Get The Facts On Allergy Medication

Allergy medications are everywhere ? oral antihistamines, nasal antihistamines, decongestants ? Maybe it?s time to get the facts on your allergy medication.

Allergy medication is available over the counter and it is prescribed widely by doctors all around the world. Pick up a magazine there?s ads, the television is full of ads ? these products are heavily marketed and choosing the one that?s going to work is an entirely different game.

There are four allergy medication categories ? nasal sprays, decongestants, nasal antihistamines, and oral antihistamines. Let?s have a look at all four categories.

Oral antihistamines are by far the most common allergy medication prescribed by doctors. The block the histamines which is the chemical that is responsible for most of your symptoms. They do not offer permanent relief but as an allergy medication they do provide relief for itching, sneezing, hives, and nasal drip. Antihistamines can cause drowsiness and make it difficult to concentrate. You can actually be given a DUI if you are driving and taking this medication. Some of the OTC antihistamines are Benadryl, Atarax, Dimetapp, Tavist, Chlor-Trimeton, and Claritin. In fact Benadryl should be in every medicine cabinet.

Nasal antihistamines are newer and available through prescription and are a good allergy medication for the right situations. They work for12 hours and are steroid free. It is believed because of inhalation the dosage absorbed is better. It cause drowsiness, headache, and post nasal drip.

Oral and nasal decongestants are another allergy medication choice that is commonly used for those that have runny noses, sinus issues, post nasal drip, fever, pollen, sneezing, and itching. They are available in both prescription and OTC and in pills, drops, sprays, and liquids. However the ingredient phenylpropanolamine which was found in older decongestants has been banned. Current decongestants include Sudafed, Triaminic, Entex, and Ornade. Decongestants can make you jittery, elevate your blood pressure, and make sleeping difficult. Sudafed should be in every medicine cabinet.

The last allergy medication we?ll look at is nasal sprays. The non-steroid formulas are considered very safe and work best if you started a few weeks before the allergy season. Steroid formulas are available through prescription and are more effective and include Flonase, Nasonex, and Beclovent. Side effects include cataracts, hypertension, headache, weight gain, and nasal ulcers.

But wait we?ve had a look at a variety of allergy medications but there are also several natural remedies and an allergy medication that contains no harsh chemicals is likely to make your body much happier.

Besides considering a natural allergy medication you might also consider giving your body?s immune system a boost with the right supplement. After all the cause of allergies is an immune system that is misfiring.

And that means that an allergy medication isn?t always the solution to the problem. Sure it will reduce the symptoms but it is doing nothing to actually get to the bottom of the problem.

Once you get the facts on allergy medication you are in a much better position to make educated choices that work for you, your type of allergy, and your person situation. Choose what?s right for you.

Get all the latest information about Allergies from the only true source at http://www.1allergyinformation.com Be sure to check out our Allergy Medication pages

Seven Steps Towards an Allergy Free Home

1. Take your shoes off when you enter your home. Pesticides, pollen

and more can get on your shoes and then be transferred to carpets.

2. Idle your car in the driveway or street if you must. Never idle a car in an attached garage! Fumes can seep into the home. Install a carbon monoxide detector in the closest room to the garage for extra safety precautions.

3. Smokers can smoke outside. Smoke travels through a home, so smoking in one particular room is not a healthy alternative. Chemicals from cigarette smoke can remain in an environment for up to 10 years. Smoking in one room of a house is like asking to swim in the un-chlorinated side of the pool. It just doesn't work that way.

4. Use non-toxic cleaning products instead of chemical brands. Toxic ingredients to avoid are chlorine, ammonia, methylene, chloride, phenol, formaldehyde, cresol, and xylene. The fumes from these products can stay on surfaces for days until you absorb them into your skin or breathe them into your lungs. Toxic cleaning products is the #1 reason children end up in emergency rooms.

5. Never mix household cleaning products. The combination of chlorine bleach with an ammonia cleanser. It will give off a toxic gas that is a severe respiratory irritant.

6. Do not let pets in the bedrooms. All pets have dander?and it can be an allergen. We usually spend 6-8 breathing in the bedroom. Keep the bedroom as allergy-free as possible! An air purifier would be a bonus here. Your body needs a chance to rest without having to fight to breathe at the same time!

7. Cover pillows and mattresses with 100% cotton pillow and bedcovers. They are more breathable and product less allergens than plastic and polyester.

We can't choose when we want to breathe. We have to breathe every minute of the day. Shouldn't we be able to breathe clean air indoors?

