Just because you have allergies doesn't mean you have to put up with ongoing congestion.
By HealthTalk Staff
Medically reviewed by Lindsey Marcellin MD, MPH
None of us wants to be a mouth-breather, but that's what can happen when you've got a stuffy nose due to allergies. You may think your allergic congestion is caused by too much mucus, but it's really caused by swelling in your nose due to inflamed blood vessels, and it's all a part of an allergic reaction.
congestion allergies
Allergies are the result of an overly sensitive immune system, which is normally responsible for protecting your body against harmful substances such as bacteria and viruses. Your immune system reacts to all kinds of substances that are usually harmless. But for people with sensitive systems, the immune system overreacts and releases chemicals called histamines, which cause the symptoms you're very familiar with — itching, nasal swelling, and runny or stuffy nose.
If you're constantly stuffy, the first thing to do is get tested for allergies, says New York – based allergist Clifford W. Bassett, MD, assistant clinical professor of medicine at the Long Island College Hospital and a clinical instructor at the New York University School of Medicine. "If you don't have allergies, you don't need allergy medications. But if you do have [seasonal] allergies, we do pre-treatment early in the allergy season. As you get into the allergy season, you may need fewer medications," he says. "We can be very aggressive in treating allergies early in the season — in February or March when pollen starts to get released and you begin to have congestion. Once the nose is swollen, it's harder to get it down and relieve that congestion."
Over-the-Counter and Home Remedies for Allergy Congestion
Before you head to the doctor's office, there are plenty of over-the-counter medicines that can help relieve your irritated nose. There are spray and oral decongestants, which shrink the blood vessels in your nose. But be careful; you shouldn't use these nose sprays longer than three days because they can eventually make congestion worse, and you can become somewhat dependent on them. Antihistamines can block the histamines in your body from acting in your nose, but they work best if taken before allergic symptoms even start, and they need to be taken regularly if you are continually exposed to whatever is causing your symptoms. Many (but not all) over-the-counter antihistamines can cause drowsiness.
Other ways to attack your stuffy nose involve non-medication solutions, such as using saline (sterile saltwater) nasal sprays, increasing the humidity in your home, and drinking extra fluids.
An alternative treatment, which has been around for hundreds of years, is called the neti pot. The ceramic pot, which looks a bit like a small tea pot, is used to cleanse your nasal cavity with salt water.
"The neti pot is part of a process of nasal or saline lavage (washing) and, in some cases, when people produce mucus, it's helpful to reduce the mucus," says Dr. Bassett. "However, it's not necessary [for] people with allergies because their congestion usually isn't caused by mucus."
For those allergy sufferers who also tend to have related sinus problems, such as sinusitis, regular nasal cleansings with the neti pot may help, Bassett says, adding that some users claim it’s the best way to prevent their ongoing nasal problems.
If your allergy symptoms respond quickly to these simple remedies, you may be one of many people who can successfully manage their allergies at home. If not, don’t wait too long to see your doctor for more relief.
from: everyday health
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Friday, June 19, 2009
Food Allergies: Are You at Risk?
By Gina Roberts-Grey
Medically reviewed by Rosalyn Carson-DeWitt, MD
How do food allergies develop? Do they start only in childhood, or can you develop one later in life? What predisposes some people to food allergies?
According to the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN), a food allergy is the response of the immune system to a food that the body mistakenly believes is harmful. The body creates antibodies to that food, and the next time the allergic person eats the food, the immune system releases massive amounts of chemicals, including histamine, to protect the body. These chemicals trigger a cascade of allergic symptoms that can affect the respiratory system, the gastrointestinal tract, the skin, and the cardiovascular system.
How Food Allergies Develop
Allergy-related immunoglobulin E (IgE) is the antibody found in our blood and tissues that mediates allergy. Allergy sufferers have raised levels of IgE, which can be measured in the blood by various tests. Specific types of allergy tend to be related to age. Allergy to milk and egg whites is common among young children and it tends to subside naturally with time. Peanut and fish allergies tend to persist throughout life, and levels of specific peanut IgE remain high in people who are allergic to peanuts. (Allergies to tree and grass pollen, on the other hand, arise later in childhood and peak in early adolescence.)
Eight foods account for 90 percent of all food-allergic reactions, FAAN reports: milk, eggs, tree nuts (walnuts, cashews, etc.), peanuts, fish, shellfish, soy, and wheat. However, in children, the most common food allergens are peanuts, shrimp, and milk; about 6 percent of children have an allergy to tree nuts.
Allergic reactions to food, whether experienced by adults or children, can include itchy hives and vomiting as well as gasping for breath.
Who’s Allergic?
Bruce M. Penner, MD, an allergist and an associate clinical professor in the department of pediatrics at the University of California at San Diego, says a family history of asthma, hay fever, or atopic dermatitis increases the likelihood that a person will develop a food allergy.
“Children may develop a food allergy in infancy or the very first time they eat a certain food, but it’s more common that the reaction occurs after the second, third, or subsequent exposure,” Dr. Penner says. This is because initial exposure does not usually produce enough IgE to spark a noticeable or dangerous reaction. “And the full-blown reaction may need a few exposures of the food to become apparent.”
Full-blown reactions usually occur as a result of eating — and sometimes even touching or smelling — shellfish, fish, and tree nuts. An allergy to those foods, Penner says, can develop at any time in life, whereas allergies to milk, soy, corn, and eggs tend to develop in children who are 4 and younger.
Susan Kraus, a nutritionist in the Allergy & Immunology Center at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey, says one reason allergies to milk and corn occur in children so young is early exposure. “These are common things given to children,” she says. “Shrimp and lobster usually aren’t.”
