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Archive for the ‘Allergy’ Category

One of the biggest problems with having pets in the home is the fact that so many people suffer an allergic reaction to them. Though when the allergy first appears it may not be obvious as to what is the cause and all possibilities need to be looked at before being certain that it is due to the pet. This can be a serious problem for the health of the person suffering from the allergy and possibly the thought of having to remove the pet from the family is one that is unbearable. The next steps would be to seek medical advice so that the real cause can be found.

If the allergy is displaying itself on the skin of the patient the then one of the many tests that are used in finding the cause is the skin test. This is usually done after a careful history of the patient has been made to find out if there is any pattern or family history of the allergy, or the likelihood of it occurring just after the pet appeared. It may sound horrifying to the sufferer of the allergy but it is very effective at finding out exactly what substance is making their body react in such a debilitating way. Of the skin allergy tests there are two types, the epidermal and the percutaneous.

Epidermal Skin Allergy Tests

The epidermis is the skin that we all see, the outer layer of our skin that gets exposed to the world and protects us from it. The first type of these is simply the Patch Test, in which suspect substances are placed against the skin and held next to it by a patch. The patch when removed about 20 minutes later will show if the epidermis has reacted to the substance and displaying any skin allergy.

Another is the Friction Test, which is useful with substances like animal hair, where it is rubbed over the forearm about 10 times to see if a reaction takes place.

Percutaneous Skin Allergy Tests

Percutaneous in this case means getting underneath the outer layer of skin and applying the substance there. This is not so bad as it sounds but requires the skin to be pricked or scratched to be able to do it effectively. The first of these tests is the Prick Test, where the substance is placed upon the skin and with something similar to a needle the skin is pricked to see if a reaction forms. There should be no bleeding; it is not a deep prick but just enough to get underneath the surface. The results of this should be seen after about 15 minutes when the substance is washed away.

Another form is the Scratch Test, where the skin is scratched, again not enough to cause any bleeding and only about 5mm long. The substance may be made into a solution to enable it to have contact with the skin, but then it is given time to see if a reaction takes place.

The final skin test here is the Intradermal Test, though this is one that can be difficult to interpret. This is where a very small sample of the substance is made into a solution and injected with a small syringe and needle. This is not the same as having an injection because it is only done just under the surface of the skin, just enough to produce a tiny bump, about 3mm on the surface. This test may take a lot longer to get the results from, in some cases over weeks but is used only in specific situations where any of the other tests above cannot work. If a reaction has taken place the area where the substance was injected will flare up.

These are the most common types of skin test used and many of the simpler epidermal ones are likely to show where the allergic is coming from. It may be the case in pet allergy that the exact cause of the allergy is found and some remedy or solution will be recommended rather than the undesired removal of the pet.

There are different types of cat allergy treatment available, but before addressing any treatment, we must first discuss what causes a cat allergy and what the symptoms are.

An allergic reaction to a cat is caused by the human body’s immune system mistaking cat hair & dander as a “dangerous substance”. The immune system is attempting to ward off these “dangerous substances”. This causes symptoms like that of hay fever.

Symptoms

There are many different allergy symptoms, but they mostly depend on what type of cat allergy you are diagnosed with: cat hair, cat dander, cat flea, or cat skin allergy. Also, there are many different types of cat allergy treatment, so different symptoms require different treatments.

Swollen and Watery Eyes

This is usually caused by tiny pieces of cat dust and dander traveling from the cat’s skin through the air and into your eyes. You will usually have itchy eyes and they will be red at times. You can get rid of the swelling and watery eyes by either removing the cat or by taking eye drops.

Wheezing and Coughing

Just as in the cause of the itchy, watery, swollen eyes, cat dust and dander can travel through the air and be breathed in through the mouth. The muscles in the airways will contract in a reaction to the dander coming in contact with your airways, resulting in difficulty breathing, coughing, and wheezing.

Excema

Sometimes cat dander will come in contact with the skin and cause itchy, red, dry sections. To remedy this, minimize scratching and moisturize the area.

