Allergy Testing - What Are Your Choices and the Related Benefits?

Allergy intolerance testing can be used to establish the specific allergen at the root of your condition. There are a handful of allergy tests available performed by medical Doctors as well as holistic practitioners such as Nutritionists, Naturopaths, Herbalists, Homeopaths and Kinesiologists. Testing aims to identify the presence of the IgE antibody or, in the case of food intolerance, the IgG antibody. Common methods used to identify allergens include blood, skin prick and patch tests. The type of test used depends on the symptoms and condition of your skin.

In this way, Skin prick testing is often initially recommended when an allergy is suspected. This is a simple, quick and inexpensive testing method which can provide feedback and results within 15-20 minutes.

Blood tests are very common and often carried out in a GP surgery or hospital. A fine needle is used to take a small sample of blood from a vein in the arm in order for minimal discomfort. The test can provide valuable feedback for all allergy forms and is useful for inhaled and ingested or consumed allergens.

Patch testing is performed in the incidents of contact dermatitis or eczema where an allergy is suspected.

Challenge tests involve introducing allergens to the lung (in the case of bronchial allergies such as asthma), nose or eye. This type of testing can help to identify food allergies whereby the patient is given certain foods 'blind' in order to monitor their effects on the body. From the results of your allergy intolerance tests, your practitioner will then advise you on the cause and necessary treatment of your allergy.

Allergy intolerance testing can help treat conditions such as allergies, arthritis, circulation problems, constipation, fungal infections, hormone imbalances, insomnia, migraines, sinusitis and skin conditions.

Allergy intolerance testing is a safe and effective diagnostic tool when carried out by a trained practitioner. It is wise to carry out some research and select a homeopath who is either a member of, or accredited by, an association or professional body. Allergy intolerance specialists are obligated to a code of ethics and procedure that determines the therapy is carried out in a suitable and safe environment. These regulations also guarantee a specialist who has undergone certifiable training and receives professional upskilling.

Eosinophilic Esophagitis Treatment

Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE or EE) Treatment Options

Eosinophilic Esophagitis is a rare condition in which the esophagus becomes inflamed due to an allergic response in the esophagus. Since the disorder is complex, it can sometimes be difficult to treat. There has been a significant rise in the number of patients diagnosed with EoE so more treatment options are being explored by allergists. It is important to first understand that while there are drug therapy options available for those suffering from Eosinophilic Esophagitis, none of them are currently FDA approved.

EoE Treatment: Swallowed Inhaled Steroids

Swallowed Inhaled Steroids, otherwise known as topical steroids, are one of the most popular Eosinophilic Esophagitis treatments. This particular drug therapy requires the patient to swallow what was originally intended to be an inhaled medication for asthmatics. People with asthma use these medications to treat lung inflammation, and those who are in need of an EoE treatment use the medication to rid the inflammation that is prevalent in the esophagus. For those who have Eosinophilic Esophagitis from allergies, topical steroids are one of the main ways to treat it; in fact, it is often the only way in which these particular patients choose to treat this disease.

The two most popular types of steroids are budesonide (Pulmicort) and fluticasone (Flovent). If a patient decides to use Flovent, they should know that it is a metered dose inhaler (MDI). This type of medication is pumped manually in order to aerosolize the steroid. It is then pumped into the mouth and dry swallowed. Pulmicort, on the other hand, usually comes in a solution that is aerosolized through a nebulizer that is used for asthma patients. For those who want to use Pulmicort as an EoE treatment, it is typically combined with another element such as Splenda to produce a type of Slurry that is swallowed.

People who have an issue dry swallowing the Flovent medication prefer to use the Pulmicort. Patients who use swallowed steroids should not eat or drink anything for at least half-an-hour afterwards; this way, it will have enough time to properly coat the esophagus. In addition, it is highly important for anyone using these steroids to brush their teeth after every use to remove any residue. This is extremely necessary because if there are remnants of these steroids left over they can cause negative side effects.

EoE Treatment: Swallowed Inhaled Steroid Side Effects

Unfortunately, using swallowed inhaled steroids as an Eosinophilic Esophagitis treatment can lead to negative side effects. The most common side effect is called esophageal candidiasis, and it is basically a yeast infection of the throat. This condition begins with an intense pain in the throat. If a patient is experiencing this, it is imperative that they notify their physician immediately; esophageal candidiasis is typically treated with anti fungals. There are some who cannot use swallowed inhaled steroids as an Eosinophilic Esophagitis treatment because they have repeated throat yeast infections. Another side effect that has occurred with topical steroids is dry mouth. In addition, there has been one report of a patient contracting herpes infection of the esophagus after using fluticasone.

