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An owner of a thoroughbred mare in the United Kingdom says her horse has an allergy to grass that requires her to give the horse anti-histamines. (March 23)

Bed bug and dust mite buyers guide

Up to 50 million Americans, including 2 million children, have some type of allergy. For most people, allergies are just an inconvenience. According to the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Disease, they are a major cause of disability in the U.S. In fact, it has been estimated that allergies account for the loss of over two million school days per year.

What Are Allergies?

An allergy is an overreaction of the immune system toward a substance that is typically harmless to most people. But in someone with an allergy, the body’s immune system treats the substance, called an allergen, as an invader and reacts inappropriately resulting in harm to the person.

Who Gets Allergies?

Children inherit allergic tendencies from their parents. A few children have allergies in spite of no family member having these, but if one parent has allergies, there is a one in four chance that a child will also have allergies. The risk increases if both parents have allergies.

Do I Have an Allergy to Something?

Some allergies are fairly easy to identify because the pattern of symptoms following certain exposures can be hard to miss. But other allergies are less obvious because they can masquerade as other conditions.

How Are Allergies Treated?

There is no cure for allergies, but symptomatic relief is possible. The most effective is by reducing or eliminating exposure to allergens. If reducing exposure is not feasible or is ineffective, medications may be prescribed. In some cases, an allergist may recommend immunotherapy (allergy shots) to help desensitize you. There are also medications you might be able to give yourself, including antihistamines and inhaled or nasal spray steroids. One medical suggestion is: ZYRTEC®

Just 1 dose of ZYRTEC® (cetirizine HCl) a day can keep allergy symptoms under control, year-round. Symptoms from both indoor allergies, like pet dander and dust. And outdoor allergies, like trees and ragweed. Plus, ZYRTEC is approved to treat indoor allergies in infants 6 months and up.

Some common allergies include those to:

Grasses

Mold Spores

Marsh Elder

Ash

Pigweed

Oak

Fall Elm

Mesquito

Elm

Sage

Red Berry Juniper

Pecan

Mountain Cedar

Ragweed

Willow

Privet

Cats

Dogs

Bees

Peanuts

Dust Mites

Food

Metals/nickle:

40 percent increase in nickel allergies is blamed on the new body piercing rage. Also some ingest nickel in foods and from chewing pens and paper clips.

Cobalt and chromium can also produce allergic reactions, but to a lesser degree than nickel. once a nickel allergy develops, it lasts for a lifetime.

Animals:

All warm-blooded, furry animals, such as the average household pet, can cause allergic reactions. This is because of proteins in their saliva, dander, and urine. When the animal licks itself, the saliva gets on the fur. As the saliva dries, protein particles become airborne and work their way into fabrics in the home. Cats are the “worst offenders” because their salivary protein is extremely tiny and they tend to lick themselves more than other animals.

Pollen:

Pollen is another important cause of allergies. Pollen allergies are seasonal. Trees, weeds, and grasses release these tiny particles into the air to fertilize other plants. Most people know pollen allergy as hay fever or rose fever.

Cockroach:

Cockroach body parts and waste products are also a major household allergen, especially in inner cities. Asthma rates of inner city children are high, probably due to air pollution and also cockroach exposure in overcrowded buildings.

Mold: One of the most commen allergen.

What is Mold?

Molds are fungi that thrive both indoors and out in warm, moist environments. As with pollen, mold spores are released into the air to reproduce. Mold is produced by several varieties of fungus. These fungi are single-celled organisms that have been around since the beginning of time.

Where can molds be found?

Although molds can be seasonal, many thrive year-round, especially those indoors. Outdoor molds may be found in poor drainage areas, such as in piles of rotting leaves or compost piles. Indoor mold thrives in

dark, moist and poorly ventilated places, such as bathrooms, kitchens, laundry rooms or damp basements (especially after flooding).

How do I know if I have a mold build up?

A mold test kit can be a easy soultion but does cost money, or you can simpley check crawl spaces for standing water, look for condensation forming around windows, and dampness in or on basement walls. If you are experiencing health problems, check bathrooms, bedrooms and family rooms as well. Mold requires three things to grow and multiply. It requires dampness, warmth, and a food source. Find areas that have these three things and you will surely find mold and mildew. Also a musty odor suggests mold growth.

