In the United States alone, there are already over 50 million of people who are diagnosed with allergies. The very first important step in allergy testing and therefore effective treatment, is to identify what you are allergic to. Current developments in medical technology have made allergy testing more efficient and convenient han used to be the case. Allergy tests are conducted in order to identify what specific things - food, environment, etc., actually trigger one's allergic reactions and results are compared with a study of the patient's medical history to obtain more efficient results.

Allergies are exaggerated reactions from our immune system in response to body contact with a particular unfamiliar substance. It is an exaggerated reaction because only people with an allergic condition react to these foreign substances. When our body comes in to contact with allergens or the "unfamiliar substances", people who are allergic to that substance cause their immune system to develop an allergic reaction. If your body reacts to a substance that is not harmful to others, then you are said to be allergic or atopic. An allergy test is suitable for both adults and children, since all ages can be susceptible to allergic reactions.

Allergy Testing can take two forms - skin test and blood test. Normally, testing is done under the guidance of a specialist in allergy, who are skilled in the best methods for identifying allergies as well as the appropriate methods for treating them.

In the first form, skin testing, a sample of a potential allergen is taken from the surface of the skin. The test is usually carried out on the back or on the forearm. Various suspected allergens are tested at the same time. If you prove to be allergic to a particular test, you are likely to develop a swelling and redness at the test spot. Occasionally, the doctor will suggest a second test procedure. With this process, a small amount of assumed allergen is injected into the skin of the of the forearm. As with first test, many suspected allergens can be tested on the same time.

The result of a skin test is usually available immediately. Positive reactions often appear within 20 minutes for either of the tests. Swelling and redness may occur few hours after the test was completed, but this delayed reaction often fades away within 24 to 48 hours. It should however, always be reported to the doctor or nurse. With both types of skin test, there is usually only minimal pain or indeed no pain at all. A positive reaction on the test however, can be more annoying as it can feel like a mosquito bite and is likely to be accompanied by redness and swelling. On a lighter note, these can be expected to disappear within just a few minutes or hours.

The second form of allergy testing, the blood test, is often used in cases that the patient is undergoing a medication that would hamper skin testing or if the patient is suffering from severe skin conditions such as eczema. Blood testing is also used when dealing with babies or young children as a single needle stick for the test is better than various skin tests. Unlike the skin test, the result of a blood test takes some time as the sample needs to be analysed by a laboratory. It is however more costly to administer than the skin test.

Each test method has its advantages and disadvantages and the test results alone are not enough to completely diagnose an allergy. In all cases, using either type of test, results need to be considered together with the patient's personal medical history.

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There are several ways to check for food allergies on one's own. One is with the Coca test, based on Dr. Coca's observation that a person's pulse rate increases after eating a food to which he or she is allergic. The test consists of taking your pulse before eating and every 30 minutes after that for up to 2 hours.

Normally, the average person's pulse is between 70 and 80 beats per minute. After eating a food to which one is allergic, however, the pulse can increase significantly to a count that's 20 or even 40 beats above the normal level.

Another effective diagnostic measure that can be self-administered is the elimination test. Here, suspected allergy-producing foods are eliminated from the diet for 4 days. Every 5th day one of the foods is added back in to see if an allergic reaction occurs. So, if, for example, wheat is eliminated, on the 5th day a bowl of cracked wheat can be eaten. (Bread should not be used for this purpose because the person might be reacting to the yeast, sugar or additives.)

Recording Symptoms

It is helpful to keep a food diary to isolate those chemicals and foods that make you ill. Ask yourself, "Do I get bloated? Tired? Headaches?" Even is symptoms are not immediate, write them down. If you are allergic to a food, patterns will begin to emerge. A wide array of symptoms can occur depending upon which systems are most affected:

Adrenal System Reactions: Low energy or chronic fatigue is a common reaction, with immune dysfunction being at the most severe end of the spectrum. Another possibility is obesity, which can stem from a tendency to overeat in response to low glucose levels. A hypoglycemic person eats to raise the blood sugar and overcome inertia and exercise too little because not enough energy is available.

Central Nervous System Reactions: Brain allergies occur when molecules, breathed in or eaten, leave the blood and enter the brain. These foreign substances can interfere with enzymes and lead to any number of reactions - diminished concentration, impaired thinking, spaciness, anxiety, headaches, aggressive or antisocial behavior, depression, rapid mood swings, insomnia, hallucinations or episodic memory loss.

Many children experience hyperactivity or fatigue from allergens. Even serious psychotic problems can result; it is estimated that for over 90% of schizophrenics, food or chemical intolerances are contributory factors to their conditions. Unfortunately many allergic reactions, and many psychological problems compounded by allergic reactions, are mistaken for purely psychological.

Skin Problems: Some people experience rashes, or skin redness, discoloration, roughness or inflammation.

