Author: Shifrah
Herbal Treatment Shows Promise in Treating Asthma
Herbal Medicine Reduces Inflammation in Allergen-Induced Asthma We've talked before about alternative treatments for allergies, asthma, and related conditions like eczema. And we love spreading the word about natural remedies for allergies. Following is promising news regarding an Asian herbal…
Fighting Allergies with Food: Allergy Salad
Yesterday, in quick succession, I explored, joined, and became addicted to Pinterest, a ‘virtual pinboard,’ which lets users ‘organize and share all the beautiful things [they] find on the web.’ This morning I did a search for the term allergy…
Children with Food Allergies: Twice as Many as We Thought
Before I began writing for AchooAllergy.com, I had little involvement with allergies. I don't typically suffer from allergies myself (although I do have allergies when pregnant) and no one in my family has any food allergies. I wasn't writing about…
Repelling Mosquitoes without Chemicals
Last Friday in Are You a Mosquito Favorite? we explored what makes certain individuals especially attractive to mosquitoes. Today, as promised, we're going to look into ways to keeping mosquitoes away and preventing bites
Are You a Mosquito Favorite?
I went outside this morning for a little quiet time before the day got rolling
Jeep Enthusiasts Lament their Allergies
A conversation recently encountered on JK-Forum.com, ‘The Ultimate Jeep JK Wrangler Bulletin Board,’ reveals yet again just how much allergies affect quality of life. Below are some choice quotes from a comment thread entitled ‘Being a Jeeper with Seasonal Allergies…
Danby Dehumidifier to the Rescue
We just moved to Tallahassee, FL, and while I haven't verified this fact, it sure seems hotter and more humid than ‘Hotlanta’! We are temporarily living in an apartment, and with unpacking, setting up (and rearranging) furniture, and at least…
Pesticide Expsoure Triggers Allergies, Asthma
The FoxNews article, Pesticides on Playing Fields, discusses the effects of pesticides on playing fields used by children. Because spring and summer sporting activities are often more crowded than other times of year, pesticides used on playing fields pose an…
Deadly E. Coli Outbreak May be Caused by New Strain
A ‘super-toxic’ strain of E. coli that broke out in Europe has killed 18 people, sickened more than 1,600, and spread to more than 10 European countries. Raw tomatoes, cucumbers, and lettuce are believed to be the carriers of the…
Germiest Spots at Home
Staying allergy free is ultimately about keeping you and your family healthy. So when I saw Fox News's recent piece on the Germiest Places in Your House, I considered it perfect news to share with our allergic readers. Without further…
Why I Love My Danby Dehumidifier
We live in Atlanta in a home with a basement, so we experience our fair share of humidity inside our house. A couple years ago, we invested in a Danby dehumidifier, and we couldn't be happier with it. Here are…
Peanut Allergy Triggered by Blood Transfusion
Children and adults with life-threatening allergies know all too well that precautions against an allergic reaction must be taken in every aspect of life. An extraordinary case of an allergic reaction related in the NY Times emphatically illustrates this point.…
Bed Bugs May Spread Disease, Study Finds
Though universally regarded as a repulsive nuisance, bed bugs have not been considered a major health threat
Worst Allergy Season on Record
If you feel like your allergies have been worse than ever this year, it could be because ‘2011 could end up being the most extreme allergy season on record,’ as reported in this video Worst Allergy Season Ever? by Fox…
Five Springtime Asthma Facts
Medical News Today reports on Five Things You Don't Know About Springtime Asthma. The article highlights the fact that though 24 million Americans have been diagnosed with asthma, ‘millions more’ may be at risk and not even know it. Allergists…
Asthma Rates at Record Highs
In Asthma Rates Rise Sharply in U.S., Government Says, the NY Times highlights a recently released Centers for Disease Control study that reports asthma rates in record numbers. According to the report, nearly one in 10 children and one in…
BPA Exposure During Early Pregnancy Linked to Infant Wheezing
