Allergy - Help I Am Allergic To Puppies

If you are allergic to dust dogs then you suffer from Allergies Type 1, also called Contact Allergies. You can be allergic to dander, saliva, or urine. Pet hair itself does not product allergic reactions in individual, but the dog dander that will stick to the dog hair will. The allergy producing proteins called allergens are products in the dogs skin. When the dog licks themselves this sticky protein is deposited on the hair along with dead skin cells. When the dog hair comes into contact with dust, clothing, furniture, curtains, or you, the protein will stick to the surface of the object. Allergy symptoms include nasal congestion, sneezing, itchy and water eyes, skin rashes, headaches, coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath. All animals product allergens but just because you are allergic to dog allergens does not mean that you will be allergic to cat or bird allergens. If you are not allergic to dogs today is no guarantee that you will not develop allergies tomorrow. Many contact allergies develop over time. If you are susceptible to becoming allergic to dogs, then the more you are exposed to the allergens the more likely it is that you will develop symptoms. If you are allergic to dogs then some precaution need to be taken to help control the allergy attacks. Never allow dogs on the bed or even in the bedroom. Use a HEPA room air cleaner in all bedrooms and in the family room. Air cleaners can make a really big difference in the severity and frequency of allergy attacks. The central heating system should have an electrostatic air filter to distribute clean air through out the house. These electrostatic air filters trap microscopic allergens. Hard wood floors are easer to clean than carpets. If you do have carpets then invest in a quality vacuum. Most vacuums will blow the smaller particles of dust back into the air through the exhaust. You will need to get a vacuum that has some type of HEPA filter that traps microscopic particles of dust from being blown back into the air. Leather furniture is easer to clean than cloth covered ones. Cover all cloth furniture with sheets to help prevent dog dander from being deposited on them and wash the sheets frequently. You may want to reserve a specific chair for yourself and not sharing your chair with your dog. Wash your hands after petting or playing with your gods and avoid touching your eyes or face beforehand. Allergy shots to hyposensitize or build up an immunity to dog allergens will work on some people but not others. The reason is unknown and more research is needed. Always consult your doctor before using this information. This Article is nutritional in nature and is not to be construed as medical advice. David Cowley has created over 50 articles about the relationship between diseases and vitamins. For other articles on Allergies click on Articles on Allergies and for other articles click on Other Articles Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Cowley Allergy - The Link Between Antibiotics and Allergies Most of us in the alternative medicine arena know that allergy medicine is a huge business, with an immense array of non-prescription over-the-counter products to address nearly any complaint. Bear in mind, however, that they are not appropriate for all patients. In addition to their side-effects such as sedation or nerve reaction, allergy and sinus medications could be incompatible with certain prescription treatments and the chronic health conditions they treat, including high blood pressure, asthma, glaucoma, prostate problems, anxiety, and attention deficit disorder. Even in the best case scenario, allergy medicines could generate detrimental side effects that limit their use on a regular basis. A recent study from the University of Michigan Medical School might have unearthed a clue. Now it turns out that the rise of another phenomenon'the use of antibiotics'may hold the answer. The University researchers found that antibiotics seem to prime the immune system to over-react to substances it could just as well ignore. When the research team gave laboratory mice a five-day course of antibiotics, the animals showed the same effect seen in humans; an upset in the balance of yeast and other microbes in the gut. They then exposed the mice to several common allergens. The mice given antibiotics were hypersensitive to them, while the other mice had a normal immune response. In the past, we have always thought of allergies and asthma as involving mainly the respiratory system. This research, however, suggests the microbes in the gut play a significant role. The results support a theory that our modern society is too sanitary. According to the results that support the "hygiene hypothesis", when you are not exposed to very many bugs, your immune system has a hard time differentiating between a harmless substance (such as pollen) and a dangerous toxin, so it is likely to overreact. A growing number of holistically minded people are seeking natural alternatives to the traditional drugstore offerings. With their temperate actions and minimal side effects, botanical and alternative remedies are a good option for many a sufferer. In contrast to a trip to a big chain drugstore, the preparation of natural remedies is more similar to a craft than a chore, calling to us to slow our tempo, reflecting on the beauty and usefulness of nature's wealth.