Ayesha Siddiqi, MD, an allergist at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center in Chicago, says that if an immediate family member has a food allergy, that can up the odds that a person will develop some type of food allergy. “If one child has food allergies, there is a 20 to 35 percent chance that their sibling will develop allergies. A parent with food allergies creates a 25 to 40 percent chance that an offspring will be allergic.” What if both parents have food allergies? Dr. Siddiqi says that such a situation raises the chance of allergies in an offspring to 40 to 60 percent.
Penner cautions genetics aren’t a conclusive link: “The truth is we do not know what combination of genetics and environmental exposure triggers food allergies.”
from: everyday health
Medically reviewed by Rosalyn Carson-DeWitt, MD
How do food allergies develop? Do they start only in childhood, or can you develop one later in life? What predisposes some people to food allergies?
According to the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN), a food allergy is the response of the immune system to a food that the body mistakenly believes is harmful. The body creates antibodies to that food, and the next time the allergic person eats the food, the immune system releases massive amounts of chemicals, including histamine, to protect the body. These chemicals trigger a cascade of allergic symptoms that can affect the respiratory system, the gastrointestinal tract, the skin, and the cardiovascular system.
How Food Allergies Develop
Allergy-related immunoglobulin E (IgE) is the antibody found in our blood and tissues that mediates allergy. Allergy sufferers have raised levels of IgE, which can be measured in the blood by various tests. Specific types of allergy tend to be related to age. Allergy to milk and egg whites is common among young children and it tends to subside naturally with time. Peanut and fish allergies tend to persist throughout life, and levels of specific peanut IgE remain high in people who are allergic to peanuts. (Allergies to tree and grass pollen, on the other hand, arise later in childhood and peak in early adolescence.)
Eight foods account for 90 percent of all food-allergic reactions, FAAN reports: milk, eggs, tree nuts (walnuts, cashews, etc.), peanuts, fish, shellfish, soy, and wheat. However, in children, the most common food allergens are peanuts, shrimp, and milk; about 6 percent of children have an allergy to tree nuts.
Allergic reactions to food, whether experienced by adults or children, can include itchy hives and vomiting as well as gasping for breath.
Who’s Allergic?
Bruce M. Penner, MD, an allergist and an associate clinical professor in the department of pediatrics at the University of California at San Diego, says a family history of asthma, hay fever, or atopic dermatitis increases the likelihood that a person will develop a food allergy.
“Children may develop a food allergy in infancy or the very first time they eat a certain food, but it’s more common that the reaction occurs after the second, third, or subsequent exposure,” Dr. Penner says. This is because initial exposure does not usually produce enough IgE to spark a noticeable or dangerous reaction. “And the full-blown reaction may need a few exposures of the food to become apparent.”
Full-blown reactions usually occur as a result of eating — and sometimes even touching or smelling — shellfish, fish, and tree nuts. An allergy to those foods, Penner says, can develop at any time in life, whereas allergies to milk, soy, corn, and eggs tend to develop in children who are 4 and younger.
Susan Kraus, a nutritionist in the Allergy & Immunology Center at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey, says one reason allergies to milk and corn occur in children so young is early exposure. “These are common things given to children,” she says. “Shrimp and lobster usually aren’t.”
Ayesha Siddiqi, MD, an allergist at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center in Chicago, says that if an immediate family member has a food allergy, that can up the odds that a person will develop some type of food allergy. “If one child has food allergies, there is a 20 to 35 percent chance that their sibling will develop allergies. A parent with food allergies creates a 25 to 40 percent chance that an offspring will be allergic.” What if both parents have food allergies? Dr. Siddiqi says that such a situation raises the chance of allergies in an offspring to 40 to 60 percent.
Penner cautions genetics aren’t a conclusive link: “The truth is we do not know what combination of genetics and environmental exposure triggers food allergies.”
from: everyday health
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Yoga Helps Those With Asthma
Settling into a warrior or tree pose a few times a week seems to improve symptoms and quality of life for people with asthma.
In fact, participants in a recent trial studying the effects of Hatha yoga also reported that they had been able to cut back on some of their asthma medication, said Amy Bidwell, senior author of a study presented this week at the American College of Sports Medicine's annual meeting, in Seattle.
"It's dramatic but not surprising," said Dr. Jonathan Field, director of the allergy and asthma clinic at New York University School of Medicine/Bellevue Medical Center in New York City. "There have been some smaller studies that have stated this before, but I don't think they've ever used a standardized scale of this sort."
Bidwell, a doctoral student in the department of exercise science at Syracuse University, had injured her back when she was working as a personal trainer. "I opted for yoga, not surgery, and it pretty much healed me," she noted.
And while previous studies had been positive, most had looked at immediate physiological responses following a rigorous yoga practice, for example, twice a day for 10 days.
That regimen, Bidwell said, "really wasn't feasible," Bidwell said. "Three times a week for 10 weeks was more realistic."
Bidwell and her co-authors, one of whom is a physician, randomly assigned 20 individuals aged 20 to 65 to practice Hatha yoga two-and-a-half hours a week or to join a (non-yoga) control group, for a total of 10 weeks.
Results were based on a questionnaire that measured frequency and severity of symptoms, activities associated with breathlessness and social and psychological functioning.
"We hold poses up to a minute and focus on deep breathing, which is critical to asthmatics" said Bidwell, who is also a yoga instructor.
Heart rate variability, oxygen consumption and ventilation were also assessed while volunteers performed each of two tasks: handgrip for three minutes and an upright tilt for five minutes.
Overall, scores of individuals participating in the yoga arm of the trial improved an average of almost 43 percent.
There were few or no differences between the groups in heart rate variability, oxygen consumption or ventilation.
