Penicillin Allergy
Penicillin is a common antibiotic used to treat many illnesses. When it was discovered it was considered a breakthrough in the treatment of illness and infection. It is derived from the penicillin mold, the blue-green mold found on moldy oranges. Before penicillin, common infections and diseases that are only a nuisance to us today were quite often fatal. For years penicillin was the only effective antibiotic treatment available for doctors to use. It is relatively cheap and easy to manufacture, making it the most often used antibiotic world wide.
Allergic reactions to penicillin can often be a serious and life threatening matter. They can range from annoying rashes to life threatening breathing difficulties. You might recall answering the question " are you allergic to penicillin" on a medical question form at your doctors office or upon admittance to a hospital for treatment. This is because doctors must know if you are do to the potential for catastrophic results should you be given penicillin and you are allergic to it. Knowing if they are allergic to penicillin is something every person should know. Penicillin is the most common drug allergy.
It is unclear why some people have an allergic reaction to penicillin while others don't. It is also unknown what predisposes one person with an allergy to penicillin to minor symptoms while another person allergic to it will experience life threatening symptoms. For those who are allergic to penicillin, the only treatment is not to use it. Fortunately there are other powerful antibiotics available to replace penicillin. Prior to their discovery, penicillin allergy could sometimes have grave consequences. It could leave doctors with their hands tied in treating the infection or disease.
Common symptoms of penicillin allergy are as follows. A rash or hives that can range from a minor rash to a dark red rash that covers large portions of the body. Swollen lips tongue and face, ranging from minor swelling to extreme swelling. Itchy, irritated eyes that can be bloodshot and watery. The most serious reaction happens in people that are highly allergic to penicillin. An anaphylactic reaction is a reaction that manifests itself as a swelling of the bronchial airway, making it difficult to breath. This can also be accompanied by a sudden drop in blood pressure, resulting in lightheadedness. This reaction can be deadly, so it's important to be aware of this fact.
If you are given penicillin and experience any of these symptoms, tell your doctor immediately. It's much better to be safe than sorry. The most serious reaction, the anaphylactic reaction, appears almost immediately. The other less minor reactions can take hours to appear. Treatments for the symptoms are readily available but as of yet there is no cure for the allergy itself. If your child has never been given penicillin it is imperative that you let your doctor know this. He or she can make a determination as to whether or not your child is allergic to it prior to administering a large dose of penicillin.
About the Author
Article by Sven Ullmann, who runs Deserved Health - information on health for you and your family. Read more about penicillin allergy.
Penicillin Allergy
Hypoglycaemia And Allergy
Hypoglycaemia And Allergy
Hypoglycaemia is commonly found in people suffering from masked food allergies. It occurs when the body does not have enough blood sugar.
If a person has eaten excessive carbohydrate, over many years, especially refined carbohydrate such as white flour and sugar, the pancreas becomes stressed to the point where it ceases to operate normally - a very common problem today. These eating habits alter the normal, gentle production of insulin by the pancreas to that of rapid insulin output because of the excessive demands placed on it by so much carbohydrate. The human body was simply not designed to deal with the excessive amounts of carbohydrate in our so-called civilized diet. The pancreas becomes used to producing excessive amounts of insulin to cope with the large rises in blood sugar, brought about by constant carbohydrate ingestion. Finally, it becomes overstressed and tired. In this confused state, a small rise in blood sugar will often cause it to produce a disproportionate amount of insulin, resulting in low blood sugar and subsequent hypoglycaemia.
Connection between hypoglycaemia and allergy:
This is of particular importance to sufferers of masked food allergies, which, invariably, involve many of the carbohydrate foods, often in the form of refined carbohydrates, such as cereal flours and refined sugars. The need for these people to snack constantly or 'binge' on their favourite (addictive) foods, coupled with the probability that they have been excessive eaters of these foods for many years, makes them inevitable targets for hypoglycaemia. During the phase of hypoglycaemia, the individual suffers from faintness, palpitations, nausea and excessive sweating. In order to overcome these distressing symptoms, he immediately eats more refined carbohydrate, which in turn stimulates further insulin production, so that the symptoms then return. Thus, a vicious circle becomes established, due to the demands made on the pancreas by the persistent ingestion of refined carbohydrates. This would have been brought about by chronic, addictive, masked allergy to one, or more, foods, which is unknown to the sufferer.
Clinical ecologists can often relate the hypoglycaemic reaction to a specific carbohydrate, by the use of a glucose tolerance test. This allows them to identify the offending allergen, which for years may have been causing untold distress and suffering to the person concerned.
Hypoglycaemia and poor nutrition
American allergists believe that a drop in blood sugar can be caused by eating foods to which you are, unknowingly, allergic. The reason being that internal stress is caused by any allergic substance. Hormonal stress can cause a fall in blood sugar. Studies in America have discovered that up to 90 per cent of American prison inmates have hypoglycaemia, resulting from poor nutrition. This leads to severe psychological and behavioural problems. Once diets are corrected, a dramatic improvement in attitude can result. These people can be said to be the really unlucky victims of food intolerance. Unfortunately, whilst some prisons are taking steps to improve diet, others are not. Such a case is the Alabama prison which feeds inmates on hamburgers and other fast foods.
About the Author
Author sites: Self Help , Herbal Remedies and Home Remedies
Natural Health Care For Sinus Sufferers
Natural Health Care For Sinus Sufferers
In the U.S., sinus problems are the #1 reason people see a doctor. With increasing pollution and chemicals in our environment, there is an enormous rise in the number of people who suffer various forms of nasal congestion and respiratory illnesses. If you suffer from sinus symptoms, then you know how the ongoing pain, swelling, congestion and postnasal drip can keep you from fully enjoying life.
