We all suffer from allergies at one time or another. This usually happens more often with the onset of a seasonal change. For active people such as those going to school or those going to work, allergies such as hay fever can be a huge pain if not treated properly. Allergies tend to get very irritating especially in cases of stuffy or runny noses which you have to stop every minute to fix. All of these problems can be overcome by using an antihistamine drug such as the renowned Fexofenadine HCl.
When seasons change, they bring about a change in the weather. This is mainly those from cold to hotter weather or from hot to colder weather. These seasonal shifts induce many allergic reactions where hay fever is the most common. Other people suffer from allergies that are not seasonal related. This may include the “skin writing” allergy or various rashes that form as a result of an allergic reaction. Fexofenadine is an antihistamine drug that is highly recommended and often prescribed to allergy patients due to its incredible effectiveness.
Fexofenadine works as a histamine antagonist or as an antihistamine drug. It inhibits histamine from causing symptoms of many allergies such as a runny nose which usually originates from seasonal changes or in some people, pollen. It also helps to reduce local inflammations such as those from insect stings. The versatility of fexofenadine is such that it allows you to use it for almost any kind of allergy and still stays effective against all types of allergies.
Fexofenadine HCl is a prescription only drug which means you will have to see your local physician about the drug first before you can even think about taking a dose. This rule is for your protection only and helps to eliminate possible severe adverse reaction occurrences. Common adverse reactions include headaches, cold, flu, coughing, nausea, dry mouth, dizziness and fatigue. Reactions do vary from person to person and from age group to age group.
Whether you are just another seasonal sufferer or have an allergic condition that you cannot get a hold of, an antihistamine drug such as the highly acclaimed and highly prescribed fexofenadine HCl can help you overcome your problems with hay fever and other such allergies that plague your life.
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We live in a highly populated, polluted and industrialized world. It is quite true that while industrialization has brought about a great deal of by products and conditions that may not be as salutary or beneficial. The modern world is also quite a consumerist world, where one’s success if often determined and gauged by the abundance of things that they possess. But the human body is quite discerning and may bring up unexpected reactions to contact with or ingestion of certain external or foreign substances that do not go down so well with the human constitution. For instance, there are a lot of people who are allergic to certain kinds of food, including prawns and fish, nuts and egg. Some other people also have very pronounced metal allergy symptoms which show up in mild or severe forms the moment the person comes in contact with the particular metal that the person is sensitive towards or allergic to. This has become such a common phenomenon that one does not really get very perturbed on seeing the symptoms of such allergies.
Gold is one of the most alluring and attractive metals that is used widely in fashioning various kinds of jewelry. Since it glitters and is a repository of value, being scarce in supply, and hence is widely sought after around the world. But there are instances where gold is mixed or rather amalgamated with some portion of nickel, which creates a condition of metal allergy affliction. It is rather rare and quite unlikely that pure gold would cause any bodily reactions, rather it is the nickel part of the jewelry that is at fault in terms of the allergy. In fact it has been observed empirically that most of the allergic reactions that take place around the world are associated with nickel in some form or the other. It has also been seen that since most forms of jewelry are worn by women, the extent of allergic condition is prevalent more in the case of womenfolk, who warn various kinds of chains, bracelets, amulets or earrings that are metallic in nature.
Metal allergy causes certain rashes as well as itchiness and swollenness in the body which can cause real discomfort to individuals. These reactions can also be caused by consuming certain food types that are rich in nickel, which though it falls in the realm of food allergy, is actually caused by the metal content in the food. It has been seen that the amount of nickel that is present in legumes like wheat, as well as in team chocolate and also canned stuff is enough to cause mild to severe allergic reactions. In the mild form, the allergy may be manageable and may not require too much attention, except for total avoidance of such foods or contact with metallic jewelry that causes such reaction. On the other hand, if the metal allergy is acute and causes severe harm, it would need urgent medical attention that is imperative to save lives and prevent death.
When it comes to testing for metal allergy, doctors can place certain specific substances on the area which is infected with the rash, swelling or inflammation and then see the specific reaction that it has. Based on this, diagnosis is made and the allergy is suitably treated. In most cases some ointments and creams are applied to the infected area with the objective of bringing about a calming or soothing effect to the area and helping the healing process to get hastened. In most cases, once an allergy to a metal is discovered, one cannot do much apart from totally avoiding contact with the metal as well as ingestion of foods that contain traces of the metal in natural form.