Respiratory System Problems: There may be wheezing or shortness of breath, asthma or bronchitis.

Cardiovascular Symptoms: These include heart pounding, rapid or skipped beats, flushing, pallor, tingling, redness or blueness of the hands and faintness.

Gastrointestinal Symptoms: Numerous symptoms include dry mouth, burping, flatulence, bloating, canker sores, stinging tongue, diarrhea, constipation, nausea, abdominal pain, rectal itching and indigestion.

Other Problems: Other annoying, uncomfortable symptoms are muscle aches and joint pain, ringing in the ears and frequent urination.

Unless corrected, subclinical signs can turn into disease states. Most people mask their symptoms with medication instead of addressing the cause of the problem. They do not realize that seemingly divers conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, asthma, migraines, irritably bowel syndrome, adult onset diabetes and skin disease, can have food and chemical allergies as an underlying cause.

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My Italian Greyhound is truly the best friend (no, more like a child) of my husband and I. Her name is Wendy. She's absolutely a beautiful specimen of an Italian Greyhound - with her sleek body, her tucked tummy, her champion like posture and whimsical gallop. Wendy is now 4.5 years old and her life has been one long terrible journey.

When we first adopted Wendy - she was a tiny fawn puppy with large black eyes. You couldn't even tell if she was looking at us because her pupils and eye color had not developed yet. She was very fuzzy for an Italian Greyhound puppy. She had remnant milk breath and wagged her tail in play.

Unfortunately, a few weeks after we adopted her, she threw up. It was a small projectile like vomit while my husband was holding her. We did not think anything of it because puppies will throw up sometimes. She was on a strictly "puppy" food diet, her stools were normal and her urine was normal. She was eating and drinking normally and behaving normally.

Approximately a month later, things started to change with Wendy. She became less active. She laid down all the time. She didn't want to engage in typical "puppy" play - or if she did, she didn't last more than a few minutes before she wanted to lay down. We didn't know any better and thought maybe she was just a "quiet" puppy or had more of a "serious" temperament than our other Italian Greyhound.

We soon began to notice that she was not eating as much. It was time to go to the vet. The vet told us that her weight was fine and she looked fine. We told the vet that her appetite had greatly decreased, but he told us to give her some chicken soup and rice. We tried, and she did eat some of it, but within a day she stopped eating. We took her back and the vet told us to just keep trying. We tried for another night and she refused to eat. At this point she also stopped ALL physical activity. She didn't get up! She didn't walk, she didn't do anything. She just was looking around her while she was laying down.

We brought her back to the vet again, this time my husband was furious. The vets' office had at least 5 vets working in it. He demanded to see a vet and NOT the same one who had been treating Wendy. He told the new vet Wendy's history and he demanded that something be done about her quickly deteriorating condition. The vet told my husband he thought she had a food allergy and prescribed Hill's C/D. Well, luckily - this did help her come back to life. Later, I learned that Hill's C/D is a low protein food and it was the high protein in her puppy food that was killing Wendy.

Wendy did fine on this food. I kept bringing her to the vet at least once a month for colds, fevers and strange behavior. She constantly urinated all over the place. She never had a good appetite and never drank a lot. She was still a "quiet" dog, but she grew older and we moved to a different town. She became an adult and we took her off of the Hill's C/D. She immediately started to develop crystals in her urine. Italian Greyhounds do not like to urinate outdoors, so we always made it a point to use pee pads in a basement or garage area. Fortunately, as a youngster, Wendy didn't always quite make it to the pad and I was able to see the crystals on the floor!!!

I took her to the vet specifically to address the crystals in her urine. The vet ran some blood tests and told me that her BUN count was a little low (and maybe her creatin too - I can't quite remember the creatin reading). I researched this on the net (which was still developing at the time) and found information about liver shunts. Liver shunts are often congenital defects that occur in puppies/dogs and these affected dogs typically have low BUN, low creatin and ammonium crystals in their urine! I brought it up to the vet - she said "no" and "that's not it". She told us it was just the food allergy that our earlier vets had diagnosed. I truly believed my vet - SHE was the EXPERT. I completely put the idea of a liver shunt OUT OF MY MIND.

Every time I brought Wendy to the vet, I kept asking each vet if they thought Wendy was too skinny. They all told me that she was just petite and that she looked normal. Again, I had instinctual doubts but believed the EXPERTS.

If I had only known then what I know now. After 3.5 years of going through hell bringing Wendy to tons of vets and ER vets - I finally found an ER vet who actually took the time to listen to Wendy's full history and my concerns. He said the magic words "I think she might have a liver shunt, you should get a bile acid test done on her".

Here are the symptoms of liver shunts:

1. Poor Doer: A puppy/dog that is always getting sick. Because liver shunts cause toxicity in the blood because the dog is not having its blood filtered by the liver. This causes various illnesses to occur often.