Other symptoms include sneezing and running/stuffy nose.

Treatments

A cat allergy treatment is available in pill form, so your doctor may be able to subscribe something if you have symptoms of cat allergy. Another cat allergy treatment is available in the form of antihistamine nasal sprays. However, these methods provide only temporary relief. Here are some tips to minimize your cat allergies:

Keep the cat out of certain rooms.

Keep the house well-ventilated.

Vacuum often.

By knowing what the symptoms and causes for you cat allergies are, it is much easier to identify treatments. By using the information in this article, you should be able to ease your allergies quite well.

Over 80 percent of people experience skin rash caused by allergic reaction to some skin care products. Here are few do’s and dont’s that you should be aware of when experiencing skin allergy.

Do:

Avoid using skin care products that contain preservatives, fragrances, formaldehyde or propylene glycol Try diluted olive oil as a moisturizer substitute Use a chemical-free sunblock, preferably one that contains mexoryl xl/sx filter consider getting a patch test if a self-administered use test doesn’t identify the offending products

Don’t:

Rule out the possibility that something other than a skin care product is raising a skin rash Assume hypoallergenic products will not trigger a reaction. They may still contain ingredients you’re allergic to Take the word “fragrance-free” at face value. Check a product’s list of ingredients to see if it contains a masking fragrance Touch your face-especially your eyes-until your nail polish is thoroughly dry. The more coats of polish you apply, the more drying time your nails will require Start using a product you even suspect may rile your skin. Allergic reactions don’t occur the first time you use the product, and you don’t want to break into a rash a week or a month down the road

The best rule especially if you have allergic skin is stay stay in contact with your dermatologist and never “try” new things especially when it comes to skin care products. Always try small amount of product on your hand skin and leave for some time to see if there is no allergic reaction, read product labels and ingredient list.

Eczema is a skin disease that produces itchy skin with red colored rashes. These can occur on your face, hands, wrist, scalp, back of knees, elbow crease etc. Although there is no real cure for eczema, but it is possible to treat eczema symptoms with all natural remedies.

This skin problem is not contagious, however it can become chronic in nature if the skin is scratched frequently. Chronic eczema produces thick and dark colored scaly red patches.

Allergy is considered to be the main cause for eczema. Other factors like too much exposure to sun, topical medicines, drugs, exposure to dust, pollen grains etc can also trigger eczema.

When you are suffering from this problem it is best to consult a skin specialist before you start any kind of natural treatment. This is important to make sure that you are not suffering from any other problem. Your doctor may prescribe a soothing cream or an ointment to begin with. If creams and ointments do not provide relief, you may be prescribed steroids and or antibiotics. To prevent eczema from worsening you will have to stop scratching. This is extremely important.

There are several natural remedies that can be used to treat eczema symptoms. However keep in mind that a given remedy may not work for everyone. You will have to try out a few options before you find a natural remedy that works for you.

1) Grape seed extract has antioxidants that prevent the fare up of itchy skin. These antioxidants help in stopping the allergic response of your skin and thus help prevent eczema flare up.

2) Omega fatty acids have been found to be beneficial in controlling any kind of skin allergy including eczema. Flaxseed oil contains these essential omega fatty acids that help to treat eczema symptoms.

3) Some studies have shown fish oil to be effective in treatment of chronic eczema. This oil works by controlling the skin inflammation and itchy skin. If you don’t eat fish you can take fish oil capsules.

4) Another oil that has been found to be very effective for treating eczema is primrose oil. Regular use of this oil will control the inflammation of skin and help in revitalizing your skin. If you use this oil for your skin, you may not need the topical creams anymore.

5) Proper hydration of skin can really help treat eczema symptoms naturally. Drink plenty of water every day so that your skin has sufficient amount of moisture.

6) Aloe Vera has found to be extremely beneficial for all kinds of skin ailments including eczema. You can apply Aloe Vera gel to your skin or drink Aloe Vera juice for a healthy and glowing skin.

Try some of these natural remedies to treat eczema symptoms. If you require a foolproof method for treatment of this skin problem, you should go for a complete natural solution.

