The number of allergens are many and knowing what triggers your allergies can get complicated. The common triggers that are known to trigger allergic rhinitis are:

Moulds
Fungi
Pollen, the most common cause for allergies
Dust mites, and the faeces of dust mites that can cause severe allergic reactions
Cockroaches
Animal dander, which includes cat hair, dog fur, and may also include little flakes of skin
Avoiding the above mentioned triggers is more of a general guideline for the management of allergies. The lifestyle changes that you make to manage allergies:

Keep yourself hydrated at all times. Drink about eight to ten glasses of water every day. This will allow the mucous to be expelled with ease, if you experience any nose block.
During seasons like spring, when the amount of pollen in the air is at its maximum, limit your exposure. Try to stay indoors to avoid exposure to pollen or dust in the air.
Make it a point to take a shower before going to sleep as the residues of pollen and dust stuck to your skin are likely to make your symptoms worse.
Use fresh bedding and clothes every day. This will help to reduce your exposure to allergens.
Remove your carpets. Carpets are home to dust mites and pollen grains which become difficult to remove even with vacuum cleaners. Remove the carpets during the allergy season, and replace with hard flooring.
Keep windows and doors shut to avoid dust and pollen grains from entering the house and possibly causing allergies.
Avoid staying around pets. It that is not possible, then wash them at least once a week to reduce allergies.
Prevent inhaling cigarette smoke or smoking cigarettes. The smoke can be very harmful and can increase the risk of asthma in kids.
Avoid outdoor trips during seasons when the pollen count is high.

Allergies - Lifestyle Changes That Can Help Manage it!

A runny nose, Itchy rash, red eyes and shortness in breath are the most common allergic phenomenon which annoys you in frequent intervals, generally driven by several conditions due to hypersensitivity of the immune system towards something usual prevailing in the environment which may not cause any threat to others. It is why you may find different person allergic to different foods or different conditions. 

Diseases such as asthma, anaphylaxis, atopic dermatitis and so on are commonly considered as predominant allergic diseases. But most of the marketed drugs you take are as exasperating as the allergy itself, firstly due to its expensiveness and secondly, it droops you out. Though you may not be able to diminish the pollen in the air, but you can restrict the number of drugs you take by choosing natural remedies as it has been propounded by the medical editor of WebMD Dr Brunilda Nazario. He has also stated that the biggest trend we observe in allergies in these days is not found in any technological innovation or development rather it is the tendency of the common people to go for natural treatment to cure allergy.

 Prevention is better than cure - Cleanse your nose daily before the allergy strikes
According to most of the doctors, nowadays you are commonly encountered by seasonal allergies. It is mainly due to the fact that allergy season seems to appear earlier every year than the previous one. So as Nathanael Horne, MD of New York Medical College advises that you should begin treating allergies before it starts to pose threat. One such step is to spritz a saline cleanse into your nose on a daily basis in order to wash away pollen. Obviously, this particular method would not replace your need for medication but it would certainly minimise your dependence on drugs. In one survey, those who clean their nose twice a day with saline water are reported less nasal congestion than others.

About some of the seful natural herbs which fight allergy
Famous allergist from New York, Dr Tim Mainardi is of opinion that natural herbs are comparatively more effective than any other drugs and among them, one of the scientifically proven fighters of allergy you have, is Green tea because it is a natural antihistamine. According to his suggestion, if anybody starts to take two cups of green tea a day about two weeks before the arrival of the allergy season, it is likely to resist allergic infection. Mainardi also says that there is an another natural herb called butterbur, which effectively fights allergy as well as antihistamines. Apart from this Liquorice root is also a good choice because it helps to helps to raise the level of naturally produced steroid in your body and ameliorate immunity system.

Cook with turmeric to get rid of allergy:
If you taste every Indian dishe, you would get one spice common in all of them and that is Turmeric. Bharat Aggarwal, an Indian allergist expert from Houston considers Turmeric more efficacious than any other drugs in certain conditions as it contains Curcumin. It is why Turmeric may act as a decongestant. Though in the end, it should be mention that before you go with the natural treatment you should consult your doctor because these natural treatments would incorporate various alterations in your diet and medication.

Allergy - Top Natural Cures You Can Opt For!

