blamed in a case of angioedema. Aspartame, BHA and BHT are all known culprits in isolated cases of urticaria.

Allergic reactions: Asthma

The exact mechanism by which sulfites cause asthma attacks is controversial, but it has been suggested that inhalation while swallowing sulfite-bearing foods is the cause. This seems borne out by tests in which sulfite-sensitive people with asthma swallowed sulfite solutions with no reaction when they held their breath. Anyone can develop sulfite sensitivity, and many people’s first experience with asthma was a reaction to sulfites, which over the course of a few months became chronic asthma with dependence on corticosteroids. About three to five percent of asthmatics are sulfite-sensitive, and they tend also to be susceptible to other irritants such as exercise, upper respiratory infections, and particularly smog. Any food containing sulfites in sufficient concentration to cause a reaction must now be so labeled under FDA rules in the U.S.

MSG and benzalkonium chloride can cause bronchial constriction in asthmatics, but cases are rare and in the case of the second additive, concentrations are usually too low. Spearmint, peppermint and menthol, which appear in chewing gum and toothpaste, are also capable of triggering an attack. Dyes, parabens and benzoates are not believed to be dangerous for people with asthma.

]]> http://healthandpills.com/disorders-and-conditions/allergy/adverse-reactions-to-drug-and-food-additives/feed 0 Good News for Those With Latex Allergy http://healthandpills.com/disorders-and-conditions/allergy/good-news-for-those-with-latex-allergy http://healthandpills.com/disorders-and-conditions/allergy/good-news-for-those-with-latex-allergy#comments Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:43:54 +0000 admin http://healthandpills.com/?p=192 People with latex allergies can use deproteinized latex condoms safely, according to a study presented Sunday during the American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology conference in San Diego.

The research was conducted by David Levy M.D., at the Hopital Tenon in Paris. Researchers recruited 19 people who, through blood tests, had confirmed allergies to latex. Each of the volunteers had suffered reactions in the past, including skin rashes, watery eyes and respiratory distress.

The volunteers, aged 21 to 60, agreed to use 10 deproteinized latex condoms in a six-week period and keep records of any reactions. None suffered any.

“The results of the study are pretty straightforward,” Levy said. “What’s important about this study is that most physicians probably don’t ask patients about latex allergies and condoms, so we hope this makes physicians more aware of the problem.”

Levy added that women who are allergic to latex will also benefit by the findings of his study.

Until this study was completed, there had been only one previous report on the frequency of allergic reactions to latex condoms, done in 1989, Levy said.

The results of two other studies on latex allergy also were presented.

The first, conducted by Canadian researcher Susan Tarlo, summarized the results and cost of an allergy-reduction program at the Toronto Western Hospital in Ontario. In the past decade, reactions to latex gloves had become an increasing problem for hospital employees. Some had experienced life-threatening shock when they used the latex gloves. Two nurses had quit due to the hospital’s inability to accommodate their allergy, and five submitted claims for occupational asthma due to contact with latex gloves.

As a result, the Toronto hospital instituted an education and screening program, then later provided sensitive employees with low-protein, low-powder gloves. The substitution program caused the incidence of allergic reaction to decrease dramatically from a peak of 45 in 1994, to only one case per year in 1997, 1998 and 1999.

Although the low-protein, low powder gloves are more expensive than the regular latex gloves, the substitution program has actually saved the hospital money.

“The study looked at the cost of changing gloves versus the cost of 1 percent of the hospital staff becoming fully disabled,” Tarlo said, “and it was more cost-effective to substitute the low-protein, low-powder gloves for those that needed them.”

Consolidating the purchase of gloves with one manufacturer also helps save money, she added.

The hospital in the second study took the provision of latex-free gloves for its employees one step further. The University of Maryland Medical System in Baltimore recently adopted a program that provides latex-free gloves to all employees
“We estimated that it cost between $1 million and $100 million if we couldn’t get workers back,” said lead researcher Mary Bollinger, D.O., and we looked at what we were losing in workman’s comp.”

After screening nearly 1,800 employees, researchers found that 7.6 percent were classified as latex-sensitive. (It is estimated that about 1.5 percent of the general population is latex-sensitive.)

The cost of the glove-conversion program was initially estimated to be more than $100,000, but investigators found that it cost more to pay employees who lost work time because of reactions to the latex gloves. The hospital now has a mandatory screening program for all new employees.

