How Can You Tell If You Have Asthma
It can be hard to tell if someone has asthma, especially in children under age 5. Having a doctor check how well your lungs work and check for allergies can help you find out if you have asthma.
During a checkup, a doctor will ask if you cough a lot, especially at night. He or she will also ask whether your breathing problems are worse after physical activity or at certain times of year. The doctor will then ask about chest tightness, wheezing, and colds lasting more than 10 days. He or she will ask whether anyone in your family has or has had asthma, allergies, or other breathing problems. Finally, the doctor will ask questions about your home and whether you have missed school or work or have trouble doing certain things.
The doctor may also do a breathing test, called spirometry, to find out how well your lungs are working by testing how much air you can breathe out after taking a very deep breath before and after you use asthma medicine.
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Make An Appointment To Treat Your Allergies
Do not let your allergy symptoms control you. If you would like to get relief from your allergies and receive the most effective treatment option for long-term health and wellness, contact Breathe Clear today to schedule an appointment. Our team seeks to alleviate suffering from the conditions that affect your quality of life and is dedicated to providing you with the best experience possible.
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How To Handle Anaphylactic Shock
More severe allergy attacks will not abate with home remedies, and its essential that you quickly recognize more serious symptoms, like abdominal cramps and breathing problems. What should you do in the case of anaphylaxis or anaphylactic shock?
If you are alone, immediately call 911. Anaphylactic shock happens quickly, and your throat could swell and cut off your supply of oxygen within minutes, causing permanent and serious damage. If you know you are at risk for severe allergic reactions, always carry an Epinephrine pen, or two, with you at all times. Epinephrine quickly reduces and reverses anaphylactic symptoms as its comprised of adrenaline. You can never predict when a bee will sting you or a food youre allergic to wind up on your plate, so take the appropriate steps to protect yourself. You should also make your close friends and family aware of your allergy, so that they can also be on the lookout for severe symptoms and be ready to take the appropriate steps if youre unable to.
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Dietary Changes May Bring Relief
Certain foods can exasperate your allergic reactions, so its wise to take a look at your diet.
You can also take a test to determine which foods youre most sensitive too . But some common munchies tend to increase inflammation no matter your tolerance to them.
For instance, highly processed foods, sugar, caffeine, tobacco, many dairy products, and soy are highly inflammatory.
You can also enjoy probiotic-packed goods, including kefir and kombucha, and include plenty of fresh veggies, especially leafy greens, and lean protein sources. Learning how to cure allergies naturally has to include at least some minor dietary changes.
In addition, cutting back on red meat may help also.
In fact, though, a recent study by the National Institutes of Health found that people with high levels of trans oleic acid in their systems were 3 times more likely to suffer from hay fever.
Top 10 Tips For Getting Over An Allergic Reaction
14/03/2011 by Ruth Holroyd
This week Im recovering from a particularly nasty allergy flare up. It was the usual scenario. When I cook at home everything is fine. When I eat out even if Im really careful, things can and do go badly wrong. With me I can eat the food fine, no swelling, no anaphylaxis, but there are some little ingredients, which I have not yet identified which send me into a spin. These are things that I am just intolerant to, not allergic. Just intolerant seems to indicate the reaction might be quite mild, but let me tell you, I can be knocked completely sideways by some of these nasty foods Im intolerant to.
Ive been lucky lately. Its been a while since I had a major flare up like this. Thats because I am very very careful about what I eat and am always prepared. However, this weekend, at my nieces 5th birthday party I succumbed to the Tescos Chinese Selection. They were calling to me. Normally I wouldnt have even gone near, but the packet said it contained No Nuts so that was one tick in the box. It also said that it contained Sesame, wheat, gluten, fish and soya. These are all things I can eat. No mention of the dreaded dairy. I still read the full ingredients list thoroughly and couldnt see anything that sounded nasty, but I think I was coriandered!
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Ways To Help Relieve Spring Allergies
Spring is around the corner, and along with budding flowers, warmer temperatures and longer days come runny noses and itchy, watery eyes for the millions of Americans who suffer from seasonal allergies.
Allergies occur when the immune system misidentifies typically harmless substances, such as pollen, as a threat and tries to fight them off. The congestion you experience is your own bodys immune system battling what it perceives as a danger.
Seasonal allergiesalso called hay fever and allergic rhinitiscan make you miserable. But with proper preparation you can enjoy the great outdoors.
Here are six strategies to use when battling seasonal allergies.
The Gut And Allergy Connection
Spring and summer are a joy, unless youre one of millions who suffer with seasonal allergies. Then it can be a really miserable couple of seasons of sniffling, scratchy throat, coughing, itchy eyes or the alternative taking medications that make you sleepy, or that you just dont want to take because you prefer to be au natural.