"There's not much of a downside to yoga unless you have a major orthopedic problem," said Bidwell, who does not hesitate to recommend the practice to asthmatics after receiving proper instruction.
"Breathing symptoms are such a big part of asthma in terms of gaining control over them. Yoga enhances awareness of breathing and you may be able to recognize early on when breathing is not at a level it should be, which would promote earlier care," Field said. "Also, it's been recognized that deep breathing in athletes -- swimmers or runners -- actually improves asthma. When you have more functional use of lungs, it protects against asthma."
Field added he would like to see more and larger studies on the subject.
from: everyday health
In fact, participants in a recent trial studying the effects of Hatha yoga also reported that they had been able to cut back on some of their asthma medication, said Amy Bidwell, senior author of a study presented this week at the American College of Sports Medicine's annual meeting, in Seattle.
"It's dramatic but not surprising," said Dr. Jonathan Field, director of the allergy and asthma clinic at New York University School of Medicine/Bellevue Medical Center in New York City. "There have been some smaller studies that have stated this before, but I don't think they've ever used a standardized scale of this sort."
Bidwell, a doctoral student in the department of exercise science at Syracuse University, had injured her back when she was working as a personal trainer. "I opted for yoga, not surgery, and it pretty much healed me," she noted.
And while previous studies had been positive, most had looked at immediate physiological responses following a rigorous yoga practice, for example, twice a day for 10 days.
That regimen, Bidwell said, "really wasn't feasible," Bidwell said. "Three times a week for 10 weeks was more realistic."
Bidwell and her co-authors, one of whom is a physician, randomly assigned 20 individuals aged 20 to 65 to practice Hatha yoga two-and-a-half hours a week or to join a (non-yoga) control group, for a total of 10 weeks.
Results were based on a questionnaire that measured frequency and severity of symptoms, activities associated with breathlessness and social and psychological functioning.
"We hold poses up to a minute and focus on deep breathing, which is critical to asthmatics" said Bidwell, who is also a yoga instructor.
Heart rate variability, oxygen consumption and ventilation were also assessed while volunteers performed each of two tasks: handgrip for three minutes and an upright tilt for five minutes.
Overall, scores of individuals participating in the yoga arm of the trial improved an average of almost 43 percent.
There were few or no differences between the groups in heart rate variability, oxygen consumption or ventilation.
"There's not much of a downside to yoga unless you have a major orthopedic problem," said Bidwell, who does not hesitate to recommend the practice to asthmatics after receiving proper instruction.
"Breathing symptoms are such a big part of asthma in terms of gaining control over them. Yoga enhances awareness of breathing and you may be able to recognize early on when breathing is not at a level it should be, which would promote earlier care," Field said. "Also, it's been recognized that deep breathing in athletes -- swimmers or runners -- actually improves asthma. When you have more functional use of lungs, it protects against asthma."
Field added he would like to see more and larger studies on the subject.
from: everyday health
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Are You Allergic to Cats?
By Krisha McCoy, MS
Medically reviewed by Pat F. Bass III, MD, MS, MPH
You go to a friend's house, and after a few minutes, you start to feel it: runny nose, sinus congestion, itchy and burning eyes, and breathing problems. All of a sudden, her cat scurries into the room.
If you’re allergic to cats, you are not alone. Between 15 and 30 percent of people with allergies are allergic to pets, and cat allergies are twice as common as dog allergies. “Cat tends to be a very allergic type of protein,” says Julie McNairn, MD, an allergist and immunologist in Cincinnati. While some people have an allergy to only certain breeds of dogs, it is different with cats. "If you have a cat allergy, you will probably be reactive to all cats,” says Dr. McNairn.
Cat Allergy Basics
Many people believe that cat hair causes the allergy, but the offensive allergen is a protein shed from a cat's skin or hair and also contained in its saliva and urine. This allergen can be transmitted from the cat to other surfaces, including your clothing and the walls, and can even be present in the air. In fact, studies show that cat allergen can be found practically everywhere.
"Even if a cat has never lived in a room, you can find" cat allergen, says McNairn. Some people who have a cat allergy will show symptoms of a reaction — stuffy nose, inflamed eyes, for example — almost immediately after entering an area where cat allergen is present. Others will not show symptoms until days after coming into contact with the cat.
Allergy reactions vary, from sinus symptoms to a skin rash to a severe asthma attack. Having a cat allergy can even make you more likely to develop chronic asthma.
10 Tips to Reduce Your Cat Allergy Symptoms
If you think you have a cat allergy, the best way to avoid reactions is to live in a cat-free home. But if you can't bear the thought of living without your cat, try the following steps:
* Keep the cat outdoors as much as possible.
* Don’t let your cat come into your bedroom.
* Keep your bedroom door closed and thoroughly clean your bedroom on a regular basis.
* Keep your home de-cluttered and clean.
* Replace carpeting with solid surface floors.
* If you have carpets or rugs, steam clean or wash them on a regular basis.
* Use a vacuum with a HEPA filter, and wear a dust mask when you vacuum.
* Consider adding an air cleaner with a HEPA filter to your air conditioning/heating unit and use the cleaner for four hours or more each day.
* Have your cat cleaned and groomed weekly.
* Assign the brushing of the cat and cleaning of the cat's litter box to someone in the household who is not allergic.
Before making the decision to remove your pet from your home, you can confirm your cat allergy by visiting an allergist or by monitoring your symptoms. Just removing the cat from your home is not enough, however. The allergens will still be in the home, and symptoms can persist for months after the cat is removed.
from: everyday health
Medically reviewed by Pat F. Bass III, MD, MS, MPH
You go to a friend's house, and after a few minutes, you start to feel it: runny nose, sinus congestion, itchy and burning eyes, and breathing problems. All of a sudden, her cat scurries into the room.