2. UTIs: A puppy/dog that has frequent urinary tract infections or looks like it is having a urinary tract infection due to having many accidents all over the house, isn't able to be housebroken or urinating small amounts.

3. BAD ODOR: A puppy/dog that has bad mouth odor and/or bad urine odor. Often, the urine is also a darker color yellow instead of the "barely" yellow of normal healthy urine. (Note: Puppy and young dogs should have good breath. Bad breath is a RED FLAG that something isn't right)

4. Head Pressing: Dogs with liver shunts don't filter their blood which results in ammonia build up in the blood. Ammonia toxicity causes their heads to feel funny - so they rub their heads a lot.

5. CRYSTALS IN URINE: This is from the excess ammonia in their system. Any dog with crystals in the urine should have a bile acid test.

6. Complete Blood Count (CBC): This test is easily given in the vet's office. Liver shunt dogs often have a lower than normal BUN and Creatin count.

7. Depression: Liver shunt dogs are not very active or they may be active for very short periods of time. They are known as "quiet" puppies or "quiet" dogs. A "quiet" puppy usually isn't very normal and all "quiet" puppies should have a bile acid test to make sure they are okay.

8. Low Weight: Puppies with liver shunts look normal with a milk belly, etc. As they grow into dogs it is obvious they are too skinny. Their ribs show, their bones are prominent and they don't develop muscle mass. Not all liver shunt dogs have low weight though, but many do. They tend to have low weight because their liver cannot absorb and process nutrients to bring these liver shunt dogs to their normal weight.

9. Small: Dogs with liver shunts often do not grow as much as their siblings. They have smaller than normal livers and sometimes smaller than normal features. Wendy never developed the strong leg muscles that all greyhound breeds exhibit.

10. Anorexia: Many liver shunt puppies/dogs do not eat normally. They eat very little dog food. They may chow down on a newly introduced canned food or people food - but they invariably resort back to not eating very much. Eating food makes them not feel well because of the higher toxicity they have after a meal - so they tend to shun food.

11. Breed: Any breed can have a liver shunt, but Yorkshire Terriers are famous for having them.

Here is my advice to anyone who has a dog with these symptoms:

FORCE YOUR VET TO DO A BILE ACID TEST IF YOU SUSPECT A LIVER SHUNT AND/OR YOUR DOG IS EXHIBITING SOME OF THE ABOVE SYMPTOMS!!!! Don't take "no" for an answer. Tell them you want to MAKE SURE and cover all of your bases. A bile acid test is about $100.00 and can save your dog's life.

Once your dog has been diagnosed with a liver shunt, you can then begin the process of determining treatment. In the meantime, ask the vet for Lactulose which may cause diarrhea at first but will immediately help to greatly detoxify your dog. Also, immediately put your dog on Hill's L/D diet which is low protein. Do not give your dog any people food that has protein! Protein promotes toxicity in liver shunt dogs.

There are several treatment options. You may want to have a scintigraphy done to find out if the shunt is intrahepatic or extrahepatic. Usually the liver shunt is extrahepatic (outside the liver) which is easily operable. Intrahepatic shunts (inside the liver) are much more difficult to operate on and are usually found in larger breed dogs. Your vet can recommend whether to operate or not. Usually, it is recommended to medically manage your dog rather than operate with intrahepatic shunts.

Surgery: One of the best and cheapest places to have the surgery performed is at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, TN. And I do mean the BEST and the cheapest. They specialize in liver shunt surgery. I wouldn't have trusted Wendy to any other surgeon for treatment. In addition, UTK utilizes a surgical method for extrahepatic shunts that cannot be surpassed by mere ligation.

Puppies in in the uterous of their momma dog get nutrients from momma through a portal vein. At birth, this vein is supposed to close up. In liver shunt dogs, it doesn't close up. Instead, this portal vein acts as a "bypass" and most of the blood bypasses the liver. The liver is what cleans the blood. The liver also performs thousands of other vital functions!!! 94% of Wendy's blood bypassed her liver!!!

The classical surgical method has been to ligate the portal vein (close it off, shut it down, get rid of it....). Unfortunately, the ligation method can throw the body into shock and kill the dog because there is a halt to the circulatory system! UTK developed a much better and much safer method. A metal ring is coated with a substance that expands upon contact with moisture. It expands SLOWLY (it takes a month or so for it to fully expand). This ring, called an ameroid constrictor, is placed AROUND the portal vein. The ameroid constrictor closes slowly over time until the vein is closed. This not only helps the body from going into shock, but it also helps to prevent infection that is caused by ligation! The liver is able to slowly accept more and more blood as the constrictor does its job. There is no shock to the liver or the circulatory system.

I HIGHLY recommend the surgery with an ameroid constrictor - you can research all of this on the net to make your decision. The UTK program includes a scinitigraphy to locate the shunt, surgery, hospital stay, AND A BIOPSY OF THE LIVER for about $1,600 (2007). They do a great job!