How does mold affect my health?

Only in recent years have medical authorities realized what a health risk the kind of mold that grows in wet basements can be. According to the New York City Department of Health, in people who are allergic to it, mold can cause:

respiratory and eye irritation

flu-like symptoms

fatigue

trouble breathing

coughing

sinus congestions

nausea

chronic headache

loss of memory

other symptoms

Also when mold starts to reproduce inside a home, it can eat away at the structure, causing thousands of dollars in damage

How can I prevent mold build up and how can I keep allergy symptoms down?

Mold requires three things to grow and multiply. It requires dampness, warmth, and a food source. Simpley make sure you dont allow all three things to take place in your house. Mold is everywhere, and you wont completly rid yourself of ever having any contact with mold, but you can surley battle it.

Mold and mildew release mold spores in the air that can float throughout the house. There are several mold cleaning, prevention, and mold removal methods to deal with this problem. 2 suggestions are: Bio-Kleen and Sure Cote Mildew Resistant Coating.

Bio-Kleen can be used in any application in which you want to inhibit colonies of mold, mildew, alga, bacteria and other odor causing organisms. Easy to apply by spraying, wiping or soaking. Allow to air dry.

Sure Cote is a clear non-yellowing , non-toxic, odorless, interior/exterior, mildew resistant coating. It is designed to protect any surface exposed to moisture, high humidity or weather. Will not discolor, stain, stiffen or harm any surface which it recommended for use and gives year round protection.

It is important to try and prevent mold and mildew growth, but if it’s too late, try mold remediation and mold removal.

Allergic reactions can manifest themselves in many different physical ways, most of them extremely unpleasant. In the case of environmental allergens such as hay fever or pet dander, it is possible to limit allergic reaction severity by focusing on a diet that boosts the body?s ability to fight off reaction effects. Many of the materials that are found in medicinal allergy relief are extracted from naturally occurring ingredients in certain foods and drinks, and including these in your diet will help to alleviate your allergic symptoms. It is important to remember that these foods are for fighting environmentally triggered allergies only, and the only way to avoid food allergy symptoms is to avoid the food that cause it.

Green tea is quickly making a name for itself as a general purpose, natural cure-all. Recent studies have shown that green tea may help to combat environmental allergies as one of its many treatment applications. In an article published in The Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, Japanese scientists claim to have isolated a compound found in green tea that blocks one of the cell receptors that is key in triggering the allergic response. Because green tea is less processed than any other kind of tea, its natural composition remains unaltered and thus the compounds within it are more concentrated and better able to produce results than those found in different varieties of tea.

The acids found in Omega-3 fatty acids also are beneficial in fighting allergies, as the acid acts as a natural anti-inflammatory

by countering the formation of inflammatory chemicals. There are several foods which are very high in Omega-3 fatty acids, including several kinds of seafood and fish; salmon, haddock, herring, trout, mackerel, and sardines are all full of these acids. Other sources of Omega-3 fatty acids are soybeans, flaxseed, walnuts, and canola, and the fatty acids are also available in a more concentrated version through the oils derived from these foods. These oils can easily be included in your daily meals by adding them to the ingredients for your cooking.

Foods that have a high level of Vitamin E are also excellent in combating allergic reactions. Some of these foods include greens, which are also very strong-tasting. Spinach greens, mustard greens, chard and mustard greens are all very high in Vitamin E. The highest Vitamin E food is far and away dried sunflower seeds, which contain almost 91% of the recommended daily intake of the vitamin. Almonds are also high in Vitamin E, as are olives, papaya, and fresh blueberries. Any of these foods are an easy addition to a regular diet.

One last food to consider when thinking about intakes that will limit your allergic reactions are juices. Natural fruit juices are high in antioxidants, which help to fight the inflammatory effects that allergies produce. Make sure when you buy juice, though, that it is indeed natural. Many juices on the market do not contain a lot of natural juice, and it is the natural juice that is essential when it comes to containing antioxidants.