Nuts are a rich source of energy but are also one of the most common food allergens. Both children and adults can suffer from nut allergies. While some children may outgrow the allergy, for others this is a lifelong condition. When it comes to children, the sibling of a child who is allergic to nuts also has a high risk of being allergic to them as well.

Nut allergies can be categorized as an allergy to peanuts or an allergy to tree nuts. Tree nuts are nuts that grow on trees such as walnuts, cashew nuts and almonds. Peanuts are not considered tree nuts as they grow underground in the form of legumes. A person can be allergic to both types of nuts but it is not necessary that if you are allergic to peanuts, you should avoid almonds as well and vice versa.

There are laboratory tests to determine the types of food you can be allergic to but in most cases, you realize you are allergic to something only after consuming it. Some of the symptoms of nut allergies include:

Redness
Rashes
Tenderness of the skin
Hives
Swelling of the hands and feet
Sneezing
Runny nose
Sore throat
Watery eyes
Nausea
Vomiting
Stomach cramps
Diarrhea
Shortness of breath
Most of the symptoms that affect the skin and respiratory system can be relieved with the help of antihistamines. Cold compresses can also help relieve itchiness caused by nut allergies.
One of the most severe forms of nut allergies can result in Anaphylaxis. This can be described as the swelling of the throat so much so that the airways are blocked and it becomes difficult to breathe. It is often accompanied by swelling of the facial features and itchiness. The only way to relieve this swelling is with an adrenaline injection. This reduces the swelling and reopens the airways. The most common type of adrenaline injection is known as an epi pen.

Some types of foods that commonly contain nuts and should be avoided include baked goods, pesto, nougat, marzipan, soups, multigrain bread, honey, granola, sauces such as hot sauce and barbeque sauce, salad dressings and veggie burgers. Nuts are often also used as thickening agents and hence if you know you are allergic to nuts, pay attention to food labels before you buy any product and make it a habit to tell your server in a restaurant that you are allergic to nuts.

Nuts - How To Know If You Are Allergic To Them?

Food allergy is actually an abnormal response triggered by the immune system to food as if it is threatening. Food intolerance looks similar to food allergies. However, the difference lies in how each one of them affects an individual. Food allergy is extremely intrinsic and to an extent, affects the internal organs. 

On the other hand, food intolerance is less severe, mostly just affects the digestive system due to the inability to digest that particular food properly, leading to an upset stomach. Most of the people suffer from food intolerance only, but they confuse it with food allergy.

About ninety percent of all cases of food allergy are related to only eight types of food as per research statistics. These are milk, tree nuts, egg, peanut, soy, wheat, shellfish, and fish.

The Reaction:\

In order to understand how symptoms manifest, it is of utmost importance, in this case, to understand how an allergic reaction to food occurs. An allergic reaction is a bi-step process as discussed further.

Step1: On exposure to the food allergen for the first time, the body reacts abnormally and produces IgE antibodies against the perceived allergen. These circulate throughout the entire body with blood and attach themselves to basophils (found in blood) and mast cells (found in sites like the nose, lungs, throat, gastrointestinal tract, skin, etc.).

Step 2: The next time the body is exposed to a particular food allergen, it gets alert and alarms the tissue that releases histamine in large quantity. Depending on the site of release, allergy symptoms are caused, ranging from mild to severe to potentially life-threatening (for example, in anaphylaxis).

The time span for an allergic reaction manifesting into symptoms can vary between a few minutes to several hours post exposure to the food allergen. The site of mast cells for release of histamine greatly affects the location and timing of the reaction.

Who is at Higher Risk?

If a person has a family history of developing a food allergy, it creates even greater chances for him/ her to have the same or similar reactions. If both the parents have some kind of allergic reaction to food, it is very likely that the child would have that too.

Symptoms:

Symptoms of food allergies largely depend on the sites of mast cells that release histamines. It is possible that these sites are located in nose, ears, or throat leading to itching in mouth, having a trouble in swallowing and breathing, and swelling of lips and tongue. If the location is in the gastrointestinal tract, it may lead to vomiting, diarrhoea, and abdominal pain. If it is in the skin, it might lead to hives, itching, decolourization, pigmentation, worsened eczema, etc.

Cross Reactivity:

If a person has an allergy to a particular food, it is advisable to abstain from similar types of food. For example, if somebody is allergic to crab, he/ she should abstain from shrimp, crayfish, lobster, etc. too as they might also trigger the reaction. This is called cross reactivity.