Alternative health practitioners throughout the world recommend the regular practice of nasal cleansing using a saline solution as part of a regular regimen of health and wellness, a basic health-maintenance activity equal to flossing your teeth. Neti is a gentle, safe, efficient way to deliver a good cleansing dose of saline to the nose. This method of cleansing or clearing debris and bacteria from the nose, nasal passages, and sinuses can trace its roots back to ancient India.
As a self-care strategy, it is relatively new in the United States, but is gaining in popularity. It is both a prevention and treatment measure.
Basically, nasal irrigation is just that: cleaning your sinuses out with mild saltwater, or saline, solution. Although it may sound complicated, this easy-to-use and all-natural sinus cleansing method has many healing benefits. Nasal irrigation depends on saline solution to restore moisture to your sinuses and to lessen the inflammation of nasal membranes. A host of scientific studies show that if the saline irrigation is used regularly, it can help to thin mucus, decrease post nasal drip, and cleanse your passages of bacteria.
A nasal irrigation device called a Neti Pot is easy to use and available in natural food markets and natural home-care catalogs and websites. It looks like Aladdin's lamp or a small flat teapot. It is available in a variety of materials, such as ceramic, stainless steel and plastic.
You can purchase saline solutions specially designed for nasal irrigation. These are called "isotonic" if they are formulated to mimic the same concentrations of salt as in the body. Most over-the-counter saline solutions are isotonic. If your nose is stuffy, you might want to try a "hypertonic" saline solution, which has a higher salt concentration than that of bodily tissue.
Some researchers suggest that using a hypertonic solution may pull more liquid out of the swollen tissue of the nose, thus improving breathing. While many sinus sufferers have tried hypertonic solutions, most prefer using isotonic. Whichever solution you use, keeping the nose moist is beneficial for almost every nasal or sinus problem.
Bear in mind, always, that your sinus condition may change from season to season. You may have to keep trying different variations of the saline solution each season until you get the perfect mixture that allows your sinuses to stay clear without infection.
The Neti pot has a small spout that fits into the nostril. Simply rotate and tip you head over the sink and pour the solution into your nostril. The fluid rinses through your nasal cavity. After it drains through the other nostril, you spit out the fluid and repeat the process on the other side.
Your doctor may recommend using nasal irrigation once daily for prevention and two to four times a day at the first sign of a cold or sinus infection.
Beyond these benefits, nasal irrigation just feels good. If you have ever had a stuffy, congested nose for days on end, you know how wonderful it feels when you get relief and can breathe freely again. Nasal irrigation will let you do exactly that.
Joyce Boulan is the owner of a website where you can find more information about Neti Pots, articles of interest and find the right Neti Pot for your use. Please visit: http://www.neti-pot-store.com
Gluten Allergy: The Causes Of Gluten Allergy Revealed
Gluten Allergy: The Causes Of Gluten Allergy Revealed
If you are one of the individuals who suffer from gluten allergy you will need to avoid certain foods, particularly wheat, rye, barley and oats. These foods contain gluten in which is the allergen responsible for a gluten allergy sufferer. The problem with this substance is that it is a key component in baked foods such as bread, in fact it is responsible for giving dough its binding properties. In this article we take a closer look at gluten allergy.
Gluten is a protein, it doesn’t cause any problems for the average person when consumed, but if you have a gluten allergy it’s a different story. When suffering from an allergic reaction to gluten in some individuals may experience minor symptoms whilst others may suffer more severe symptom that have the potential to be fatal. Some of the most common symptoms of gluten allergy include swelling, cramps, asthma, vomiting, hives, nausea and swelling amongst other symptoms.
Pinpointing the cause of an allergic reaction is a pretty straightforward process. Let’s say someone has an allergic reaction after consuming gluten, and he or she goes to the doctor. The doctor will either conduct a blood test or a skin prick test. The results of these tests will reveal whether or not the allergic reaction was a result of gluten allergy.
As mentioned earlier some people have minor allergies to gluten, whilst others could potentially die as a result of a gluten allergy. The method of treatment depends on how the gluten allergy affects the individual. For example, if a person suffers from minor symptoms during an allergic reaction, they may be advised to only eat small amounts of wheat as this may stop allergic reactions in future. This individual may also be given medication such as an allergy shot. However if an individual suffers from major symptoms during an allergic reaction, they are usually advised not to consume products that contain gluten full stop.
If a child suffers from a gluten allergy he or she is treated differently than an adult with the same allergy, reasons being young children have a tendency to grow out of allergies, but adults don’t.
A condition that is commonly confused with being a gluten allergy is Coeliac Disease, this is not an allergy, it is infact a disorder that can be inherited, and it is characterized by the damaging effect it has on the immune system. If an individual with Coeliac Disease consumes gluten, the lining of the small intestine gets damaged. As a result the small intestine loses its ability to absorb nutrients and vitamins effectively and this causes a whole host of other problems for the unfortunate individual.
The way that the body reacts to this hereditary disorder differs for children and adults, for children the symptoms can be anything from poor appetite to stunted growth. In adults the symptoms include weight loss, diarrhea and constipation amongst others.
Anyone suffering from gluten allergy is strongly advised to seek medical advice, doing so will allow a health professional to give you a proper diagnosis of your condition, as a result you’ll find out whether or not it is necessary for you to eliminate gluten from your diet.
For more information on allergies head over to http://www.allergyrelieffacts.com, where you can also find out about natural allergy relief and natural allergy remedies.