Article Source: http://www.findmysearch.com/allergies-resources/

Joel Santoso 2007. For answers to All your frequently asked questions about allergy information resorces, please go to: http://www.findmysearch.com/allergies-resources/

A recent study has reported the use of tattoo in boosting immune response to DNA vaccines. Pokorna et al1 revealed this startling discovery in their recent paper published in the online open access journal Genetic Vaccines and Therapy. At last, tattoo which used to be mere fashion is now synonymous with medicine and tattooists are now taking the centre stage in science. The emergence of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) vaccines over the past decade appeared to be a promising approach for inducing better and lasting immune responses as compared to traditional vaccines e.g. sub-unit, live, attenuated vaccines etc2. A DNA vaccine contains a nucleotide sequence encoding a key antigenic determinant from a given pathogen, which is then injected into a host, then transcribed and translated by host cells into protein which is degraded into peptides that are foreign to the host3. The essence of this is to produce protein that induces immune response in the host against a given pathogen and therefore confers immunity on the host. DNA vaccine technology offers considerable promise for the improvement of existing immunisation strategies. In 1990, Jon Wolff 4 and colleagues found that intramuscular injection of naked DNA into mice could be taken up by the cell and expressed in minute amount. Since it had been shown that simple injection of plasmid DNA vectors or naked DNA could stimulate both cellular (cell-mediated) and humoral (antibodies) responses, various studies have come up on how to optimise the efficacy of DNA vaccination. It is assumed that the slow development of immune responses after DNA vaccination is due to the fact only a small number of cells take up the injected, foreign DNA. In a recent study by Pokorna et al.1, they were able to show that vaccination via tattooing could induce stronger humoral and cellular immune responses than intramuscular delivery supported by molecular adjuvants. This discovery has opened door for better understanding on how to boost the efficacy of DNA vaccines for better preventive and therapeutic immunization. This discovery has shown that tattoos are not just for fashion but an important phenomenon in medicine and this may cause “attention shift to the tattooists”

Tattooing is an invasive procedure involving a solid vibrating needle that repeatedly punctures the skin, causing wound both to the epidermis and the upper dermis in the process and results in cutaneous (skin) inflammation and healing5.

Picture showing human skin being tattooed with the tattoo device (Not able to load picture)

Modified tattooing devices have been used in medical research for delivery of various materials into the skin such as viruses to induce papillomas in mice and rabbits, pigments to study processes associated with cosmetic tattooing and DNA for prospective gene therapy of skin disorder. Although DNA delivery by tattooing seems to produce better humoral and cellular immune response as compared to other methods of DNA vaccines delivery, Pokorna and others are able to show through comparison that the immune response generated by tattooing even produces better immune response than DNA vaccines plus adjuvants delivered intramuscularly. They compared DNA immunisation protocols using different routes of administration (intramuscular injection versus intradermal tattoo) and two types of molecular adjuvants (cardiotoxin pretreatment versus granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) DNA co-delivery) using mouse model. Gene encoding the L1 major capsid protein of the human papilloma-virus type 16 (HPV 16) was used as the model antigen. This had been shown to be highly immunogenic in previous experiment using intramuscular administration of DNA in combination with cardiotoxin pre-treatment.  PUF3L1h and pBSC/GM-CSF plasmids were used for the induction of antigen-specific immune responses and as adjuvant respectively.

To evaluate immune response upon DNA vaccination using the different protocols, the authors immunised anaesthetised mice with DNA four times. Each of them received 50 micrgrams of pUF3L1h plasmid (six groups) or pBSC/GM-CSF plasmid (control group) as a single immunisation dose (Days 0, 14, 28 and 98). Another two groups of mice were given a mixture of 50 microgram of pUF3L1h DNA and 50 microgram pBSC/GM-CSF DNA each in a single dose. The tattooed DNA was delivered in a 10 microlitre TE (Tween 80 and diethyl ether) buffer for single plasmid administration or a 20 microlitre TE buffer for the mixture of plasmids in one or two drops to the shaved skin, this was followed by tattooing with a 7-linear needle using a commercial tattoo machine. Although the procedure was well tolerated, swelling and reddening of the skin was observed. In addition, some mice were pretreated with 50 microlitres of cardiotoxin five days prior to the first DNA immunisation.

Blood collection from these immunised mice was done 10 days after the third and nine days after the fourth DNA immunisation. An antigen capture ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent) assay was used for detection and end point titration assays of HPV 16 L1-specific antibodies, and an ELISPOT assay to measure L1-specific cellular immune responses.