If you’re allergic to cats, you are not alone. Between 15 and 30 percent of people with allergies are allergic to pets, and cat allergies are twice as common as dog allergies. “Cat tends to be a very allergic type of protein,” says Julie McNairn, MD, an allergist and immunologist in Cincinnati. While some people have an allergy to only certain breeds of dogs, it is different with cats. "If you have a cat allergy, you will probably be reactive to all cats,” says Dr. McNairn.
Cat Allergy Basics
Many people believe that cat hair causes the allergy, but the offensive allergen is a protein shed from a cat's skin or hair and also contained in its saliva and urine. This allergen can be transmitted from the cat to other surfaces, including your clothing and the walls, and can even be present in the air. In fact, studies show that cat allergen can be found practically everywhere.
"Even if a cat has never lived in a room, you can find" cat allergen, says McNairn. Some people who have a cat allergy will show symptoms of a reaction — stuffy nose, inflamed eyes, for example — almost immediately after entering an area where cat allergen is present. Others will not show symptoms until days after coming into contact with the cat.
Allergy reactions vary, from sinus symptoms to a skin rash to a severe asthma attack. Having a cat allergy can even make you more likely to develop chronic asthma.
10 Tips to Reduce Your Cat Allergy Symptoms
If you think you have a cat allergy, the best way to avoid reactions is to live in a cat-free home. But if you can't bear the thought of living without your cat, try the following steps:
* Keep the cat outdoors as much as possible.
* Don’t let your cat come into your bedroom.
* Keep your bedroom door closed and thoroughly clean your bedroom on a regular basis.
* Keep your home de-cluttered and clean.
* Replace carpeting with solid surface floors.
* If you have carpets or rugs, steam clean or wash them on a regular basis.
* Use a vacuum with a HEPA filter, and wear a dust mask when you vacuum.
* Consider adding an air cleaner with a HEPA filter to your air conditioning/heating unit and use the cleaner for four hours or more each day.
* Have your cat cleaned and groomed weekly.
* Assign the brushing of the cat and cleaning of the cat's litter box to someone in the household who is not allergic.
Before making the decision to remove your pet from your home, you can confirm your cat allergy by visiting an allergist or by monitoring your symptoms. Just removing the cat from your home is not enough, however. The allergens will still be in the home, and symptoms can persist for months after the cat is removed.
from: everyday health
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Obesity May Dampen Response to Asthma Meds
New research suggests that obesity may not worsen asthma, as many experts have thought, but it could dampen the response to medications commonly used to manage the chronic condition.
Inhaled corticosteroids are the most widely prescribed drugs to treat a burgeoning number of people with asthma, many of whom are overweight or obese.
"It raises the concern that obese people with asthma may not respond as well to guideline-based treatments," said Dr. E. Rand Sutherland, lead author of a study published in a recent issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology and an associate professor of medicine at National Jewish Health and the University of Colorado, in Denver. "If doctors don't reassess obese patients after they've started treatment with inhaled steroids, ask if they're working effectively or don't make appropriate modifications, then obese people with asthma could be less effectively treated than their counterparts."
Another expert agreed with the assessment.
"This may mean we need to give these patients more medication," said Dr. Len Horovitz, a pulmonary specialist with Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. "If they respond less well, then we may have to dose more by body weight, and now most asthma medications are standardly dosed."
Asthma is becoming more prevalent, and previous research has hinted that there may be a link between being overweight or obese and asthma.
"There has been a suggestion that obesity and asthma may be related, particularly with regard to obesity increasing one's risk of developing asthma or making asthma more severe or difficult to treat," Sutherland said.
One study from last year reported that obese people who have asthma are nearly five times more likely to be hospitalized for the problem and to have a lower quality of life and worse control of the disease than those with asthma who are normal weight.
But more recently, studies have been coming in suggesting that this may not be not the case, Sutherland said.
For this latest study, Sutherland and colleagues looked at body mass index (BMI) and treatment data on 1,256 individuals with mild-to-moderate asthma.
Overweight and obese participants fared slightly worse on standard measures of asthma severity, such as lung function and predisposition to airway constriction, Sutherland said, but not enough to result in any real clinical difference.
"Having a high BMI doesn't really appear to be associated with more severe forms of asthma," he added.
Horovitz did point out that heavier people tend to have more shortness of breath. "We might have assumed it was worse asthma," he said.
Response to medications, however, took a different tilt.
When analyzing a subgroup of 183 people, lean people using inhaled corticosteroids showed a 55 percent lower level of one measure of airway inflammation.
The exact reasons for these findings are unclear, indicating the need for more studies, the researchers said.
from: everyday health
Inhaled corticosteroids are the most widely prescribed drugs to treat a burgeoning number of people with asthma, many of whom are overweight or obese.
"It raises the concern that obese people with asthma may not respond as well to guideline-based treatments," said Dr. E. Rand Sutherland, lead author of a study published in a recent issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology and an associate professor of medicine at National Jewish Health and the University of Colorado, in Denver. "If doctors don't reassess obese patients after they've started treatment with inhaled steroids, ask if they're working effectively or don't make appropriate modifications, then obese people with asthma could be less effectively treated than their counterparts."
Another expert agreed with the assessment.
"This may mean we need to give these patients more medication," said Dr. Len Horovitz, a pulmonary specialist with Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. "If they respond less well, then we may have to dose more by body weight, and now most asthma medications are standardly dosed."
Asthma is becoming more prevalent, and previous research has hinted that there may be a link between being overweight or obese and asthma.