“No one else I know of is doing mandatory screening,” Bollinger said. “Other hospitals are putting these employees out, but we’re accommodating them.”

]]> http://healthandpills.com/disorders-and-conditions/allergy/good-news-for-those-with-latex-allergy/feed 0 Treatment of Allergic Rhinitis http://healthandpills.com/disorders-and-conditions/allergy/treatment-of-allergic-rhinitis http://healthandpills.com/disorders-and-conditions/allergy/treatment-of-allergic-rhinitis#comments Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:40:02 +0000 admin http://healthandpills.com/?p=200
Contents

      The most important part of patient treatment for allergic rhinitis is continuous education, about medication, side effects, and allergen avoidance. Avoidance is often difficult or impractical, but it is not as complicated as it sounds. In some cases of pet allergy it is as simple as removing the pet, or if that’s not an option, limiting the animal to one part of the house and removing all carpets and soft furnishings from the area, since animal allergens can remain airborne for hours and can adhere to fabric and other surfaces.

      In other kinds of perennial rhinitis, such as dust mite allergy (the most common worldwide), keeping a clean house and reducing carpeting and soft furnishings, particularly in the bedroom, is the key to environmental control. Acaricides, which kill mites, and mite-proof covers are also available. Reducing humidity and ensuring good ventilation also helps. In rhinitis associated with industrial by-products or in rare cases of food-allergic rhinitis, environmental control is simpler: stay away from the allergen.

      Such remedies are easier said than done when dealing with seasonal allergens such as pollens and mould spores. Yet even these fluctuate greatly from time to time and from place to place. Being aware of when to avoid the outdoors and installing high efficiency air filters in cars can greatly reduce exposure.

      Medication

      Four types of drugs are widely used to treat allergic rhinitis: antihistamines, decongestants, mast cell stabilizers and corticosteroids. Antihistamines are antagonists of the body’s own histamine that are directed at target cells in the respiratory mucosa. Because traditional antihistamines were rapidly absorbed into the central nervous system, they caused drowsiness in 10% to 20% of users. Newer antihistamines no longer sedate patients and have few or no side effects. They include terfenadine, astemizole, cetirizine, loratadine and acrivastine. Of these, cetirizine is the only one that is not metabolized at all in the liver and is eliminated from the body intact, while astemizole is distinguished by its slowness of onset and long duration (a half-life of up to 19 days) which make it ideal for maintenance treatments rather than as-needed relief. Recent research has linked some of the new antihistamines, such as terfenadine and astemizole, with cardiac arrhythmia, and they should not be used in conjunction with certain kinds of antibiotics or oral antifungal agents, nor in the presence of liver disease.

      Decongestants act by constricting blood vessels in the nose, which block airways when they become engorged by allergic reaction. They function equally well in all kinds of nasal congestion, allergic or nonallergic, but have no effect on the underlying process of rhinitis. They do not replace more fundamental treatments, but rather supplement them. There are topical decongestants that come as sprays or nasal drops, such as oxymetazoline, xylometazoline and naphazoline, and there are oral decongestants such as ephedrine and phenylpropanolamine. The topicals are preferable since they are less prone to systemic side effects such as restlessness, agitation, sleep disturbance, tachycardia and headaches. They are frequently used with antihistamines and often improve results significantly.

      Mast-cell stabilizers such as sodium cromoglycate and nedocromil sodium are anti-inflammatory drugs, which are effective in mild to moderate cases of rhinitis, but less so in the most severe cases. These drugs must be used frequently (four to six times daily) to reduce symptoms, and work better against rhinorrhoea and sneezing than against stuffed-up noses, but they are harmless and therefore a useful alternative, particularly for children. Cromoglycate is a useful eyedrop that relieves itchy eyes, a major source of discomfort for rhinitis sufferers.

      Corticosteroids are the most potent and also the most problematic of the rhinitis drugs available today. They can be taken locally, orally or through injection, and reduce mast cells close to the epithelial surface of tissue. They reduce rhinitis symptoms through a variety of complex mechanisms that are not clearly understood. Because they inhibit the inflammatory response right where it begins, at the cellular level, they reduce every allergic symptom, though the onset of action is slow.