Treatment:

It is always advisable to abstain from foods which cause an allergic reaction in an individual. However, in case it has already occurred, there are two major types of medication which help in relieving the symptoms. Antihistamines are used for treating mild to chronic reaction, whereas adrenalines are used for severe reaction like in anaphylaxis.

Take Away:

Food allergy is usually a condition for life and cannot be permanently treated. However, symptoms can be relieved. Therefore, it is advisable to avoid the allergy, causing group of food.

Food Allergy - Everything About It!

It is said that the mind controls the body. If the mind is healthy so will the body be. The condition of the mind is often reflected in bodily symptoms and conditions including illnesses.

The temptation in mostly to treat with heavy drugs that might offer temporary relief but have dangerous side effects and do long term harm.

Homeopathy tackles this issue considering safety and cure in a balanced manner to ensure recovery but without harmful side effects.

The concept of psychosomatic disorders has been in existence since the time of Sigmund Freud. The belief is that with the varied emotions that a person experiences, each disease manifests with a different set of symptoms in each person, implying that each person needs to be treated differently and not given the same disease-specific medication. This is where homeopathy plays a very strong role in psychosomatic disorders as it also believes in treating the person as a whole and not just the symptoms.

In homoeopathy, we base our prescription on what we call constitutional symptoms where we give lot of importance to the mental symptom as well as to the characteristic physical symptom. Hence every prescription from a Homoeopathic physician will surely include an element of psychosomatic angle. It is beyond the scope of this editorial to mention all the remedies of Materia Medica which has the scope for the treatment of psychosomatic disorders.

The homeopath always undertakes a thorough discussion with the patient to understand the accompanying symptoms in detail and then arrive at a customized treatment plan.

Some of the most common psychosomatic disorders include irritable bowel syndrome, migraine, GERD, ulcerative colitis, and allergy disorders.
Specific substances are given to manage anxiety, depression, irritability, insecurity, paranoia, etc. These feelings are considered inducers for the above disorders, and managing them can help bring about a harmony in the patient's overall health.


GERD: Gastro esophageal reflux disease is a disorder that results from stomach acid moving backward from the stomach into the esophagus. GERD usually happens because the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), the muscular valve where the esophagus joins the stomach, opens at the wrong time or does not close properly.

Homeopathy For GERD:
Homeopathic medicine relies not only on identifying the symptoms of the disease, but on a variety of personality traits, the person's mental state and other characteristic symptoms a patient exhibits which correlate to any particular remedy. When choosing a correct remedy for the treatment of heartburn, all aspects of the patient are taken into account.
These are some of the Homoeopathic medicines that may prove beneficial:- Argentum nit, Cal.carb., China, Carbo veg, Lycopodium, Nat. phos, Nux vomica, Phosphorus, Pulsatilla, Robinia, sulphuric acid etc.


Migraine: Migraine is a form of headache. The pain is usually throbbing, pulsating and bursting in character. At times, the pain is one sided or may involve the whole head. Such pain may last for hours or even days. It is often accompanied by other symptoms like nausea or vomiting. At the same time, there is increased sensitivity to light and sound. In some cases, the pain is preceded by some warning symptoms like flashes of light, temporary blindness or tingling sensation in the limbs.

Homeopathy for Migraine:
Belladonna is widely used homeopathy remedy for migraines, where headache is throbbing and violent, occurs suddenly, worsens on touching, and relieves with pressure. Glonoine is useful in congestive headaches with a reddened face that is worsened by sun or heat. Natrum Mur is useful in cases where headache is brought on by grief or stress.

Ulcerative colitis: Ulcerative colitis is a serious chronic inflammatory disease of the large intestine accompanied by ulcerated lesions of the intestinal tissues. It is characterized by episodes of abdominal pain with profuse diarrhea in which large quantities of blood, pus, and mucus are present in the feces. There is an urgency to move the bowels, as many as, three to ten times per day. It may be accompanied with pain, nausea, and vomit. Because of the loss of blood, the patient may become dehydrated and anemic.
Complications of ulcerative colitis includes liver and kidney disease, peritonitis, toxic mega colon, and risk of developing colon cancer.