Allergy - The Link Between Antibiotics and Allergies

Most of us in the alternative medicine arena know that allergy medicine is a huge business, with an immense array of non-prescription over-the-counter products to address nearly any complaint. Bear in mind, however, that they are not appropriate for all patients. In addition to their side-effects such as sedation or nerve reaction, allergy and sinus medications could be incompatible with certain prescription treatments and the chronic health conditions they treat, including high blood pressure, asthma, glaucoma, prostate problems, anxiety, and attention deficit disorder. Even in the best case scenario, allergy medicines could generate detrimental side effects that limit their use on a regular basis. A recent study from the University of Michigan Medical School might have unearthed a clue. Now it turns out that the rise of another phenomenon'the use of antibiotics'may hold the answer. The University researchers found that antibiotics seem to prime the immune system to over-react to substances it could just as well ignore. When the research team gave laboratory mice a five-day course of antibiotics, the animals showed the same effect seen in humans; an upset in the balance of yeast and other microbes in the gut. They then exposed the mice to several common allergens. The mice given antibiotics were hypersensitive to them, while the other mice had a normal immune response. In the past, we have always thought of allergies and asthma as involving mainly the respiratory system. This research, however, suggests the microbes in the gut play a significant role. The results support a theory that our modern society is too sanitary. According to the results that support the "hygiene hypothesis", when you are not exposed to very many bugs, your immune system has a hard time differentiating between a harmless substance (such as pollen) and a dangerous toxin, so it is likely to overreact. A growing number of holistically minded people are seeking natural alternatives to the traditional drugstore offerings. With their temperate actions and minimal side effects, botanical and alternative remedies are a good option for many a sufferer. In contrast to a trip to a big chain drugstore, the preparation of natural remedies is more similar to a craft than a chore, calling to us to slow our tempo, reflecting on the beauty and usefulness of nature's wealth. Judy Phillips is the founder of Jash Botanicals Herbal Formulas, a manufacturer of physicians grade herbal extracts and medicinals. A naturopath and herbalist with over 25 years of experience, her passion for producing herbal formulas of exceptional purity and strength grew from a dissatisfaction with mainstream herbal products. She is an author of various natural health topics, from detoxification to dietary modification, and works to assist the expansion of knowledge to individuals in search of natural treatments. JashBotanicals.com offers a wide range of informative articles, including a alternative healing monthly newsletter and a natural health blog. Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Judy_Phillips Allergy - Introducing the Flea! In cats and dogs, fleas are perhaps the most common external parasite problem encountered by pet owners. They have been around for a very long time and know a thing or two about species survival so getting rid of a flea problem is never easy. Keep the following in mind when tackling fleas on your cat or dog. They are an environmental problem, not a pet problem. Yes, you will see the fleas on your pet, but those you see are a very small proportion of the total flea population in your pets environment(approx 1% visible to you vs 99% hidden in the environment!). The implication of this is that you cannot hope to beat a flea problem by only treating the pet - you have to include the environment in your plans. Fleas need blood meals to survive and breed. They are also photophobic (don't like bright sunlight). So that patch of sand in the middle of your garden 20m from the dogs kennel is unlikely to be the source of your flea problem.Fleas like warm, humid areas out of direct sunlight. Dogs and cats are the preferred host for the normal pet flea (C.felis). If you have pets but find fleas jumping onto you for a blood meal then you have a huge infestation on your hands.The exception to this observation is if you move into somewhere that has not been occupied for a while then newly hatched fleas will jump on anything to get a blood meal. One should not stop the "anti-flea" drive over winter. As it gets cooler, the flea lifecycle takes longer to complete and the presence of fleas may be less obvious. However, the lifecycle rarely stops altogether, even in very cold climates because then the pets are often inside the house with central heating. Hmm, lets see...warm,constant humidity, out of direct sunlight - yes, ideal conditions for flea survival. You might not actually see any real live fleas on your pet (this is particularly true of cats because they groom so frequently). But your pet may still have a flea problem. If your dog or cat is scratching a lot and has some hair loss, especially just above the tail on the lower back, then look for little black and/or white grains in the coat. These are flea faeces (black) and flea eggs (white) and their presence means that there are fleas on your pet - even if you can't see any!It doesn't automatically follow however that getting rid of the fleas will sort out the hair loss problem. Alas, it is often more complicated than that but reducing the flea load will always be beneficial to a scratching pet. Fleas, signs of fleas, or a skin reaction to fleas may be present on a single e.g. dog in your household, while your other dogs look fine. You cannot only treat the affected animal to get rid of the fleas. You must treat all the dogs (and cats) in the household AND the environment or you are going to lose the battle. Very young animals can literally be sucked (almost) dry of blood if they have a very heavy flea burden. This can obviously be life threatening on its own, and is often made worse by a concurrent worm infestation. What do you use to treat for fleas? By now I hope you realise there is more to this than simply buying a flea collar!There are a wide range of products available for treating both pets and the environment. Remember though that the formulations for dogs are usually different to those for cats - either in terms of the active ingredient or the dosage. Make sure you consult your Veterinarian to establish what is safe for your pet - cats can be particularly susceptible to some of the chemicals used to control fleas. Whatever you use to treat the environment, it is best to start with a thorough mechanical cleaning before you apply any sort of chemical. Vacuuming, using only a nozzle to ensure good suction into carpet pile and cracks between floor boards, will remove a significant number of the non mobile flea eggs and pupae present in the environment. Outside, remove moist and rotting vegetation, cut the grass short and try to expose damp, shady areas to as much sunlight as possible. Natural flea repellants are available but, as with the other anti-flea formulations, don't expect them to work miracles all by themselves. fleas have been around a long time - several million years in fact - so they know how to survive as a species. Your best efforts will be needed to keep them under control!

