Allergy Relief Resource and Guide

When my son was around 2 years old my pediatrician started to suspect that he might have a possible gluten allergy. I, of course, had never heard of this. I didn’t even know what gluten was. It was a scary diagnosis because the more research I did the more I knew this could change my son’s life forever. I was even further terrified by the possibility that it could go beyond a gluten allergy into the realm of celiac disease.

What is Gluten?

There is a rubbery like protein in various grains that is causing a many problems for a growing number of across our country and around our world. This substance has been around for thousands of years, and is a naturally occurring one. This protein is called gluten and is found in wheat, rye, barley and a low level in oats as well. This protein helps bind the dough together, causing it to rise when baked. These grains can cause a gluten allergy in those who are sensitive, yet other proteins in the grains can also cause symptoms as well. There are four primary proteins that are found in gluten-containing grains. These are albumin, globulin, gliadin, and glutenin.

Symptoms of Gluten Allergy

The symptoms from any of these proteins can be quite similar.

Symptoms of gluten allergy can include:

• abdominal cramps
• swelling
• vomiting
• asthma

Symptoms could potentially be life threatening if you are very sensitive.

Diagnosis and Treatment Options

Often, many people have gone many years with problems from gluten allergy before being properly diagnosed. It is very important to locate a trained professional who is skilled in these types of issues when dealing with gluten allergy. My pediatrician sent me to a specialist to dig into my son’s symptoms further.

A skin prick can sometimes be used to detect an allergy to wheat but a true gluten allergy is more often confirmed through a blood test. Since wheat is found in so many daily food items, it is difficult to find the true culprit of the symptoms sometimes. Yet, with diligence, it can be done. If a gluten reaction is very severe, then the patient should be told to eliminate all gluten-containing products from one’s diet. However, some doctors suggest that if the gluten allergy is minor, that small amounts may be introduced with time. More people agree that an elimination diet is a far better approach.

Gluten Allergy versus Celiac Disease

Gluten allergy should not be confused with gluten intolerance or celiac disease, which is a hereditary disorder and is auto-immune in nature. The gluten actually damages the intestinal lining in this disease, causing food to be improperly absorbed by the body. Celiac disease requires that gluten be eliminated from the diet totally and for life. Celiac disease is more prevalent in certain races and since I am married to an Irish man I thought this could explain why I had never heard of it since I am of Latin descent.

Luckily for us when the dust settled my son was diagnosed with a mild lactose intolerance but the experience opened my eyes to the challenges someone could have if they had a gluten allergy or worse yet Celiac Disease. While living with a gluten allergy or intolerance can be a challenge learning how to manage it through your diet is definitely worth it.

Many people seemed to think that dogs are immune from many of our ailments but they are not. Dogs get skin allergies just like some of us do. Dog skin allergies can make your dog’s life miserable. Most dog owners think of their pet as a member of their family so you want to make sure that you help them feel better if you can. They can’t talk so it is up to you to notice their symptoms.

What Are Some of the Symptoms of Dog Skin Allergies?

If your pet is consistently scratching or sneezing whenever they come in from outside, or if you notice a rash on their skin, your pet may have dog skin allergies. Dog skin allergies can cause your pet to break out in rashes. In many cases they can even lose their fur in certain areas of their body. Depending on the severity of the dog skin allergy, you should take your pet into the vet at the first sign of an allergic reaction to determine what is causing your dog’s skin allergy.

The Vet is Your Best Bet

A variety of things can be causing your dog’s allergic reaction. Only a visit to your veterinarian can confirm your suspicions. If this is the case, your vet can test your pet to see what he or she is allergic to and what is causing their dog skin allergic reactions. If it’s something that’s in your yard, such as a certain plant or flower, you should get rid of it immediately. Similarly, if it’s something in your house that is causing your dog’s skin allergy, you should remove that, as well. Your vet may also be able to prescribe some kind of medication, either topical or ingested, that can help to alleviate some of the symptoms they are experiencing.

Dog is man’s best friend and, for that reason, you want to make sure your pet is in top physical condition. If they are constantly suffering and you make no effort to find out why, you aren’t showing your pet the love they deserve. Make an appointment with the vet to see what is causing this discomfort. If your vet determines that your dog has dog skin allergies, ask what can be done about it. If something needs to be removed from your house or yard, then remove it, your pet is well worth it.

Your Dog Can Have a Normal Life

Dog skin allergies can affect the quality of your dog’s life. It is up to you to pay attention to them and examine them when they are showing symptoms of dog skin allergies. Your veterinarian will give you the strategies and treatment options to help you manage the dog skin allergies. It is up to you to make sure you do everything to make sure the canine member of the family is feeling as well as he can.