"There has been a suggestion that obesity and asthma may be related, particularly with regard to obesity increasing one's risk of developing asthma or making asthma more severe or difficult to treat," Sutherland said.
One study from last year reported that obese people who have asthma are nearly five times more likely to be hospitalized for the problem and to have a lower quality of life and worse control of the disease than those with asthma who are normal weight.
But more recently, studies have been coming in suggesting that this may not be not the case, Sutherland said.
For this latest study, Sutherland and colleagues looked at body mass index (BMI) and treatment data on 1,256 individuals with mild-to-moderate asthma.
Overweight and obese participants fared slightly worse on standard measures of asthma severity, such as lung function and predisposition to airway constriction, Sutherland said, but not enough to result in any real clinical difference.
"Having a high BMI doesn't really appear to be associated with more severe forms of asthma," he added.
Horovitz did point out that heavier people tend to have more shortness of breath. "We might have assumed it was worse asthma," he said.
Response to medications, however, took a different tilt.
When analyzing a subgroup of 183 people, lean people using inhaled corticosteroids showed a 55 percent lower level of one measure of airway inflammation.
The exact reasons for these findings are unclear, indicating the need for more studies, the researchers said.
from: everyday health
Monday, June 15, 2009
Outdoor Allergies: Coping When Spring Has Sprung
Medically Reviewed by Ed Zimney, M.D.
You can clean your indoor air with filters and keep pets out of the bedroom, but once you step outside, you’re no longer in control. So what can you do to prevent springtime irritation?
Join us as leading allergy experts help you prepare for spring and summer outdoor allergies. You’ll find out how to determine if your symptoms are caused by allergies or another medical condition and which tests are most accurate for finding the cause of your symptoms. Plus, you’ll get tips on how to reduce your exposure to triggers as well as expert guidance on the many over-the-counter and prescription medicines used to treat allergy symptoms.
As always, our expert guests answer questions from the audience.
From: everyday health
You can clean your indoor air with filters and keep pets out of the bedroom, but once you step outside, you’re no longer in control. So what can you do to prevent springtime irritation?
Join us as leading allergy experts help you prepare for spring and summer outdoor allergies. You’ll find out how to determine if your symptoms are caused by allergies or another medical condition and which tests are most accurate for finding the cause of your symptoms. Plus, you’ll get tips on how to reduce your exposure to triggers as well as expert guidance on the many over-the-counter and prescription medicines used to treat allergy symptoms.
As always, our expert guests answer questions from the audience.
From: everyday health
Sunday, June 14, 2009
What Causes Asthma?
From pollution and infection and to family genes, the causes of asthma can vary greatly. Learn how to pinpoint your triggers and avoid setting off your asthma symptoms.
Researchers, physicians and asthma sufferers have long been interested in what causes asthma. And while the exact reason that asthma develops is not currently known, it is thought that genetics, especially a tendency toward allergies, may play a role in making a person more likely to have asthma. In addition, certain substances or conditions, called “triggers,” can cause asthma symptoms to appear in people sensitive or susceptible to them. These triggers can include indoor and outdoor air pollution, tobacco smoke, pet dander, and even cleaning sprays.
What Causes Asthma: Family History of Asthma
Although the genetic links are not fully understood, studies have shown that if you have one parent with asthma, you are two times more likely to suffer from asthma than a person whose parents do not have asthma.
While researchers are still trying to understand exactly how genes play a role in the underlying causes of asthma, one theory is that people have genetically programmed responses to oxidative stress, a damaging chemical reaction within the body that results from stressors in the environment. Oxidative stress appears to play a role in the symptoms of asthma. It is thought, for instance, that foods rich in antioxidants, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, can help protect the lungs from oxidative stress, which can then decrease the risk of asthma.
Asthma Triggers May Be in the Air
Indoor and outdoor air quality has been shown to play important roles in the development of asthma symptoms. Common environmental triggers include:
* Tobacco smoke. Studies have shown that children born to mothers who smoked during pregnancy or who live in a home with a smoking parent are at significantly increased risk of developing asthma.
* Air pollution. New research on air pollutants and asthma appears regularly. For example, a recent study of inner city children points to gas heaters and stoves as a source of nitrogen dioxide that increases the risk of asthma in young children.
* Cleaning products. Spray cleaners, including glass cleaners, diluted bleach, furniture cleaners, de-greasers, and air fresheners, are all on the list of possible culprits for causing asthma among people who use them more than once a week. People in janitorial or cleaning occupations are at even greater risk than those who use spray cleaners at home.
According to a study of more than 3,000 adults who did not have asthma when the study began, using cleaning sprays more than once a week can trigger asthmatic attacks, and the risk of asthma increased as the use of sprays increased, researchers reported in the American Journal of Respiratory Critical Care Medicine. The effect appears to be isolated to spray cleaners. Use of cleaning agents in other forms did not have the same effect.
“Whenever possible, reduce your use of spray products,” advises Kenneth Rosenman, MD, chief of the division of occupational and environmental medicine at Michigan State University, who says he is particularly concerned about air fresheners containing disinfectants.
* Allergens. Allergens are substances that bother your lung airways, and they have been linked to asthma as well. Some common allergens are pollen, grasses, molds, pet hair, and dust mites. People who are allergic to pollen or grass might find that their asthma is worse during the spring and early summer months, whereas dust mites could trigger asthma symptoms year round.
The History of Asthma: Other Potential Triggers
Other conditions that doctors have linked to the triggering of asthma symptoms include:
* Infections. It is thought that certain lung infections contracted during childhood can lead to asthma in adulthood. Also, sinus infections and infections such as the ‘common cold’ can trigger asthma attacks in people already diagnosed with asthma.