What to Expect Post Op: Your dog will be in some pain for a few days after the surgery. Fortunately, there is not a lot of pain because the only cutting involved is the skin on the belly and for the biopsy. There is usually no cutting done for placing the ameroid constrictor.

Over the next 4 months, you will notice the following: weight gain, muscle development, loss of puppy fur (if your dog retained its puppy fur), improvement in general appearance (shinier), LOTS more ENERGY and no more head rubbing.

At 4 months, you will need to redo the bile acid test to check on how the ameroid constrictor is operating. Wendy had 0s on her follow up bile acid test!!! After 4 months, if the bile acid test comes back normal, you can put your dog back on regular food!!!!

I can't tell you how glad I was that I was able to have Wendy surgically corrected.

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There are rare disorders, which affect a woman's fertility, and yet which are not 'household names' so-to-speak, even among those women who would consider themselves to be well-informed about woman's health issues. If you talk to women about Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and Sperm Allergy, you are likely to get a few raised eyebrows. This might be due to the fact that they are considered to be somewhat rare. Females attempting to get pregnant want to be as well-read on fertility-related issues as possible.

Here is a brief overview these two disorders:

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: This is an endocrine disorder that affects approx. 5% to 10% of women are of child bearing age, and which is a leading cause of infertility. The symptoms vary significantly in women. Women with this disorder have higher than normal levels of male hormones (all women have both male and female hormones). The excessive amounts of masculinizing (androgenic) hormone result in increased hair growth and irregular or absent menstrual cycles (anovulation), and small-fluid filled cysts on their ovaries. If a woman is pregnant or trying to conceive, she needs to consult with a doctor before taking any medication to deal with the increased hair, since they can affect the development of a fetus. Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is also strongly correlated and to diabetes, obesity, and the body producing too much insulin.

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome affects ovulation. Different medications can be prescribed to help the ovaries release eggs. IVF can be used to help a woman with PCOS conceive. There is also a laparoscopic procedure which may be considered, although it is not considered as a first option. A small portion of the ovary is destroyed by a small electric current. This intervention can decrease the production of male hormones and increase ovulation.

The exact cause of PCOS is unknown. There may be a genetic factor, but further testing is needed.

There is no cure for PCOS.

Sperm Allergy: Females can suffer from a sperm allergy, or human seminal plasma hypersensitivity, which is a rare allergic reaction to seminal fluids, or sensitivity to semen.

The best way to test for such an allergy is to use a condom during intercourse. If the symptoms go away with the use of a condom, this is a possible. In mild cases, there usually are no symptoms. In more severe cases, symptoms may include vaginal itching, redness, swelling, or blisters within 30 minutes of contact. They may also include generalized itching, hives, and even difficulty breathing.

Both mild and severe allergies may interfere with a couple trying to conceive. Up to 25% of couples experiencing difficulties conceiving may have sperm allergies. Of those with such an allergy, 20% to 40% are able to conceive with the help of artificial insemination or an Assisted Reproductive Technology treatment.

A woman consulting a fertility specialist is well-advised to share any medical concerns that she has, whether or not she can see a direct correlation between the concern and her attempts to become pregnant. Fertility specialists are trained to see links between fertility and health-issues.

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I love dogs. My partner loves dogs. My kids love dogs. Trouble is, dogs don't love my kids - at least not when it comes to allergies. So if you've set your heart on getting a dog, but you or your family have allergy problems is there anything you can do about it?

Well, you can start by looking at breeds that are supposedly better for allergy sufferers. Wheaten Terriers, Beagles, Portuguese Water Dogs are some of the most popular. Or the new "hybrid" breeds - Labradoodles, Spoodles and the like.

The problem is that even then, nothing is guaranteed. We went as far as going to a rescue centre, carefully choosing the right kind of dog after several visits, starting to sign on the dotted line, when suddenly our elder daughter began reacting. She became itchy, her face swelled up - and there were of course buckets of tears when we realised that we couldn't take the dog after all.

The thing is, it's not just a dog's coat that's the problem. It's also the saliva. So you have to worry about a dog licking you as well as stroking it. No displays of affection, in other words. Which rather negates a lot of the point of getting a dog in the first place.

So is all lost when it comes to dogs? Not necessarily. We had both our girls tested for allergies and both were confirmed as allergic to dogs. But these things can change over time. People can both develop and lose allergies over time, seemingly for no rhyme or reason. Ditto asthma and eczema - they're all related.

I had asthma as a kid, but none now. I never had eczema as a child, but in my late twenties and thirties I got it quite badly. Now, in my early forties, I no longer suffer from it. My elder daughter used to have a latex allergy. Not now. She now swells up if she eats chicken. She never used to. My partner had bad hay fever all her life - until a couple of years ago. And so on.

