All posts tagged: allergies

A Better Fix for Food Allergies

A Better Fix for Food Allergies

Tami McGraw used to be so allergic to red meat that even fumes from cooking might send her into anaphylactic shock. She couldn’t fry sausages for her family. She couldn’t go to cookouts with friends. Once, she passed out driving home with her son after accidentally inhaling fumes while volunteering at the school cafeteria. “That’s the closest I came to dying,” she told me. Every whiff of sizzling meat, every journey out of the house came spring-loaded with danger. The episode in the school cafeteria rattled McGraw so much that she brought up with her allergist a then-unorthodox therapy called Xolair. Xolair is a bimonthly or monthly injection originally approved in 2003 for asthma, which McGraw has been diagnosed with. But doctors had long suspected that Xolair could do more, and they had already started noticing an intriguing curious side effect in asthma patients: Their allergic reactions to food were diminished too. McGraw’s doctor agreed to prescribe her Xolair—officially for asthma but unofficially with the hope of treating her allergy. Soon, she found she could …

Yes, adults can develop food allergies. Here are 4 types you need to know about

Yes, adults can develop food allergies. Here are 4 types you need to know about

If you didn’t have food allergies as a child, is it possible to develop them as an adult? The short answer is yes. But the reasons why are much more complicated. Preschoolers are about four times more likely to have a food allergy than adults and are more likely to grow out of it as they get older. It’s hard to get accurate figures on adult food allergy prevalence. The Australian National Allergy Council reports one in 50 adults have food allergies. But a US survey suggested as many as one in ten adults were allergic to at least one food, with some developing allergies in adulthood.   What is a food allergy Food allergies are immune reactions involving immunoglobulin E (IgE) – an antibody that’s central to triggering allergic responses. These are known as “IgE-mediated food allergies”. Food allergy symptoms that are not mediated by IgE are usually delayed reactions and called food intolerances or hypersensitivity. Food allergy symptoms can include hives, swelling, difficulty swallowing, vomiting, throat or chest tightening, trouble breathing, chest pain, …

Children given trigger foods to treat serious milk and peanut allergies in ‘miracle’ NHS trial | UK News

Children given trigger foods to treat serious milk and peanut allergies in ‘miracle’ NHS trial | UK News

Children taking part in a “life-transforming” clinical trial have been enjoying foods which would have previously triggered severe allergic reactions, doctors have said. Some of the results have been described as “nothing less than a miracle” and could mean children with milk and peanut allergies could eat larger varieties of food as there will be less concern over accidental exposure. Five NHS hospitals have so far joined the £2.5m trial, thanks to funding from the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation. Natasha Ednan-Laperouse died in 2016 after suffering a severe allergic reaction to sesame baked into a Pret baguette. Her parents, Nadim and Tanya Ednan-Laperouse, campaigned for a change in food laws and set up the foundation with the hope of curing allergies through research. The new clinical oral immunotherapy trial uses everyday items and is giving patients small doses of food they find allergic to build up their tolerance levels. Sibel Sonmez-Ajtai, paediatric allergy consultant and principal investigator at Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, said: “This treatment is not a cure for a food allergy, but …

Game-Changer Tool Launched For Parents Of Kids With Allergies

Game-Changer Tool Launched For Parents Of Kids With Allergies

Families living with food allergies can breathe a sigh of relief with a new video tool that’s been launched to share allergy information. Parents of kids with allergies can often feel overwhelmed when sharing advice, tips and information to with friends, family, childminders, and other carers. With this new tool you can provide the person responsible for your child with all the life-saving allergy information they require, making it easy to understand and remember. Developed by The Allergy Team, which supports families living with food allergies and provides training and resources to thousands of teachers to best support allergies in schools, it’s hoped the videos will help to improve inclusion for children with allergies as well as education about the condition. How does the Me and My Allergy tool work? The Me and My Allergy videos aim to bridge the gap by taking some of the pressure off parents in their ongoing battle to keep their children safe when they aren’t there. The personalised Me and My Allergy videos are six to seven minutes long …

The new drugs preventing allergic reactions to peanuts and other foods

The new drugs preventing allergic reactions to peanuts and other foods

My youngest son has been allergic to peanuts and sesame since he was a toddler. Though he has never had a life-threatening reaction, the risk of one hangs over him constantly. He can’t eat out in most restaurants or travel to many parts of the world. Grocery shopping is an ordeal. He has his own place now, and I live in constant anxiety. We always hoped he would grow out of his allergies. At 21, he almost certainly won’t. He is in an increasingly crowded boat. For reasons that aren’t well understood, food allergies have grown explosively in the 21st century. Peanuts are a common trigger, as are wheat, cow’s milk, egg, soya, other nuts, fish and shellfish. Beyond the “big eight” lies a long tail of allergies to other foods, including many fruits, vegetables and seeds. Some people are allergic to beer, others to cannabis. If humans consume it, chances are somebody, somewhere, is allergic to it. This rise has translated into an increased burden on healthcare and a reduced quality of life for …

