When we hear of allergy and asthma studies, we often find them lumpted together. Is there really a connection between allergies and asthma? To get to the answer to this, we must first learn what allergies and asthma actually are.

Allergies are immune system reactions to things that others would find harmless. Certain foods, pollen, even dust are all considered allergens that can trigger an allergic reaction. The immune system produces antibodies that release chemicals

Asthma is a chronic lung condition, characterized by difficulty in breathing due to extra sensitive or hyper-responsive airways. During an asthma attack, the airways become irritated and react by narrowing and constricting, causing increased resistance to airflow, and obstructing the flow of air to and from the lungs. Common early warning signs of asthma include fatigue, coughing (especially at night), wheezing, difficulty breathing, tightness in the chest, runny nose, and itchy throat.

Allergies, on the other hand, are immune system reactions to things that most people would experience as harmless. Certain foods, dust, pollen … these are allergens that can trigger an allergy attack. When they’re encountered, the body’s immune system produces IgE antibodies to fight the allergen. These antibodies create the release of chemicals into the bloodstream, one of which (histamine) affects the eyes, nose, throat, lungs, and skin, causing the allergy’s symptoms.

So now that we have a better picture of how these two health conditions work, the question becomes … is there a relationship between allergies and asthma?

It’s true that those with certain allergies (usually allergies that affect the nose and eyes, such as dust mites, animal dander, mold or pollen) are more likely to develop asthma than say … those without allergies or those with allergies in other classifications, such as food allergies. But it’s also true that many of those with allergies never develop asthma at all.

In addition, there are other factors that can contribute to a person’s asthma. Unmonitored exercise, for example. Or other illnesses, such as colds or the flu.

Scientists aren’t sure what lies at the root cause of asthma. Various studies are looking at a variety of factors, including air pollution, obesity, and as strange as it might sound, even the lack of exposure to viruses and bacteria in childhood (which may prevent the immune system from growing stronger).

What we do know is that exposure to indoor allergens, pollen, animal dander, grass … in other words, allergy-related factors, are often found in asthmatics. Often, but not always. And it also appears that asthma tends to run in families. If both parents have asthma, there’s actually a 40% probability their children will develop the disease as well.

Current research efforts have been exploring the influence of environmental factors, genetics (as mentioned above), and even stress on asthma. This creates the potential to dramatically reduce a person’s asthma severity levels by altering his or her exposure to the aggravating factors. This can be particularly successful when the culprit is something that’s relatively easy to control. Dust, for instance. Or something only encountered in a work environment. Or, though it’s certainly much more difficult because of the emotional component, a family pet.

Unfortunately, the most common allergy that appears to have a direct influence on asthma is an allergy to dust mites. Eliminating these mites to the extent that it might make a difference in the severity of your asthma requires a major change in lifestyle and can often be quite expensive. That doesn’t mean it can’t be done, only that it’s not as easy as simply staying indoors during the pollen season or switching to a less stressful job.

Of course, new treatments are coming along all the time, and considerable research is currently dedicated to finding ways to modify, abolish or diminish the affect allergies have on the body. It’s believed that with the successful control of allergies can come the successful control of asthma, particularly in younger sufferers.

In the meantime, here’s what we know … asthma can be triggered by allergic reactions, but it can also be triggered by nonallergic reactions. Most asthma attacks result from exposure to allergens such as pollen, household dust, and mold. These attacks can be influenced by indoor or outdoor environments. Because a majority of asthma sufferers are affected by some form of allergies, it’s worth the effor to work closely with your doctor to try to identify and control all potential allergens within your influence.

Amanda Baker writes for http://tobeinformed.com/blog/ - a website for health, fitness and wellness information. She also writes for All Things Pondered: http://allthingspondered.com

Technorati Tags: asthma, alllergies

Imagine being completely free of acne, blackheads, whiteheads and blemishes. Is it really possible? Well, every single human body is slightly different from the next, so there is no way to absolutely guarantee that something will work.

Here is a list of resources that might be helpful in your fight against the acne and blemishes:

List of Acne Treatments and Resources

You might find many helpful resources on the above page. It is my opinion that you should never give up, success could be just around the corner.

Here is the article: About Adult Acne:

Acne is often thought of as a teenage dilemma, and while it is true that acne appears most often during the teenage years, it is arguably just as true that there are a growing number of individuals that suffer from adult acne.

Adults in their twenties, all the way up to their fifties can still experience acne flare-ups. And adult acne can have just as many negative effects on a person as teenage acne. Possibly even more so, as the stress of career and family adds to the strain of living with an unsightly skin problem.

Mental stress can be one of the major causes of acne in adults. It is not a surprise in the slightest that women are often more likely to suffer from adult acne than men, as it has been shown that women have much more stress in their day to day lifestyle, not to mention that they are prone to hormonal imbalances, especially during times such as their menstrual cycle and pregnancy. Just as in teens, hormones play an important factor in the onset and exacerbation of adult acne.

The environmental factors that surround a person, paired with the individual’s lifestyle can also play a huge role in the appearance of adult acne. An improper diet or behaviors such as smoking and drinking affect the skin’s condition and resistance to acne, as well as other diseases.

Prevention is the obvious way to go when dealing with adult acne. A proper diet, paired with plenty of water and rest is a good start. Trying to relieve stress and maintaining proper skin care and hygiene can also help to prevent acne from occurring.

But what about the pimples that you may already have? There are many treatments available for people who have adult acne.

Anti-acne medications, certain skin care products, and even laser surgery are just a few of the many treatments available for acne on the market today. Visiting a qualified doctor or dermatologist is the only way to determine how severe your acne really is and to find the proper treament available for you.

Amanda Baker writes for http://tobeinformed.com - A resource for health, fitness and wellness information.
She also writes for All Things Pondered

Article Source: http://tobeinformed.com/blog

Technorati Tags: Acne, adult+acne, facial+blemishes, ,

Wouldn’t it be terrible to contract athlete’s foot or a toenail fungal infection?

When I was in the Navy, it was a requirement to wear rubber shower shoes when taking a shower. This was a preventative measure against any type of foot fungal or bacterial infections being contracted from someone else.

There are lots of people that live in close quarters with others or share common shower facilities. One big example that comes to mind is many college dormatories and gymnasiums. Be sure to protect your feet if you are utilizing bathrooms, showers, or other facilities that are shared by many people.

Fungal and Bacterial Conditions, including athlete’s foot, occur because our feet spend a lot of time in shoes - a warm, dark, humid place that is perfect for fungus to grow.

Fungal and bacterial conditions can cause dry skin, redness, blisters, itching, and peeling.

If not treated right away, an infection may be hard to cure. If not treated properly, the infection may reoccur.

To prevent infections, keep your feet - especially the area between your toes - clean and dry.

Change your shoes and socks or stockings often to help keep your feet dry. Try dusting your feet daily with foot powder. If your foot condition does not get better within 2 weeks, talk to your doctor.

But if you already have Athlete’s foot or toenail fungus, prevention may not do you a lot of good.

Here are some resources that might be helpful.

Toenail and Fingernail Fungus

Athlete’s Foot

Remedies page with a listing on Athletes Foot

Home Remedies for Toenail Fungus

Technorati Tags: Athlete’s+foot, toenail+fungus, foot+fungus, nail+fungus

Source: http://tobeinformed.com/blog