It can be the same with pet allergies. If you're not sure, get you or your family tested. Then try testing again in a few years time. There are also things you can do to lessen the impact of allergies, such as washing the dog frequently. But that's only worthwhile if the dog is already there - it's not a great idea to introduce a new dog to an allergic household on that basis. Besides, the dog is unlikely to be too keen on being bathed. And however often you clean or groom it, there's no such thing as an allergen free dog.

Incidentally, both our kids came out in the tests as allergic to cats. This we already knew about, and was less of an issue, as we'd all prefer to get a dog. Cat allergies tend to be more common, and often more severe as well. And also, many experts say, less likely to go away over time. So bad luck if cats are your bag - it's not a good idea to introduce a cat to a home with allergic kids.

While we're hoping our kids' dog allergies will improve over time, we still wanted to get a pet. But practically all pets can set off allergies - rabbits, guinea pigs, mice, all of them. So always expose all members of your household to them before taking them home, just in case. Snakes and lizards are OK - but plenty of people aren't too happy with the concept of a snake or lizard in the house.

Then there are goldfish. Goldfish you're pretty safe with. But goldfish you'll probably get pretty bored with too. They're not easy to take for walks for one thing.

In the end, we settled on hamsters. The kids had already handled the school hamster without any problems, so we knew we were on safe ground. So now we're the proud owners of three girl hamsters. (I do, do hope they are all females - three is more than enough.)

One day we may be able to get a dog. But right now, we're happy, the kids are happy, and their allergies aren't being set off all the time by their pets. And that's the main thing.

© Peter Wise

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Are you one of the many people in the UK with a perfume allergy? If so, you will understand how this can define so much of what you can use on your body and in your home. Whilst the extent of the inconvenience depends on which perfume chemicals you are allergic to, fragrance-free products are the best option for living without constant skin reactions.

Up to 4% of people are thought to have perfume allergies, although many more have sensitive skin and may react to other components of skin creams.

Why is perfume added to skin care products?
Perfume is added to skin care products because it is designed to improve their scent and thus make them more appealing to consumers. Of course, you only need look at the popularity of the big perfume brands to see that pleasant aromas are welcomed by many people. Scent is even used in some stores to improve customers' brand experience - not good if you have a perfume allergy!

Almost all skin care products, from body lotions and face creams to deodorants and shower gels, have perfume added to them. Indeed, it can sometimes be quite difficult to find personal care products on supermarket shelves which do not have added scent. Sometimes the perfume is added so as to give a nice scent whilst other times it is added as a 'masking fragrance' to cover up the smell of another ingredient.

Perfumes are also found in a huge array of other products such as washing powders, kitchen and bathroom cleaners, air fresheners, candles and tissues - to name just a few.

Unfortunately for people who have perfume allergies, this means that many products are completely out of bounds, leaving them to seek out fragrance-free skin care products instead.

What are the symptoms of perfume allergies?
If you are allergic to perfume, you may react in a number of ways. Skin reactions are quite common, with rashes, redness, itching or eczema apparent in the area of skin which came into contact with the perfume. Eczema in the armpits is often a sign of a perfumed deodorant allergy and those who experience this should try switching to a fragrance-free deodorant.

Perfume allergies, just as with any other allergy, can also affect you in other ways. You may experience watery eyes, shortness of breath, nausea or dizziness when you come into contact with some fragrances. There are also a number of less common symptoms; visit your doctor if you are concerned.

Why does perfume make me react?
When you see 'perfume' listed on the ingredients label of skin care products, it represents a combination of compounds which all make up the scent of the product. It isn't possible to tell what all of these compounds are if just the term 'perfume' is used so it is hard to narrow down what exactly you are allergic to.

Here is a list of the most common perfume chemicals which cause allergic reactions:

- Cinnamyl alcohol
- Hexylcinnam-aldehyde
- Coumarin
- Isoeugenol
- Anisyl alcohol
- Amyl cinnamyl alcohol
- Hydroxy-citranellal
- Oak moss extract

If you have ever gone for perfume allergy testing, you would likely have undergone a patch test involving the above chemicals and another one of Balsam of Peru. This is where a sample of the fragrance is applied to a small area of skin and monitored to see if there is any reaction.

These two perfume patch tests detect around 75% of perfume allergies so may be able to help you find out for certain about your sensitivities.

Essential oils in perfumes
Synthetic chemicals are widely used in perfumes as they tend to be much cheaper than essential oils which offer a natural form of scent. It is often these synthetic chemicals which set off allergic reactions but essential oils can also cause reactions in some people.

Essential oils are used in many natural skin care products because of their remarkable effectiveness in both adding scent and having beneficial effects on skin. Unfortunately for those who have allergies to essential oils, this can restrict their use of even the most natural of products.

However, just because your skin reacts to some essential oils, it doesn't mean that it will to all. If you like, you can undergo patch testing to identify exactly where your fragrance allergy lies. This way you can still enjoy the use of some natural skin care products with essential oils.