Test your pup for allergies with this  DNA kit

Test your pup for allergies with this $98 DNA kit

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more › Pets are part of the family, and we love them as such. This is why knowing the specific makeup of four-legged friends gives us the knowledge to care for them to the best of our ability. That’s why the people at DNA My Dog offer three DNA test options to help you get to know your best boy or girl better. We are at the start of allergy season, and that doesn’t exclude the canines. If you suspect your pooch could be suffering from allergies, the DNA My Dog Canine Allergy Test is a good option. Over 120 allergens are tested from a single swab, including environmental allergens and food sensitivities.  Besides being fun to learn your dog’s breed or breeds, testing them can help you care for them in ways you wouldn’t be able to otherwise. That means if you find out your pup is part of a breed known to have certain health issues, …

Surprising Signs Of Seasonal Allergies Beyond Sneezing

Surprising Signs Of Seasonal Allergies Beyond Sneezing

Trees, grass, weeds, pollen and mould are just a few of the things that people who experience seasonal allergies are constantly doing their best to dodge. Those who are allergic to these plants know that sneezing, congestion and red, itchy eyes are some of the hallmark symptoms they experience when coming into contact with them. “However, seasonal allergies can cause some weird signs that a lot of time patients do not associate with seasonal allergies,” said Dr. Duyen Nguyen, an allergist at Memorial Hermann Health System in Houston, Texas. From snoring to feeling like you’re going to tip over, here are 14 lesser-known signs that you may be suffering from allergies. 1. Bad Breath That bad taste in your mouth might not be from food. It could be due to all the pollen in the air. “When too much nasal discharge slides down the back of the throat, patients can feel nausea and even vomit,” said Nguyen. This, he explained, can give bacteria in the mouth and throat a place to multiply, leading to characteristic …

Best Allergy Products On Amazon: Fight Seasonal Allergies From Pollen, Dander and More

Best Allergy Products On Amazon: Fight Seasonal Allergies From Pollen, Dander and More

The flowers are blooming and the birds are chirping, and while that’s perfectly enjoyable, the seasonal allergies that often come with it are not. If your springtime allergies are making life unbearable, consult your physician. If you are wondering what else to do to minimize the effects of seasonal allergies, you’ve come to the right place. While you can’t live in a bubble, there’s a lot that you can do to remove allergens from your living spaces and limit how much pollen, dander and other allergy inducers you come in contact with. According to the Mayo Clinic, keeping indoor air clean, rinsing nasal passages and eating healthy foods can help. There are also homeopathic treatments that may provide relief from symptoms, whether that means amping up your regular shower with eucalyptus steamers or trying an essential-oil-infused nasal flush. Add the cooling relief from a head cap, and you are halfway to not minding springtime so much at all. We’ve shopped at some of the top-rated products on Amazon that can help with seasonal allergy and hay fever …

Royal allergies: Coeliac disease, animals & more affecting Kate Middleton, Queen Camilla and co

Royal allergies: Coeliac disease, animals & more affecting Kate Middleton, Queen Camilla and co

Allergies are things that everybody suffers with – even if you are a royal! Prince William famously joked that he was “allergic to selfies” back in 2018 during an outing in Olso, but there several of his royal family members suffer from genuine health conditions. © Cameron SmithPrince William taking a selfie Whether it’s seasonal changes such as hay fever or autoimmune diseases, allergies are one way that the royal family are just like us.  Keep scrolling to see which members of the royal household suffer and what allergy they suffer from… Queen Elizabeth  II © GettyQueen Elizabeth II considered her corgis to be like family The late Queen Elizabeth II was a big dog lover but her adoration for corgis isn’t the only reason dogs were kept during her reign.  According to Country Life, Her late Majesty suffered from an allergy to cats. Whilst the former monarch never discussed the reported health woe publicly, it would make sense as to why she always opted to surround herself with dogs. The Duchess of York now looks after …

A new type of immune cell may cause lifelong allergies

A new type of immune cell may cause lifelong allergies

allergen: A substance that causes an allergic reaction. allergy: The inappropriate reaction by the body’s immune system to a normally harmless substance. Untreated, a particularly severe reaction can lead to death. antibodies: Any of a large number of proteins that the body produces from B cells and releases into the blood supply as part of its immune response. The production of antibodies is triggered when the body encounters an antigen, some foreign material. Antibodies then lock onto antigens as a first step in disabling the germs or other foreign substances that were the source of those antigens. B cell: A type of small white blood cell (also known as a B lymphocyte), which plays an important role in the immune system. Made in the bone marrow, these cells mature into plasma cells, and serve as the source of antibodies. bacterial: Having to do with bacteria, single-celled organisms. These dwell nearly everywhere on Earth, from the bottom of the sea to inside animals. cell: (in biology) The smallest structural and functional unit of an organism. Typically too small to see …