Oak Pollen Allergy Relief
Oak pollen allergies frequently bring symptoms of coughing, chest congestion, sneezing, wheezing, itchy eyes, sinus congestion, sore throat, and headache. Annually, beginning in March and lasting as late as May, central Texas is coated with sticky, yellow-green pollen from the live oak trees, and hundreds of people suffer respiratory allergy symptoms as a result. However, there are basic strategies you can implement to make oak pollen allergy season a much happier time of year.
Oak Pollen Allergy Relief Step 1: avoidance.
When possible, avoid extended outdoor activities. Pollen is transported by the wind from the trees to whatever it encounters, and that includes allergy sufferers. If being outdoors is unavoidable, wear a dust mask. This is especially important if you are completing gardening, yard work or outside maintenance that stirs up debris.
With warmer spring temperatures, it may be tempting to leave the windows open. But doing so will allow oak pollen to blow into your house and accumulate. This quickly becomes evident by the accumulation of oak pollen on your windowsills. Keep the windows shut as much as possible, especially in the bedroom. To further help lower indoor pollen accumulation, change your HVAC filters periodically. It may also be useful to purchase a free-standing air purifier and run it while sleeping.
Oak Pollen Allergy Relief Step 2: clean contacted surfaces.
Some exposure to oak pollen is inevitable. When you come indoors, take time to rinse your eyes, face and wash your hands. Also, rinse your nose out several times a day. This can be done with either a simple nasal saline solution, available at most drug stores or, alternatively, make your own saline using sea salt, water, and use a neti pot for application, available at most natural food stores. Removing of the majority of the pollen in your nasal passages can provide considerable allergy relief.
Oak Pollen Allergy Relief Step 3: Strive for sustained, allergy elimination.
The most common pharmaceutical allergy treatment options are decongestants, antihistamines and corticosteroids. All of these carry significant side effects. Additionally, while they may provide immediate symptom relief, they do not typically provide a long-term allergy elimination solution.
Safe, convenient non-pharmacutical treatments for respiratory allergies are available. One of these treatments is herbal therapy based on traditional Chinese herbal medicine. In addition to immediate symptom relief, a good formula will help prevent secondary infection, and with continued use, provide allergy elimination. Unlike other herbal therapies, traditional Chinese herbal therapies contain multiple herbs that work in conjunction with each other. Therefore, they often provide greater relief than single herbs.
Whatever herbs you use to provide oak pollen allergy relief, it is important to include herbs that provide symptom relief, immune modulation and secondary infection prevention. For immune modulation, which will help with lasting allergy elimination, astragalus root is extremely beneficial. All herbal remedies should come from trusted sources, made by companies that employ stringent manufacturing guidelines.
It is essential to remember that if you suffer severe asthma-like symptoms, marked by wheezing and difficulty getting enough air, emergency treatment may be necessary. If wheezing causes severe tightness in the chest, light-headedness, or a feeling of fainting, do not hesitate to dial 911. The majority of asthma related deaths in the United States are preventable. By reducing oak pollen exposure, both outdoors and indoors in combination with carefully constructed herbal therapy, the spring can be a happier, healthier time for allergy sufferers.
Necessary Research Steps Before Selecting Your Allergy Relief
Though allergy may not be listed among serious diseases, it is an extremely irritating one that leaves a person helplessly itching, scratching, and sneezing all the time. Since we know that about 35 million Americans bear the allergy cross, we can understand how important allergy relief is.
While proactive ways can be used to block the onset of an attack, it is most of the time not possible to isolate oneself completely from potential allergens. This means that all who are prone to different types of allergies should always be ready with proper means for allergy relief as well.
The right type of allergy relief has to be chosen depending upon the root cause of the allergy. Most sufferers may be familiar with the symptoms of an allergy attack like sneezing or inflammation but they may not know what exactly has triggered it off. These triggers have to be researched and written down.
While the proximity to a specific object can definitely cause an allergic response, certain types of allergies could be restricted to seasons - like to spring when flowers bloom, or to a rainy season when water pounds the roof. Allergy relief can be considered only after rightly establishing the connection of an allergic attack to these various factors.