Are you having problems because your dog is suffering from canine skin allergies? Do you know that dog skin allergy is a common condition that is cast upon many pets? This dog skin condition is a nightmare for the pet owners.

This is a serious issue affecting many pets with sensitive skin. They will go through a lot of suffering associated with the side effects from their skin allergies. This will be happening on a daily basis until the condition is eradicated.

Not unlike humans, dogs will develop skin allergies that can be caused by the food they eat or it can be related to their general environment. There are various other reasons for your dogs skin infections including seasonal factors.

The symptoms will include various outward signs and the most obvious sign you will see are dog skin irritations with constant scratching. Another sign will be your pet sneezing all the time.

You will see that the itching becomes so relentless that many infected dogs start to lose their coat.

You are very fortunate that there are actions that you can take to quickly give your pet some welcome relief. There are home remedies for dog allergies available which will allow you to treat your pets symptoms to give them relief and which will make life more bearable for all concerned.

Among the most effective home remedies for itchy skin dog allergies is a colloidal oatmeal bath to give some fast relief.

When your dog starts to show signs of excessive itchy skin and keeps continually scratching, one of the first things that you should do is give dog a colloidal oatmeal bath. This will be a very effective way to help ease those symptoms. You must mix and apply the colloidal oatmeal in cool water.

If your dog is licking and scratching at his paws, then it is most likely that this is the part where it is getting the brunt of the allergic irritation.

In these circumstances, you should consider giving him a bath with Epsom salts as I find that this is an ideal way for nursing dogs with these symptoms.

You must take every precaution to prevent him from drinking the bathing water.

Until you find out what exactly is causing his allergies it would be worth considering altering your dogs diet and to change his bedding with an alternative bedding format.

If the bedding material is cotton then this could be causing the reaction. You will need to provide him with bedding consisting of an alternative material.

A simple change to their quarters and their general environment will benefit many skin allergies dogs in their recovery efforts by helping alleviate their allergy symptoms.

During different times of the year, many people are stricken by seasonal allergies, depending of course, on what they are allergic to. A common time of the year when the general population experiences this is in the spring or summer time when plants and flowers are bursting into bloom. In fact, more people each year are becoming regular suffers of unpleasant allergic reactions to seasonal irritants, as many as one in every three people.

Over-the-counter or prescription medications may help to alleviate the symptoms somewhat, but there are always side effects to consider, such as dry mouth, sleepiness or insomnia, and general irritation.

There are other more natural methods to try including a few lifestyle alterations along with the use of an allergy vitamin or other natural substances. These more natural methods may help to counter a person’s problematic reaction without having to resort to medication.

An allergic reaction occurs in a person’s body by encountering a certain allergen via inhaling it, eating it or touching it and their body rebelling against it. The person may sneeze, cough, wheeze, experience runny eyes, itchy noses, exhibit a skin rash, or have intestinal distress. The culprits that cause this may be many substances, but some of the more common ones found in nature include tree pollen, grass pollen and weed pollen.

One thing that you can do to help the sufferers in your family be more comfortable is to keep them away from cigarette smoke which tends to make their susceptible breathing system even more aggravated as they deal with dust and pollen.

Another lifestyle change is to keep your windows closed and to change your “outdoor” clothing when you re-enter your home. This will help to keep the pollen outside. Did you know that the prime-time high pollen hours are from between 5 and 10 am? It is a good idea to curtail outdoor activities during that time.

Some natural and allergy vitamin remedies to try include Stinging Nettle, Quercetin, Vitamin C and Fish Oil. Stinging Nettle is a leaf found at your local health food store.

It has been shown to aid in relieving symptoms common in hay fever. Quercetin is also a plant based remedy and helps in reducing histamine moving through the body, aiding in not only allergies, but asthma.

Vitamin C is an allergy vitamin that is well known to encourage the body’s immune system and also has been quite helpful in managing allergic reactions. Fish Oil has wonderful anti-inflammatory properties which help to soothe the lungs.