Fragrance-free products
If you are allergic to several perfumes or have very sensitive skin, going completely fragrance-free is probably the best choice for you. These tend to be the very mildest products and, although they may be difficult to find, you should be able to get a complete personal care range without scent.

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Dog allergies of all kinds are just as common in dogs as they are in humans. Dog skin allergies are one of the most common forms of allergies that you may experience. These allergies are characterized by having your pet chew, lick and paw at her itchy skin, her eyes and nose may have some sort of discharge (usually a clear discharge) and there may be digestive upsets involved. Skin lesions are another sign that your dog is probably suffering allergies of skin.

What Causes Dog Skin Allergies?
All allergies are a result of our immune system being hypersensitive to some sort of substance (which is referred to as an antigen or allergen). Dog skin allergies can show up at any point of your dog's life, though they tend to come about during the first five years of your dog's life.

The most common of the dog skin allergies involves dog fleas. The saliva of dog fleas will often cause the area of skin where the bite occurred to become incredibly itchy and irritating.

There are also atopic dog skin allergies, which is the result of your pet inhaling some sort of substance that does not agree with their immune system. These allergens are similar to the inhaled allergens that bother humans, such as dust, mold, dander, and pollen. This type of allergy usually is noticeable when your pet is quite young (under 6 months in age) The best way to try and stop atopic allergies is to keep your home and the area that the dog lives in very clean and well ventilated.

How are Dog Skin Allergies Diagnosed?
Where the skin lesions are present on the body will often help the veterinarian decide if your dog has an allergy or not. Your veterinarian may also put your dog on some sort of a flea medication, and different foods may be tried so as to rule out whether or not your dog is having a dog food allergy rather than an allergy of skin. Blood tests and allergy testing may also be involved in more complex cases.

How do you Treat Dog Skin Allergies?
Unfortunately, allergies are very rarely "cured"; it's more a matter of trying to control them and to keep them in check. Antihistamines as well as corticosteroids are popular ways to treat allergies, though some pet owners are also choosing "immunotherapy". This type of therapy is a bit controversial as it is not guaranteed to work, though if it does, it will take up to 12 months to work properly.

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If you enjoy eating home cooked meals, food allergies can be can be a real nuisance. A lot of time needs to be taken to ensure that all the ingredients are safe to eat. Since food allergies are often times present in children, extra care must be taken when preparing lunches for your kids. This is why it's so important to know exactly what you're allergic to. If you don't know exactly what foods you're allergic to, it's a good idea to get allergy testing done. This way you'll know exactly what foods you're allergic to and you'll be able to better understand the symptoms of your allergy.

Common food allergies include eggs, milk, peanuts, soy and wheat. Symptoms most people experience are diarrhea, coughing, swelling in the face, tightness in the chest, rashes and vomiting.

Safe recipe ideas

Good food allergy recipes are everywhere. You just need to be careful. The best place to find free recipes is online. Many websites will create a recipe for you. You just input the ingredients you're allergic to and they'll send you the finished recipe in minutes. It's a good idea to make this part of your normal internet surfing routine. Simply write the recipes down on a 3x5 card. That way you'll have them handy when you need them. By spending just a few minutes a day gathering safe recipes you won't have to spend valuable time at the end of the day when you have a hungry family to feed.

The trick is to learn the substitutions for the foods you're allergic to. For example if you suffer from an allergy to eggs, a good substations might be tofu or smashed bananas.

A food allergy doesn't have to be the end of the world. You can still enjoy cooking wonderful meals. It's just a matter of finding safe recipes.

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Bovine collagen injections, Zyderm, and Zyplast, were the only augmenting materials available in the United States for treating wrinkles and furrows for two decades, and I was one of the first cosmetic dermatologists to use them when they were first introduced in 1983. From the outset, injectable collagen treatments were fraught with drawbacks.

For one thing, while adequate for treating fine wrinkles, they were often inadequate for dealing with deeper wrinkles and furrows, and they were certainly of little value for facial volumizing and contouring. Moreover, nearly 3 percent of people were allergic to the products, and two pre-treatment skin tests spaced a month apart were required before actual treatment could begin. Finally, the benefits lasted between three and six months only before retreatment was necessary. For severe wrinkles, jowls, and sagging, going under the cosmetic surgeon's knife, with all its risks and downsides, remained the only recourse.

