Everything You Need To Know About Summer Allergies

Summertime for children means that their freedom has been restored: freedom from school, and most importantly, the freedom to go outside and have as much fun as they can. Unfortunately, this season also means that summer allergies will also make their return, and can potentially turn your child's summer vacation into a miserable experience. As a parent, there are a lot of things that you can do to make this time easier on your child, and we will go over what you need to know so that you can understand what causes them, the symptoms, how they are treated, as well as some tips that can help your child avoid the usual triggers.

Causes

Nature itself is the biggest source of triggers for summer allergies, literally everywhere you look. The number one allergy prevalent during the spring and summer months are pollen allergies, caused by several types of pollen given off by trees, weeds and grasses. These plants shed pollen in different cycles, so that there is literally a trigger somewhere around outside no matter what time of the year it is. If this was not bad enough, there are two other common allergy triggers that can be found outside: air pollution and insects. Smoke, ozone, even the fumes rising out of the grill can trigger an attack. Bees, wasps, hornets and yellow jackets account for nearly a third of every seasonal allergy attack during the summer, and for some children, a single sting can be life-threatening.

Indoors is not exactly trigger-free, either. Mold loves to live in damp areas, like around bathrooms and basements. Pet dander can be controlled by washing your pets more often, and it is often mistaken for the true culprit behind most allergy symptoms found in children who spend any significant time indoors: dust mites. They can get into the air, in the carpet, in the bedding, and even into the toy box and closet. Summer is especially bad for the little, invisible creeps, because they thrive in warm and humid temperatures.

Symptoms

Pollen allergies are often lumped together under a condition known as hay fever, and have very definite allergy symptoms:

* Runny nose
* Watery eyes
* Sneezing
* Coughing
* Itching in the eyes and nose
* Dark circles under the eyes

If pollen should get into any food that is eaten outdoors, it can also cause some serious internal symptoms, which usually appear after that food has been eaten. If your child develops an itchy or swollen throat, then they are suffering from a condition known as Oral Allergy Syndrome, and should seek medical attention immediately. The types of food generally tainted with pollen include bananas, melons, cucumbers and berries.

Allergens that are airborne like dust and mold can also cause your child to develop asthma symptoms, which makes their airways narrow, leading to coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath. Insect stings can cause itching and swelling, but more serious symptoms can include dizziness, nausea, and swelling of the throat or tongue. If you are not sure that your child is allergic to insect stings, take them into the doctor immediately, just to be safe.

Treatment

Allergies are treated the same way, spring or summer, with any number of over-the-counter or prescription medications. Your pediatrician will advise you on what types can be used to help treat whatever allergy your child may have, and it is always best to follow their advice.

Antihistamines will reduce the symptoms of sneezing and itching, while decongestants are generally given to reduce swelling and congestion of the nasal passageways. Always talk to your pediatrician about potential side effects, especially if there is the potential for adverse effects if your child is on other types of medication at the time of treatment.

Summer Survival Tips

Since triggers for summer allergies are literally everywhere, it can be difficult to avoid all of them. If the local news tells you that pollen counts are high, keep the kids indoors as much as possible. Clean the air filters more often during the spring and summer months. Vacuum and wash clothes and bedding more often. Outside, avoid areas where stinging insects congregate, avoid bright colors and scented lotions and sunblocks.

11 Unexpected Allergy Causes

Typical allergy causes like pollen from trees and grasses aren't the only items that might have you reaching for the tissues... some unexpected things you probably have in your home right now might also be causes of allergies and cause allergy symptoms to flare up.

There are eleven lesser known triggers to watch for...

1. Candles - the odors from scented candles can inflame your nasal cavities, according to James Wedner, M.D., chief of allergy and immunology at the Washington University School of Medicine. Those with allergies are likely to have a runny nose or watery eyes when near a burning candle. Candles with scents like pumpkin are usually best tolerated. If you're having trouble with a candle, try to move away, extinguish it outside or get some fresh air yourself.

2. Perfume - has hundreds of chemicals, mostly untested on people, and when mixed with the essential oils in the perfume and sprayed into the air they can cause a person to sneeze, feel congestion or get a headache. It's hard, but ask people around you to go easy on the spray scents and suggest body creams and lotions as their scents aren't quite as strong. You might also keep a small fan in your office or car to keep the air moving.

3. Soaps and detergents - you might be surprised to learn that most of the itching you think is caused by a cleaning agent, is actually the fault of a perfume additive. Look for "no additives", "unscented" or "phthalate-free" on the label. When drying clothes, use a sheet of aluminum foil in the dryer (instead of smelly static cling sheets) to get rid of static without the strong odor. You can also try a scent-free, no-additive dryer sheet.