The researchers found that efficacy of DNA vaccine delivered intramuscularly was substantially enhanced with cardiotoxin pretreatment or GM-CSF DNA co-delivery but had virtually no effect on the intradermal tattoo vaccination. Both adjuvants had better effect after three rather than four immunisations. However, three immunisations using tattooing method without an adjuvant induced significantly higher L1-specific humoral immune responses than three or four intramuscular DNA injections supported by molecular adjuvants. Tattooing also triggered significantly higher L1-specific cellular immune responses than DNA combined with adjuvants and delivered intramuscularly.

Other methods such as in vivo electroporation (Mechanical method used to introduce polar molecules into a host cell through the cell membrane) and gene gun delivery are used to deliver DNA vaccines into the host cells. However, intramuscular administration of DNA vaccine by simple injection is considered to be one of the less effective routes of DNA vaccination6, 7. Although intramuscular DNA immunisation has the potential to result in conventional priming as well as cross priming both at the protein and nucleic acid levels, effort is being geared towards improving uptake  and the expression of plasmid in professional antigen presenting cells8. What brought tattooing to limelight in science is the recent knowledge about its usefulness in generating better immune response upon DNA vaccination. Several groups have been working on how to trigger better immune response upon DNA vaccination9, 10. They combined their knowledge of immunology and DNA technology to explain what happen upon delivery of DNA into the host cells. They found that when the DNA vaccine is introduced into the cell through intramuscular injection, the genes are transcribed and there will be protein production in the cytoplasm. The secreted proteins induce cytokines, T helper cells and antibodies that will react and eliminate the pathogen. These cytokines or the DNA itself in the immune cascade activates natural killer cells leading to killing of virus infected cells8. It is conceivable that tattooing generates robust local tissue injury which attracts leukocytes and this leads to local release of cytokines.

2. Mechanism of action of DNA vaccines in a muscle cell (Not able to load picture).

The plasmid DNA is introduced into the nucleus of the cell. It is transcribed and translated to make pathogen-derived protein in the cytoplasm. Some of this protein moves outside of the cell, where it is either bound by antibody molecules on B cells or phagocytosed by macrophages. Either way, the protein gets digested inside these cells into small peptides and placed in the binding groove of a cell surface protein called the class II major histocompatibility complex (MHC II), much like a hot dog fits into a bun. T cell receptors (TCRs) on the surface of helper T cells can recognize these peptides as being foreign to the body, and therefore from an invading pathogen. Once the peptides are bound and recognized as foreign by the TCR, the helper T cell releases a variety of interleukin (IL) proteins to stimulate both arms of the immune system (humoral and cellular) to kick into action. (Brookscole)

The next task for Pokorna and colleagues was to determine the mechanism by which DNA tatto0ing in mouse model induces superior immune response to intramuscular injection. They could only speculate that this may be due to:(a) better uptake of the DNA by non-antigen presenting cells (b) better uptake of DNA by antigen-presenting cells (c) the duration of [removed]d) the induced traumata(pain) accompanying the tattooing (causing sufficient inflammation to prime the immune system). The larger surface area available for transfection of DNA into cells when using tattooing method may as well substitute for the role of GM-CSF and cardiotoxin (adjuvants), which is to attract antigen-presenting cells to the application site when using intramuscular delivery method. Taking these facts into account, it may be appropriate to say that the larger the surface area cover by DNA vaccines, the better the immune response (humoral and cellular) induced.

Although this study is an eye opener and provides startling revelation as to the importance of tattoo to science, the social and ethical aspects of this study are too important to be neglected. Despite the fact that tattooing method of DNA delivery is cost effective and the method of application is standardised, the major disadvantages are (1) the local traumata (pain) induced and (2) the procedure is somewhat cumbersome. These were also noted by the researchers. The implication of this is that this wonderful method that is assumed to be the much needed solution to the elusive approach at inducing better immune response upon DNA vaccination may end up not being useful for prophylactic vaccination in humans. Though it may be useful for routine vaccination in animals such as cattle and therapeutically in humans says the researchers. The pain that may accompany this method of DNA delivery is an issue to be considered critically. The researchers suggested a role for tattoo delivery in therapeutic vaccination for humans because of the faster and stronger immune response it induces. However, the benefit-risk ratio has to be considered before it can be generally accepted as a method of DNA vaccines delivery. Scientists may be left with little or no option as it stands now than to embrace tattooing as a way of getting out the best from DNA vaccines. The many advantages of DNA vaccines include: (1) rapid and large scale vaccine production is much cheaper than for traditional vaccines (2) these vaccines are also temperature stable; in contrast many traditional vaccines require cold storage and have a limited lifetime. This study may have provided solution to the technical hurdle faced by scientists in finding a way to efficiently deliver DNA into human cells and making sure the gene is expressed once it is inside the cell etc.