* Heartburn. Some doctors believe that there is a connection between asthma and heartburn, because many people with asthma suffer from heartburn too. Interestingly, it has been found that heartburn can be the culprit in difficult-to-treat cases of asthma. When the heartburn is treated, the symptoms of asthma are relieved.
* Excessive cleaning. There is also something called the "hygiene hypothesis." It is the thought that exposure to germs is needed to build up our immune systems and protect us from conditions such as asthma. This process often does not happen in an overly clean environment
So, while the causes of asthma are varied, the basic philosophy remains the same: The more you know about what could be causing (or worsening) your asthma, the better able you will be to make some positive changes … and breathe easier.
By Madeline Vann, MPH
Medically reviewed by Christine Wilmsen Craig, MD
from: Everyday Health
Researchers, physicians and asthma sufferers have long been interested in what causes asthma. And while the exact reason that asthma develops is not currently known, it is thought that genetics, especially a tendency toward allergies, may play a role in making a person more likely to have asthma. In addition, certain substances or conditions, called “triggers,” can cause asthma symptoms to appear in people sensitive or susceptible to them. These triggers can include indoor and outdoor air pollution, tobacco smoke, pet dander, and even cleaning sprays.
What Causes Asthma: Family History of Asthma
Although the genetic links are not fully understood, studies have shown that if you have one parent with asthma, you are two times more likely to suffer from asthma than a person whose parents do not have asthma.
While researchers are still trying to understand exactly how genes play a role in the underlying causes of asthma, one theory is that people have genetically programmed responses to oxidative stress, a damaging chemical reaction within the body that results from stressors in the environment. Oxidative stress appears to play a role in the symptoms of asthma. It is thought, for instance, that foods rich in antioxidants, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, can help protect the lungs from oxidative stress, which can then decrease the risk of asthma.
Asthma Triggers May Be in the Air
Indoor and outdoor air quality has been shown to play important roles in the development of asthma symptoms. Common environmental triggers include:
* Tobacco smoke. Studies have shown that children born to mothers who smoked during pregnancy or who live in a home with a smoking parent are at significantly increased risk of developing asthma.
* Air pollution. New research on air pollutants and asthma appears regularly. For example, a recent study of inner city children points to gas heaters and stoves as a source of nitrogen dioxide that increases the risk of asthma in young children.
* Cleaning products. Spray cleaners, including glass cleaners, diluted bleach, furniture cleaners, de-greasers, and air fresheners, are all on the list of possible culprits for causing asthma among people who use them more than once a week. People in janitorial or cleaning occupations are at even greater risk than those who use spray cleaners at home.
According to a study of more than 3,000 adults who did not have asthma when the study began, using cleaning sprays more than once a week can trigger asthmatic attacks, and the risk of asthma increased as the use of sprays increased, researchers reported in the American Journal of Respiratory Critical Care Medicine. The effect appears to be isolated to spray cleaners. Use of cleaning agents in other forms did not have the same effect.
“Whenever possible, reduce your use of spray products,” advises Kenneth Rosenman, MD, chief of the division of occupational and environmental medicine at Michigan State University, who says he is particularly concerned about air fresheners containing disinfectants.
* Allergens. Allergens are substances that bother your lung airways, and they have been linked to asthma as well. Some common allergens are pollen, grasses, molds, pet hair, and dust mites. People who are allergic to pollen or grass might find that their asthma is worse during the spring and early summer months, whereas dust mites could trigger asthma symptoms year round.
The History of Asthma: Other Potential Triggers
Other conditions that doctors have linked to the triggering of asthma symptoms include:
* Infections. It is thought that certain lung infections contracted during childhood can lead to asthma in adulthood. Also, sinus infections and infections such as the ‘common cold’ can trigger asthma attacks in people already diagnosed with asthma.
* Heartburn. Some doctors believe that there is a connection between asthma and heartburn, because many people with asthma suffer from heartburn too. Interestingly, it has been found that heartburn can be the culprit in difficult-to-treat cases of asthma. When the heartburn is treated, the symptoms of asthma are relieved.
* Excessive cleaning. There is also something called the "hygiene hypothesis." It is the thought that exposure to germs is needed to build up our immune systems and protect us from conditions such as asthma. This process often does not happen in an overly clean environment
So, while the causes of asthma are varied, the basic philosophy remains the same: The more you know about what could be causing (or worsening) your asthma, the better able you will be to make some positive changes … and breathe easier.
By Madeline Vann, MPH
Medically reviewed by Christine Wilmsen Craig, MD
from: Everyday Health
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Allergy Shots and Weight Gain
allergy shots are not known to be associated with weight gain. On the other hand, some allergy medications are. If you are taking antihistamines on a regular basis, they may be contributing to your weight gain, as some of them are known to increase appetite. Perhaps you could talk to your doctor about using fewer antihistamines, and/or using steroid-containing nasal sprays instead. These don't cause weight gain and are generally more effective, when used daily, for nasal allergy symptoms.
Another medication that definitely contributes to weight gain is oral steroids, which cause both water retention and actual weight gain. The doses used in pills are much higher than those in steroid inhalers and nasal sprays, which is why the pills have so many side effects while the inhalers and nasal sprays don't. You didn't mention steroids in your question, but check with your doctor to make sure they aren't a factor for you.
Occasionally, I have a patient who feels very tired after his or her shots, which leads to a reduction in activity levels for a couple of days each week. This could also contribute to weight gain. I would suggest having a focused visit with the allergist who is treating you to think about what might be causing your weight gain. It is a significant amount, and I'm sure you are very frustrated. However, I wouldn't advise just stopping the shots, because there is probably another reason. You would need to factor in any changes that occurred around the same time. For example, are you eating out more, exercising less, or did you change your job activities? Did you start any new prescription or over-the-counter medications?