EE Treatment: Multidisciplinary Centers

Due to the fact that Eosinophilic Esophagitis is a highly complex disease that is still not very well known, patients who have it need to be seen by different physicians with different specialties. Furthermore, it is important for a patient to visit an allergist in order to go through an allergy evaluation, and it is also wise for them to visit a gastroenteologist in order for their symptoms to be analyzed, and the EoE to be observed through endoscopies (EGD).

It is also in the patient's best interest to see a pathologist because they will have the ability to decipher the findings of the esophageal biopsy. A dietician is also very important to help the patients who decide to use dietary therapy as their Eosinophilic Esophagitis treatment. There are many patients who benefit greatly from the help of a therapist or social worker because of the stress this disease can cause. There are numerous physicians a patient with EoE should consult with, but it is also important for all of the doctors to communicate with each other. For this reason, it is in the patient's best interest to go to a multidisciplinary center. Typically, at this type of center that specializes in Eosinophilic Esophagitis treatment, they schedule patients for multiple appointments in one day; this way the patient can be evaluated as quickly as possible thus making everything extremely more convenient.

Although EE is a very complex disorder, there are several treatment methods that have proven effective for eliminating symptoms. By using a combination of medication, diet, and multidisciplinary therapies, patients can learn to live a normal lifestyle.

Criminal DNA Testing

DNA or Deoxyribonucleic acid refers to the genetic material in the cells of a human body. Every human being receives half of the DNA from the biological mother and the other half from the biological father. With advances in technology, DNA evidence has become a vital forensic technique to identify criminals when biological tissues are found at the crime scene. A single hair root, saliva, blood or semen can help in the identification and conviction of criminals. Sweaty shirts, fingernail clippings, urine, chewed gums, used tissues and licked stamps can also be used for testing. DNA can be used to make the portrait of a probable suspect. DNA evidence is also useful in determining skin color and eye color. DNA fingerprinting, which is also known as genetic fingerprinting, is a very important tool in the identification of criminals.

The majority of DNA of one person may match the DNA of another person. This makes the process of differentiation between two people extremely difficult. Microsatellite is a particular type of DNA sequence that simplifies the process of identification. Microsatellites are small pieces of DNA that occur repeatedly in a person's DNA. They tend to vary in a particular area and their comparison helps in identifying a person quite effortlessly.

It is almost impossible to eliminate all the physical traces of a person's presence at a place of crime. A single cell is sufficient to identify victims even in situations where the body is completely destroyed. DNA fingerprinting is not accurate as a regular fingerprinting process but it does provide some clue to begin an investigation.

In post conviction cases, DNA testing also helps attorneys prove a client's innocence. In cases where the biological evidence was collected but DNA testing was not carried out, the evidence can be subjected to DNA testing to absolve the client. In cases where biological evidence was never collected or biological evidence was destroyed, post conviction on the grounds of DNA testing is not possible.

Food Intolerance, If Left Untreated Can Be More Deadly Than Food Allergy

Whilst food allergies are life threatening, it's emerging that food intolerance could be just as deadly. If left untreated over a period of time, it can trigger chronic health conditions including cancer, arthritis, asthma, heart disease, obesity and diabetes.

Did you know that undetected food intolerance causes inflammation in the body? Depending on your body type, this can lead to arthritis, back pain, headaches or migraines, irritable bowel syndrome, asthma and other respiratory issues, skin disorders like eczema, sinusitis & hay fever symptoms, low immunity and infections from virus, bacteria and yeasts plus other more chronic diseases.

Rates of food intolerance are rising as fast as rates of chronic disease. That's another clue that the two things are connected. We've always known that our diet impacts our health, but now there's an added complication - you may not realise you're intolerant to healthy foods too, like broccoli, pineapple and ginger. Continue eating them, if you're intolerant to them, and your chances of triggering symptoms and disease increase.

Food intolerance, unlike food allergy, can be cured. It's not for life.

When you eat foods you can't digest properly (that's what intolerance is), your small intestine becomes damaged and full of holes.The medical term is Leaky Gut Syndrome which means that food particles get into your bloodstream through those holes and this leads to inflammation and then minor or chronic symptoms and disease.

If you suffer from any of these inflammatory conditions, would you like to rid yourself of chronic symptoms for good?

Here's the 2-step action plan that can help you do just that:

1. Detect your food intolerance by taking a food intolerance test - either an IgG pin prick test/blood test or a controlled elimination diet (no haphazard guessing allowed).

Then...

2. Follow a health program written specifically for your symptoms or health condition and cure your intolerance. You'll have heard of a diabetes diet, an arthritis diet, a gluten-free diet - there are diets for many conditions. It can be cured, and in turn, your symptoms can be cured or at the very least, managed and reduced.