Homeopathy for Ulcerative Colitis:
To identify the actual inducing agent, some foods are removed to see if they are inducing attacks. Once identified, that is removed from the patient's diet. In addition, aloe, arsenicum album, carbo vegetabilis, colocynthis, are commonly used remedies for ulcerative colitis. The patient is asked for associated symptoms like bleeding diarrhea, color of the feces, involuntary defecation, abdominal pain, anxiety, cramps, and stress before deciding on a treatment mode.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Irritable bowel syndrome, also known as spastic colon is a functional disorder characterized by recurrent abdominal pain, cramping, and bloating. Some people suffer from constipation, which means hard, dry stools, difficult to eliminate, leading to straining without success. Some people experience diarrhea, with frequent loose watery stools.

Homeopathy for Irritable Bowel Syndrome:
Sulphur, Pulsatilla, Phosphorus, Nux Vomica, Lycopodium clavatum, Argentum Nitricum, and Silicea are commonly used homeopathic remedies. Associated symptoms that need to be considered before deciding on a therapy include frequency of stooling, nature of stools, abdominal bloating, restlessness, irritability and nervousness.

Homeopathy is a preferred mode of treatment for psychosomatic disorders as they aim at a holistic treatment of the individual and not just at symptom management.

Allergy: Allergy is an abnormal reaction or increased sensitivity to certain substances. The allergic individual produces symptoms when exposed to these substances, which are harmless to non-allergic people. The main reason for this is that allergic people make a special type of antibody called immunoglobin E (IgE), which can react with environmental substances in harmful way. These substances which lead to secretion of IgE antibodies are called allergens.

Homeopathy for Allergy:
Few important remedies for the homeopathic treatment of allergy are- Histamine, Natrum Mur, Kali Bich, Sepia, Hepar Sulph, , Carbo Veg , Sulphur, Bryonia, Nux Vom, Apis Mel, Ailanthus, and Justicia adhatoda.

Psychosomatic Disorder - Only Homeopathy Cures

A change in weather bring about changes in the composition of dust and pollen and induce seasonal allergies, which a huge number of people fear. The good news is that there are a number of common food substances which can help control these seasonal allergies. There are specific ingredients in these foods which improve immunity and provide antihistamine-like effects (which is what most anti-allergic drugs do). Some of these foods are mentioned below:

Green tea: With its natural dose of antihistamines, it prevents you from developing allergies. A hot cup in the morning acts as a good shield against sneezing, which is common with pollen and dust allergies.
Oranges and strawberries: Vitamin C is essential for controlling allergies and it is always recommended to reach for a couple of fresh oranges or strawberries than popping a vitamin pill. They also contain other substances like traces of Omega-3 fatty acids and Quercetin.
Garlic: This blocks the production of chemicals that can cause allergies. Eating a couple of cloves in the morning daily will do wonders for the allergy prone people.
Turmeric: This miraculous Indian spice has strong anti-inflammatory properties and helps prevent all kind of allergies.
Nuts and seeds: For the vegetarians, eating walnuts and flax seed is a good alternative. A handful of walnut is equal to 3 ounces of salmon. Flax seed also contains selenium which has anti-allergic properties.
Cabbage and broccoli: The flavonoid called quercetin helps by reducing inflammation that is usually associated with allergies. Other sources include apples, onions, berries, and cauliflower.
Fatty fish: These contain a good amount of omega 3 fatty acids, and work better than the supplements any day. Take your pick from mackerel, sardines, salmon, tuna, trout, bluefish or herring. These have two types of Omega-3 fatty acids (DHA and EPA) which are known to prevent people developing allergic symptoms. This anti-allergic property provides great relief in people who see seasonal allergic changes.
Local honey: For those who suffer from pollen allergy, a morning dose of honey helps build tolerance to this kind of allergy.
Wasabi: This pungent green paste helps breathing by opening up the airways and is very good for blocked nasal passages. It also is rich in antihistamines and helps prevent you from developing allergies.
Yoghurt and Kefir: These and other dairy products are rich in probiotics which contain a lot of friendly bacteria like Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, which are generally found in the intestines. They also help build immunity and increase bodys ability to fight allergens better.
So, for those prone to seasonal allergies, there are few things that are easy to find and well within the reach of regular kitchen and can shield against allergies.

10 Foods That Help You Fight Allergies

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