Also, if you are just six months into the allergy shot process, you are not yet seeing all the improvement that the shots should provide. That's why it's worthwhile trying to sort out the cause of your weight gain and persist with the shots for at least two years so you can see their full effects.
Allergy expert Dr. Anna Feldweg
from: Everyday Health
Another medication that definitely contributes to weight gain is oral steroids, which cause both water retention and actual weight gain. The doses used in pills are much higher than those in steroid inhalers and nasal sprays, which is why the pills have so many side effects while the inhalers and nasal sprays don't. You didn't mention steroids in your question, but check with your doctor to make sure they aren't a factor for you.
Occasionally, I have a patient who feels very tired after his or her shots, which leads to a reduction in activity levels for a couple of days each week. This could also contribute to weight gain. I would suggest having a focused visit with the allergist who is treating you to think about what might be causing your weight gain. It is a significant amount, and I'm sure you are very frustrated. However, I wouldn't advise just stopping the shots, because there is probably another reason. You would need to factor in any changes that occurred around the same time. For example, are you eating out more, exercising less, or did you change your job activities? Did you start any new prescription or over-the-counter medications?
Also, if you are just six months into the allergy shot process, you are not yet seeing all the improvement that the shots should provide. That's why it's worthwhile trying to sort out the cause of your weight gain and persist with the shots for at least two years so you can see their full effects.
Allergy expert Dr. Anna Feldweg
from: Everyday Health
Friday, June 12, 2009
Is it Really a Food Allergy?
One way of defining intolerance is by saying what it isn’t: It isn’t the result of an overzealous immune system response. Typically it is a response to a chemical or the consequence of an insufficiency of a natural compound. For some people, the caffeine, theobromine, and methylxanthine in tea, coffee, chocolate, and cocoa cause symptoms of acid reflux, jitteriness, or insomnia. The chemicals in red wine can cause migraines in some people; monosodium glutamate (MSG) in Chinese dishes bothers others — although the latter is not as common as people tend to think it is. Other people suffer discomfort from milk products because their bodies produce little or no lactase (the enzyme that breaks down lactose in milk), a condition that can worsen with age.
As with allergies, avoidance is the first line of treatment for intolerances. Specific strategies may help alleviate the intolerance. For example, for lactose intolerance, you may be able to boost your lactase levels by taking nonprescription supplements available in retail stores, although the benefits are variable. If you suffer from digestive disturbances, check with your doctor rather than attempting self-diagnosis.
As with allergies, avoidance is the first line of treatment for intolerances. Specific strategies may help alleviate the intolerance. For example, for lactose intolerance, you may be able to boost your lactase levels by taking nonprescription supplements available in retail stores, although the benefits are variable. If you suffer from digestive disturbances, check with your doctor rather than attempting self-diagnosis.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
How to Treat Allergic Rhinitis
Do you suffer from nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing, and itching in the nose, roof of the mouth, throat, eyes, or ears? These are all symptoms of rhinitis, a condition affecting more than 50 million Americans, in which the lining of the nose becomes inflamed or irritated.
Allergic vs. Non-Allergic Rhinitis
There are two types of rhinitis: allergic rhinitis (sometimes called a "sinus allergy") and non-allergic rhinitis. If you have allergic rhinitis, your body produces IgE (or immunoglobulin E) antibodies to certain substances you are allergic to, called allergens. When you come into contact with these allergens, IgE triggers the allergic reaction and your immune system releases substances called histamine and leukotriene that cause the lining of your nose to become inflamed. "In allergic rhinitis, you can identify IgE antibodies to various proteins," explains Julie McNairn, MD, an allergist/immunologist in Cincinnati.
An allergist can help identify what allergens are causing your allergic rhinitis by administering skin or blood tests. People who suffer from seasonal allergic rhinitis — known as hay fever — may be allergic to trees, grasses, weed pollens, or mold spores that are more common during a particular season of the year. Those who experience symptoms year-round, a condition called "perennial allergic rhinitis," are usually allergic to dust mites, pet dander, mold spores, or foods.
If your allergist is not able to identify an allergen that is causing your rhinitis, you may have non-allergic rhinitis. One in three people with rhinitis don’t seem to have a specific allergen that triggers the problem. "In non-allergic rhinitis, there are no identifiable IgE antibodies against a specific protein," says Dr. McNairn, noting that irritants such as cigarette smoke, odors, weather changes, and dust are common culprits for people with non-allergic rhinitis. "Anything that is irritating to the mucus membranes can cause non-allergic rhinitis," she adds. These irritants are thought to lead to inflammation of the sinuses.
Non-allergic rhinitis can also be caused by long-term use of nasal decongestant sprays. People who have non-allergic rhinitis usually suffer from their symptoms all year long.
Treatment Options for Rhinitis
How you and your doctor decide to treat your rhinitis will depend on your preferences, symptoms, and the cause of your rhinitis. Treatment options for rhinitis are many, and include:
* Reducing allergens in your home
* Antihistamines
* Decongestants
* Leukotriene inhibitors
* Corticosteroid nasal sprays
* Ipratropium nasal spray
* Allergen immunotherapy (allergy shots)
Living With Rhinitis
"People tend to underestimate just how much of a problem rhinitis is," says McNairn. Rhinitis contributes to a lot of missed school and work, and people who are suffering from rhinitis may function poorly in their daily activities because they are probably not sleeping well.
If you have prolonged sneezing, runny nose, or nasal congestion, you should consider seeing an allergist, who can determine if you have rhinitis. If you do, the allergist can identify the allergens — if any — triggering your symptoms and help you find the best way to treat your condition.
