Hives (Urticaria) Symptoms, Causes and Treatment

Urticaria is the medical terminology for the very common condition known as hives which appear on the skin as pale pink patches, welts, or bumps and typically cause great discomfort due to the fact that they are extremely itchy.
At some point in their lifetime, ten to twenty percent of individuals will experience this condition. These hives are caused by an allergic reaction and are most commonly caused by foods which contain certain chemicals and medications which can be prescription or over the counter.
In some cases when an individual has contracted a viral infection these hives will appear and typically last for a few days but can last as long as a few weeks.
Some of the most common food products known to cause hives are shellfish, nuts including products which contain nut ingredients such as peanut butter, dairy products such as eggs and milk, or chocolate.
Medications which can cause hives include over the counter and prescription drugs such as, antibiotics, pain relievers, natural supplements, laxatives, and numerous others. Other common causes of hives include many products which come into direct contact with the skin such as certain body washes and laundry detergents.
Because of the simple fact that so many things can cause hives, it is essential for individuals who are experiencing them on a regular basis to keep track of everything they ingest or come in contact with to aid them in determining what is causing their condition.
In the majority of cases Urticaria can be treated by identification of the product or substance which is causing the reaction and avoiding contact with the product or eliminating certain foods from the individual's diet.
Other forms of treatment may include prescription antihistamines which work best when taken on a regular basis as they can prevent the hives from surfacing. In severe cases of Urticaria, an individual may be injected with epinephrine which is commonly referred to as adrenalin or cortisone which is a steroid. However, while the cortisone shots are very effective, they can only be given on a very limited basis.

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Home Remedies to Clear Sinusitis Mucus and Congestion

Sinusitis is a common condition. Both acute and chronic infections affect a large number of people. One of the characteristic symptoms is sinusitis mucus and congestion in the nasal passages. Infections are often treated with antibiotics, but there are home remedies that can be used to relieve the symptoms.
A sinus infection can be caused by colds and flu's, when an infection spreads from the nose to the sinuses. However, sinuses can also be blocked and irritated because of a reaction to allergens and irritants: hay fever sufferers react to certain pollens, and some people are sensitive to chemicals in household products, air fresheners or even cosmetics. Whatever the cause, the main symptoms are blocked nose, pain in the cheeks and the forehead, a headache that can start from the sinus area and spread all over the face, as well as ear ache or even tooth ache. In acute cases there is often fever, and the patient can also have a sore throat.
Most acute infections go away within a week, but many people also suffer from recurring symptoms or chronic infection in the sinuses. Most of the time these are treated with a course of antibiotics. There are also some simple home treatments that can be used to ease the pain and the congestion.
A traditional natural remedy is steam inhalation. Many doctors recommend this treatment too, and it can be used even if you are taking antibiotics or other medicines. Inhaling steaming hot water from a bowl for up to ten minutes can clear the nasal passages and also fights the bacteria. You can add some essential oils or aromatherapy oils into the hot water for increased effect. Some of the best oils to use are Eucalyptus and Pine, but there are also many aromatherapy blends available from chemists and health stores that are specifically created for this purpose. When making an inhalation, prepare a bowl of nearly boiling water and place your head above the water but not too close so you do not burn your skin. Cover your head and the bowl with a large towel and inhale the steams deeply. You can repeat this treatment several times a day, especially if there is a lot of pain.

You can also try massaging the face very gently, if it does not hurt. Light massage around the nose and the forehead, and over the cheekbones, can be helpful in clearing the sinusitis mucus.http://www.allergy-zero.com/

Honeywell Hepa Air Purifier - Why Choose Honeywell Hepa Air Purifier For Your Home

If you suffer from allergies, asthma or any other breathing difficulty at day or at night - Honeywell Hepa air purifier could be your next best friend.
This small device will remove 99.97% of what's troubling your breathing and will turn your home into an allergens-free space. It will purify the air in rooms up to 390 square feet in size.
The Honeywell Hepa Air Purifier cleans:
1. Dust mite
2. Allergens
3. Mold spores
4. Tobacco smoke
5. Pollen,
6. Animal hair and dander
7. Bacteria and viruses
8. Pollutants
The Honeywell Enviracaire portable room air purifiers are the most popular on the market. This air purifier will do the thinking for you and monitor when it is time to change the filters. There are 2 filters that need replacement: One - every 4 months or so, and the other every 2 years. It also has a 5 year warranty!
Why choose a true HEPA Filter?
1. True Hepa Filters do not produce any ozone, which can trigger breathing difficulties if you suffer from allergies or asthma.
2. Hepa filters never need replacement. It's more convenient like that, and it saves you money on replacement.
3. Most air purifiers can cause a lot of noise actually. Hepa filter have a quieter operation. It actually makes a "white noise" that relaxes you (sounds like soft wind) at night.
4. Easy to clean, the permanent HEPA filter helps you save money over the long run and can be vacuumed out about twice a year for cleaning.
How Does it Work?
The air in your house gets sucked into the appliance, and all of the pollutants, allergens, dust and animal hair are filtered out by one of two filters. The first filter is a carbon filter - it handles large particles that everyone can see, like dust and lint. The second filter handles all the things that you can't see (and wouldn't want to believe me...). Depending on your air quality, you'll have to change that one every 2 years. The device offers 3 different speeds.
In conclusion, the Honeywell Hepa Air Purifier is the best value purifier you can get for your home.