Its even worse if your allergies trigger your asthma which is the case for many adults and increasing numbers of children. Evidence shows seasonal allergy rates are rising throughout the world, and especially in urban areas. But here’s what I’ve learned: with the right approach, you can kick your seasonal allergies to the curb for good
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Avoiding Exposure To Allergens
The best way to keep your symptoms under control is often to avoid the things you’re allergic to, although this is not always practical.
For example, you may be able to help manage:
- food allergies by being careful about what you eat
- animal allergies by keeping pets outside as much as possible and washing them regularly
- mould allergies by keeping your home dry and well-ventilated, and dealing with any damp and condensation
- hay fever by staying indoors and avoiding grassy areas when the pollen count is high
- dust mite allergies by using allergy-proof duvets and pillows, and fitting wooden floors rather than carpets
Q: How Well Does Treatment Work For Adults With Asthma
Asthma can be more difficult to control in adults for several reasons:
- Asthma medications can be less effective later in life, particularly for those who are obese.
- Oral steroids can worsen glaucoma, cataracts and teoporosis.
- Being on beta-blockers for heart problems can increase the severity of asthma.
- The lungs and chest walls are stiffer and the muscles supporting deep breathing are weaker in adults.
For these reasons, adults with asthma are at increased risk for flare-ups and even hospitalization.
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Watch Out For Common Triggers
The season youre in largely dictates what might be causing an attack. For instance, in the late spring and early summer, grass pollen is highest. In late summer and early fall, theres weed pollen to worry about, notes the AAAAI. Mold can peak between July and October. Still, these allergens can be present year-round depending on where you live, making it difficult to understand what youre reacting to.
Can You Outgrow An Allergy
The simple answer is yes there is evidence that people can and do outgrow allergies, particularly specific food allergies. However, more commonly adults will develop a new allergy in response to increased exposure to different environmental allergens.
Some experts believe that as a person is exposed to an allergen over time, that person can grow accustomed to it, reducing the immune systems sensitivity. This is similar to how vaccines help build immunity against a certain virus, or the way allergy immunotherapy works to decrease a persons allergic response to a specific allergen.
Consistent exposure to allergens could explain decreased or disappearing allergy symptoms, but theres no way to know if symptoms will disappear and resurface without the help of an allergy specialist.
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Who Is Most Likely To Outgrow Asthma
It might be easier to point out who is not likely to outgrow asthma. While most wheezing in early life is due to viral respiratory infections such as the respiratory syncytial virus, differentiating viral illness from asthma can be difficult. Children who experience multiple wheezing episodes before age 3 and contain at least one of the following risk factors are at increased risk of continuing to wheeze:
- Parent with asthma
- Have a diagnosis of eczema
Or 2 of these symptoms:
- Food allergy
- Wheezing episodes not associated with colds
- Elevated levels of eosinophils in the blood
Research at National Jewish Health found that only 6% of children followed for 9 years were considered in complete remission from asthma with no asthma activity meaning no asthma symptoms, medication use, or urgent care visits for asthma.
The following factors have been associated with increased likelihood a period of remission or improving asthma:
- Boys are more likely than girls
- Older the age at diagnosis
- Wheezing only with a cold, but otherwise being symptom-free
- Lower levels and other biochemical indicators of asthma severity
- No diagnosis of allergic diseases like eczema
- Less need for rescue medication and fewer asthma attacks
What Causes Allergic Rhinitis
You have an allergy when your body overreacts to things that dont cause problems for most people. These things are called allergens. If you have allergies, your body releases chemicals when you are exposed to an allergen. One such chemical is called histamine. Histamine is your bodys defense against the allergen. The release of histamine causes your symptoms.
Hay fever is an allergic reaction to pollen. Pollen comes from flowering trees, grass, and weeds. If you are allergic to pollen, you will notice your symptoms are worse on hot, dry days when wind carries the pollen. On rainy days, pollen often is washed to the ground, which means you are less likely to breathe it.
- Allergies that occur in the spring are often due to tree pollen.
- Allergies that occur in the summer are often due to grass and weed pollen.
- Allergies that occur in the fall are often due to ragweed.
Allergens that can cause perennial allergic rhinitis include:
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Treating Severe Allergic Reactions
Some people with severe allergies may experience life-threatening reactions, known as anaphylaxis or anaphylactic shock.
If you’re at risk of this, you’ll be given special injectors containing a medicine called adrenaline to use in an emergency.
If you develop symptoms of anaphylaxis, such as difficulty breathing, you should inject yourself in the outer thigh before seeking emergency medical help.
Why Youre Having An Attack
Why are you having an allergy attack? Simple answer: something in your environmenteither inside or outsideis triggering your immune system to overreact. Your body identifies the substance as foreign and ramps up production of antibodies called IgE, which then put a call out to release chemicals like histamines, setting off allergy symptoms, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology .
