Are the Foods You Eat Making You Sick? Identifying Food Allergies

We have all heard the old saying, "You are what you eat." Unfortunately, for many people, food is a source of chronic illness. Food allergies and food intolerances can create a host of health problems--from hives and anaphylaxis, to eczema, asthma, headaches, sinus infections, celiac disease, digestive issues, depression, fibromyalgia, autoimmune diseases, and many others conditions.

Over fifty million people--that's one out of five people in the U.S. suffer from allergies. According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, one out of twenty children under the age of five and one out of twenty-five adults are allergic to at least one food. The number of people affected by food intolerances is suspected to be higher.

Food Allergy or Food Intolerance

The terms food allergies and food intolerances are often used interchangeably, although they have two different definitions. A food allergy is when the body's immune system generates an immunological reaction when exposed to a food allergen. The symptoms of a food allergen appear quickly, such as eating a peanut and then getting hives or a skin rash or even anaphylaxis minutes to hours later. The term food intolerance is used to describe reactions to foods, however the immune system is not directly involved. People with food intolerances can experience a variety of symptoms including headaches, brain fog, fatigue, depression, stomach aches, eczema, asthma, colic, joint pains, insomnia, and many other symptoms, but the symptoms are usually delayed and can occur hours to days after eating the irritating food.

The Top Ten Food Allergies

The list of the most common food allergens includes: wheat, eggs, dairy, soybean products, corn, citrus fruits, nightshade vegetables (tomatoes, eggplant, peppers and potatoes), peanuts, shellfish and alcohol. Babies and young children are most often allergic to milk, eggs, wheat, soybean products, and peanuts. Older children and adults are most often allergic to peanuts, tree nuts (walnuts, almonds, cashews), fish and shellfish.

The Elimination / Rechallenge Diet

The gold standard for assessing food allergies is the elimination/rechallenge diet which involves eating a restricted diet, avoiding any potential food allergen for four to six weeks, then reintroducing a suspected food allergen into the diet and observing any reaction. The advantages of this testing method include:

• People can easily identify an adverse reaction to a food when they reintroduce it to the diet
• There is no added cost or expensive testing involved with this diet

The cons to this diet include:
• Many people find it difficult to stick to a restricted diet for 4 - 6 weeks
• It takes extra effort to buy and prepare hypoallergenic meals

ELISA (Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay) Testing
This method of food allergy testing is done through a blood test where serum is measured for specific immune markers--IgE and IgG antibodies--to specific foods. The advantages of this testing include:

• Less time consuming than the elimination/rechallenge diet
• It can be safer than skin prick testing if a person has anaphylaxis reactions to foods
• The results can be very motivating for people to change their diets

The disadvantages of this test include:

• This testing is not 100% accurate or reliable
• Some people show high levels of immune markers, such as IgE antibodies, but when they eat the food they do not have adverse reactions

How to Heal from Food Allergies and Intolerances

Healing from food allergies or food intolerances usually involves some avoidance of the foods that aggravate symptoms for a period of at least 3 to 6 months, sometimes longer. The avoidance of food triggers will help decrease inflammation in the body and give the body time to heal. There are a variety of supplements used to help heal the lining of the intestine. Probiotics are an essential component of reestablishing the bacterial balance in the digestive tract and encouraging intestinal healing. The probiotic strains with the most research include lactobacillius rhamnosus GG, bifidobacteria and saccroymyces boullardi, which is actually a strain of yeast that helps balance intestinal flora. Other nutritional supplements used to heal the gut include:

• Digestive enzymes used to help breakdown food
• L-glutamine, an amino acid used to heal the lining of the intestine
• Whey protein powder used to strengthen the immune system in the gut (not recommended for people with dairy allergies)
• Quercetin, a bioflavonoid used to prevent histamine reactions
• Drinking green tea can decrease allergic reactions

Healing food allergies and food intolerances requires effort. It requires the willingness to change your diet and your lifestyle. There are many health care practitioners who specialize in treating food allergies and food intolerances. Consider consulting with your local health provider to learn more about identifying and healing food allergies.

Manage Your Bird Dust Allergy - 4 Effective Changes That Can Make A Difference

Finding out that you are allergic to a bird that you love can be devastating for both of you. Here are 4 things to do first. These changes can often mean the difference between being able to enjoy your bird or not.