I wonder if anyone would want to have DNA vaccine delivered by tattoo machine for infections such as common cold. However, for HIV/AIDS people would dare to queue to have the tattoo because its benefit outweighs its pains. A very important question still begging for answer is: How ethical is DNA vaccines delivery by tattooing?

This study establishes a strategy for generating robust humoral and cellular immune responses in mice using DNA vaccine. Further work will be required to establish the efficacy of this straightforward and inexpensive strategy in humans.

References

1. Pokorna D. et al (2008). Genetic Vaccines and Therapy 6:4 (doi:10.1186/1479-0556-6-4)

2. Bin A.D. et al. (2005) Nature med. 11:899-904

3 .McDonnell and Askari (1999) Medscape General Medicine at http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/408733

4. Wolff J.A. et al. (1990) Science 247:1465-1468

5. Gopee N.V. et al. (2005) Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol. 209: 145-158

6. Reuter J.D. et al (2001) J. Virol. Methods 98: 127-134

7. Corder W.T. et al. (1996) Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 77: 222-226

8. Donnelly J.J. et al. (2005) J. Immunol. 175: 633-639

9.  Davis H. L. and McCluskie M.J. (1999) Microbes and Infection 1: 7-21

10. Rice J. et al. (2008) Nature Reviews 8:108-120

People face some type of allergy to all sorts of things, this may include environmental allergens, odors, fumes, food, and cigarette smoke just to name a few. Allergy treatment and testing is required when symptoms become uncomfortable and occur on a daily basis. With food allergies and small children, the process of elimination is the best way to determine which food is causing the allergic reaction. Allergy testing methods such as skin testing and blood testing are helpful, but some people may respond better to one than the other. Blood testing is particularly helpful in detecting food allergies, but if you know you’re allergic to a certain food, wouldn’t you just not eat it?

Environmental allergies are a little trickier amongst the different types of allergies. There are a number of possible triggers like weeds, trees, pollens, grasses, dust, dust mites, molds, pet dander, chemical fumes, and cigarette smoke that are all popular offenders. Skin allergy testing is a popular method that is used to diagnose different types of allergies that are severe enough to warrant this approach. Allergy treatment can then be prescribed based on the level of reaction to certain irritants. Seeking assistance from a specialist is not required for everyone with allergies. You can find quite a number of over-the-counter medications that are effective in treating symptoms, but for cases where medications don’t work one would need to consult a professional. There are a number of times where allergies are present with other conditions such as eczema and asthma, and should be assessed in conjunction to allergy treatment as they all go simultaneously. As a result of treating allergies, related conditions will either resolve themselves or lessen considerably as allergy treatment progresses.

Prescribed allergy treatment usually consists of immunotherapy which is also known as allergy shots, that expose allergy sufferers to little amounts of the offending allergens in gradually increased doses that over time reduces symptoms. Make sure that substance that triggers severe allergic reactions, for example certain foods like (shellfish, eggs and peanuts) and bee stings is avoided completely. One must remember that avoidance is the only allergy treatment in this case, aside from using an Epi-Pen and/or Benadryl in cases wherein an accidental exposure may take place. People who are afflicted with allergies should try different allergy treatments and combinations in order to experience any significant relief. Over a period of time allergies decreases and may in due course disappear thus requiring a lesser amount of allergy treatment. There are a number of resources online you can look into about allergy treatments like http://ww.allergies.about.com, http://www.medicinenet.com, or http://www.drgreene.com where you will find a world of information about allergy treatments right at your fingertips.

Ilan Meister directed this ad production for BANG Healthcare Marketing.

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Dealing with season allergy symptoms has become a fact of life for many of us. This year has been officially called the worst allergy season ever. People who have never suffered of any type of allergies have reported season allergy symptoms such as itchy eyes, runny noses, sneezing etc.

