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Back to School for the Child with Allergies
27 Jul 2010 at 1:10am

If your child has nasal allergies, asthma, food allergies or insect allergies, you need to be prepared before sending them to school. It should be expected that your child's allergy or asthma symptoms may worsen at school, and therefore they need to be treated there. Children with asthma should have albuterol available as well as a plan for when to use it, such as before physical education and if asthma symptoms occur. Those with food and insect allergies should have avoidance information as well as an Epi-Pen available to treat severe reactions. Don't wait for something bad to happen - put a plan into place BEFORE the school year starts so that your child can be treated at school if needed.

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Back to School for the Child with Allergies originally appeared on About.com Allergies on Tuesday, July 27th, 2010 at 01:10:10.

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Benadryl is a commonly used over-the-counter antihistamine taken for the treatment of various allergic conditions, such as nasal allergies, eye allergies and skin allergies such as hives. While Benadryl is reasonably effective, at least for a few hours, it is far too sedating to be taken on a routine basis. Learn more about the pros and cons of taking Benadryl, and the better treatment options that are available.

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Should You Be Taking Benadryl For Your Allergies? originally appeared on About.com Allergies on Tuesday, July 20th, 2010 at 02:01:48.

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Plants from the Toxicodendron family are the most common cause of allergic contact dermatitis, and include poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac. Coming into contact with these plants can cause a rash consisting of a linear, or streak-like, group of itchy blisters or bumps.

The chemicals released from the plants, called urushiols, cause the itchy rash. Urushiol can be carried on the fur of animals, garden tools, sports equipment and clothing. The smoke from burning Toxicodendron leaves can also carry urushiol, and can result in inflammation in the lungs if inhaled.

Patch testing is not necessary for Toxicodendron plants, since most people would have a positive test and the diagnosis is made clinically. Treatment involves avoidance of exposure to these plants, and the use of topical steroids to reduce the rash and itching.

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Poison Oak, Ivy and Sumac Season originally appeared on About.com Allergies on Tuesday, July 13th, 2010 at 01:48:08.

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Most people don't like taking medications, especially when they're young and otherwise healthy, as is the case for many people with asthma. So it's not surprising that many asthmatics stop taking their controller medications during the summertime. After all, the weather's warm, they're less likely to get sick (which triggers asthma), most people have less stress (school's out), and have more control over their activities (they're less likely to experience exercise-induced asthma). What is surprising to me is how many doctors support taking the summer off from asthma medications.

There are many reasons why stopping asthma medications during the summer is a bad idea. First, it's rare to have the underlying problem of asthma -- inflammation of the lungs -- go away during the summertime. This means that stopping asthma medicines during the summer leaves inflammation untreated, which could lead to complications from asthma (such as emergency room visits and hospitalizations). Second, asthma attacks during the summer are still very possible, especially with a variety of asthma triggers around during this time of year (grass pollen, barbeque smoke, and lots of outdoor activities). Lastly, and probably most important, is that one of the most common times of the year for asthma attacks in kids is within the first few weeks of starting back at school -- as a result of exposure to cold and flu viruses.

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Don't Take a Summer Vacation From Your Asthma Medications originally appeared on About.com Allergies on Tuesday, July 6th, 2010 at 01:11:11.

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Apple is the innovator of a seemingly constant supply of interesting new electronic products -- from Mac laptops to iPods, to the newest iPhones and iPads -- it seems that just about everyone either has or wants to purchase a new Apple computer product. These new products are covered in a new "aluminum and stainless steel" alloy that is quite striking and beautiful. It seems, however, that some people have experienced allergic reactions to this metal, in the form on allergic contact dermatitis. It's possible that the metal alloy used as the exterior to many new Apple products contains some amount of nickel - which causes itchy, blistering rashes in some people. It will be interesting to see if there are more and more reports of people having reactions to their Apple computer product as the popularity of these items continues to grow.

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Do You Have iAllergy? originally appeared on About.com Allergies on Sunday, June 27th, 2010 at 01:28:34.

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Most people experience shortness of breath with exercise, but how much shortness of breath is normal, and when does it become abnormal? When the shortness of breath lasts for many minutes after exercise has stopped, or is associated with wheezing, coughing or chest tightness, it could be due to exercise-induced asthma. Most asthmatics have worsening symptoms during exercise, but some people only have asthma symptoms when they exercise - not when they're sick or when their allergies are flaring up. Could you or your child have exercise-induced asthma?

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Exercise-Induced Asthma originally appeared on About.com Allergies on Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010 at 02:09:35.

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Insect allergies are a major problem during the summer months. People are more likely to participate in outdoor activities, such as swimming, hiking and yard work, and therefore are likely to come into contact with various insects. These insects, which are enjoying the warm weather as well, can sting people. Most people experience some type of reaction after being stung by a bee or bitten by a mosquito. Usually, these reactions include pain and swelling around the sting. Allergic reactions can also occur as a result of a sting, and can even be life-threatening. Find out more about insect sting and bite allergy, who should undergo testing, and the treatments that are available.

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Take the Sting Out of Summer Allergies originally appeared on About.com Allergies on Tuesday, June 15th, 2010 at 00:31:52.

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A recent study showed that a sublingual immunotherapy tablet for grass allergy, Grazax, has shown continued benefit for 2 years after the the therapy was stopped. Grazax, which contains grass allergen, has been available in Europe for the treatment of allergic rhinitis (hay fever), allergic conjunctivitis (eye allergies), and allergic asthma due to grass pollen. This is a form of sublingual (or under the tongue) immunotherapy, which actually changes the way a person's body reacts to allergens. Immunotherapy is the only allergy therapy that can make a person less allergic and reduce or eliminate the need for allergy medications. The best part of immunotherapy is that the benefit continues for many years even after the immunotherapy is stopped.

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Sublingual Grass Immunotherapy Tablet Shows Long-Term Allergy Benefit originally appeared on About.com Allergies on Tuesday, June 8th, 2010 at 00:52:21.

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Many people got a bit too much sun exposure this past weekend as a result of a trip to the beach, an outdoor barbecue, or from just catching up on work in the garden. Most people thought enough about this sun exposure to slather sunblock on their exposed skin before going outside. But, that sunblock just might have caused a problem -- an itchy rash caused by an allergic reaction to the active ingredient in the sunblock. Sunblock allergy is not as rare as you think -- many people suffer from this unusual allergy -- which leads to an unpleasant dilemma. Should you risk getting a bad sunburn, or should you protect your skin by using sunblock, knowing that you'll pay the price with an itchy rash in 1-2 days? You may not have to make this unpleasant choice!

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Sunblock Allergy? originally appeared on About.com Allergies on Monday, May 31st, 2010 at 01:08:22.

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Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start of summer -- a time for being outdoors with friends and family. Many people go camping, picnic at the beach, or barbeque in the backyard. But along with these outdoor activities comes the possibility of outdoor allergies. Allergies to summer pollens, stinging and biting insects, hidden food ingredients, and smoke from campfires and barbeques can ruin an otherwise perfect activity for some people.

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Summer Allergies Are Here! originally appeared on About.com Allergies on Tuesday, May 25th, 2010 at 00:39:25.

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