What is Allergic Asthma?

Allergic asthma is the condition in which the symptoms of an asthmatic attack appear after exposure to certain allergens. 90% of the cases of asthma in children are allergy driven, while in adults, the percentage is said to be around 50%.

An allergy happens when an individual's immune system exhibits massive reaction or fights vigorously against substances like pollen, dust, animal dander or certain other minute particles which are actually not harmful to the body but are considered so by the immune system.

Symptomatic changes in cases of allergic asthma:

If the symptoms of an asthma attack occur only when you are subjected to these triggers or irritant particles, your case is allergy driven.

In such cases, the airway reacts aggressively to the entry of such allergens.

The airway muscles tighten up and inflammation is observed.

Breathing becomes painful and compromised, and mucus accumulation sets in very quickly.

Coughing is a common phenomenon, as the body tries to expel the mucus accumulated.

The allergens mentioned above are not the only triggering agents. Basically, anything that causes irritation could trigger an allergy and an asthmatic attack thereafter. Symptoms in the case of allergy driven asthma are more or less the same as seen in other asthmatic cases.

Confirming the cause of asthma as allergic or not:

The doctor would give you a much better clarification on whether you're asthma is allergy driven or not. There are pretty much two ways to decipher the same:

One is to administer a tiny amount of allergen to the skin and making a note of the reaction to that. Whether the reaction is a normal one or an aggressive one would tell if an individual has an allergy or not.

Specific IgE test may be done to confirm the cause, or to test the presence of an allergic reaction in the individual.

All your queries pertaining to allergic asthma and asthma, in general, are more than welcome.

What is Allergic Asthma?

Can Food Allergies Be the Likely Cause of Your Infertility?

Infertility in a woman refers to the inability to conceive after having regular unprotected sex. Cases of unexplained infertility have been on the rise recently.  Though obstructed fallopian tubes and ovulation disorders are some of the common causes of infertility, reasons pertaining to dietary changes can also be responsible. Food allergies and dietary changes affect infertility to a great extent; and if you're struggling with conception or infertility, heeding to your diet can help.

Below is a list of diet constituents that are likely to cause infertility.

1. Gluten - Gluten is a protein found in grains like wheat, rye, and barley. Among the general population, women suffering from unexplained infertility have a higher incidence of gluten intolerance. Gluten intolerance is also related to miscarriages, and if left undiagnosed can lead to malabsorption of micronutrients like iron and zinc. Following and maintaining a gluten-free diet may relieve a sufferer from the symptoms. Try and include gluten free cereals like rice, corn and gluten free oats to manage the situation.

2. Inflammation - Another connection of food allergies and infertility would be inflammation. Inflammation occurs when the food allergens reach the stomach. This inflammation, if heightened, can cause damage to the fallopian tubes and the ovary. The body responds to the food allergens by treating it like a foreign substance that needs to be eradicated, and when your immune system is subjected to chronic inflammation, it can lead to infertility.

Additionally, apart from food allergies, even the consumption of certain foods and beverages can be a reason behind infertility, with those being rich in caffeine being a major cause. Increased consumption of caffeine can augment the risk of infertility and delayed conception. However, avoiding caffeine and eliminating problematic foods along with a careful scrutiny of your diet can increase your chances of getting pregnant.



Can Food Allergies Be the Likely Cause of Your Infertility?

Is Acupuncture any good against allergies?
An allergy is the result of hypersensitivity of the antibodies in your body to otherwise harmless foreign substances. Conventional practices rely on suppressing the function of antibodies to cure allergies but fail to address the root problem of hypersensitivity. It may also present a series of undesirable side effects that hamper your productivity.
If you are tired of the regular use of medication that accompanies your chronic allergies, you might consider the Chinese practice of acupuncture to cure you instead. A session with a licensed acupuncturist not only cures rashes and redness, stuffed nose, breathlessness, nausea etc. that present themselves with allergies but also act on the real problem of hypersensitivity. Acupuncture cleanses your body from within and is being increasingly accepted as an alternative practice to cure a range of ailments.
Causes of Allergies-
The diverse causes of allergies can be grouped under the following-
 	Dust mites and pollen- Dust and pollen constitute a group of potential allergens that affect the respiratory tract

 	Food- The chemicals in some foods can be potential allergens

 	Drugs- Unnatural physical response to certain medications cause allergies

 	Animals and insects- The proteins in the organisms  body may cause allergies

 	Mold- Inhalation of mold spores may trigger an allergic reaction in your body

 	Contact dermatitis- Contact with certain substance can trigger allergies, causing irritation in the skin

 	Seasonal allergies- Certain allergies are triggered by annual seasonal changes


Treating allergies with acupuncture-
Acupuncture is based on the 8000-year-old Chinese practice of channelling energy or qi through the body by inserting needles at specified points in the body, to various depths. Although the premise of acupuncture remains scientifically uncertain, its effectiveness has been demonstrated in practical areas.