We've been keeping a close eye on news about the relationship between BPA and asthma and allergies. We've talked about this subject before. (See BPA, Allergies, and Asthma and BPA, Triclosan Linked to Allergies.) A new study seems to provide…
New Cat Allergy Vaccine is Safer, Quicker
Good news! Allergy treatment really is improving. As The Washington Post reports in Cutting Allergy Shots, advances are being made in immunotherapy that uses isolated proteins that make up specific allergens. The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology published a…
Green Homes and Indoor Air Quality
I had the opportunity to speak with a builder last week. All of the houses he builds are certified green and Energy Star rated. This means that the materials he uses are low toxicity, such as low VOC paint and…
My Favorite Allergy-Free Cleaning Products
_I do my best to maintain a clean home all year long, but when spring cleaning comes around, I often reassess my cleaning tools and methods. One thing I often review is my cleaning products. With young children and pets…
Top Three Spring and Summer Allergy Relief Products
The worst of spring allergies, at least here in Atlanta, is waning, along with the decrease in the yellow river of pollen we endure every year. But with summer coming up, now is a good time to prepare for the…
Spring Allergies, Eye Allergies, and Contact Lenses
When it comes to eye allergies, the misery of spring allergies can hit those who wear contact lenses especially hard, Medical News Today reports.’ Eye allergy symptoms include itchy and watery eyes, which accompany other allergy symptoms like sneezing, coughing,…
Hidden Allergens: Shower Curtains
Today's hidden allergen spotlight turns on the shower curtain, which can cause problems for allergy sufferers in a couple of ways: through off-gassing, and through the possible presence of mold. Firstly, consider vinyl shower curtains, those clear plastic ones that…
Summer Brings Stinging Insect Allergies
_My little girl has been enjoying playing out on our sun porch as the weather has gotten nicer. But last week, I noticed that wasps were buzzing around, looking perhaps for a place to build their nest. My husband promptly…
Food Dyes, Allergies, and ADHD
As the number of cases of both allergies and ADHD disorders are on the rise, it's particularly interesting to examine factors that may be increasing the incidence of both conditions. One somewhat controversial such factor is the consumption of food…
Radiation Treatment and Allergies
In the wake of Japan's disaster, many of us have spent some time considering the dangers of radiation. Sales of potassium iodide, the main treatment for radiation exposure, have soared, even here in the United States. In 2004, the American…
Discrimination Against Those with Allergies?
This video on CNN Health raises the debate about how far others should go in accommodating those with allergies. In this particular instance, parents at a Florida public school are protesting their children's ‘inconveniences,’ policies put in place to protect…
Three Surprising Spring Cleaning Tasks Every Allergy Sufferer Should Do
Though it's best for allergy sufferers to maintain a cleaning regimen throughout the year in order to minimize indoor allergens, spring cleaning is an excellent opportunity to tackle some special projects that will help keep allergies at bay. Here are…
How to Enjoy Spring Without Allergies
If you're like me, it's almost impossible to resist going outside to enjoy the beauty and soft warmth of spring
Iron Supplements While Pregnant May Help Prevent Childhood Asthma
With early childhood asthma and allergies on the rise, researchers are always on the lookout for reasons for this surge. In addition to a lack of vitamin D, iron deficiencies may also account for problems in infant and childhood breathing,…
Bedbug Chemicals Dangerous Too
As we've covered in the past, bedbugs have made a huge resurgence in recent years. While the bedbugs themselves are not actually harmful unless you have an allergic reaction to their bites, the mental toll and loss of sleep can…
New Food Allergy Test: Greater Accuracy, Less Risk
Researchers have developed an online calculator that predicts in seconds whether a person has three of the major food allergies, reports Science Daily in Easy, Accurate Way to Predict Food Allergies Developed, Study Suggests. This ‘Cork-Southampton calculator’ is 96 percent…
What Do Printers, Photocopies, and Receipts Have to Do with Allergies?