      Intranasal steroids rarely cause systemic side effects when used at recommended dosages, and provide excellent relief in over 90% of patients. One limitation of steroids, the failure to fully relieve eye symptoms, can be remedied by the application of antihistamines. Currently available topical corticosteroids include beclomethasone dipropionate, flunisolide, and budenoside, among others. Beginning a course of steroids before pollen season can prevent cell changes in the nose associated with rhinitis, and after two weeks of use, doses can often be reduced to one a day. The aim should be to use the minimum effective dose for each patient. Though side effects such as nasal irritation in the first few days occur in a minority of patients, topical steroids are relatively harmless.

      Systemic steroids are a different matter. They should be used only in very severe cases of rhinitis and then with caution. A short course of an oral corticosteroid such as prednisolone may be considered necessary while waiting for intranasal steroids to take effect. Injections of corticosteroids, sometimes given to hay fever sufferers, are particularly efficient at reducing nasal blockage, but they suppress normal adrenal cortex function for long periods and can have other severe side effects.

      Immunotherapy

      An expensive, time-consuming and risky procedure which seeks to boost the presence of the immunoglobulins G1 and G4, which appear to reduce allergic reactions, though they do not by any means make symptoms disappear. Since the procedure requires that the patient be exposed to allergen extracts administered orally, nasally or directly under the tongue, grave systemic reactions are a possibility and immunotherapy should never be attempted without resuscitation facilities. It has proved useful in treating birch, grass, ragweed, dog and cat allergies, but is useless against dust mite allergy and not particularly good for hay fever. This form of treatment is altogether too drastic for most rhinitis sufferers, and is rarely used except to treat rhinitis patients with asthmatic symptoms.

      Surgery

      Occasionally, abnormalities in the nose or sinuses aggravate symptoms of allergic rhinitis, and in these cases, medication may be combined with surgery. Sinus surgery is sometimes used to correct secondary symptoms caused by sinus obstruction. The operation is usually followed by a course of topical corticosteroids.

      ]]> http://healthandpills.com/disorders-and-conditions/allergy/treatment-of-allergic-rhinitis/feed 0 Anti-IgE Therapy Reduces Symptoms of Allergic Asthma http://healthandpills.com/disorders-and-conditions/allergy/anti-ige-therapy-reduces-symptoms-of-allergic-asthma http://healthandpills.com/disorders-and-conditions/allergy/anti-ige-therapy-reduces-symptoms-of-allergic-asthma#comments Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:39:15 +0000 admin http://healthandpills.com/?p=190 Researchers believe they’ve developed a way of disabling the process that triggers symptoms in patients with allergic asthma. If so, some allergic asthmatics may find relief of symptoms and possibly be able to reduce their need for corticosteroids, currently the mainstay of treatment for many asthmatics.

      In order to understand the role of IgE (immunoglobulin E) in allergic asthma, it might be helpful to picture a string of dominoes. Think of an allergen (pollen, pet dander, cigarette smoke, etc.) as the first domino. For those with allergic asthma, exposure to an allergen tips that first domino, initiating a chain of events that results in respiratory distress. In this scenario, IgE would be the second domino after inhaling an allergen, because the person with allergic asthma produces specific antibodies for each allergen. These IgE antibodies bind with mast cells and basophils, triggering the airway inflammation associated with asthma.

      Researchers believe if they can stop this process, symptoms of allergic asthma will be reduced. A recent study conducted by researchers from the National Jewish Medical and Research Center in Denver, Colorado, tested this theory with encouraging results. They used a treatment known as recombinant humanized monoclonal antibody (rhuMAb-E25) that binds to IgE, preventing it from interacting with mast cells and basophils.

      These researchers studied 317 patients with allergic asthma severe enough to require inhaled or oral corticosteroids (or both). Patients were given either high- or low-dose rhuMAb-E25 intravenously or a placebo for the duration of the study, with doses being given at the beginning of the study, on days four and seven, and then once every two weeks for 20 weeks. Patients continued with their usual corticosteroid regimen for the first 12 weeks of the study, tapering and attempting to discontinue them during the last eight weeks of the study.

      Patients receiving the rhuMAb-E25 had less severe asthma symptoms at 12 and 20 weeks, and more patients receiving it were able to decrease or discontinue corticosteroids than in the placebo group. These researchers believe that rhuMAb-E25 is a promising new approach to the treatment of allergic asthma.