 	In acupuncture, an allergy is a response to blockage in channels through which energy flows in our body. The logic behind the treatment is releasing this blockage by means of needles to restore balanced energy flow and consequently health.

 	Acupuncture initiates the self-healing abilities of the body and most people feel better with very little or no use medicines.

 	The success of acupuncture in treating allergies, especially seasonal allergies is rather high. However, equally high are the results that highlight the placebo effect of acupuncture.

Although acupuncture remains to be clinically proven, it has presented impressive results when it comes to treating allergies, especially those of the chronic seasonal variety. It can eliminate the side effects of medication, though the time taken for cure varies from individual to individual and their body s specific response to acupuncture. If you are looking for alternate practices that relieve you of allergies, acupuncture may just be the thing to try.

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Is Acupuncture Any Good Against Allergies?

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!

A rash on your child s body or their regular cough bouts can sometimes be triggered by an allergy. We can excuse it by calling it a common flu or a heat rash, but the reason behind it might be something you are not aware of. Your child might be allergic, and it is imperative for you to find out that exact thing your child is allergic to, it can be dust, nuts that you may think is beneficial for your child s health or even the fabric of the clothes you put on them. Allergies are caused when children come in contact with allergens, which can he inhaled, injected or even eaten unknowingly. If you see any of the symptoms of allergies, consult your doctor at the earliest and do not treat it lightly.

Some common triggers for allergies

These are divided into four groups

Foods: Certain foods like peanuts, eggs, milk and it products which you feed your child might be triggering their allergy.
Outdoors: When kids play outside pollens from trees or flowers might causes allergies. Even insect bites and stings are a major trigger
Indoors: Animal fur or hair and even dust mites and mold that exist in your house can trigger an allergy
Irritants: Common irritants like cigarette smoke, perfumes or even car exhaust should be watched out for.
Symptoms of common allergies

Nasal Congestion: It is referred to as stuffy nose, which is very common in kids. Allergies are the most common cause of chronic nasal congestion (a stuffy nose) in children. Sometimes a child s nose is congested to the point that he or she breathes through the mouth, especially while sleeping.
Allergic rhinitis (hay fever): It is also common and its symptoms include a runny or itchy nose and constant sneezing. A child with allergies may also have itchy, watery, red eyes and chronic ear problems. Even though it s commonly known as  hay fever,  allergic rhinitis isn t triggered by hay and doesn t cause fever.
If you suspect your child has an allergy, make an appointment to see a specialist. Start a diary before the appointment and keep track of what symptoms your child experiences and what you think causes them.

Common Allergies in Children - That You Need to Know!

Food allergies can be defined as a sign of danger given by the human body when it considers some particular food items as harmful. This is basically an allergic reaction to some food proteins. As per the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, about 4 to 6 percent of kids and 4 percent of adults worldwide are affected by different types of food allergies. The most interesting fact about the food allergies is that you can develop an allergy to a particular food at any age. Also, one can develop an allergy to a particular food even when you have been eating that food with ease all these years.

Food allergies can be categorized into main types:

Immunoglobulin E (IgE) mediated allergies: These allergies occur mostly in infants and children and can be seen for milk, peanuts, eggs, soy, and wheat. Moreover, the affected body areas include the mouth, skin, eyes, heart, brain, and gut.
Non-IgE mediated food allergies: These allergies normally affect the digestive tract and symptoms of these food allergies take a long time to develop.
Let us have a detailed look at different methods that can assist you in dealing with different food allergies.
Remove food items that can trigger allergy
It is obvious that food allergy is pertaining to a particular food and thus it is advisable to remove the triggering food items from your diet. It is also advised to remove the byproducts of such food items. This will minimize the danger of food allergy. There are some common food items which can trigger the food allergies which are:

Milk
Eggs
Wheat
Fish
Peanut as well as tree nuts such as walnuts
Shellfish
Soy
Try to stock your pantry with alternatives to the allergic food items. There is no need to make your taste buds suffer by removing food items which can activate allergies. You can try alternatives to such food items and have a healthy life. Read the label on food while shopping for groceries as most of the triggering ingredients are common in many of the food items. Thus, it is advisable to read the ingredients on the food labels before you buy them. You can also look for these common names for allergens:

Glucosamine for Shellfish
Flour, triticale, durum, vital wheat gluten for wheat
Natto, tempeh, shoyu, miso, Edamame, for soy
Roe, surimi, nuoc mam, fish gelatin for fish
Rennet casein, tagatose, whey, rennet casein, casein in milk
Lysozyme, vitelline, surimi, albumin, livetin, globulin, and lysozyme for egg
Write down your meal plans
Preparing your own meal can minimize the risk of food allergies. Thus, try to make your own food and keep a memo of what you would like to eat in a meal. This way you can eliminate the dishes which include triggering ingredients. These above-mentioned methods can surely help you in preventing food allergies effectually. However, if the symptoms of food allergies are severe, do not hesitate to take medical help.

Food Allergies - How To Deal With Them?

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