Dust or pollen can be allergenic to many people. Those who are allergic to dust may get an attack when dusting the house, or sweeping the floor. Those who are allergic to pollen may start sneezing when they are working in the garden or in the vicinity of flowers. Once you become sure of what has set off an attack, you can start working on allergy relief measurements.
The first rule of allergy relief is to avoid contact with objects that could initiate a bout of allergy. This means that once you know that you are allergic to pollen, you should preferably wear a mask when you are in the vicinity of flowers that mass produce pollen.
Since it may not be possible to completely avoid airborne pollen, for those who are severely allergic to pollen, allergy relief may be possible only if they keep away from open spaces as much as possible.
Those who are prone to dust allergy can manage allergy relief by routinely cleaning furniture, curtains, and all nooks and corners of the house so that dust never gets a chance to accumulate, and also by never getting involved in larger cleaning up operations like cleaning the attic or the garage.
However, these preventive measures may not always work so that relying on drugs could become a must for allergy relief. Though over-the-counter medicines are available for allergy relief, it is best to take drugs under the guidance of a doctor. It is also good to avoid antihistamine drugs, especially if you need to drive after taking the drug, because it could cause drowsiness in some people.
Gluten Allergies, Celiac Disease and Dairy
Gluten is found in the protein of cereal grains. It can be found in a wide variety of foods and some people have allergies to it. Allergies to gluten are found in women more than men and tend to affect those of European descent.
Gluten allergies can cause eczema, skin rashes, itching and hives. More severe sufferers may develop asthma. Nearly 43 percent of gluten allergy sufferers who never seek treatment will get arthritis. Fifteen percent who go on a gluten-free diet because of their allergies will get arthritis anyway.
Celiac, also known as Coeliac is a disease of the gastrointestinal tract that very often forms directly from an allergic reaction to gluten. Its symptoms are similar to those of a regular gluten allergy, but it can also cause brain dysfunction, arthritis and inflammation of the lungs. You might also notice a clay-colored greasy stool. It is much more serious than the allergies it came from and must be guarded against.
Symptoms that gluten allergies have turned to Celiac are diarrhea, weight loss, iron deficiency, bloating, abdominal pain and malnutrition. The latter is caused by a decreased ability to absorb essential nutrients like iron and vitamins K and D. Celiac sufferers are at higher risk for esophagus, pharynx and small intestinal cancer. Fibroid lung disease seems to occur at a higher rate in gluten allergy and Celiac sufferers.
The treatment for both gluten allergies and Celiac is avoidance of gluten. There is no cure for any allergy. One must simply avoid the allergen. When doing so, it's a good idea to take some natural supplements to replace the nutrients you're missing in your gluten-free diet. They'll help build your body back up to its normal, healthy state.
So what is a gluten-free diet? It's one in which you eat no food containing wheat, oats, barley or rye in any form whatsoever. It can be difficult, but once you start finding alternatives to grains, you'll start feeling better quickly. It's important to find other tasty foods in order to keep yourself away from those that will make you sick.
It's important to note that if you have been diagnosed with a gluten allergy, it's very likely you also are sensitive to dairy products. Milk or dairy allergies are sensitivities to proteins found in cows' milk. Most cows eat a lot of grain and perhaps a link can be inferred.
Milk allergy symptoms can occur within minutes or hours after consuming the dairy product. They can be triggered by a very small amount of milk protein in the system. Like gluten allergy symptoms they can be skin reactions, like swollen lips, tongue, mouth, face or throat. They can also be digestive reactions, such as vomiting, stomach cramps or diarrhea. Respiratory reactions can include a runny nose, sneezing, watery eyes or shortness of breath.
The needed nutrient in dairy products that must be replaced when embarking on a gluten- and dairy-free diet is primarily calcium. Aside from natural supplements, increase your intake of calcium-rich foods like seafood, spinach, broccoli and salmon.
A gluten allergy is not the end of the world. There are plenty of fresh, colorful and tasty foods that contain no grain or dairy. But you must stay vigilant to keep your allergies from turning into something much worse.
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