      ]]>       http://healthandpills.com/disorders-and-conditions/allergy/anti-ige-therapy-reduces-symptoms-of-allergic-asthma/feed 0       Breakthrough in Food Allergy Research! http://healthandpills.com/disorders-and-conditions/allergy/breakthrough-in-food-allergy-research http://healthandpills.com/disorders-and-conditions/allergy/breakthrough-in-food-allergy-research#comments Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:33:17 +0000 admin http://healthandpills.com/?p=188 A recent discovery regarding how some food allergies develop may soon lead to testing of medications that would prevent these allergic reactions in the gastrointestinal tract.

      Dr. Rothenberg explained that allergic diseases are now occurring in epidemic numbers, affecting almost 30 percent of the population of most countries around the world. “We have not only seen a marked increase in the incidence of allergic diseases (a doubling in recent decades), but the emergence of allergic reactions to common environmental substances has also increased at an alarming rate,” noted Rothenberg, section chief of allergy and clinical immunology in Cincinnati Children’s division of pulmonary medicine, allergy and clinical immunology.

      A food allergy occurs when a person’s immune system overreacts to an otherwise harmless food. This hypersensitivity occurs because of an allergic antibody known as IgE (Immunoglobulin E), which is found in individuals with allergies. Allergens, the parts of foods that trigger allergic reactions, are usually proteins found in the food. As many as 90 percent of all allergic reactions are caused by only a handful of food allergens. The most common allergens are the proteins in cow’s milk, eggs, peanuts, wheat, soy, fish, shellfish and tree nuts.

      Dr. Rothenberg added, “…food allergies such as peanut anaphylaxis now affect about five percent of the population. These problems are particularly concerning at young ages when adverse reactions to new foods in the diets often becomes a challenging problem”.

      Scientists have known for some time that in patients with allergies and allergic asthma, eosinophils, a type of cell normally found in the blood, accumulate in tissue (for example, in the airway or the intestine) as well as the blood. These eosinophils are believed to be at least partly responsible for the inflammation that occurs in the gastrointestinal tract of persons with food allergy; research suggests that inflammation associated with eosinophils found there may also be involved in other disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease and gastroesophageal reflux.

      Drs. Rothenberg and Hogan exposed two groups of mice, designed to be food-allergic, to oral allergens, to induce the equivalent of an allergic reaction. They wanted to find out if blocking eotaxin (a protein molecule in the body that pulls eosinophils from the bloodstream and into tissues) would prevent eosinophils from collecting in the gastrointestinal tissue, and if that in turn might prevent gastrointestinal inflammation.

      They did this by genetically engineering one group of mice to have no eotaxin. The other group of mice was unchanged in that respect and did produce eotaxin. In the mice with eotaxin, eosinophils were found in the blood as well as the gastrointestinal tract after exposure to food allergens. The mice with no eotaxin did not have eosinophils in the gastrointestinal tract, however eosinophils were increased in the blood.

      According to Dr. Rothenberg: “This demonstrates a critical role for eotaxin, specifically in regulating allergic responses in the gastrointestinal tract. Since agents that block eotaxin and similar chemokines are being actively developed by a number of pharmaceutical companies, these studies provide impetus for rapidly applying these new drugs to gut allergy”.

      ]]>       http://healthandpills.com/disorders-and-conditions/allergy/breakthrough-in-food-allergy-research/feed 0       Asthma & Allergies After Age 50 http://healthandpills.com/disorders-and-conditions/allergy/asthma-allergies-after-age-50 http://healthandpills.com/disorders-and-conditions/allergy/asthma-allergies-after-age-50#comments Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:30:45 +0000 admin http://healthandpills.com/?p=186 It’s as plain as the runny nose on your face and the clump of tissues clutched in your hand – or is it? You’re 50 years old and for some reason, you’ve entered the world of sniffles, coughs, rashes and wheezes.

      More than likely you are dealing with allergies or asthma. And while you may not have had problems ever before, your immune system at 50 is not what it used to be.

      “Age is not the only factor, but it can contribute to an increase in allergies and allergy-induced asthma,” says Dr. Mark S. Dykewicz, associate professor of Internal Medicine and training program director, Division of Allergy and Immunology, St. Louis University School of Medicine. “The simple truth is as we get older our immune system begins to break down.”

