1.  MYTH:  Mold allergies can’t affect you if you stay away from “moldy” places like basements, cellars and other dark, damp places.

FACT:  Mold spores are carried by the wind.  People who are allergic to mold suffer most in the summer and early fall with seasonal allergies.   In warm climates, they thrive year round.   Walking through tall vegetation or even cutting the grass can set off mold allergies.

2. MYTH:  Food intolerances and food allergies are the same thing.

FACT:  Someone with a food intolerance is unable to digest and process the food due to a lack of a certain enzyme or enzymes.  A food allergy occurs when a person’s immune system generates an antibody response to the ingested food.

3.  MYTH:  Children usually outgrow food allergies.

FACT:  Children are ten times more likely than adults to have food allergies–peanut allergies, wheat allergies, gluten allergies, etc.    Some researchers believe that as the gastrointenstinal system develops, it gets better at blocking the absorption of foods that trigger food allergies.  Over time, children usually outgrow allergies to cow’s milk, eggs, wheat and soybean products.  But allergies to peanuts, tree nuts, fish and shellfish can be lifelong.  And, too, some children outgrow one or two allergies, only to develop others.

4.  MYTH: People who suffer from cat or dog allergy symptoms are allergic to their fur.

FACT:  Ten to 15% of the population suffers from cat and dog allergy symptoms.  The allergen is a specific protein produced not in the animal’s fur, but mostly in its skin, and to a lesser extent, in its urine and saliva.   When the animal is petted or brushed, or even as it rubs against people or furniture, microscopic flakes of skin called dander become airborne.  All cats and dogs have skin, and so there are no non-allergic breeds.   However, short-haired pets have less hair to shed and send less dander into the air, making them preferable pets for people with allergies.  Dogs are half as likely to cause allergic reactions as cats.

5.   MYTH:  Moving to the Southwestern states will cure allergies.

FACT:  There is no safe place beyond allergy symptoms.  Desert regions have no ragweed, but they do have plenty of other plants that produce pollen including sagebrush, cottonwood, ash and olive trees.  Relocating may help for the initial first months, but a new group of allergies to local plants will most likely develop after that.

6.  MYTH:  Eating raw local honey will help prevent and alleviate allergy and allergy asthma symptoms, as it builds up a tolerance to the area’s pollens.

FACT:  A University of Connecticut 2002 study showed that local and nationally produced honey did not relieve or prevent symptoms better than a placebo.  Most studies have shown it not be effective as an allergy treatment  or in preventing allergy symptoms.

7.  MYTH:  Foods that contain omega-3 fatty acids such as fish, almonds and flax seeds are worthless against seasonal allergies and allergy symptoms in general.

FACT:  A study from the State University of New York at Stony Brook, as well as other studies, found that foods containing omega-3 fatty acids may help decrease respiratory symptoms by lessening inflammation.

Related posts:

1. The Facts About Allergies and What You Can Do About Them

One out of six Americans suffers from allergic disease.  Millions of dollars are spent on medications, physician services and missed days from work and school.

What Exactly Is An Allergy?

You are well aware of what allergy symptoms an allergy produces in your body, but do you understand what an allergy is?  It is an abnormal over-reaction to an ordinarily harmless substance called an allergen.  When an allergen such as dust mites allergy, pollen (especially in seasonal allergies), or latex, is absorbed into the body of an allergic person, the person’s body views it as an invader.  This institutes a chain reaction of events.  The immune system’s white blood cells produce IgE antibodies.  These attach themselves to special cells called mast cells.  This causes a release of histamine which are potent chemicals.  It is the histamines which cause the runny nose, watery eyes, itching and sneezing.

What are some common allergies?

You can be allergic to one substance or several.  The most common allergens are mold, pollens, dust mites, animal dander with dog and cat allergy symptoms, food allergies such as wheat, gluten and peanut allergies,   medications, cockroach droppings and insect stings.

Is there only one type of allergic reaction?

You probably know the answer to this one from trading allergy stories with friends and acquaintances.  A variety of allergic reactions are possible depending on the allergen and how it gets into the body.

Eczema or atopic dermatitis is a non-contagious rash that itches.  It most often occurs on the hands, arms, legs and neck, but it can cover the entire body.  This condition is frequently related to allergies.

A reaction affecting areas of the skin which become red, itchy and inflamed after contact with allergens or irritants such as plants, cosmetics, medications, metals and chemicals is called contact dermatitis.