Fact is more then 20% of American population suffers with some sort of allergies; 14 million visiting their doctor and it was estimated 4 million sick days will be taken due to the season allergy. Hartford, Connecticut took the number one position in seasonal allergies this year due to high pollen count.

Here are some myths and facts to treat the season allergy:

* Myth cold medications. These medications are only efficient for colds and will not help in any way your allergy symptoms. Do not have them even if friends and family tell you they are effective. Only allergy medications will help you get relief.

* Myth air purifiers. It is true that this will help to a certain degree, because keeping the air clean, which the air purifier achieves, is part of keeping the allergies at bay, however, they cannot clean out pollen.

* Fact Over the counter medications do work. Those that are available in pharmacies are great provided you already know that you are suffering from season allergy. Do not self medicate.

* Fact Know your condition and be aware of the foods and places that trigger the allergies. Avoid the following (to name a few): carrots, apples and pears.

* Fact Have a shower before you get to bed. Cleaning off all the dust and pollen is very effective. You can even take a shower when you get back home for fast relief.

* Fact sunglasses block pollen from getting into your eyes preventing you effectively from season allergy.

Treating season allergy symptoms is not as simple as some new set of laws do restrict over the counter sale of some decongestants. That is any medication containing pseudoephedrine will be sold only by prescription and that too limited amount a month.

The good news that is many of the over the counter drugs are very effective and can cure you of the season allergy.

Surviving season allergy is not an easy task, it’s something you have to constantly be conscious about and in control of; with constant surveillance and organization, care and a lot of love and understanding from your family you should get through even the worst of the seasons.

By allergy the immune system react against a substance that it is not supposed to react against, and the reaction is often exaggerated. Objects containing substances that commonly cause allergy are domestic dust, animal hair, household chemicals, chlorine, microorganisms, pollen, nuts, citrus fruits and seafood. Also bacteria and parasites can cause inappropriately strong immune reactions.

THE MECHANISMS OF ALLERGY

The total set of reactions occurring by allergy is very complicated. Many of these are the same as by normal immune reaction, even though they occur when they should not take place, Here are listed some of these reactions:

By exposure to a new substance, cells in the immune system learn to recognize that substance (allergen), and it learns to produce anti-bodies towards the substance, and a certain amount of antibodies is produced. The type of anti-bodies called IgE is the most important by allergic reactions.

IgE will glue itself to some cells in the blood called mast-cells, and stick out from the surface of these cells. By following exposures to antigens, these will attach themselves to the IgE-ends sticking out from the mast-cells. This will trigger the mast-cells to produce histamine and other signal substances. These signal substances will then spread through the surrounding tissues.

The signal substances will then trigger the walls of small blood vessels to leak fluid into the tissues and accumulate in the tissues. This will cause tissue swelling. They also will cause blood vessels to widen and thus increase the blood stream in the tissues. The consequence of this will be swelling and redness in the affected body parts. The signal substances will also make glands in the tissue produce more mucus, making symptoms like running nose and tight throat.

The new exposures to the antigens will also provoke even more anti-body production. The antibodies will also glue allergens together to bigger complexes. These complexes can clog small blood vessels and in other ways disturb the function of the affected organ.

The allergen-antibody-complexes are then recognized by the cells and other mechanisms that the body uses to collect and eliminate garbage. Eater-cells gather and engulf the complexes.

The immune system also will make enzymes that attack the antigens to break them down. Also this production is stimulated when antigens attach themselves to anti-bodies at cell surfaces. But these enzymes are not entirely specific, and can also to some extend break down components of the body’s own tissue, causing harm and disease symptoms.

WHAT CAUSES THE IMMUNE SYSTEM TO REACT WITH ALLERGY TO A SUBSTANCE

In the beginning of the life of a person, the immune system has the potency to react against most substances in the body itself and the surroundings. However, there are mechanisms that learn the immune system to recognize normal substances found in the daily life in the early infanthood, and suppress the reactions against these. If this learning mechanism is disturbed, allergy can develop.

Allergy can also develop if a small child is never exposed to substances that later will be a normal ingredient of his daily life. In this case the immune system will not get the chance to suppress the reaction against this substance. Letting a small child grow up in an exaggerated clean and sterile environment can therefore cause allergies.

On the other hand, certain elements not being a port of a normal environment can cause allergies by repeated and massive exposure. Examples of such substances are chlorine.