Dress Your Home For Allergies - Dust, dander and other particles are more likely to accumulate in carpet, rugs, upholstery, draperies, and horizontal window treatments such as plantation shutters and mini blinds.

Choosing furnishing that can be easily wiped down and regularly clean can drastically reduce the number of particles in your home. Fewer particles are good news for humans because it is usually the protein in the microscopic dander that triggers allergic reactions in those who are sensitive.

Allergy-friendly furnishings would include linoleum, wood, tile, or stone floors with throw rugs rather than carpet; shades or vertical blind that can be cleaned frequently and thoroughly; and a minimum number of nick-knacks to cut down on places where particles can settle.

Limit The Number of Birds - The more avian friends you take in, the more potential problems you are likely to have. This doesn't do you any good if you've already gathered a flock that you love.

But when looking at long-term planning, one or two birds are probably the most you want to take in. And since all birds are not created equal when it comes to the dust they produce, it's important that you do your homework before you adopt.

There is a group of parrots known as powder-down birds. They include African Greys, Cockatoos, and Cockatiels. These birds are hands down some most incredibly beautiful and intelligent creatures alive.

But the white powder in addition to normal dander is the stuff allergy flare-ups are made of. The last thing you want to do is adopt a bird and have to find another home for it because the dust makes you sick. So think carefully before you make your decision.

Clean Regularly - A schedule of regular cleaning can be very helpful. It's one of the best ways to continually minimize the particles that are available to go airborne as you and your winged friends move about the house.

Damp cloths and mops are best because they will trap the most and send the least amount of particles back into the air. A vacuum with a special filter (HEPA) is also important so that it really does trap the particulates that it collects rather than sending them back into the air.

Clear The Air - Actively filtering the air with a high-efficiency particle (HEPA) arresting air purifier is one of the most important ways to keep your bird allergy in check. This type of technology is designed to take out 99,997 out of every 10,000 particles that are .3 microns or greater in size.

And not only will it remove bird-related particles, but more normal household pollutants such as dust, dust mites, mold and mildew spores, as well as airborne bacteria and viruses. The right cleaner will require very little of your time and will you at ease knowing that the air is being cleanse continually to make a healthy life for you and your avian friend.

Gluten, Wheat, Lactose Intolerance: 3 Food Intolerances and How to Treat Them

Three of the most common food intolerances are gluten, wheat, and lactose. Gluten is the storage of proteins in wheat, oats, barley, and rye. It's prevalent in bread, cakes, and baked goods. People with wheat intolerance experience negative reactions to the proteins in wheat; children are often wheat intolerant. Lactose is the building block of dairy products and people who are lactose intolerant are intolerant to the proteins in milk. People with these common food intolerances will experience the following:

Bloating

Stomach and abdominal pain

Diarrhea

Constipation

Excessive Gas/wind

Vomiting

Stomach cramps

Indigestion

Fatigue

Strong headaches

Weight gain

Before going into specifics about lactose, gluten, and wheat intolerance, it's important to understand the fundamentals behind them. Although the symptoms are often similar, food intolerance should not be confused with a food allergy, which is a hypersensitivity to certain foods caused by the presence of certain antibodies; these allergies affect the body's organs while intolerances only affect the digestive system.

Food intolerances typically develop over time and the onset of symptoms can be slow. People who experience these have type III Gig antibodies. Symptoms can occur anywhere between 8 and 72 hours after eating the offending food or additive. The food causing the problems stresses the immune system and this affects the digestive system. The body believes the food being eaten is going to cause an infection caused by a bacteria, virus, or fungi; the food triggers the body's defense mechanism.

Gluten, Wheat, and Lactose Intolerance: The Details.

The most serious form is Coeliac disease. This leads to the poor absorption of certain nutrients and can lead to serious health problems. Approximately 15-20% of people with gluten intolerance have Coeliac disease; it can take up to 13 years to develop. People suffering with either should avoid any food with oats, kamut, spelt, rye, barley, and oats; this includes bread, flour, biscuits, cakes, noodles, pizza and beer.

People with wheat intolerance can often eat products with grains-other than wheat. Approximately 15% of the population has common symptoms from wheat. The symptoms experienced from eating wheat can worsen to Irritable Bowel Syndrome but the most common symptom is bloating. Foods to avoid include cereals, breads, and pastas plus sauces, yogurts, and beer containing wheat-based stabilizers. And some sausages use wheat for filler.