4. Stuffed animals - can get chock full of dust mites, a problem for an estimated 15% of people. You can try washing (in water 140 degrees or hotter), drying and then repeating (usually monthly) for favorite toys. Toys that can't be washed can be put in a plastic bag in the freezer for a few hours; this will also kill the mites. Store toys on a shelf, rather than on the bed.

5. Carpeting - it's warm on your feet and feels wonderful, but even if you vacuum all the time, you still have dust mites. Your best bet if you have a persistent allergy is to take out the carpeting and replace it with wood or tile and use area rugs instead. Wash the rugs monthly, and keep the humidity of the space below 50%. Dust mites thrive in humid environments.

6. Spices - add zing to your food but as they come from pungent plants they also can bring on everything from sniffling to swelling of the nasal passages, itching and burning in the lips. Avoid the troublesome ones including coriander, poppy seeds, pepper, dill, paprika, cumin and saffron - often found in Indian and Middle Eastern dishes. If you're not sure which spices are the trouble, try writing down what you eat each time you have an allergy attack and see if you can find a common theme.

7. Christmas Trees - the staple of the holidays is a place where mold grows very fast... especially if the tree is put into a bucket of water or damp soil... a moist, dark place mold just loves. Many people are either allergic to or irritated by the mold spores. A fake tree is the answer for many, with pine scented candles providing that must have "smell". If you must have a real tree, avoid one that's been cut weeks in advance, as its probably already ripe with mold. Be stingy with water once the tree is at home and keep it up for as short a time as possible.

8. Wall paint - the solvents and synthetic resins often lead to itchy eyes and headaches, with oil based paints being particularly troublesome as they continue to release chemicals even after they dry. Keep the windows open as you work, and try to have fresh air circulating in the space for up to four weeks after finishing the work. Paints with low levels of VOCs send fewer chemicals in the air, but this isn't a guarantee you won't still have trouble with them.

9. Alcohol - it's not an allergy to alcohol (which is rare) but the grains and additives used to make the liquor. Wheat or sulfur dioxide preservative can also cause stuffy noses or rash. New York allergist Wellington Tichenor, MD also mentions grains like corn, barley and rye as well as fruit flavorings that can be troublesome too. You might try to drink grain free liquors like potato vodka, rum or tequila and skip flavored liqueurs. Look for wine labeled "sulfite-free".

10. Buttons on Blue Jeans - are often made from nickel which can be a trigger for rashes in up to 20% of women. These can be itchy, red and sometimes causes blisters and are often treated with topical creams. To avoid these symptoms replace the buttons with plastic ones or coat the button with clear nail polish, a remedy found to work by a recent St. Louis University study.

11. Lemons and limes - limonene, the zesty compound in lime and other citrus fruits, leaves many with watery eyes and a burning feeling in the nose. You might even have irritation on your skin if you touch, eat or drink products with limonene. Treat any rash with topical hydrocortisone creams and skip the garnish with your drink or salad. Watch for lime in salad dressings, marinades and desserts as well.

Many allergy causes (allergens) can be avoided but you'll need to keep your eyes open for 'hidden' causes of allergies like the ones mentioned above.

What You Should Know About Allergy Induced Autism

Allergy induced autism has only been recognized by scientists and doctors for a relatively short time since the "discovery" of autism. Since being recognized, its presence has become increasingly common; in line with the increase in autism cases.

Those who are at the highest risk for allergy induced autism are children who have regressive autism - that is, those children who develop normally and start regressing at around the age of two years - and children with behavioral and neurological problems in combination with extreme digestive issues (such as intractable constipation).

Such children are generally incapable of metabolizing (digesting) important common food proteins; specifically casein and gluten. Casein is one of milk's main proteins and is also commonly utilized in the manufacturing of foods. Gluten is a protein found in wheat and several grains and is often added in the manufacturing of food.

In some children with autism, gluten and casein aren't digested in the normal way. Instead, they are metabolized only partially and become a substance quite similar to morphine, which can pass through the wall of the digestive tract and enter the blood stream.

These children also often have a "mutant" form of protein in their urine after ingesting casein or gluten. This protein is believed to be the byproduct of the creation of the morphine-like substance; the result of which is "spacey" behavior in children and a virtual addiction to foods that contain casein and gluten.

Due to this improper digestive functioning, these children are also incapable of eliminating many of the chemicals within their environment and their food. These can include pesticides, pollution, detergent additives, artificial colorings and flavorings, chemical food additives, and other substances that can become toxic when built up to unusually high quantities.