Happily, the past five years has witnessed a literal explosion in the number of FDA-approved, injectable filling and volumizing agents in the United States - fillers for fine and moderate wrinkles, and volumizers for correcting sunken areas, recontouring surface irregularities and restoring fullness to the skin. Along with Botox Cosmetic (not technically a filling agent, but certainly a premier injectable for improving all kinds of expression line, movement-related wrinkling), which received its FDA-approval in 2002, many non-collagen fillers and volumizers were introduced. These included hyaluronic acid products, such as Hylaform, Captique, Elevess, Restylane, and Juvederm, and volumizers, such as Radiesse and Sculptra. Unlike collagen, these substances, largely synthetically produced (with the exception of Hylaform that is derived from the cockscomb of roosters), did not require any prior allergy testing. This meant a person could literally walk in off the street and be treated the same day. What's more, their results lasted far longer, especially for the volumizers, whose benefits may persist between 12 to 24 months or even longer. For that reason, they are labeled as semi-permanent, rather than temporary filling materials.

Between 2000 and 2005, the use of soft tissue filling agents and volumizers for non-surgical rejuvenation procedures increased by an astonishing 34 percent, and not surprisingly, the number of surgical facelifting procedures decreased by a whopping 20 percent during roughly the same time period. The "liquid facelift" had come of age.

I want to make it perfectly clear that I am not asserting that there is no place anymore for aggressive, surgical facelifting, technically known as "rhytidectomy" or "rhytidoplasty." For extreme cases of large jowls, excessively sagging and redundant skin, and deep furrows, the facelift remains an appropriate therapeutic option. I am saying, however, that we now have the tools to parallel many of the benefits of facelifting without ever touching a scalpel to the face. Moreover, we can even improve appearance in many ways that traditional surgery could not.

We have recently discovered that shrinkage of underlying dermal tissue, shifts in fat deposits, and alterations in bone and cartilage as we age are responsible for many of the changes we see in facial aging. In short, the robust, heart-shaped fat pads that sat directly over our cheekbones and gave our face fullness when we were younger not only shrink with time, but sink downward and inward toward the nose, leaving the tell-tale signs of their descent in their wake. When this happens, we find hollow-looking, darkened and crinkly or bulging lower lids, and pronounced smile lines on the sides of our noses. The weight of this fall also accentuates the unsightly jowls along the jaw line.

A traditional surgical facelift, by simply pulling taut the skin, may soften the lines around the nose and mouth and lift the jowls, but it does nothing to address the underlying volume loss and displacement. In fact, we very often saw people appearing "skeletonized" by the operation. They were left with unnaturally tight-looking skin that was a sure sign of "Oh, she's had a facelift."

Of course, it goes without saying that true, surgical facelifts are real surgery entailing the risks of general or intravenous anesthesia, significant post-operative pain, bruising and swelling, prolonged recuperation times (two weeks out of work and several months before all swelling finally goes away), scarring, and a considerable financial outlay. Contrary to popular belief, the benefits of facelift surgery are not permanent. The surgery may be repeated once or twice in a lifetime.

Non-surgical facelifting, combining Botox Cosmetic with fillers and volumizers, goes to the heart of the underlying problems: dynamic wrinkles (wrinkles caused by the muscles of facial expression), and the replacement of lost or displaced volume. A few micro droplets of Botox is quite efficient for eliminating or softening the horizontal "worry" lines across the forehead, the crow's feet lines on the sides of the eyes, and the scowl (or "frown") lines between the eyes. It can also alleviate the crinkly "bunny" lines along the bridge of the nose and a "pebbly" chin. For deeper wrinkles, the effects of Botox may be supplemented with the use of fillers, like Restylane or Juvederm. This combination has been found to be particularly effective, and the benefits of combination therapy last far longer than when each material is used alone. These same fillers can be injected to elevate the smile lines and the sad lines.

Jowls along the jaw line can be softened with Radiesse by adding volume to the notched areas surrounding the jowl, eliminating the appearance of the jowl and contouring the jaw line back to the smooth, straight line of youth. And finally, volume may be restored and recontoured over the cheekbones with Radiesse.

To minimize discomfort, the designated areas are "frozen" beforehand with a small amount of local anesthetic, usually lidocaine, a faster acting anesthetic than novocaine traditionally used by dentists. Although I personally find it unnecessary, some doctors choose to employ a nerve block, i.e. to anesthetize the larger branches of the nerves that supply the face, to supplement the local anesthetic.

Once the treatment area is numb, the volumizer or filler is injected and then molded like clay into place to correct the deformity or irregularity. The whole procedure usually takes only about thirty minutes to complete, and to the delight of the patient, in most cases, the results are immediate. Afterward, you may experience some redness, mild swelling, and tenderness, which may last one to three days. Occasionally, you may develop some bruising that can take several days to fade, but is easily coverable with proper masking makeup.

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What are They?
Dermal fillers are injectable substances used to plump up skin, fill in lines and wrinkles, help correct recessed scars, and rejuvenate the face. They are commonly used to plump up the lips and remove deep creases that run from the nose to the corners of the mouth, and creases between the eyebrows. The injections are an excellent alternative to facelifts, for patients who want to look younger and fresher but don't want the cost or recovery time of surgery.