Some people who are lactose intolerant cannot digest the sugars (lactase) found in wheat products; others experience symptoms because they are intolerant to the proteins in milk; the latter is known as a type III dairy intolerance. And people who are lactose intolerant can also be fructose intolerant. Conditions that can follow include chronic dehydration, iron deficiency, malabsorption, and osteoarthritis.

Fortunately, testing is easier than in the past. Testing starts with a general allergy/intolerance test. If the test comes back positive for a food intolerance, further testing can pinpoint whether a person is experiencing a specific type. And today's testing can test for up to 271 types of food stuffs. This type of specificity means people can avoid a specific type of food while enjoying other types of food.

Patients who are lactose, gluten, or wheat intolerant face the inconvenience of avoiding certain foods. But after accurate diagnosis and through a revised diet, they can enjoy life without the painful symptoms.

Immunity and allergy goes hand in hand

We all know that there are thousands of organ in our body; which makes into many types of organ system. There is a full network of organ system which works in proper coordination. Without the help of these organs our body cannot work properly. One of the most important organ systems in our body is immunity system. It is the most important system because it gives us the strength and energy to work efficiently.

If our body has a strong immunity then it will have the strength to fight against the virus, bacteria and diseases. If you don't have a proper immunity level then you will be prone to illness and different types of ailment and the reason is that immunity gives your body a strength to fight against the foreign particle and if immunity system is weak then your body will be frequently affected by diseases and this will make our body weak enough.

Weak immunity level not only makes you sick, it even weak your body so much that you might become allergic. One of the reasons for having allergy is weak immunity level. If you start sneezing by coming in contact with dust or foreign particle then you are allergic. If you start coughing with coming in contacts with dust mites or with vinegar then you are allergic. Many people get body rash or them get red skin with coming in contact with luke warm water. All of these are types of allergy.  

It is always suggested that you should get yourself treated before it becomes quite late. If you are staying in a gigantic city like the metropolis then it is really hard to keep yourself away from allergy as well as to be strongly immune and the reason is that people don't get enough time to look after there immunity system and hence they suffer from allergy. As in there is so much of pollution around in such cities.

There are some specialized doctors around who can help your immunity system as well as your allergy. There are allergists in Delhi who can treat you allergy by immunotherapy. There are some good immunologists in Delhi who can diagnose and treat out your allergy. Because of poor amount of immunity, you become allergic; if you don't get your allergy treated at time then your allergy can change into a serious one such as asthma. But there is nothing to worry about because there are some asthma specialists in Delhi who can diagnose and treat as well as prescribe you medication to solve out asthma.

Are Customers Getting Actual Benefits From the Advanced Technology in Vornado AQS?

When it comes to utilizing the web as an advertising tool, the successful Vornado Air company from Kansas doesn't do much that sets itself apart. Based on my knowledge, I'd even say Vornado likely does less.

What Vornado does which is the same as pretty much everyone, is Vornado lists features and benefits which it thinks will encourage you to buy the product. Yet, that's what company does. (Except for the companies that make things up. Another topic for another time.)

As Vornado made the commitment to being a serious presence in home air purifiers, it based it's strategy on one large thing it would do better than competitors. The intended outcome would be to instantly giving the company a leg up in the emerging air purifier market.

What was this one concept that Vornado wanted to use to compete with it's Vornado AQS? Basically Vornado always approached value to mean that you give the highest quality and best performing product you could in one single model. The strategy was to hold nothing back on pushing through the best technology available. Then you take that technology and make it work to attack the nagging issues customers had with the old air purifiers you'd perhaps see at the homes of older relatives who smoked.

Vornado AQS was designed to run quieter using advanced three-speed technology. (One user recalled that it sounded like a home computer on idle in the lowest speed.)

Vornado also meant to grab a larger area using advanced electrostatic technology and circulation methods. The result in Vornado AQS is an effective room reach of about 325 square feet.

In doing these two things, Vornado wanted to take the most common customer complaints about air purifiers: that they are really loud and that they really don't work, and overcome those complaints.

So how does the AQS perform? What are the customers saying in their assessments? Keep in mind that Vornado places great importance in word of mouth to both develop and then sell it's products. The Reviews not only matter. The Reviews are everything.

Well, performance ratings are overwhelmingly positive on a statistical basis. Performance in this case refers to the Vornado AQS creating a room environment you can really feel. An environment where the result you have is greater comfort and easier breathing.