How Children Can Overcome Their Egg Allergy

It's not easy living with an egg allergy - especially if you eat out, buy prepackaged foods, or eat fast foods. Eggs are in so many food products these days, that you can be eating eggs without even knowing it.
Eggs are an ingredient in many breakfast cereals, lots of breads, nearly all baked goods, tons of sauces, and frozen foods of all kinds. Much like those who suffer from a peanut allergy, if you have an egg allergy you are going to have to become extremely proficient at reading labels to ensure that you don't have a negative reaction to foods.
It's not uncommon for many kids to have allergies as infants and then to lose it by they enter grade school. But some researchers believe that the process can be hastened by intentionally exposing them to eggs that have been heat treated over a period of months.
In a study published by the Allergy and Clinical Immunology journal, 94 children with egg allergies were gradually exposed to heat treated eggs. The heat treated eggs were in the form of baked goods such as breads and cakes. After six months they were then tested with less processed eggs and ninety five percent had no reaction. This strongly indicates that those who suffer from egg allergies can gradually build up their tolerance to eggs through mild exposure to heated egg products over a series of months.
When a person has an egg allergy, he actually has an allergy to the egg proteins. An egg allergy is triggered by a person's immune system overreacting to proteins in the egg. Thinking that the proteins are a danger to the body, the person's system begins to create antibodies to combat the intruders. The antibodies, in turn, cause the body to release hormones into the body - called histamines. These histamines are the real cause of the reactions that many people immediately begin to experience such as shortness of breath, hives, and stomach aches.
Egg allergy is primary a child's disease. By the time a child reaches the age of about 5, he has most likely outgrown the allergy. In a very small percentage of cases, however, the child doesn't develop a tolerance for eggs and continues to have allergic reactions into adulthood.
Recent studies suggest, however, that it is possible to lessen the amount of time that it takes a child's immune system to become tolerant of eggs by slowly and continually exposing her to heat treated eggs over a six months period. The same may be true for adults, but it has not yet been tested.
An allergic reaction to eggs is usually instantaneous - within minutes. The person may develop hives and he may develop extreme redness in the facial area. The reaction can also affect the person's breathing making it difficult to draw breaths. In extreme cases, it can also cause the face to swell up and close the airway passages and possibly trigger an asthma attack. Reactions vary from person to person, but even in the worse cases, the attack is normally completely over in less than twenty four hours.

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How to Beat Spring and Summer Allergies

Many people suffer with spring and summer allergies. Most cases are mild, but severe outbreaks can cause a person to lose time from work or school and prevent getting routine activities accomplished. There are some things that can be done to help prevent allergic outbreaks from occurring.
Allergies occur from the immune system reacting to certain substances that are in the environment, such as mold, animal dander and pollen. These substances are harmless to most people, but if a person is allergic they can develop symptoms from the body's reaction to the allergen. It is believed that two out of every ten people in the United States suffer with allergies.
Typical symptoms of allergies are watery and itchy eyes, runny nose, sneezing, rashes and feeling ill or tired. Symptoms vary in degrees from mild to severe. Mild symptoms usually go unnoticed with just a bit of ill-feeling. Moderate allergic symptoms can make a person feel like they have a cold or flu and severe reactions can cause feelings of extreme discomfort, causing a person to be unable to function properly.
The best thing a person can do to avoid spring and summer allergies is find the cause and eliminate it, or if that's impossible, avoid it. Of course that can't always be done, since everyone can't stay in the house 24 hour a day, or worse yet, wear a protective mask around. No, these aren't practical ways, but some things are easy to do and will definitely help keep those allergy attacks under control.
Pollen is the number one cause of most spring and summer allergies. Pollen allergies cause hay fever and many people suffer with this common ailment. This can be caused from blooming trees, ragweed, grasses and other flowering weeds. This allergen can cause a person to feel exhausted, affect hearing, have difficulty with breathing and can even cloud the mind causing the inability to focus and think properly.