My family and friends know that I write for an allergy relief company, so I'm often asked for advice about which products to buy or about allergies in general. This week, my mother asked me why her eyes were itching.…
Vitamin D May Prevent Allergies in Children
We've talked before about vitamin D levels and allergies, and a study recently published in the online version of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology confirms the association. ScienceDaily reports on this in Low Vitamin D Levels Linked to…
Allergy Covers Aren’t Just for Allergies
Allergens are the biggest threat to hotel guests, reports CNN in a new article called A microscopic look at hotel hygiene. But allergens are not the only danger for travelers. Germs abound in many hotel room hotspots and it's enough…
Flu Season Not Over Yet
The Washington Post warns today in Flu Season Heats Up that it is still flu season. ‘Don't let the warmer, brighter days fool you,’ writes Leslie Tamura. ‘Flu season is not over.’ In fact, director of the office of epidemiology…
Solve Dryness Problems: Moisturizing Tips for Your Beauty Routine
The end of winter signals the approach of spring and relief from the many effects of dry air. Indeed, it's at this juncture that many of us are experiencing
Romance and Allergies
It's nearly impossible not to notice that today is Valentine's Day. And with a nod to the occasion that brings so much pink and red and hearts and chocolate our way, it's also a good time to reflect a little…
Endotoxins Found in Dust Trigger Asthma
It's no surprise that dust in the house is a major allergy and asthma trigger, but the reason described in this Science Daily video may be news to you. I was very surprised and interested to learn more after watching…
Good News About Allergies and Brain Tumors
Is it possible that having allergies could be a good thing? We might not go so far as to say yes, but CNN reports today on a correlation between having allergies and a decreased likelihood of developing brain tumors. In…
Neti Pot Demo
The Benefits of Neti Pots on FoxNews.com features Dr. Manny Alvarez discussing use of the neti pot. Click the link above to hear what he has to say and to see a demonstration of the NeilMed NasaFlo Neti Pot. For…
Mucus vs. Mucous
Have you ever noticed these two different spellings of mucus? I, of course, have because I write about it all the time! As much as I love to learn and write about allergies and allergen avoidance, I love to learn…
Vacuuming Tips for Cleaner Indoor Air
We talked last week about how some ways to reduce indoor allergens during winter. Vacuuming more frequently is one sure-fire way to minimize the allergens in your home. But, as with many tasks, there's an alright way to do it,…
How We Keep Skin Hydrated During Winter
My family just returned from a few weeks in California, where I'm from. And while the frequent 60 degree weather was a welcome relief from Atlanta's freezing temperatures, the warmth wasn't the only nice change; San Francisco's humidity, while cool,…
Reduce Indoor Allergens During Winter
Are you noticing that lately your home seems to get dirty especially quickly? This is because most of us spend more time indoors in the winter. This is certainly the case at our house. Pet hair accumulates faster than ever,…
Humidifiers Solve Winter Dryness Problems
Have you noticed you're waking up every morning with a sore throat? Does your skin seem especially dry? Dry air is most likely the problem. Luckily the solution is simple: humidification. With winter weather in full swing, you're probably noticing…
Toxic Chemicals Found in Almost All Pregnant Women
A blog post entitled Nearly all pregnant women harbor potentially harmful chemicals in today’s Washington Post discusses the presence of toxic chemicals in pregnant women’s bodies. Of most concern, of course, are chemicals that cross the barrier of the placenta…
Laughing and Singing May Spread Sickness
In this season of flus and colds galore, it's not uncommon to see people wincing away from congested coughs and sneezes. But Singapore scientists are looking into other activities
Food Allergic Diners – How Much are They Worth?
If making restaurants comfortable for the allergic community just because it's the ‘right thing to do’ isn't enough, financial expert Paul Antico has demonstrated that catering to the food allergic community has monetary benefit, reports Medical News Today in How…
Winter Allergy Tips
Though not full of pollen like spring and fall are, winter time poses its own challenges for allergy and asthma sufferers. This is mainly related to the fact that winter causes individuals to spend an increasing amount of time indoors,…