The symptoms of autism will typically present themselves within a child's first three years. While some autistic children may have intolerance to chemicals in food, other substances can impact other children. The most common "culprits" are believed to be corn, sugar, wheat, and citrus fruits. Symptoms may be completely unnoticeable, however, it is common for children with the disorder to experience low blood sugar, excessive sweating (particularly at night), bloating, diarrhea, incapability to regulate body temperature, rhinitis, a redness in the face and/or ears, and under-eye circles.

The reduction or elimination of problem substances from a child's diet will not cure their autism, but it can help with some of the symptoms of allergy induced autism. And this approach has been found to be effective in many children and adults. The improvements reported have been significant in some cases, but for many children, who appeared to be severely autistic, restricting their diet has reduced their symptoms only as long as they don't deviate from the strict dietary limitations.

Could You Be Suffering From Allergic Tension-Fatigue Syndrome?

As early as the 1930's it was theorized that constant or repeated exposure to an allergen put exhaustive stress on the body, including the immune system. Ultimately this exposure has a negative effect on the body's defenses and leaves it open to illness and other medical complications. In addition, these allergens can have a degenerative effect on energy levels which results in chronic fatigue and other more serious health problems. Under the Allergic Tension-Fatigue Syndrome theory if you remove the allergen you will relieve the not only the allergy symptoms but also the underlying medical conditions caused by the drain on energy levels.

While there can always be many potential causes for various illnesses or conditions, one of those causes may be undetected allergies. One of the most common causes for fatigue problems is allergies yet awareness of them may remain hidden for years. Removing the allergen may sound like a simple solution but what if you can't get away from the allergens? What if you can't even identify them?

To most people an allergic reaction implies you have breathed, eaten, or touched something that causes your body to sneeze, cough, itch, swell, make your eyes water and/or your nose run. But allergies can also be the root cause for a wide range of ailments including but not limited to:

>Gastrointestinal ailments such as indigestion, constipation, ulcers, etc.

>Headaches & migraines

>Backaches

>Arthritis, joint pain, restless leg syndrome, etc.

>Brain symptoms such as brain fog, depression & attention-deficit disorders

>Skin problems including rashes, boils, slow healing wounds, etc.

>Heart irregularities

Modern life assaults our bodies from without as well as within. We are exposed to chemicals in the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat.

Consider this. At the turn of the century bread making required only whole grains, water, butter, baker's yeast, and a little sweetener to help the yeast rise. Today a modern loaf of bread may contain more than 100 different ingredients, including preservatives, coloring agents, insecticides, pesticides, and fungicides, as well as chemical residue from various packaging and cleaning procedures. These can sensitize an immune system and cause us to react negatively to many other substances.

Our bodies are still biologically programmed to reside in a much simpler environment. Is it any wonder that the number of people complaining of allergic reactions has increased dramatically? At the same time traditional Western style medical schools and journals are broadening their definitions of allergies and recognizing that the immune system, when under a perceived attack, will respond in many different ways leading to the ailments mentioned above.

In the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Sept. 19, 2002 there was an article about findings published in the New England Journal of Medicine that counter decades of conventional thought regarding dust and allergies. Where it was always thought that dust causes allergies and therefore should be avoided, a European study has shown that household dust actually helps protect children from developing hay fever or asthma. The same has been found for children exposed to pets at an early age.

Conventional diagnosis has been to expose the body to small, concentrated doses of potential allergens by injecting the substance under the skin. The areas that show swelling and itching indicate an allergic reaction. Treatment usually consists of a long series of "allergy shots" over an extended period of time. Each shot contains minute amounts of the allergen and the theory is that the body will slowly build up a resistance.

Just as conventional thoughts about the cause and effects of allergies are being challenged and changed, so are treatments for allergies. Today there are several non-invasive, drug and needle free options for diagnosing and treating allergies that have provided relief for 10s of 1,000's of people. These techniques typically use a type of bio feedback mechanism to identify the allergen and then, in very simple, general terms, use a form of pressure point and breathing to reset the body so it does not react to the allergen. The most well known of these is NAET but there are numerous other non-invasive methods available.

If you suffer with chronic fatigue without a known cause you may want to explore the possibility that you are suffering from Allergic Tension-Fatigue Syndrome and work to discover whether or not you have "hidden" allergies.

Fluoride Toxicity Allergy - Is Fluoride Making You Sick?

Abdominal pain, weakness and tiredness, nasty headaches, joint pains without any reason - is that you or a member of your family? Is there a simple cause and straight-forward solution, routinely overlooked by about ninety five per cent of doctors?