Nowadays your daily allergy alert can seem as important as the terror alert level. This may seem like an exaggeration but if you experience allergy symptoms daily you need to know when to seek allergy relief. Sometimes getting your treatment beforehand can make the difference in whether you will be able to do your day to day chores or not.

Allergy Relief Does Not Always Come in a Pill

As an alternative to prescription allergy medications and over-the-counter drugs, many people are seeking help for controlling their allergies by natural and alternative methods and treatments. The first helpful approach that many look to is that of herbal remedies. Various herbs offer help for allergy relief, such as garlic. Garlic helps to draw inflammation out of the body in areas such as the sinuses and lungs. It helps to expel excess mucus as well, helping the overall allergy symptom to be reduced. Sinus and allergy relief continues to get more important as more people experience chronic sinus infections associated with allergies.

Allergy Relief from Food Allergies

Other herbs such as slippery elm also have soothing qualities to the intestinal lining, which help to alleviate many allergic reactions from foods.
Making positive changes in one’s diet can also affect the sensitivity of allergic reactions as well. Often, people are allergic to a food that they are ingesting, yet they have no idea that this is what is causing their symptoms. Allergy relief comes as a result of finding our what foods you are allergic to by getting tested. Allergists then typically recommend an elimination diet. The most common sources of food allergies are dairy, wheat, eggs, citrus and peanuts. When a person adopts a healthier diet of whole foods, fruits, clean meats and vegetables, then they begin to experience allergy relief that may have eluded them through other allergy treatments. Other treatments that are being used for allergy relief are acupuncture, iridology, and massage therapy. Each of these therapies has good qualities that will help a person to overcome serious and chronic allergies.

Allergy relief can also come in the form of minerals, vitamins and other supplements. Ensuring that one gets the proper amount of calcium, magnesium, and omega-3 fatty acids, such as fish or flax oil are very important in helping to maintain a healthy immune system. Taking B-vitamins and a good multi-vitamin can also be useful when trying to get allergies under control.

As can be seen by the above options allergy relief can be found by exploring all of your options. Don’t narrow down your options to the over the counter standard that your neighbor may recommend. Natural, alternative options as allergy treatments continue to grow. Don’t be afraid to try something you might consider exotic like acupuncture. You may even be able to manage your food allergies solely by natural allergy treatments and dietary intervention. Isn’t your health worth exploring all your options?

Dogs for people with allergies do exist. Many people these days would love to have the companionship provided by a dog of their own but suffer from allergies that prevent them from this pleasure. If you would have asked me if there were really options for people who suffer from dog allergies a few years ago I would have said to go get a bird or a fish but now I have discovered that there are a wide variety of dogs for people with allergies. Science has played a role by cross breeding certain types of dogs.

If you are like the many people allergic to dogs you may find yourself sneezing when you are around them or in a house of a dog owner. These allergy symptoms can be caused by the dogs fur or the dander that comes off their skin. Dander is similar to the dandruff in humans.

One of the many hypoallergenic dogs available today is the Cockapoo. This dog is a mix of Cocker Spaniel with a Poodle. You may ask why this combination and the reason is a bigger sized dog that sheds less since Poodles don’t shed. If you are into smaller dogs a Poodle might be a good choice for you since they are one of the best dogs for people with allergies.

A great place to get a list and ideas for getting allergy free dogs is your local pet store. You may also find that some dogs may cause more severe allergic reactions than others. Just because your brother’s German Sheppard sends you into allergic fits doesn’t mean that all dogs will give you that severe a reaction.

So what are some good dogs for people with allergies?

Here is a list of some of the popular ones:

• Poodle
• Cockapoodle
• Labropoodle
• Yorkipoo
• Border Terrier
• Bedlington Terrier
• Bichon Frise
• Chinese Crested
• Irish Water Spaniel
• Mexican Hairless
• Kerry Blue Terrier
• Maltese
• Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier
• Spanish Water Dog
• Portuguese Water Dog
• Schnauzer

Be sure to ask your pet store or veterinarian about the sizes. Some people may prefer larger dogs versus smaller ones. Some people may want more macho looking dogs like the Labropoodle. You need to make sure you find the right dog that does not shed. As you can see by the above list there are many dogs for people with allergies. You too can find that special dog that is not only your pet but your friend. Don’t forget the basics of cleaning your dog regularly and vacuuming as well. This will help you have the best relationship you can have with your hypoallergenic dog.