If you?d like more Healthy Home Tips, then contact Debbie Mumm at www.healthy-environments.com. Her booklet, 6 Dozen Healthy Home Tips, is now available. It makes a terrific New Parent, or New Home gift! Debbie Mumm lives in Grayslake, IL and has been an Indoor Air Specialist since 1996.

Vastly Increasing Patients of Latex Allergy

Finding a white collar job is not easy. Since everyone needs money to survive with everyday necessities, any occupation will do. People who usually work in construction sites are more prone to suffer latex allergy.

Latex allergy was first discovered in the late 1970?s. Then, it became a major health concern for all the medical specialists. The patients who are sent to the hospital are also increasing annually. This event alarmed them so they conducted researches to stumble on the needed prevention.

During the early 90?s, the Food and Drug Administration declared that there are about 1000 people who have been victims of latex allergy. The devastating fact is that, 15 deaths were reported out of the thousand patients.

Cause of Latex Allergy

Basically, the root of the problem is the component called latex. Once an allergic individual was able to inhale this, he will probably suffer from the allergy. Likewise, most of the synthetic materials contain latex that is responsible for the allergy symptoms.

Latex Allergy Treatment

Treating the latex allergy can be easy if the patient responds to the advices of the doctors positively. Medications are used in order to reduce the allergy symptoms. Complete latex avoidance is the most effective approach that you can possibly do to alleviate or totally eliminate the allergy in your system.

Establishments must also provide facilities that maintain latex-safe areas to avoid possible clients and customers? from being affected. Since latex is a common problem, tests for latex immunity can be undertaken by a person from professional medical people.

Charlene J. Nuble 2006.

For answers to All your frequently asked questions about latex allergy, please go to: Latex Allergy or go to: Allergy Answers or go to: All About Allergies

Allergy Treatment Guide - Know Your Options

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 www.allergies.about.com, www.medicinenet.com, or www.drgreene.com where you will find a world of information about allergy treatments right at your fingertips.

John Wellington provides readers with up-to-date commentaries, articles, and reviews for health, fitness, and other related information.

To Protect Allergy Sufferers In Your Home

 To Protect Allergy Sufferers In Your Home

 by: News Canada

(NC)-For those who suffer from allergies the spring season comes much too soon. It's a time when allergy symptoms can be at their worst. Pollen levels rise during the spring as trees and flowers begin to bloom causing sneezing, runny nose, itchy watery eyes and nasal congestion.

Thankfully, there's no place like home to escape from these airborne allergens. Or is there? Dust, mold and other allergens can also make a home seem unbearable for allergy sufferers.

The good news is that there are ways to reduce these irritants and make your home a haven from outdoor pollen and mould spore attacks.

There are a number of preventative steps that the estimated one in five Canadians who suffer from allergies can take to reduce the number of allergens in their living spaces. The most effective and simple steps involve sanitizing your environment with a thorough cleaning.

If you don't want outdoor pollen, dust, dust mites and mould to be "at home" with you, here are a few suggestions:

• In the bedroom, discourage dust mites by encasing mattresses, pillows and box springs in airtight or allergen-proof casings and/or regularly vacuum them. Sheets should be washed weekly in hot water to kill dust mites. Use comforters and pillows made of synthetic fiber and replace synthetic pillows every two or three years.

• In the bathroom, the biggest problem may be mold. Wash the tile behind the tub, shower doors and around the sink with an anti-fungal cleaner. Replace vinyl shower curtain liners regularly.

• Wash curtains, drapes, bedding and children's stuffed animals in hot water to eliminate dust.

• Keep pets and their animal danders out of bedrooms.

• Keep furnishings, household decorations and collections of knickknacks to a minimum. The fewer surfaces on which dust can collect, the easier your home will be to clean.

• Get rid of house plants. They are a major source of mould and dust.

• Remove carpets and replace them with tiled or wooden floors.

• Have furnaces serviced, ducts cleaned and appropriate filters put on the furnace and the vents. Keep humidifiers and air conditioners clean.

For more information on coping with allergies contact 1-800-665-1507 or visit www.claritin.ca.