TYPES OF ALLERGIES

Allergy varies according to the compound that causes the immunological reaction. An allergic condition also often implies reaction against a combination of several substances. Common substances causing allergy are: Pollen, domestic dust, mites in domestic dust, moulds and mould spores, chlorine, chemicals in soaps and cosmetics, animal hair, seafood, strawberry, fish, parasites, medicines like anaesthetics and antibiotics

An allergic condition may periodically get better or worse according to the concentration of the allergen in the environment. A typical example is pollen allergy with peaks in the pollination season of grass or treas.

An allergic person will often get symptoms from several tissues in the body, but the symptoms are often most prominent at one body part and give very specific symptoms at that site. Examples of specific conditions often caused by allergy are eczema in the skin and asthma in the lungs and lower airpipe.

THE SYMPTOMS OF ALLERGY

Any organ can exhibit allergic reactions, but often the symptoms are confined mainly to one organ or organ system.

By allergic reactions in the respiratory system there will be symptoms like: Itching and soreness in the throat and nose cavities, swelling of the airway tissues, increased amount of secrets in the airway cavities and coughing. There may also be asthmatic symptoms or fully developed asthma. The main symptom of asthma is cramping that constricts the airways all the way down into the lungs (constriction of the trachea and tracholes).

By allergic reactions in the skin, there will be symptoms like: Redness, swelling, red spots, itching and soars.

HOW TO PREVENT ALLERGY

To prevent allergies in an individual the best way, one must begin in early childhood.

A child must be allowed to get in contact with natural elements like earth, dirt, animals, plants, physical contact with other humans, and the like. This exposure to natural elements must occur before an allergy has developed. In this way the immune system will learn to recognize common and harmless elements, and not overreact against this later in life.

Research projects have found out that children having much and early contact with pet animals like cats and dogs have a less chance of getting allergic problems later than children not having contact with pets. This is contrary to what many people believe.

On the other hands, every person should be protected from early childhood from certain elements normally not found in a natural environment, for example chlorine, soaps and cosmetics with artificial substances, and food containing unnatural additives.

METHODS TO TREAT ALLERGY

The first approach in the treatment of manifest allergy is avoiding exposure to substances causing the allergic reactions. Even though exposure to natural substances can prevent allergy, exposure to an allergen should be avoided when an allergy already has developed. Ways of doing this is:

- Avoiding food one reacts against

- Avoiding contact with animals one have an allergic reaction towards

- Keeping rooms, clothes beds and furniture well cleaned

- Avoiding use of cleaners, soaps and cosmetics with unnatural additives

- Avoiding foods, drinks and snacks with unnatural additives

- Avoiding daily exposure to chlorine and other chemicals

- In cooperation with your doctor change medicines you use that may cause allergy with others

- Avoiding growth of moulds in the environment. This is done by well cleaning and keeping the environment dry.

Children are often exposed to allergens at school, and adults are often exposed at work. Parents with allergic children must inspect the school environment and require from the school administration and teachers that practically possible environmental measures are provided to keep the school free from allergens. An employee should require the same from his employer.

If you do not know exactly everything you react against, you can try to stop exposure to one factor after another, until you feel that the allergy alleviates, and then keep this factor out of your daily life for the future.

Sometimes avoiding allergens is difficult to accomplish, or make the lifestyle to restricted to be acceptable. Then one must apply medical treatment that alleviates the allergy.

A common way of treating allergy is applying medication that block the effect of the substance histamine, and thereby alleviate or prevent the symptoms occurring when the antigen get into the body.

Another way is desensitisation treatment. By this treatment one let the body get a controlled and gradually increasing exposure to the allergens over a time period, and when this period is over, one let the body get recurrent exposure to a controlled dose at regular time intervals. By this treatment the response from the immune system from the allergens gradually decrease, partly because the immune system thereby learns to recognize the allergens as harmless, and partly because the antibodies against the allergens are used up.

There are also natural products on the marked that contain ingredients that help the immune system to react more appropriately. Important effects of these products are reduced histamine secretion and increased histamine metabolism. Examples of ingredients in such medicines are: Methylsulfonyl methane, vitamin C, vitamin E, Echinacea purpurea, Quercetin, grape Seed, Stinging nettle, Coleus Forskolin