      Dr. Dykewicz says asthma and immune response are tightly intertwined. Immune responses in the form of allergic reactions trigger attacks in about half of the adults with asthma. And to a large extent, immunologic events determine the degree of inflammation that will accompany allergic reactions and thus the severity and duration of asthma attacks.

      “Although sometimes mistakenly viewed as a trivial disease, symptoms of allergic and non-allergic rhinitis (hay fever) may significantly impact a patient’s quality of life by causing fatigue, headache, cognitive impairment and other systemic symptoms,” Dr. Dykewicz explained.

      Some people over 50 had asthma when they were children or young adults, and now the problem has come back. In two studies by the American Lung Association, more than a quarter of the people over 65 had some form of wheezing, a common symptom of asthma. There may be wheezing with or without colds, or there may be attacks of shortness of breath with wheezing. And you can have asthma even if you don’t wheeze.

      It is often difficult for a doctor to decide whether the problem in a patient over 50 is asthma or another lung disease. Other lung diseases that cause similar problems are bronchitis and emphysema, especially in people who smoke. Older people who are allergic to pollen, pets or dust are at higher risk of developing asthma too. Heart disease may also cause breathing problems, and a person can have heart and lung disease at the same time.

      Asthma diagnosis in the young is facilitated by a relative scarcity of other conditions that mimic asthma or complicate its clinical presentation. In the elderly, however, the differential diagnosis of episodic chest symptoms expands as cardiovascular disease and other forms of chronic lung disease become more prevalent.

      So what is asthma? Simply put, asthma is a physical problem that makes it more difficult to breathe. When you inhale, air comes in through your nose, and it passes down the bronchial tubes to your lungs. When you exhale, stale air from your lungs exits through the same tubes. But when you have asthma, the breathing tubes are sensitive. They react to smoke, pollen, dust, air pollution allergies and/or other triggers. The breathing tubes respond by becoming tight, inflamed and swollen, and that makes it harder to breathe.

      The allergic response is a defensive reaction of the immune system against allergens, which are innocuous substances that the body interprets incorrectly. The body mistakenly identifies substances such as pollens, animal dander, foods, insects and their venom, and some medications, as dangerous.

      Symptoms vary widely because different allergens stimulate the immune system at different sites in the body. The respiratory system is the most common site of allergic reactions. Allergens in the upper airways cause sneezing and nasal congestion, while lower airway distress includes bronchoconstriction and wheezing.

      ]]>       http://healthandpills.com/disorders-and-conditions/allergy/asthma-allergies-after-age-50/feed 0       Allergy and Rheumatic Patient http://healthandpills.com/disorders-and-conditions/allergy/allergy-and-rheumatic-patient http://healthandpills.com/disorders-and-conditions/allergy/allergy-and-rheumatic-patient#comments Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:30:37 +0000 admin http://healthandpills.com/?p=203 Gold treatment provides great relief to many sufferers of rheumatoid arthritis, but can cause allergic dermatological reactions in some people. Researchers are now attempting to find a means by which allergies to gold may be identified prior to beginning treatment with gold salts.

      In this study from Malmö, Sweden, one patient, a 52-year-old woman suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, was tested for allergy before being started on gold treatment. She had a history of wearing gold jewelry without difficulty, or only a slight itchiness after days of continued use. A patch containing two different gold solutions was applied for 48 hours, and produced a positive skin reaction only after three weeks of follow-up. To confirm the finding, the patient was given a single dose of gold treatment and subsequently reacted with irritated and itchy skin. No further gold treatments were administered.

      Various skin reactions may occur as a result of an allergy when gold salt treatments are given. An area of skin which has reacted previously to gold upon contact might flare up or a systemic rash may develop. Both of these reactions are extremely uncomfortable and best avoided if possible. The medical community is searching for better methods of identifying patients with allergies to gold, as well as trying to understand the process by which systemic gold treatment causes a reaction in the skin.

      Based on the fact that the reaction to the allergy test only occurred three weeks after the patch was administered, this case suggests that test readings should be repeated over several weeks. It appears that the patch test primed the tissue under the patch so that once the gold was applied systemically, it caused a flare-up in the patch site. The gold allergen, which travels through the blood during systemic gold treatment for rheumatoid arthritis, must be a catalyst for reactivating the allergen-specific T-cells responsible for flare-ups.