To clearly explain what the cause of allergy is to you, let me start with this one of the numerous examples of allergic reactions. A household animal, dog, was brought into a house. After three month the dog was brought in, mum begins to experience itchy nose and throat and episodes of sneezing. One of the children in the house also develops chest tightness and coughing, especially when the dog is in her bedroom. The rest of the household (dad and the rest of the children) have no reaction (allergy symptoms) to the presence of the dog irrespective of the degree of contact they have with the dog.
What happened was that, mum and one of the children in the house (in which dog was brought) were allergic or developed allergy toward a foreign substance on or in the dog. Thus, the manifestation of the allergy symptoms in the mum and one of the children. But dad and the rest of the children are not allergic or did not develop allergy to the presence of the dog. Foreign substances (such as that from the dog) are called antigen. Antigens are substances capable of triggering or causing production of antibodies.
The antibodies are produced from immune system. Immune system is a body’s organised defense system against foreign invaders (antigens), especially infectious agents. Antigens may lead or may not lead to an allergic reaction and the consequent allergy symptoms. Any antigen that causes allergy symptoms (or allergic reactions) is referred to as allergen. The function of immune system in our body is to mobilize its defensive components to the site of invasion or infection in order to destroy the intruders, the foreign substance (antigen or allergen if it causes allergy or allergy symptoms). The immune system destroys antigens or allergens in two ways. When the immune system components have contact with the antigens or allergens, they respond by producing antibodies or immunoglobulins (Ig) – the first way. There are five types of these antibodies – IgG, IgM, IgA, IgD, and IgE.
The function of the antibodies in the destruction of the invaders is to attach themselves to the surface of the foreign substances and thereby make the foreign substance easier for the immune cells to destroy- the second way immune system functions to destroy invaders. The function of the immune system described above is a normal process in everybody. In a person that is not allergic to an antigen, the antibodies are produced in normal quantities to successfully fight the foreign substance and there is no any development of any allergy symptoms. However in allergic person, IgE is produced in excessive amount in response to the same antigen and this result to the development of allergy symptoms. Not that the foreign substance or the antigen or the allergen will generally cause allergy in the human body, not that the substance is harmful by itself, it is just that in some people, in the process of immune systems getting rid of the antigens, there is overproduction of IgE antibody. Such people are said to be allergic to the substance. Overproduction of the IgE is called hypersensitivity.
A person who is allergic to an antigen or allergen doesn’t start manifesting allergy symptoms or allergic reaction immediately he or she is exposed to the allergens for the first time. It takes times, months to years, before one starts showing the manifestation of the allergy symptoms. The period between the first exposure to the allergen and the manifestation of the allergy symptoms is called sensitisation period. During the sensitisation period IgE is being overproduced. Also during this period, as the IgE is produced, the IgE will be coating certain explosive cells that contain degrading chemicals. After the sensitisation period, another exposure to the allergen (such as dog dander or allergen cited above) leads to reaction of the allergen with the immune cells already coated or sensitised with IgE. This results into the cells releasing the various chemicals they contain, such as histamine. These chemicals, in turn, cause inflammation and the typical allergy symptoms. This is how the immune system becomes exaggerated and move to cause an allergic reaction when stimulated by an allergen in individuals which are allergic to the allergen.
The life you save may be your pet’s!
There’s always been lots of information about second hand smoke and people but did you know there is considerable research proving secondhand smoke is harmful for pets too?
Think about this everytime you light up in your house with Fido on your lap, or when you’re taking Spot to his favorite park.
The American Lung Association of New Hampshire provides some stunning facts on why you should consider your pets when you smoke around them.
DOGS
• Dogs that inhale secondhand smoke are three times more likely to develop lung or nasal cancer than dogs living in smoke-free homes.
• Dogs can experience allergic reactions to secondhand smoke. Common symptoms of this allergic reaction are the scratching, biting, and chewing of their skin. Owners often confuse this reaction with fleas or food allergies.
• Cigarette butts can also be deadly. Two butts, if eaten by a puppy, can cause death in a relatively short period of time.
BIRDS
• Birds can react badly to secondhand smoke and may develop eye problems, as well as other respiratory problems like coughing and wheezing.
• Birds that sit on a smoker’s hand can experience contact dermatitis from the nicotine that remains on the smoker’s hand. This can cause them to pull out their feathers.
