If you have a wheat allergy than you are already aware of the fact that bread, pasta and batter fried foods are three of the common foods that you must avoid. The reason for this is that all of these foods contain some kind of wheat, which makes it all the more difficult for you to eat in the Western culture because of how many of our food products contain wheat. In fact wheat is a pervasive allergen because not only is it a staple dietary grain in the Western culture, but it is also a very common hidden allergen, it can also be found other types of products, such as hair products and arts and crafts materials

Many people don't realize that wheat allergies are actually one of the most common food allergies that people in the Western world suffer from. In fact this food allergy is actually one of the eight most common food allergies. Wheat allergies actually affect as much as 6% of children who are currently under are three, but in general wheat allergies are much less common in adults. But one common misconception that people have is that people who have a wheat allergy also have Celiac disease, and this is not true. Celiac disease is actually an autoimmune disorder that affects the body's ability to process gluten proteins, which are found in wheat, but are also found in other types of grains. The only thing that people with wheat allergies and Celiac disease have in common is their dietary restrictions.

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Posted by K at 04:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Skin allergies are common, and a problem that many allergists see; they can be really difficult to have for the sufferer because they cause a lot of discomfort and in some cases can be debilitating.

Skin allergies are what many people call the symptoms that occur on your skin when you react to other allergens. Many allergies, such as an allergy to peanuts might manifest itself on your skin with a rash, hives, etc.

There are many types of itchy skin rashes. However, not all rashes that itch are related to skin allergies. The following are the most common types of allergic skin rashes.


• Atopic Dermatitis (Eczema)


•  Contact Dermatitis

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Posted by K at 04:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A few years back peanut allergies hit the news big time. Flights were no longer serving foods or snacks because of the risk of peanut allergies, schools could not serve peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in their lunch programs, etc. The peanut allergy scare swept the nation. This awareness was good, but was a bit of an over-reaction. Let's take a look at peanut allergies so that you can be educated.

First and foremost it is important to understand what causes a peanut allergy. Like all allergies, a peanut allergy is caused by an immune system malfunction. Basically, your immune system identifies peanuts as harmful to the body. In response to the invader peanuts, your immune system will trigger the production of immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies to neutralize the peanut protein. The peanut protein is the allergen that the immune system recognizes as harmful. Well, each time you come into contact your allergy can get worse. After the first contact the IgE antibodies for peanut protein exist, so the next time you come in contact with peanuts, these IgE antibodies recognize it and signal your immune system to release histamine and other chemicals into your bloodstream to fight it.

It is the histamine and other body chemicals that cause a range of allergic symptoms. In general, histamine is partly responsible for most allergic responses. Histamines trigger the body to response with a runny nose, itchy eyes, dry throat, rashes and hives, nausea, diarrhea, labored breathing and even anaphylactic shock. Of course the degree and amount of symptoms will vary from person to person, and your immune system.

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Posted by K at 03:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Approximately 12 million Americans suffer from food allergies. Food allergies are your immune systems response to a food it believes is harmful. If your body decides a particular food is harmful, it creates specific antibodies to it. This means that the next time you consume the food; your body will release chemicals including histamine in order to protect your body. The chemicals will cause a release of allergic symptoms that affect your respiratory system, gastrointestinal tract, skin, or cardiovascular system.

How do food allergies work?
The allergens in food are proteins that resist the heat of cooking, the acid in your stomach, and the digestive enzymes found in your intestine. These allergens cross your gastrointestinal lining and enter the bloodstream. This will cause an allergic reaction throughout your body as the particular allergen targets certain organs.

Allergic reactions typically affect your nose, throat, lungs, skin, and gastrointestinal tract. For some people, allergic reactions to food cause their throat or face to swell. Your body naturally produces an antibody called immunoglobulin E (IgE) to fight the allergens. For some people, the IgE antibody does not work because certain food allergens are hereditary. A person with two allergic parents is more likely to develop food allergies than someone with one allergic parent.