      In conclusion, this case suggests that skin tests can be used to identify a contact allergy to gold. However, a patch test can take up to three weeks to produce a positive result and the test reading must therefore be repeated over this time period. The study confirms that systemic administration of gold salts can produce a flare-up in an area of skin which had previously reacted to surface contact with gold. It is hoped that such testing will reduce any additional suffering for rheumatoid arthritis patients and that further research may help prevent such reactions by identifying the means through which gold treatment causes skin reactions.

      ]]>       http://healthandpills.com/disorders-and-conditions/allergy/allergy-and-rheumatic-patient/feed 0       Allergy-Proofing Your Home http://healthandpills.com/disorders-and-conditions/allergy/allergy-proofing-your-home http://healthandpills.com/disorders-and-conditions/allergy/allergy-proofing-your-home#comments Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:28:01 +0000 admin http://healthandpills.com/?p=184 If you have asthma or allergies and have been told you need to eliminate allergens from your home, take heart. There are some very easy steps you can take right now to significantly reduce allergens in your home. Yes, there are some harder things you’re going to need to do as well (sorry!), but even those will be easier once you get started.

      Allergens are substances that trigger an allergic reaction in sensitive individuals. Common allergens found in the home are dust, animal dander, molds, insects and house dust mites. Irritants are not allergens, but they can trigger a similar reaction in sensitive people as well. Examples of irritants include tobacco smoke, paint fumes and aerosol spray cosmetics such as hair spray. Reducing both of these things in the home is an important part of allergy treatment.

      It’s probably best to start with the easiest things you can do. Try these measures first in the bedroom of the allergic person, moving on to the other bedrooms and rest of the house. You’ll want to get more specific instructions from your allergist, but these suggestions will get you well on your way to an allergen-proof home.

      One of the most common allergens is dust, and it’s also relatively easy to reduce if you follow a few guidelines. Weeding out the clutter will go a long way toward reducing dust in your home. Basically, anything in your home, from shelves to furniture to knick-knacks is a dust catcher. Likewise with clutter – those stacks of magazines, toys, and folded clothes also provide the perfect place for dust to collect. This is where you need to be ruthless – eliminate as many books, toys, pictures, unused clothes and linens as you can. Regular dusting and keeping closet doors closed will also keep dust to a minimum.

      Dust mites are also a problem for many people with allergies. These tiny insects live off the dead skin that we shed, and while the insects themselves are relatively harmless, their excrement and decomposing bodies are extremely irritating. Mattresses, pillows and upholstered furniture are among the dust mite’s favorite feeding grounds so extra care is in order here.

      Again, initially focus on the bedroom since much of our time is spent there. Old mattresses are notorious for dust mites, so if possible purchase a new mattress and box spring. Your mattress should be no more than 10 years old. Cover them with special mattress covers designed to reduce allergen exposure. New pillows are important also, and special pillow covers can be purchased as well. Wash bedding weekly in hot water (130 degrees F) and dry in a hot dryer. Minimize stuffed toys and wash them weekly as well.

      Previous research suggested that synthetic pillows were preferable to feather pillows for patients with allergies. However, recent evidence suggests that allergen levels appear to be decreased in feather pillows, possibly because of the tighter casing necessary to contain the feathers. There are tests on the market that you can use in the home to measure the level of dust mites; these can also be used to check your efforts at dust mite control.

      Cockroach and mouse allergen is receiving increasing attention as researchers learn more about their role in allergic disease. Again, it is the excrement and decaying bodies of these animals that cause the allergic symptoms. Put food away and store garbage in covered containers, preferably outside. Thorough cleaning and extermination measures help a great deal, and these efforts needn’t be costly. Dr. Eggleston said a recent study showed that cleaning with ordinary liquid bleach is effective in reducing cockroach allergen. (The sodium hydrochloride in liquid bleach destroys the proteins in cockroach allergen.)

      What if you live in an apartment building… won’t the cockroaches just come back from the other apartments? Dr. Eggleston observed, “If you remove the things that attract them to begin with – in the inner-city, it’s open garbage cans that people don’t put out; in your house, it might be pet food or Frito’s if you haven’t put them in a plastic container – they won’t come back in. They will stay in the apartment next door.”

      Reducing indoor humidity to less than 50 percent will prevent mold and discourage roaches as well. Avoiding irritants such as aerosolized cosmetics and tobacco smoke is also important.

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