CATS
• Cats exposed to secondhand smoke in the home have a higher rate of an oral cancer called squamous cell carcinoma, which may be due to the way cats groom themselves. When cats groom themselves they eat the poisons from secondhand smoke that have settled on their fur.
• Cats exposed to secondhand smoke have a higher rate of feline lymphoma, a deadly form of cancer, than cats not exposed to secondhand smoke.
• Cats can develop respiratory problems, lung inflammation, and asthma as a result of secondhand smoke. There are 4,000 chemicals in secondhand smoke, and 43 are known to cause cancer.
Other dangerous issues can occur……
By ingestion of cigarette or cigar butts which contain toxins. Death- From 1-5 cigarettes and from 1/3-1 cigar can be fatal if ingested.
By drinking water that contains cigar or cigarette butts (which can have high concentrations of nicotine)
By ingestion of nicotine replacement gum and patches.
Think again of the health effects:
Breathing problems in dogs and asthmatic-like symptoms in cats
Salivation
Diarrhea
Vomiting
Cardiac abnormalities
Respiratory difficulties and respiratory paralysis
Feline lymphoma in cats
Lung cancer in dogs
Nasal cancer in dogs
Prevention:
As in the case of children and others in the home, don’t smoke.
If you must smoke take it outside- Don’t expose others to your smoke
Don’t allow others to smoke around your pets.
Keep ashtrays clean- Don’t leave butts in them for pets to find.
Dispose of nicotine gum and patches in receptacles that can’t be accessed by pets.
Consider quitting- The health effects of your smoking on pets is just one more good reason to quit.
If you can’t or won’t quit, consider a safer alternative……electric cigarettes. Products like Green Smoke are devices shaped like a cigarette but they contain a battery, water and nicotine. You’ll still get your nicotine fix but you and the people and pets around you won’t be inhaling the 4000 toxic chemicals that cause major health issues every day.
Hives are red welts of small or sometimes larger size that appear in the skin surface. Hives are a form of skin allergy and occurs when the skin is exposed or is subjected to chemicals or substances that trigger allergic reactions.
Hives are characterized by the feeling of itchiness. You know hot it feels when something is really itchy. There is a feeling of uneasiness and discomfort and sometimes wounds and scratches occur as products or results of scratching itchy skin surfaces.
Hives often manifest or appear in people who have already experienced or reported other allergic reactions that may include angioedema and hay fever.
The welts that often indicate or herald the onset of hives appear on the skin surface in clusters or batches.
The affected part feels itch because of releases of histamines and other body chemicals which are the body’s immune system’s reactions against allergens causing hives.
Causes that result to the onset or appearance of symptoms for hive vary. These sources or cause also are ver much broad and generalized, sometimes making the identification of the skin disease hard and inaccurate.
Hives often are body reflex reactions to harsh medications or drugs that are rejected by the body’s immune system.
Hives is not a disease. You should be advised that the skin condition is merely a skin reaction to allergens or substances that are rejected by the body upon entrance.
Occurrence of hives indicate that the body is very active in throwing out impurities and foreign and unlikely substances, indicating that the immune system is really working.
There are also several foods that may induce the appearance of hives in the skin. Common examples of these food are milk, eggs, nuts, fish, shellfish and of course, berries.
On set of hives upon eating or taking in such foods can be avoided by totally eliminating these food in the diet. There are alternatives available in the market for such foods so cravings would be somehow satisfied and quenched.
Pollen, which normally are spread though the air during summer and spring seasons, also can contribute to the onset of hives.
Other causes include animal or insect bites and animal danders, especially those from cats.
Recent findings of hives studies also reveal and suggests that hives are sometimes hereditary. It must be noted, however, that hives can also develop or become full blown after illness or infections like leukemia and autoimmune diseases.
Other ailments that result in hives include hepatitis, angioedema, dog tapeworm, lupus erythematosus, mastocytosis and colds.
Symptoms of hives, treatments and prevention
The most prevalent and common symptoms of hives include appearance of red welts on certain skin portions and characterized itching.
It is very uncommon for the person with hives to develop a fever, but if that happens, immediate help and advice from the doctor is imperative.
Fevers indicate the attack of viral and bacterial elements and heralds the onset or looming danger of a more serious disease. In the case of hives, fever can pin point or indicate the presence or development of complications.
Antihistamines, epinephrine, coticosteroids and sedatives are the sure medications to curtail hives, but their administration and in take should be guided accordingly by physicians and doctors.
Prevention is achieved by avoiding exposure to allergens identified as causes for hives.