One customer in his 60's from Delaware got his Vornado purifier from Home Depot. He had a prior history with the company and had appreciated the experiences he had with his space heaters and fans. He noted a cleaner and fresher breathing environment in his targeted room from day 1. He said the AQS would be especially valuable in the winter time, or if you have pets.

On the other side of the net, an Amazon customer made an interesting point about the air circulation methods of the AQS. He felt that since the air purifier doesn't force like the older air purifiers, that odor removal was compromised.

In fact, Vornado does use a different approach to air gathering more is based more on what the company calls "advanced vortex technology" coupled with electrostatic pull. Together, these two forces grab and filter the air. It is hard to conclude an observation like the one from this customer is totally without merit.

Celiac Condition necessitates a gluten-free eating plan

Celiac Disease

The particular only condition that necessitates a gluten-free diet is actually celiac condition, a particular extreme manifestation of gluten intolerance or simply gluten sensitiveness. Gluten genuinely is considered to be usually the bad boy for individuals with this condition.

Celiac condition typically is an usual hereditary disorder affecting regarding 1 in 133 individuals within the United States. An autoimmune disorder characterized by some sort of abnormal response in order to gluten, it causes severe damage to usually the mucosa that lines the actual small intestinal tract. Whilst the particular condition generally develops in early childhood, it is actually occasionally triggered by occasions like surgery, pregnancy, childbirth, viral infection, or perhaps extreme psychological stress.

When an individual with celiac disease ingests gluten, usually the villi within the little intestine are generally damaged or ruined. The particular result is almost certainly an extensive reduction within the surface region associated with the intestinal mucosa in which the absorption of nutrients occurs. Inside addition, the actual secretion related to intestinal enzymes which help in digestion ends up being impaired. Without having healthy villi and adequate digestive enzymes, an individual turns out to be malnourished regardless of exactly how much they eat.

Signs or symptoms related to celiac condition differ between people. In childhood, celiac disease manifests itself basically alongside digestive signs or symptoms such as chronic diarrhea; vomiting; constipation; abdominal bloating and pain; pale, foul-smelling stools; and in addition body weight reduction. Due to be able to nutrient malabsorption, a great infant or child will have additional difficulties like failure to be able to thrive, delayed growth, short stature, delayed puberty, not to mention defects within the enamel associated with the permanent teeth. Irritability is actually moreover a widespread symptom within youngsters.

How Do You Test For An Allergic Reaction?

There are various kinds of tests that can be done to test people for allergic reactions on certain medications, materials, or food. Three of the common methods of testing for an allergic reaction are: skin tests, blood tests, provocation, and elimination-type tests.

Skin tests

Skin tests are probably the most common procedures done to test skin reactions of people to various stimulants such as food, substances that cause rhinitis and asthma such as pollen, mold, animal fur, and the likes; penicillin, venom, and allergic contact dermatitis.

There are various methods of doing skin tests. One specific method is referred to as prick test. This involves applying an allergen, specifically a suspected allergen which can cause allergy to the patient, on the skin, particularly on the forearm or back. The skin with the allergen will then be pricked so that the allergen will enter the body. After 15 minutes or so, the skin will swell and will turn red once the person is allergic to the substance applied.

Another method of skin testing is called intradermal skin test. This method is done by directly injecting the allergen into the skin and will wait for a few minutes for the signs of an allergic reaction. This method is used in determining if you have allergic reactions with something more specific like venoms or stings.

Blood tests

Blood tests on the other hand, is done when skin tests are not appropriate or if it does not show results. Blood tests measure the amount of antibodies your blood has to specific allergens. Blood tests have two other types: the absolute eosinophil count and the total lgE level.

Elimination test

Elimination tests, on the other hand are done to test allergies in food. This method is done through eliminating food that are suspected to be the cause of allergic reactions of a person. After not allowing the person to consume this type of food for two weeks or so, the food will be re-introduced to see if the body will have any allergic reactions to it.

Provocation test

Lastly, the provocation method is a method that can cause serious allergic reactions and should only be done by a doctor. This method involves exposing the person to allergens that the doctor or the person suspects as the reason for the allergic reaction. Examples of this method is exposing you to specific types of food that may cause allergies and sniffing into pollen or fur.

If you have any general questions about allergic reactions, consult your general practitioner, a trusted osteopath or nutritionist.