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Food allergies are often confused with a food intolerance. True food allergies affect a very small percentage of the population. Adults that fall into this category are estimated at two to three percent. Children are estimated at six to eight percent. The typical example of a food intolerance is lactose. Those with this intolerance find it hard to drink milk or eat dairy products without getting an upset stomach. Intolerance to a specific food is not considered an allergy until or unless the immune system is affected. A true allergy consists of the immune system malfunctioning. It reacts to a particular allergen as though it were a harmful substance. In this case the trigger would be the specific type of food.

Foods That Can Cause Food Allergies

Here is the typical list of offenders but keep in mind that almost any food can cause an allergic reaction.

• eggs

• soy

• milk

• wheat

• nuts

• fish

My sister has an allergy to eggs. She falls into the typical category of an allergy prone person. She has had severe eczema at times and even in her 40s still has asthma. Asthma and eczema usually indicate that you will be allergic to one or many things and that you might be more likely to experience food allergies. Food allergies can encompass a whole range of foods once identified. Think about the fact that eggs are used as an ingredient in so many foods. You always have to be conscious of the ingredient list even when you go to restaurants.

Symptoms of a Food Allergy

• itching

• hives

• swelling of the mouth (possibly including lips)

• cramps

• nausea

• diarrhea

• watery eyes

• runny nose

• dizziness

• difficulty breathing

• accelerated heartbeat

The symptoms of a food allergy can range from mild to severe. Seek medical attention immediately because the sooner you get there the more they can relieve your discomfort. Even if you have a mild reaction if it does not go away you should seek medical advice. Your primary care physician will more than likely refer you to an allergist to confirm that you have a food allergy and not just a food intolerance.

How to Treat Food Allergies

Once your allergist has diagnosed your food allergy the simplest treatment is to avoid the foods all together. Please keep in mind that mild allergies can be treated by over the counter antihistamines. If your food allergies cause a more severe reaction do not waste time. These reactions can be life threatening and will need professional emergency medical care. Whether you suffer from food allergies or food intolerance knowledge is power. Be vigilant when choosing what to eat.

Is man’s best friend becoming your worst enemy? People who suffer from dog allergies can feel pretty conflicted. On one hand they love their canine friend but on the other they suffer with a variety of symptoms that can make their lives miserable. If you aren’t sure whether you are allergic to dogs or want to figure out strategies for managing your symptoms so that you can keep your Lassie, then this article is for you.

Pets are pretty common in American households 6 out of 10 homes have one. Unfortunately the numbers also show that 1 out of every 10 people suffers from some sort of animal allergy. When it comes to pets cats tend to be the worst culprit in causing allergies but dogs are right behind them. Since dog allergies are a common problem, the good news is that there is a lot of information available on how to treat and manage an allergic reaction to your pet. If your reaction is not severe, and if you do not have other serious complications such as asthma, you should be able to successfully manage your allergic condition so that you can experience many symptom-free days.

How to Identify Your Dog Allergy

The most recommended strategy for identifying dog allergies is to remove the person you suspect is allergic from the environment. This can be done for a week or two to see whether the person experiences any of the symptoms they were complaining about. You might think it would be easier to remove the dog but pet dander can remain in the environment that the animal lives in for up to six months after the pet is removed. If moving the person away for a couple of weeks is too difficult, you can also ask your doctor to perform an allergy test in his office to see if the person indeed has a dog allergy.

What Treatment Options Do You Have?

Dog allergies are usually associated with dander or saliva of the animal. These allergens tend to cling to many surfaces. They also can hang around for a long time. This quality makes it difficult to completely rid a home of the allergens responsible for dog allergies, even if the animal is removed. It generally will take up to six months for the home to become free of allergens once the pet is removed.

The drastic treatment is to give the dog to another good home. This can be a big problem because family members are usually attached to the dog and consider him a part of the family. This option can be the last resort unless you have someone that just can not live with their symptoms. An example of this would be someone with asthma.

If the symptoms are mild there are other options. First, keep your pet out of the bedroom. This is an area where you spend a significant amount of your time, particularly sleeping. Get rid of old carpet that can harbor the allergens. Go for bare floors, in our house we always start out with hardwood floors and use throw rugs that can be washed in hot water. An air cleaner with a HEPA filter can also be an effective way to keep allergens at bay in certain areas of your house, Oreck has a great line of air purifiers that can help.

Dog allergies may be a common problem but you can learn to manage them. If all else fails and you do have to get rid of your beloved pet you might be able to replace them with a dog breed that is known to cause less dog allergies.