Water fluoridation is provided for the majority of citizens in just a small group of countries including USA, Australia and Ireland. It is allegedly for tooth decay control in children. Canada once had more than fifty percent of people using fluoridated water but is now down to about thirty five per cent, with numerous cities discontinuing.

The prevailing wisdom in government health agencies and dental associations is that fluoridated water cannot harm your health. But recent major studies, and clinical reports dating back 60 years, say otherwise.

In 2006 the US National Research Council published the report of its three year review of the toxicology of fluoride in drinking water. It looked at all levels of fluoride from much higher than used in fluoridation schemes through to lower levels. It found that there are clear risks to consumers, particular vulnerable subsets such as infants using tap water with fluoride, kidney patients and the very large numbers of people with thyroid disease or iodine deficiency. Many of the health risks detailed were long term damage from many years of fluoride accumulation, but this article examines another kind of vulnerable water consumer, those with allergy-like, rapid reactions to fluoride.

When fluoridation was first introduced in the USA through the 1940s and 50s, clinicians such as a President of the American Academy of Allergy Dr George Waldbott, wrote up series of case histories of patients suffering adverse reactions when their water became fluoridated. It was only proved to be fluoride causing the sickness when patients spent time in another city free from fluoride, and returned home getting sick each time. Clinical challenge tests were also performed in the surgery to confirm diagnosis.

Two decades later exactly the same kinds of symptoms were discovered in large numbers of sufferers in the Netherlands when a medical team conducted double blind trials on them in Amsterdam. Some doctors had patients living in the fluoridated and non-fluoridated suburbs and noticed the difference, leading to setting up the team to examine the fluoride illness scientifically. Fluoridation was abandoned, and in fact outlawed by the Parliament, following the results of the trial headed by Dr Hans Moolenburgh.

This subset of people develop nasty toxic symptoms within hours, or a day or two of starting to use fluoridated water. The symptoms come on like an allergy. These people are the two or three per cent with extra high sensitivity to fluoride's toxic action.

The kind of illness they develop ranges through colicky stomach and intestinal pains, severe headaches, weakness and fatigue, skin rashes, mouth ulcers, worsening of allergic conditions including wheezy breathing, blurred vision, excessive thirst and joint pains. The common themes are (a) nearly all have fatigue that is not even relieved by sleep, and (b) symptoms come on quickly and can only be relieved by completely avoiding all sources of fluoride.

Fluoridation has become so widely accepted in the handful of countries that favour it that sufferers are simply hung out to dry, to take care of themselves. Some take years to discover the cause of their suffering. Strangely, medical associations and journals rarely discuss it anymore. Propaganda from health departments claims that fluoride allergy or toxicity does not exist. Sufferers find out by word of mouth from friends or family, or from one of the more environmentally aware doctors or naturopaths they might visit.

The only way to get well if you are suffering these fluoride symptoms is to either purchase very large quantities of bottled, fluoride-free water, or fit the kind of expensive filter that removes fluoride. Then you need to use the fluoride-free water for all of your drinking water, filling the kettle for hot drinks, and cooking water. Some of the most sensitive sufferers even need to use fluoride-free water for bathing, which becomes almost impossible to achieve in a fluoridated town.

The filters that can remove fluoride are reverse osmosis units, ion exchange resin type filters and distillation. All are expensive and have their drawbacks. None are suitable for whole-of-house filtration to purify bathing and showering water.

Finally, the sufferer who has identified fluoride as the culprit needs to avoid all bottled and canned products made in a fluoridated city as these products may be made with tap water. Only painful trial and error, usually lots of errors, leads to discovering the restricted regime that will enable you to recover your health. Those who achieve it are eternally grateful, and naturally rather unhappy about the political regime that continues putting the offending fluoride into their water, while keeping the public in the dark about the harm it is causing.

Good luck; it is well worth pursuing this investigation and solution if you are suffering these problems without yet discovering why you feel so rotten.

More Adults Developing Hay Fever Symptoms

Surprising news on allergies. Hay fever is a modern disease, virtually unknown before 1800 and becoming common only during the last century. Many had believed that this condition developed during childhood, and yet more and more adults are experiencing hay fever symptoms - the constant sneezing, running eyes and nose, itching, sometimes even headaches and fatigue for the first time in their lives.

Hay fever is an allergy to pollens (the male reproductive part of the plant) from either grasses or trees. A person can be allergic to a single pollen, or more than one. When these particles come into contact with the tissue in the nose or eyes, they set off an immune reaction in your own body that brings the symptoms of congestion, sneezing, itching and runny nose. As you know if you have it, it's hard to treat because the way an allergy affects the body is quite complex, and different in each of us.