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Posted by K at 04:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

What are allergies? This is a very good question, especially if you suffer the watery eyes, itchy eyes, watery nose, asthma, wheezing, coughing, or other symptoms of allergies.

A very simplified explanation of what allergies are is they are simply the immune system's incorrect response to a foreign substance. For some people, exposure to what is normally a harmless substance, such as pollen, will cause the immune system to react as if the substance is harmful. The response is the symptoms mentioned above, which can be very unpleasant for the sufferer.

The substances that cause allergies are called allergens. There are a lot of allergens, and not everyone is allergic to all of them, but some people suffer from many allergies, and all to different degrees. Some people, for example, are only slightly allergic to peanuts, while others could die if they ingest one.

When you come into contact with an allergen, you may experience a number of allergic symptoms. The most typical include itchy, watery nose and eyes; asthma symptoms such as wheezing and coughing; or hives. The symptoms can become more severe.

Basically, if you have an allergy, you will experience and allergic reaction. So, that leads to the question, what is an allergic reaction?

The answer is that it is a hypersensitive response of your body, and a result of how the following three factors interact with the body:

1. The allergen. Allergens vary from person to person, but include pollen, mold, dust mites, certain foods, latex, animal dander, and others.
2. Mast cells. Mast cells are found throughout the body, however most reside in connective tissues such as those of the skin, tongue, the lining of the nose and intestinal tract, the lungs, and upper airways. (which as you can see are the areas where most symptoms of allergies manifest themselves)
3. Immunoglobulin E (IgE) - IgE is an allergic antibody, a type of protein made by the immune system to recognize and fight specific body "invaders." IgE coats the surface of the mast cells in tissues, manifesting itself as your "allergic reaction" with watery eyes and nose, itchiness, hives, etc.

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Posted by K at 03:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Introduction to allergies

We have all heard of allergies and about 20% of us suffer from one type of allergy or another. But do you really know what an allergy is or what causes your body to have an allergic reaction? Allergies occur when the body reacts in a unique way to substances that would normally be considered harmless. Dust, pollen, certain foods and medications can all work differently with the chemistry of an individual and the result of this reaction is what we call an allergy.

The severity of different types of allergies varies greatly as well. Some people will be mildly allergic to pet hair and will experience such symptoms as dry eyes. Others have life threatening allergic reactions that require immediate medical attention or the immediate administration of a drug or else that individual could very literally die. For these people, allergies go beyond inconvenience and discomfort, they become something that remains on the mind constantly and can affect the way that they are able to live their lives.

Below you will find descriptions of some of the more common types of allergies. These descriptions are not meant to be all inclusive explanations of each allergy, treatment and symptoms. Many books can be written to explain these topics in detail. However, this article may bring to light some information about specific allergies and allergy types that you may not have previously known about and as with any research you should research deeper and consult your physician regarding any treatment of personal effects that allergies may have on you or members of your family.

Types of allergies

The following groups of allergies are organized according to the names that they are most commonly recognized by. There are many more allergies than those listed here. These types of allergies are simply the most common types of allergies that Americans suffer from.

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Posted by K at 04:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

What many people might not realize is that latex allergies are actually on the rise, in fact it has dramatically increased since 1987. The reason for this is that in 1987 there was a huge movement throughout the world to take certain precautions that would help to stop the spread of infectious diseases, such as AIDS. And this movement actually resulted in the universal application of some kind of protective barrier, which was designed to protect a person from infectious material. The most popular type of protective barrier was of course the latex glove and since 1987 it has been reported that the annual usage of latex gloves in the United States alone has been over 10 billion. And because of this huge increase of people using these gloves there has been a huge rise in the allergy to latex. In fact health care workers are at a higher risk because of how often they come into contact with latex, it has actually been shown that the latex allergy affects 2% of all hospital employees. But the scariest thing is that latex is used in over 40,000 products, but the good news is that not all of the products that latex is used in will create an allergic reaction because of the way the product is used.

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Posted by K at 04:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)