With new and improved nonprescription medications, people can continue their life without being bothered by these irritating problems. Many of the newer allergy medications are now non-sedating and affordable. Also avoiding outdoors activities as much as possible and keeping doors and windows closed will help prevent the pollen from entering. When riding in the car, keep the windows up and shower and change clothes after going out, as the pollen can stick to skin and clothes, causing someone to carry the culprit around with them, completely unaware of it.http://www.allergy-zero.com/

How to Deal With Poison Ivy Rash

Among all that leafy growth, however, poison ivy also grows. Every year, many outdoor lovers suffer from ivy rashes. How can you treat poison ivy once you've gotten it? And is there anything you can do to prevent getting a rash in the first place?
Prevention & Treatment of Poison Ivy Rashes
It would make sense to try and prevent ivy rashes to begin with. If you love being outdoors, chances are you will encounter ivy and you may not always be able to avoid coming in contact with it. It's not also reasonable to wear long-sleeve pants and shirts. Even then, you may still get poison ivy on exposed parts of your body. If this is a regular problem for you, you may want to try a poison ivy cream. These creams are a sort of poison ivy block. IvyBlock, Ivy Shield, and Tecnu block the plant's resin from contacting your skin.
If you do come in contact with poison ivy, a basic method of preventing poison ivy rashes is to wash right away with soap and water. The sooner, the better, as you'll be able to wash off a better part of the resin on your skin. However, you may not be able to do this or even realize you need to in some cases. Products like Zanfel can be applied after the fact to prevent a rash from forming. If you plan to be far from civilization, and therefore a sink and soap, consider carrying a product like this with you.
What about after the fact? You've been exposed, you didn't wash it off, and now you have a rash? There are different ways to deal with the itching and blistering. There is no cure so you just have to cope with the symptoms and wait for the rash to go away on its own (about three weeks). Calamine lotion is a common aid to reducing the itchiness but it also dries up blisters and helps the rash to heal faster. Cortisone can help with itching in some cases as well. Taking cool baths with baking soda or oatmeal mixed in can reduce itchiness. Cold compresses and pastes of baking soda applied on the rash also help with the symptoms.
If your ivy rashes gets worse or is covering a good portion of your body, you may want to see a doctor. Sometimes calamine lotion and oatmeal baths are not enough. If the symptoms are bad enough, you may need to go on a regimen of prednisone or another oral medication to heal. If this is the case, make sure you take the full prescribed amount; don't stop just because you're feeling better. The ivy could return and be just as bad or worse if you don't completely kill it with the medication.
In summary, try to prevent poison ivy rashes with a poison ivy cream such as IvyBlock. Wash off the affected skin as soon as possible or apply a preventative like Zanfel. When you have a rash, try calamine lotion, baking soda, and cold compresses to cope with the itching. And if things are looking bad or you're covered over a good portion of your body, see a doctor.
Pieter West travels the world on a regular basis and have written about numerous subjects. He has an extensive knowledge about, finances, DIY, parenting advice and many more subjects.

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How to Find a Natural Cure For Your Allergies

The most important factor in searching for natural cures for Allergies is the ability to discern hype from reality and facts from fiction.
There are many books published on this particular topic, not to mention the hundreds if not thousands of websites and splash pages found any day of the week on the Internet, advertising quick cures, amazing results using one product or another and faith healing remedies to cure many health issues, including Allergies. How do you sieve through to find the best natural cure and do they really work? Is your search over?
On the contrary, it is just beginning. Your first task in finding a natural cure for Allergies, must begin with a firm understanding of the medical cause and symptoms behind this problem. Why does our body react this way? What may be triggering your allergies? What vitamin or mineral deficiencies can lead to allergies. Are your symptoms common? Is it hereditary?
A great and popular medical resource that provides some of these answers is found at WEBMD.COM. With their easy A - Z Health Guide, you can quickly search and find allergy-related information. Another site which offers a unique online interactive method of sourcing medical information is DRJAINHEALTHCORNER.COM. Here you are able to pose your specific questions online to a team of doctors and have your health concerns personally addressed.
Other recommended medical resource sites:
WRONGDIAGNOSIS.COM
CNNHEALTH.COM
Armed with a clearer diagnosis of your particular symptom triggers, the foods to avoid, the specific vitamins and minerals that may be deficient in your system, will significantly narrow your search. Applying this method, ultimately yields greater success in your quest to find a natural cure for your allergy suffering. It will be easier to determine facts from fiction and allow you more confidence in choosing the product or procedure suited to your individual needs.
Here is a list of popular websites referencing products and procedures used for the natural cure of allergies. However, it is important to note that unless their claims have been evaluated and approved by the USFDA, it is not intended to diagnose, treat or cure.

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