With all it can tell us, medicine still cannot predict when people who are atopic (genetically predisposed to allergies) will start to experience symptoms. One theory on the timing of allergies holds that it may be something around you that triggers allergies in those who have the genetics for it. What that something is, experts still cannot say. Some believe that sufferers may in fact experience symptoms in childhood, but they are so mild that they go unnoticed. Even in the teen years, things aren't so bothersome that treatment is needed.

There is also no shortage of blame cast toward pollution somehow contributing to the mix, or the more sanitized environments we've created for ourselves that keep our children from being exposed to, and developing defenses against, infections. Interesting that researchers in Austria found that young children in regular contact with farm animals are less likely to have allergies later in life. They are also three times less sensitive to hay fever, four times less likely to have asthma than those living in a non-rural environment.

The best the experts can say on what causes allergies is that we cannot say for sure why this troublesome condition develops. More work needs to be done.

Hay fever in the U.S. affects more than 35 million Americans, and in the U.K. between 15% and 20% of the population is thought to be dealing with the discomforts that come with the warmer weather. The numbers are higher amongst teens, with the symptoms typically peaking in the 20s. But not everyone follows this pattern. Allergy specialists, estimate that the number of allergy sufferers has doubled in a 20-year period.

What can you do to help yourself be more comfortable?

- Find out what type of pollen causes your allergy so you can minimize your exposure, and start treating yourself at the right time. April symptoms are typically from tree pollen. Symptoms in May, June and July suggest grasses as the culprit. If your symptoms hold off until late summer, it's likely weed pollen and mold spores as the allergen.

- Avoid activity outdoors in the early morning, when pollen counts are at their highest. Stay inside on dry, windy days.

- Use a high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter in your bedroom, and an allergy grade filter on any ventilation system.

- Shower and wash your hair when you get home, and keep windows closed, especially in bedrooms. Use air-conditioning whenever possible. Bring in washing hung outside before nightfall, as pollen levels go up at night.

- Try wrap around sunglasses to protect your eyes when outside, and wear a dust mask if you need to do yard work.

- Avoid mowing the lawn or raking leaves, as this stirs up pollen.

- Talk with your doctor about treatment. Antihistamine pills, eye drops and nasal sprays work to calm the body's allergic reaction, but do have some side effects. You'll want to start using your treatment two weeks before you expect your hay fever symptoms to start.

Allergy Induced Tinnitus - What You Must Know About Allergy Induced Tinnitus

Millions of people unfortunately have to bare the frustrating symptoms of allergy induced Tinnitus every year and the symptoms can be tolerable to those that suffer from it all day. Tinnitus is when from a number of reasons your ears begin to develop a ringing or buzzing sound inside them that doesn't go away for a time frame of minutes to hours.

These noises can sound like beep or a buzzing much like a wasp or bee flying close to head sounds like and as you can imagine that would be very challenging to listen to all day long. Allergy induced Tinnitus is on the rise due to the changes in the environment and from all the pollutants in the air as well. Many people begin the having he noises in their ears from an ear infection that causes a series of other problems inside the ear. Adults commonly do not experience ear aches or infections at least not nearly as often as children do so for them to have one should raise a flag to go and have it treated right away.

Allergy induced Tinnitus is rooted from mucus forming inside the throat and ears to cause an infection or swelling inside the ear canals which results in the noises starting to occur. If you currently take medication for your allergies and Tinnitus still remains, you may need to have a stronger version of a prescription allergy medication to cure your symptoms. If your allergies are seasonal related then try to avoid being in environments outdoors that cause your Tinnitus to flare up.

Many people also develop allergy induced Tinnitus from food allergies, which is uncommon but it does happen. Another strange twist for patients with this ailment is if they were taking a certain antibiotic when their symptoms began as hundreds of cases of tinnitus have been reported over the last few years as a result of taking them.

Speak with your doctor, an audiologist or a allergy specialist to find some other useful tactics to combat your symptoms as they certainly have the resources to help you out. If going to the doctor is not your cup of tea, then try some of the home remedies that have helped millions of sufferers. Ear waxing, ear drumming and changing their lives to be healthier ones have been beneficial to these patients. By eating right and sleeping well you can dramatically reduce the noisy episodes inside your ears and also improve your body to provide it with increased energy and less stress throughout the day in the process. Wearing ear buds during loud activities and while swimming is a must for tinnitus patients to not increase their chances of bringing the noises back to life. Some people even find relief sleeping with ear phones on a relaxing station at a very low volume to calm them to sleep better and to mask out some of ringing noises they may be hearing. Keep your allergies at bay by knowing what you're allergic to and staying away from it as much as possible to avoid the reactions you get from them and to stop the tinnitus completely.