There are other steps to take to really bring your health back under your control such as avoiding pesticides on foods and avoiding toxins in the household products and personal care products that you use. Obviously exercise and getting enough sleep and reducing stress will also be factors but the reason why this approach is unique, is that most people don't know about the link between food intolerance and disease. It's an important link and the number one thing you should test for when tackling illness.

It's all about getting educated, learning about your condition and taking back control of your health. Diabetes, arthritis and other patients have thrown away their medication after following these 2 simple steps. It is possible and it's not hard to do. The special diet is temporary and therefore very easy to be successful at. Nutrition is key to health and that's why nutritionists are becoming more and more popular when treating disease and health symptoms.

What Causes Eczema?

Eczema can be a very frustrating condition. Although not life threatening, it can be very hard to live with. In addition, it's frustrating because there is no known cure for it at the present time. However, there are ways to minimize the effects the condition can have on your daily life.

One of the best ways to cope with this frustrating condition is to determine what may have caused the eczema. There doesn't appear to be a single root cause for all cases of eczema (at least none that has yet been found), but there are certain factors which seem to aggravate the condition.

Some of the more common causes of eczema flare-ups include:

1. Changes in temperature or humidity

2. Chemical irritants, such as pesticides, paint strippers, alcohol, astringents, perfumes, harsh soaps, detergents, and household cleaners

3. Physical irritants, such as clothes made of rough or scratchy fabrics, like wool

4. Allergies to dust, pollen, mold, animal dander, etc.

Finding The Cause Of Eczema

Because one of the most common causes of eczema is alllergies, some physicians will suggest their eczema patients get allergy testing.

Although allergy testing won't magically reveal the cause of eczema, it will reveal which allergens produce an allergic reaction in your body. And those allergic reactions could cause your eczema to flare up.

One of the most common allergens is dust and dust mites. And to make matters worse, where there is dust there are dust mites.

Because dust in the house is a common allergen, eczema sufferers who test positive for this should consider buying hypoallergenic bedding to minimize the amount of dust mites and other irritants that may be the cause of eczema flare ups. Many allergists recommend covering your pillows and mattresses with a special encasing that is made from breathable, high-tech, non-woven fabric. These encasings are usually very cool, comfortable and noiseless. They will create a barrier between you and the allergens in your mattress and pillow.

In short, the results of an allergy test can point to irritants you can try to avoid in your everyday life. By doing this, you may find that the cause of eczema in your own life can be isolated and the effects reduced.

Another common cause of eczema is stress. Stress occurs in nearly everyone's life at some point. Even though stress is often a contributing factor for those with eczema, most people never realize how big a component it really is. Often, if one's stress is dealt with, eczema is greatly lessened.

If you tend to get stressed easily and you find it affects your eczema adversely, try to find ways to reduce your stress. Make some time for yourself each day to simply relax and enjoy something, whether it's reading a good book or reclining in the bath.

Reducing your stress levels won't happen overnight, but if this is a big trigger for you and your eczema, persevering towards a more relaxed lifestyle will yield big benefits in the long run.

Every cause has an effect, and finding the cause of eczema in your own life may not be easy, but you can find what feeds it. Take this source away, and your eczema should improve.

Minimizing Indoor Allergens - 6 Ways To Deep Six Airborne Allergy Triggers

Minimizing the number of airborne allergens in your indoor air can have an incredibly positive effect on attitude, energy level, and respiratory health. Many of these allergens are chronic, and to keep levels low there are 6 things to do to reduce allergy-triggering irritants.

Cover Vents --- This is an excellent way to help filter the air that is blown through the house by the heating and air conditioning system. Placing cheese cloth over vents in the ceiling helps contain particles that would otherwise be carried from one part of your home to another.

Covering floor vents does the same thing, but it also prevents unwanted items from becoming lost in the vents. The cloth would go under the metal grates that cover the holes in the ceiling and floors so they would not be very noticeable unless you knew to look for them.

Stop Outside Air Exchange --- Since you are less likely to have a handle on exactly what is coming in through open windows and doors, it's best to keep them shut and concentrate on eliminating allergens from a known quantity of air.

During pollen season (which depending on where you live can last from January to early December or the first frost) keeping windows and doors closed can minimize your frequency and severity of allergy and asthma flare ups. And it can also create a place where you know you can let down your guard while resting and rejuvenating both physically and emotionally.

Eliminate Clutter --- Lots of objects on mantles, tables, and piles on floors increase the available surface area for particles to accumulate. This means that whenever there is an air current due to normal activities, these particles can be sent airborne and become available for you to breathe and ingest.

Clearing away the stuff will result in fewer places for allergens to hide. It will also give your house a cleaner look and make it easier for you to keep clean.

Clean With Water --- Damp mop floors and surfaces. This method is the best way of truly removing particles rather than sending them airborne by sweeping, or dusting. Once they are collected with water they can easily be washed away and taken out of circulation for good.