Allergy - Introducing the Flea!

In cats and dogs, fleas are perhaps the most common external parasite problem encountered by pet owners. They have been around for a very long time and know a thing or two about species survival so getting rid of a flea problem is never easy. Keep the following in mind when tackling fleas on your cat or dog. They are an environmental problem, not a pet problem. Yes, you will see the fleas on your pet, but those you see are a very small proportion of the total flea population in your pets environment(approx 1% visible to you vs 99% hidden in the environment!). The implication of this is that you cannot hope to beat a flea problem by only treating the pet - you have to include the environment in your plans. Fleas need blood meals to survive and breed. They are also photophobic (don't like bright sunlight). So that patch of sand in the middle of your garden 20m from the dogs kennel is unlikely to be the source of your flea problem.Fleas like warm, humid areas out of direct sunlight. Dogs and cats are the preferred host for the normal pet flea (C.felis). If you have pets but find fleas jumping onto you for a blood meal then you have a huge infestation on your hands.The exception to this observation is if you move into somewhere that has not been occupied for a while then newly hatched fleas will jump on anything to get a blood meal. One should not stop the "anti-flea" drive over winter. As it gets cooler, the flea lifecycle takes longer to complete and the presence of fleas may be less obvious. However, the lifecycle rarely stops altogether, even in very cold climates because then the pets are often inside the house with central heating. Hmm, lets see...warm,constant humidity, out of direct sunlight - yes, ideal conditions for flea survival. You might not actually see any real live fleas on your pet (this is particularly true of cats because they groom so frequently). But your pet may still have a flea problem. If your dog or cat is scratching a lot and has some hair loss, especially just above the tail on the lower back, then look for little black and/or white grains in the coat. These are flea faeces (black) and flea eggs (white) and their presence means that there are fleas on your pet - even if you can't see any!It doesn't automatically follow however that getting rid of the fleas will sort out the hair loss problem. Alas, it is often more complicated than that but reducing the flea load will always be beneficial to a scratching pet. Fleas, signs of fleas, or a skin reaction to fleas may be present on a single e.g. dog in your household, while your other dogs look fine. You cannot only treat the affected animal to get rid of the fleas. You must treat all the dogs (and cats) in the household AND the environment or you are going to lose the battle. Very young animals can literally be sucked (almost) dry of blood if they have a very heavy flea burden. This can obviously be life threatening on its own, and is often made worse by a concurrent worm infestation. What do you use to treat for fleas? By now I hope you realise there is more to this than simply buying a flea collar!There are a wide range of products available for treating both pets and the environment. Remember though that the formulations for dogs are usually different to those for cats - either in terms of the active ingredient or the dosage. Make sure you consult your Veterinarian to establish what is safe for your pet - cats can be particularly susceptible to some of the chemicals used to control fleas. Whatever you use to treat the environment, it is best to start with a thorough mechanical cleaning before you apply any sort of chemical. Vacuuming, using only a nozzle to ensure good suction into carpet pile and cracks between floor boards, will remove a significant number of the non mobile flea eggs and pupae present in the environment. Outside, remove moist and rotting vegetation, cut the grass short and try to expose damp, shady areas to as much sunlight as possible. Natural flea repellants are available but, as with the other anti-flea formulations, don't expect them to work miracles all by themselves. fleas have been around a long time - several million years in fact - so they know how to survive as a species. Your best efforts will be needed to keep them under control! Keith Perrett is a qualified Veterinarian http://www.pet-health-for-humans.com/pet-health-questions.html Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Keith_Perrett Allergy - Top Tips For Clean Indoor Air Indoor air can make you miserable if it is not kept clean and healthy. Clean indoor air is essential for a happy you and a happy home. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has reported that Indoor air can contain up to 5 times as much pollution as outdoor air. Allergies and asthma are on the rise so cleaning indoor air in your home and work place is more important than ever as this can greatly reduce symptoms according to Dr. John Winder, an allergist for the Nationwide Asthma Screening Program of the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. These are some clean indoor air top tips: When you dust your house with a cloth you a often spreading dust around. You vacuum based tools to dust with instead. Make sure you don't avoid difficult to reach areas like space under beds, drapes and moldings. A great tip for dusting small objects is to cover the nozzle of your vacuum cleaner with a pair of tights or fine cloth. Put the vacuum on a low suction level and run the small objects over the front of the vacuum nozzle. This sucks all the dust off without the object disappearing in to the vacuum! Note: Be sure to use a scrap material to cover the vacuum nozzle as it can get ruined in the process. Wrap pillows and mattresses in allergen-protective covers and regularly vacuum them. When you wash your linens make sure the water is hot (130 degrees or above) to ensure dust mites and their eggs are killed off properly. Deep clean your carpets & floor surfaces once every season at least. To really thoroughly achieve clean indoor air get an air purifier to remove all the airborne pollutants. Clean indoor air is also about humidity.. maintain a cool & dry home. Keep humidity to 50% or less. You can use a humidifier to aid in this but make sure you frequently empty the unit to prevent the growth of mold in the tank. Try to avoid letting your pets sleep in the bedrooms. Keep stuffed animals and busy shelves to a minimum as these are real dust-catcher locations. If you have lots of stuffed toys vacuum them frequently.. but carefully of course!! Follow this great advice and you will have super clean indoor air in no time.