Why Get Them?
As we get older, a combination of our lifestyle (including diet and sun exposure), gravity, and genetics will begin to take its toll on our face. The collagen, elastic, and fat in our face begin to break down, which can make our faces look gaunt and tired. Wrinkles begin to form in areas where we use the muscles repeatedly to make expressions. The most common areas for expression lines are the nasolabial folds, "marionette lines" that run from the corners of the mouth to the chin, and wrinkles between the eyebrows.

Fillers will fill in those sunken or creased areas, returning your face to a more youthful look, and making you look more energized. The results are not permanent, so if you decide you don't like them, you simply don't repeat the treatment. If you want to look younger but aren't ready to commit to plastic surgery, dermal fillers are for you.

What Kinds of Dermal Fillers Are There?
There are a few different types of dermal fillers, each made of different ingredients. Your surgeon will help you select the filler that will best help you reach the look you have in mind. The three most popular types of dermal fillers are fat, collagen, and hyaluronic acid. Each of these fillers last about a year, at which point you will need to get re-treated.

Human Fat
The human fat used in dermal filler injections is analogous- meaning it comes from your own body. The surgeon will take fat from an area like your abdomen or thighs, clean it, and then inject it into the trouble spots on your face. This is an excellent option for people with severe allergies because your body won't react to your own tissues. Your body will reabsorb some of the injected fat, so the surgeon will have to overfill the injection site initially. This will make the area look swollen for a few days, until the body absorbs the excess.

Collagen
Collagen is a protein found in cow products or in human skin, and is commonly used to plump up the lips. It can also be used to counteract the look of mild to moderate creases in the face. It's a popular dermal filler option for patients who are maintaining their appearance after a facelift or other facial plastic surgery. For patients who are using cow-derived collagen (bovine collagen), there may need to be some pre-treatment allergy testing.

Hyaluronic Acid
Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring substance found in human connective tissues, and around the eyes. When used as a cosmetic injectable, hyaluronic acid acts as a cushion that inflates the tissues, while simultaneously drawing water to the surface of the skin. It can be used in the cheek areas to replace lost fat that is leaving you looking tired and gaunt, and can also be used to fill in lines, wrinkles, and folds. The result is a plumper, dewy, younger-looking face.

Who is A Good Candidate for Dermal Fillers?
A good candidate for dermal fillers will have a positive outlook and realistic expectations of the outcome of the procedure. He or she will be undergoing dermal filler injections resurfacing for personal reasons, and not to satisfy anyone else.

There is no "right" age for getting dermal fillers, but most patients are between the ages of 30 and 60. Older patients may find that their skin has lost enough elasticity that they don't get the results they want.

What Happens During My Consultation for Dermal Fillers?
During your consultation for dermal fillers, your surgeon will review your medical history to make sure you aren't on any medications or undergoing any treatments that might interfere with the injections. He will evaluate your skin and help you decide which filler is right for you.

If you decide on a filler made from animal products, you may need to undergo an allergy patch test to make sure you won't have any reactions to the injections. The surgeon will also go over the risks, and have you sign a consent.

How Are Dermal Fillers Done?
Dermal filler injections are usually a quick and easy procedure that you can do in the doctor's office while you're on your lunch break, or whenever you can find an hour or two in your schedule. You won't be put under anesthesia, so you can drive yourself home after the injections.

When you come in for your appointment, the surgeon will make small marks on your face to map out where the injections are going to go. Your skin will be cleaned, and there may be a topical numbing cream applied to the injection site. Some fillers are also mixed with painkiller to help with discomfort.

The injections are then administered, following the marks the surgeon made. When he is done, the marks will be removed. Some patients might be given a cold compress to help with any swelling.

What is Recovery Like for Dermal Fillers?
There is no real downtime after a dermal filler treatment, and you can return to your normal routine immediately after your appointment. You might notice some redness, bruising, or swelling, which will dissipate within 48 hours. You can use makeup to cover up any redness immediately after the appointment.

Avoid rubbing or massaging the injection site because this can cause the filler to shift position. If you are getting an injection of human fat, there will be an "overfilled" look that will begin to fade within a few days. Your recovery will be different if you had liposuction to harvest the donor fat.

Once the filler settles, the results will last up to one year.

What Are the Risks of Dermal Filler Injections?
Dermal fillers were the second-most popular non-surgical cosmetic treatment in 2011 (just after Botox injections), with over 1.2 million treatments given. There are very few complications associated with the procedure. The risks that do exist include infection, bruising, swelling, itching, migration of the filler, rash, or dissatisfaction with the results.

The best way to avoid complications is to select a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon for dermal filler injections. Board certified surgeons have the experience and training necessary to help you meet your goals with as few complications as possible. Following all your pre- and post-operative care instructions will also help prevent problems.

Will My Insurance Cover Dermal Fillers?
Most insurance companies will not cover cosmetic treatments like dermal filler injections. Contact your insurance provider if you have any questions about your coverage.

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