Remove Surfaces That Hold Allergens --- Carpet, upholstered furniture, and draperies are allergen-trapping surfaces. They trap particles, hold them, and are often difficult and expensive to clean. And even though you probably can't go out and redo your home immediately, as you replace things go with more allergen-friendly materials.

Floors of wood, laminate, tile, or linoleum are easier to clean and hold fewer of the particles that are typical allergens---dust, dust mites, mold and mildew spores, pet dander, and season pollen. Vertical blinds or shades tend to allow particle to fall to the floor rather than collect on their surfaces.

Continually Filter The Air --- Regardless of how many preventative steps you take, there will still be allergens remaining in the air. Unfortunately, that is the nature of the beast. In order to consistently keep levels low, continually filtering the air with a high efficiency particle arresting (HEPA) filter is best.

A HEPA filter is designed to remove 99.97% of particles that are.3 microns or larger in size, with a micron being defined as one millionth of a meter. What that really means to you is that for every 10,000 particles in the air, it can remove 99,997 of them if they are larger than.3 microns. Thus typical indoor allergens can easily and continuously be eliminated.

Food Allergy Ingredients Labels

For the forty some odd years that I've been roaming the earth in search of food and other stuff to eat. I usually thought, if the packaging looked good, the food inside must be good. Sometimes if tasted good, and most of the time it was bad for me for one reason or another.

In the last several years, I was cautioned to pay attention to my blood pressure, so I search for the sodium content in the foods that I eat, and that was that. I really never read what else was in the food that I was about to devour. Again, it looks good, it must be good.

Now that my son has been screened to be sensitive to Gluten, Dairy, Egg, and Nuts, I read each label scanning for the allergies that will harm my son. Probably 99.9% of everything on the shelf of the grocery store contains some thing that my son cannot eat. I've been visiting GlutenFree.com, which has the largest variety of gluten free products. Even thought it might be gluten free, I still need to look out for Dairy, Eggs and Nuts.

During a recent shopping visit to WholeFoods, I asked the pizza maker what happened to the Gluten Free pizza they had during the grand opening. It turns out they have wheat flour floating in the air, that they cannot claim that pizza to be Gluten Free. It even had Dairy Free cheese! So I am now relegated to making home made Gluten Free and Dairy Free Pizza, but that will be another article.

Some times my Dad watches the kids. He's an old school character, and thinks kids should eat everything. I constantly remind him that his grandson can not have bread, cheese or nuts, and I cringe and have to yell, "Stop!" when he is about to give my son a piece of toast.

Thank goodness, my son knows better and politely refuses the toasted baked slice of bread. So whenever we go shopping, I grab a box and quiz to scan for any allergy culprits. Some words he searches for; barley, malt, casein, or eggs.

In order to be able to advertise a product as Gluten Free, there must not be more than 20 parts per million of gluten be present in the product by testing each product coming off the production line. As you read the labels, many products are free of any grains and other gluten-containing products but the potential for cross contamination is possible. Therefore, only with dedicated facilities and production lines can you guarantee an item to be gluten free and sealed.

For example Starbucks in it's open and inviting environment can not claim to provide gluten free coffee, but on it's shelves the have products that meet gluten free requirements such as Food Should Taste Good Chips, Kind Bars, Peeled Snacks, Lucy's Cookies, and Two Mom's Raw Granola.

As for being Dairy Free, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration has not established any regulations regarding Dairy Free on package labels. Without a regulatory definition in place there is no guarantee that the Dairy Lee statement on a food labels is really free from any milk proteins. While Milk and Cream can be easily seen as milk, a milk derivative such as casein or whey might be overlooked as being milk.
One of the places I frequently visit is Frontier, which is a natural products co-op. All of there products are highest in quality. More importantly, they have a stringent food safety program regarding allergen control that prevents cross contamination.

The Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004 became effective on January 1, 2006. Which requires manufacturers to clearly identify on their food labels if their product contain products that are derived from the eight major allergenic foods and food groups; wheat, milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, or soy. These eight groups account for 90 percent of all food allergies, and all other food allergies such as sesame are not required to be listed in accordance with FALCPA.

An example Ingredients List;
Ingredients: Enriched flour (wheat flour, malted barley, niacin, reduced iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), sugar, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, and/or cottonseed oil, high fructose corn syrup, whey (milk), eggs, vanilla, natural and artificial flavoring, salt, leavening (sodium acid pyrophosphate, monocalcium phosphate), lecithin (soy), mono-and diglycerides.

Another example of declares a possible an allergen right after the Ingredients list and looks like this;
Contains Wheat, Milk, Egg, and Soy

Again, please read the labels, be cautious, and enjoy your meals and snacks free from food allergies!