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Ten Ways To Alleviate Seasonal Allergies Without Medication
When your immune system overreacts to an airborne substance that doesnt bother everyone around you, you have allergies. Pollen, dust mites, pet dander, mold spores and insect stings are the biggest culprits of seasonal allergies.
Increased pollen counts and higher temperatures across the globe are contributing to longer and more severe allergy seasons. This means many people whove never had an issue before are experiencing seasonal allergy symptoms for the first time. However, because these symptoms are so similar to the common cold, many just assume theyve caught a bug. If this sounds familiar, the best way to tell the difference between allergies and a cold is whether you have a fever. If youve been feeling unwell for 7 days or longer without a fever, you are probably suffering from seasonal allergies.
When you seek medical treatment for allergy symptoms, your doctor will typically prescribe medications or injections to help you feel better. But the good news is that there are a lot of things you can do at home to alleviate seasonal allergies without medication.
Can Acupuncture Help With Allergies
If youre afraid of needles, this will be a two-in-one solution for your troubles!
Acupuncture has an amazing potential to both reduce stress, balance your hormones and aid in reducing allergic reactions over time.
And no, its not painful at all! Its a great addition to all the how to cure allergies naturally tips!
Acupuncture uses needles to target specific points in your body. The needles penetrate just below the skin, and acupuncture is already being used as a treatment for many types of chronic pain.
According to a recent study by the Annals of Internal Medicine, Acupuncture led to statistically significant improvements in treating treat seasonal allergic rhinitis .
All major cities likely have many choices for providers in your area. And many will be covered by health insurance.
Check with your insurance provider regarding coverage and network compatibility. But even if you just pay out of pocket, the relief can be worth its weight in gold.
Need help finding a practitioner? Simple consult the Directory from NCCAOM.
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Your Symptoms Might Only Show Up At Certain Times
If you have seasonal allergies, your symptoms should arise and go away around the same time each year. For most people, seasonal allergy symptoms begin in the spring and end in the fall. However, depending on your allergy triggers, you may experience allergic rhinitis in any of the four seasons. Here’s a rundown of plants that commonly cause seasonal allergies:
Spring:Tree pollen, particularly from oak, elm, birch, cedar, willow, poplar, horse chestnut and alder trees.
Summer: Grasses, such as ryegrass, Kentucky bluegrass, Timothy grass and Bermuda grass.
Fall: Pollen from weeds is the main concern in the fall months. Many people are allergic to the pollen in ragweed, tumbleweed, pigweed, sagebrush, Russian thistle and other plants.
Winter:Most people find that their allergies go dormant during the winter months because most plants don’t pollinate during winter. If you still get watery eyes and a runny nose during cold weather, you might be allergic to indoor allergens, such as dust mites, mold or pet dander.
What Herbs Cure Allergies
Some raw foods and supplements are particularly helpful when it comes to preventing severe allergic reactions.
They help with sneezing, coughing, and they can even help reduce allergy-induced asthma.
We get specifically into Butterbur and Nettle leaf below, but in addition, some of the following herbs have been proven to have significant results helping manage allergy symptoms:
- Garlic Garlic has a wealth of health benefits, but has been proven to provide anti-inflamatory properties, enhance immune systems, and has an anti-histamine reaction.
- Rosemary In a recent study, The Journal of Restorative Medicine found that rosemary is a valuable tool in the treatment of allergic conditions, especially respiratory allergies
- Turmeric You can find turmeric root in some markets, but turmeric powder is widely available and is a staple in Indian cuisine. The American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology found in a recent study that curcumin was improving nasal airflow and modulating immune response in patients with AR .
The good news is those 3 are easy to find, and can easily be added to many meals, so it can be very easy to just make them part of your regular weekly meals.
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Q: Is Asthma More Dangerous For Adults
A: Yes. The death rate for adult-onset asthma is substantially higher than the death rate for childhood asthma.
One reason may be that adults either ignore asthma symptoms or attribute them to being overweight, being out of shape or getting older.
Asthma symptoms can also mimic those of other illnesses, including:
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Living With Allergic Rhinitis
Living with the symptoms of allergic rhinitis can affect your daily life. Nasal symptoms can be worse when lying down. This can disturb your ability to sleep well. Fatigue and headaches can affect your ability to function at school and work. There are many medicines and treatments that can help you manage your symptoms. Talk to your doctor as soon as you feel that your symptoms are getting worse or are not easy to control. He or she can help you come up with the right plan to control them so they dont affect your ability to live your normal life.
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Fight Allergies With Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy is the only way to truly change the way your immune system and allergy response to allergens like pollen and ragweed, explained Michael Mardiney, Jr., MD, an allergist at MD Mercy Hospital in Baltimore. People who are treated with immunotherapy receive injections containing the substances they are allergic to, in increasing amounts once or twice a week. This desensitizes the immune system over time. Immunotherapy is usually the best treatment when your seasonal allergy symptoms occur year-round or when you don’t have enough success with allergy medication.