News Canada provides a wide selection of current, ready-to-use copyright free news stories and ideas for Television, Print, Radio, and the Web. News Canada is a niche service in public relations, offering access to print, radio, television, and now the Internet media, with ready-to-use, editorial "fill" items. Monitoring and analysis are two more of our primary services. The service supplies access to the national media for marketers in the private, the public, and the not-for-profit sectors. Your corporate and product news, consumer tips and information are packaged in a variety of ready-to-use formats and are made available to every Canadian media organization including weekly and daily newspapers, cable and commercial television stations, radio stations, as well as the Web sites Canadians visit most often. Visit News Canada and learn more about the NC services.

Air purifiers and air filters can help the health of Allergy and Asthma sufferers.

A. Smith Indoor air pollution in the form of dander, dust and pollen particulate matter can be a real irritant for suffers of asthma, allergies and other respiratory conditions. In addition to removal of all direct irritant sources and minimizing the irritant containment materials in your house, you should also consider the indoor ventilation and filtration system of home.

Environmental control is the key to reducing exposure to indoor and outdoor allergens. Keeping a clean house free of dust, dander, smoke, pollen, and other airborne particulate matters will help to reduce the irritation and effect on family members with respiratory difficulties. Air cleaners, filters and hepa filters can play a role in helping to control or reduce the exposure to indoor and outdoor allergens.

Several health authorities have recognized that certain types of air filtration systems can be beneficial in reducing the amount of airborne particulates in a room. The American lung association recommends using a hepa air filter purifier for the bedrooms of asthma suffers.
The Mayo clinic recommends an air particle filter for household ventilation systems. Ionic filters and hepa filters have been endorsed or recognized by the Asthma and allergy foundation of America (AAFA) and the British Allergy Foundation seal of approval.

Selecting the wrong type of filtration system could exacerbate the problem by agitating and circulating the existing particulate matter throughout your house, so it is important to do your research thoroughly. Ionic air filters do not create high airflow patterns to clean the air and simply rely on negative ion attraction to collect the airborne particulate matter. They have demonstrates to have decent capture rate of airborne allergens and irritants like pollen, dander, tobacco smoke and dust and can help improve the quality of your indoor air environment. You can read more the ionic air filtration process at:http://www.air-purifiers-review.com/ionic-air-cleaner.htm

Air filtration systems should not be considered as a solution for any respiratory condition, nor as a reason to ignore sound medical advice and guidance about the removal of irritant sources and allergen habitats from your household. They are also not a substitute for thorough and regular cleaning of your household environment. Selecting the right air purifier system can help complement and enhance your efforts to reducing airborne particulate matters, as well as maintain a healthier indoor breathing environment.

Indoor air pollution in the form of dander, dust and pollen particulate matter can be a real irritant for suffers of asthma, allergies and other respiratory conditions. In addition to removal of all direct irritant sources and minimizing the irritant containment materials in your house, you should also consider the indoor ventilation and filtration system of home.

Environmental control is the key to reducing exposure to indoor and outdoor allergens. Keeping a clean house free of dust, dander, smoke, pollen, and other airborne particulate matters will help to reduce the irritation and effect on family members with respiratory difficulties. Air cleaners, filters and hepa filters can play a role in helping to control or reduce the exposure to indoor and outdoor allergens.

Several health authorities have recognized that certain types of air filtration systems can be beneficial in reducing the amount of airborne particulates in a room. The American lung association recommends using a hepa air filter purifier for the bedrooms of asthma suffers.
The Mayo clinic recommends an air particle filter for household ventilation systems. Ionic filters and hepa filters have been endorsed or recognized by the Asthma and allergy foundation of America (AAFA) and the British Allergy Foundation seal of approval.

Selecting the wrong type of filtration system could exacerbate the problem by agitating and circulating the existing particulate matter throughout your house, so it is important to do your research thoroughly. Ionic air filters do not create high airflow patterns to clean the air and simply rely on negative ion attraction to collect the airborne particulate matter. They have demonstrates to have decent capture rate of airborne allergens and irritants like pollen, dander, tobacco smoke and dust and can help improve the quality of your indoor air environment. You can read more the ionic air filtration process at:http://www.air-purifiers-review.com/ionic-air-cleaner.htm

Air filtration systems should not be considered as a solution for any respiratory condition, nor as a reason to ignore sound medical advice and guidance about the removal of irritant sources and allergen habitats from your household. They are also not a substitute for thorough and regular cleaning of your household environment. Selecting the right air purifier system can help complement and enhance your efforts to reducing airborne particulate matters, as well as maintain a healthier indoor breathing environment.

S.A. Smith is a freelance editor, writer, and contributor to the Air Purifiers Review resource site, and can be reached at http://www.air-purifiers-review.com