Allergy - Top Tips For Clean Indoor Air

Indoor air can make you miserable if it is not kept clean and healthy. Clean indoor air is essential for a happy you and a happy home. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has reported that Indoor air can contain up to 5 times as much pollution as outdoor air. Allergies and asthma are on the rise so cleaning indoor air in your home and work place is more important than ever as this can greatly reduce symptoms according to Dr. John Winder, an allergist for the Nationwide Asthma Screening Program of the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. These are some clean indoor air top tips: When you dust your house with a cloth you a often spreading dust around. You vacuum based tools to dust with instead. Make sure you don't avoid difficult to reach areas like space under beds, drapes and moldings. A great tip for dusting small objects is to cover the nozzle of your vacuum cleaner with a pair of tights or fine cloth. Put the vacuum on a low suction level and run the small objects over the front of the vacuum nozzle. This sucks all the dust off without the object disappearing in to the vacuum! Note: Be sure to use a scrap material to cover the vacuum nozzle as it can get ruined in the process. Wrap pillows and mattresses in allergen-protective covers and regularly vacuum them. When you wash your linens make sure the water is hot (130 degrees or above) to ensure dust mites and their eggs are killed off properly. Deep clean your carpets & floor surfaces once every season at least. To really thoroughly achieve clean indoor air get an air purifier to remove all the airborne pollutants. Clean indoor air is also about humidity.. maintain a cool & dry home. Keep humidity to 50% or less. You can use a humidifier to aid in this but make sure you frequently empty the unit to prevent the growth of mold in the tank. Try to avoid letting your pets sleep in the bedrooms. Keep stuffed animals and busy shelves to a minimum as these are real dust-catcher locations. If you have lots of stuffed toys vacuum them frequently.. but carefully of course!! Follow this great advice and you will have super clean indoor air in no time. Michael Grzywacz is an allergy sufferer who writes about indoor air purifiers for http://www.airpurifierstop.com Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Grzywacz Allergy - What Are Eye Allergies? Many people are dealing with eye allergies. Symptoms of eye allergies or allergic conjunctivitis may include watery, itchy, red, sore or swollen and stinging of the eyes. Itching the eyes is the biggest symptom of allergies in the eyes. Without itching, it is not likely that a person is dealing with any type of allergies in the eyes. Both eyes are usually going to be bothered with this itching but one eye may be more intense than the other may. Seasonal allergies of the eyes are very common. It is the most common form of eye allergies that people suffer from. This type of allergy may come from the grass, ragweed, dust, or pollen that is in the air. Perennial allergies are also something that many have to deal with and the same with animal dander and dust mites too. People react to dust and dirt differently and sometimes having an allergy to them will affect the eyes more than anything else will. There is symptoms that will help a person realize if they are dealing with an eye allergy or not. The burning and watering of eyes is one true meaning that a person may have terrible eye allergies. In some of the cases, people will notice sensitivity to the light and even blurred vision. The eyes are usually red and the eyelids may become swollen. When the inside of the eyelid is also swollen, the eyes may have a watery appearance to them. Having allergies to the eyes is made with the history of symptoms that people have and it is suggested that may have eye allergies. A health care professional will have to make the determination of what the finding are. Allergy testing will show seasonal or perennial allergies. A response to typical medications is helpful in the ultimate diagnosis of allergic eye disease and a failure to respond to the medications may lead to a search for a different diagnosis. Once a doctor finds the problem, they will then be able to give out the right medication and make it easier for a person to get rid of the itchy and the red eyes that are bothering them so much. A person that has eye allergies is going to have a hard time dealing with certain issues. They are going to have problems doing the normal things that they would do on a day-to-day basis. There is medication and eye drops that are out there that can help a person feel better and function as they are used to. Making sure that a person is using the right type of medication is important.