Approximately 25 percent of the people in the U.S. will have an experience of having hives at least once.  Uticaria or hives are red, itchy, swollen areas of the skin.  They can vary in size and appear anywhere on the body.  The most common hive reaction is where the cause is identifiable as a reaction to a viral infection, medication, food or latex.  Some unfortunate people have chronic hives almost daily for months or years without an identifiable trigger.

Angioedema is a swelling of the deep layers of the skin.  It is not red or itchy.  It most often occurs in soft tissue such as eyelids or mouth.  Hives and angioedema may occur together or separately.

What exactly is an allergist?

An allergist/clinical immunologist is a pediatrician or internist who has spent two to three years of specialized training in the diagnosis and treatment of allergic and immunologic disease.   A first office visit with this type of doctor usually consists of giving a personal history including a detailed record of the illness, family history, a description of home and work or school environments.  Then the doctor will start allergy testing you by injecting minute amounts of allergens into your skin.   An allergist can help you create a safe management plan so that you might better control your environment.  Proper medication and perhaps immunotherapy may be included in this plan.

It is worthwhile to get screened by an allergist even if you have decided to forego conventional treatments and pursue natural allergy relief because he or she can provide suggestions for better managing your environment and your allergies.

What is immunotherapy?

Immunotherapy or “allergy shots” is recommended for patients who have symptoms for most of the year that are moderate to severe.  These are usually patients who do not respond sufficiently to medications, and whose symptoms are set off by allergens that are hard to avoid such as pollens or house dust mites (no matter how clean you keep your house).

Immunotherapy is used to treat patients who are sensitive to inhaled allergens such as pollens, molds, animal dander and house dust.  It also works well for those with insect allergies such as bee stings.  It is not recommended for food allergies because food allergies can be life threatening and there is a chance of a severe allergy reaction to the injection.

Can I ever be cured of my allergies?

The allergy tendency is genetically inherited.  Don’t look for a cure, but do work towards keeping your allergies under control.  Early detection, proper usage of medications and simple allergen avoidance techniques will keep allergies under control.

Related posts:

1. Myths and Facts About Allergies That Might Surprise You
2. Coping with Seasonal Allergies in Traditional and Alternative Ways
3. Indoor Allergens – What they are and how to get rid of them

Traveling with allergies can be problematic sometimes, and you may not have considered the potential pitfalls.

• If you are very allergic to animals, make sure the destination (hotel room or friend’s house) has not had pets recently, depending on your sensitivity. Many hotel chains allow pets in their rooms, so it is important to check on this.
• You can check the pollen counts at your destination and compare them to pollen counts in your area to gauge if you may have problems. You can also see which plants are most active in the area.
• If you have mold allergies, check the mold levels of your accommodations. Your hotel staff may not be forthcoming with this information unless you stress the importance of it to your safety. You may want to check with a manager on this.
• If you are allergic to down fillers in pillows or comforters, check to see that they are removed (if this will help you), or make sure you stay someplace where there hasn’t been any down-filled bedding for the past few months or more, depending on your sensitivity.
• Bring your own pillows, or at least bring allergen-barrier pillow encasings. You may even want to bring your own linens and blankets, depending on your sensitivity.
• Consider bringing an air purifier with you. Some purifiers with HEPA filters can be small enough to fit into a suitcase. You can use it in your hotel room to filter some of the pollutants and allergens.
• En Route:
  • Food Allergies:
    If you have food allergies, you will can call the airline and ask them to direct you to find the contents of the meals. Many airlines make this information available on a website for just this purpose. Since fewer and fewer meals are served on planes, you will probably do well to pack your own food anyway. This will save a lot of hassle in the airport restaurants. And, you don’t want to be at 30,000 feet discovering that the waitress at the sandwich shop didn’t actually know what was in your food.
  • Peanut Allergies:
    If you have extremely severe peanut allergies, there are airlines that serve pretzels now instead of peanuts. Check with your airline.
  • Getting an oxygen supply on the plane:
    If you are very seriously asthmatic, you may even want to consider having a supply of oxygen made available to you on the plane. It may run about $100 per flight for this service (so, $200 if you are changing planes once), but with a doctor’s note, many airlines can make this accommodation.
  • Portable Nebulizer:
    Consider a portable nebulizer for the plane, car, or other places where you can’t plug in a regular nebulizer. These run from $100 to over $500, depending on the model.

Related posts:

1. Travel and Chemical Allergies
2. Travel Checklist