By Krisha McCoy, MS
Medically reviewed by Lindsey Marcellin MD, MPH
from: Everyday Health
Allergic vs. Non-Allergic Rhinitis
There are two types of rhinitis: allergic rhinitis (sometimes called a "sinus allergy") and non-allergic rhinitis. If you have allergic rhinitis, your body produces IgE (or immunoglobulin E) antibodies to certain substances you are allergic to, called allergens. When you come into contact with these allergens, IgE triggers the allergic reaction and your immune system releases substances called histamine and leukotriene that cause the lining of your nose to become inflamed. "In allergic rhinitis, you can identify IgE antibodies to various proteins," explains Julie McNairn, MD, an allergist/immunologist in Cincinnati.
An allergist can help identify what allergens are causing your allergic rhinitis by administering skin or blood tests. People who suffer from seasonal allergic rhinitis — known as hay fever — may be allergic to trees, grasses, weed pollens, or mold spores that are more common during a particular season of the year. Those who experience symptoms year-round, a condition called "perennial allergic rhinitis," are usually allergic to dust mites, pet dander, mold spores, or foods.
If your allergist is not able to identify an allergen that is causing your rhinitis, you may have non-allergic rhinitis. One in three people with rhinitis don’t seem to have a specific allergen that triggers the problem. "In non-allergic rhinitis, there are no identifiable IgE antibodies against a specific protein," says Dr. McNairn, noting that irritants such as cigarette smoke, odors, weather changes, and dust are common culprits for people with non-allergic rhinitis. "Anything that is irritating to the mucus membranes can cause non-allergic rhinitis," she adds. These irritants are thought to lead to inflammation of the sinuses.
Non-allergic rhinitis can also be caused by long-term use of nasal decongestant sprays. People who have non-allergic rhinitis usually suffer from their symptoms all year long.
Treatment Options for Rhinitis
How you and your doctor decide to treat your rhinitis will depend on your preferences, symptoms, and the cause of your rhinitis. Treatment options for rhinitis are many, and include:
* Reducing allergens in your home
* Antihistamines
* Decongestants
* Leukotriene inhibitors
* Corticosteroid nasal sprays
* Ipratropium nasal spray
* Allergen immunotherapy (allergy shots)
Living With Rhinitis
"People tend to underestimate just how much of a problem rhinitis is," says McNairn. Rhinitis contributes to a lot of missed school and work, and people who are suffering from rhinitis may function poorly in their daily activities because they are probably not sleeping well.
If you have prolonged sneezing, runny nose, or nasal congestion, you should consider seeing an allergist, who can determine if you have rhinitis. If you do, the allergist can identify the allergens — if any — triggering your symptoms and help you find the best way to treat your condition.
By Krisha McCoy, MS
Medically reviewed by Lindsey Marcellin MD, MPH
from: Everyday Health
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
How to prevent Hives
What Is It?
Hives, also called urticaria, are circumscribed swellings on the skin that often are itchy. Often they are pink or red, but they don't have to be. Hives happen when the cells in the skin called mast cells release histamine, a chemical that causes tiny blood vessels (capillaries) to leak fluid. When this leaking fluid accumulates in the skin, it forms the swellings that we recognize as hives.
Hives can be triggered by physical factors such as heat, cold, exercise, sunlight, stress, sustained pressure on a skin area (such as from a belt or shoulder strap), a sudden increase in body temperature (from a fever or a hot bath or shower) or from an irritating chemical, cosmetic or soap applied to the skin. Hives also can be one symptom of a whole-body (systemic) allergic reaction to something that was:
*
Inhaled — Pollens, animal dander, molds
*
Injected — Insect stings or bites, especially bee stings, or injected medication
*
Ingested — Foods (tree nuts; fish and shellfish; dairy products; legumes, especially peanuts), food additives, medications such as penicillin or aspirin
Hives probably affect about 20% of people in the United States at some time in life, with the greatest number of episodes occurring in people aged 20 to 30.
In rare cases, allergic reactions that trigger hives set off a chain reaction throughout the body, resulting in a life-threatening condition called anaphylaxis. Sometimes, hives last for six weeks or more, a condition called chronic (or idiopathic) urticaria. Often, no cause is found for this chronic condition, and it usually goes away on its own after several weeks.
from : Every Day Health
Hives, also called urticaria, are circumscribed swellings on the skin that often are itchy. Often they are pink or red, but they don't have to be. Hives happen when the cells in the skin called mast cells release histamine, a chemical that causes tiny blood vessels (capillaries) to leak fluid. When this leaking fluid accumulates in the skin, it forms the swellings that we recognize as hives.
Hives can be triggered by physical factors such as heat, cold, exercise, sunlight, stress, sustained pressure on a skin area (such as from a belt or shoulder strap), a sudden increase in body temperature (from a fever or a hot bath or shower) or from an irritating chemical, cosmetic or soap applied to the skin. Hives also can be one symptom of a whole-body (systemic) allergic reaction to something that was:
*
Inhaled — Pollens, animal dander, molds
*
Injected — Insect stings or bites, especially bee stings, or injected medication
*
Ingested — Foods (tree nuts; fish and shellfish; dairy products; legumes, especially peanuts), food additives, medications such as penicillin or aspirin
Hives probably affect about 20% of people in the United States at some time in life, with the greatest number of episodes occurring in people aged 20 to 30.
In rare cases, allergic reactions that trigger hives set off a chain reaction throughout the body, resulting in a life-threatening condition called anaphylaxis. Sometimes, hives last for six weeks or more, a condition called chronic (or idiopathic) urticaria. Often, no cause is found for this chronic condition, and it usually goes away on its own after several weeks.
from : Every Day Health
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