Allergy Testing

There are some foods to avoid with eczema, and this is at all cost. If you want to prevent the condition or just try to avoid worsening it, you have to learn what not to include in your diet. The world is full with millions of different types of food, but certain medical conditions like eczema would narrow down those that you should eat.

It's common knowledge that a person's diet plays a role in the overall health of that person. You are what you eat, and what you eat every day could definitely define the kind of life that you'd be leading years from now. If you want to prevent eczema, you need to make sure that you do not eat the worst triggers of the disease. And so without further ado, here are the 10 foods to avoid with eczema:

1. A fruit that has a high acidic content is a no-no when it comes to preventing the skin disease. Studies have confirmed that citrus acids are triggers of the disease, and are one of the worst ones at that. There is such a thing as too much fruit especially to eczema sufferers, and these people could have bouts of eczema from eating even the smallest amounts of citric acid. Strawberries, blueberries, lemons, tomatoes, prunes and plums should be avoided.

2. Certain herbs should be avoided too. Many herbs have sweating and faster heart rates as side effects, and both of these aren't good for people with eczema. Specifically, try to avoid herbs that are considered as aphrodisiacs. Ginseng and yohimbe are good examples of these herbs to avoid.

3. Milk, cheese, butter and all other dairy products could trigger eczema, as studies have confirmed. Those who are allergic to dairy products, especially cow's milk, have higher chances of being prone to eczema too. Lactose intolerance is also a likely culprit. However, you might want to make sure that it is healthy for you to not take anything dairy, as they are the most common sources of vitamin D and calcium. Talk to your doctor about dairy intake and eczema, and find out if there are other alternatives.

4. Acidic fruits aren't the only kind of fruits to avoid. Did you know that a fresh fruit could trigger allergies, which could then lead to a bout of eczema? It isn't too rare for someone to experience eczema symptoms after the consumption of a fresh fruit, and the main reason behind this is in fact the pollens from the fruit. Pollens are allergens and they could affect more people than you might think.

5. Refined carbohydrates increase blood sugar. This means that the blood would have fewer places for nutrients. Taking excessively sweet foods increase eczema symptoms. Examples of these foods are maple syrup, pasta, jam, cakes, and many others. It is recommended that people prepare these things at home. Better yet, replace them with healthier foods such as vegetables and fruits.

6. Allergens are most likely causes of eczema. Whatever might cause an allergic reaction might cause or aggravate eczema too. This means that nuts should be one of the 10 foods to avoid with eczema. Nut allergy is one of the most common allergies in the world, and it affects millions of Americans. Though children could be born with it, around 20% of them would outgrow the allergy and it wouldn't have any effect on them for life. However, nut allergy is also considered a very serious allergy, since it is one of the most common allergies to cause death all over the world. Tree nuts such as almonds and hazelnuts are to be avoided.

7. Wheat bread isn't good for a person with eczema, because wheat is actually a rare allergen. As by-products of wheat can easily become airborne, they could easily be ingested as well as inhaled. Look at the ingredients and the contents of a food product before buying it.

8. Food preservatives can worsen eczema. This means that you might want to stay away from processed and prepackaged food products. Benzoates, glutamates, sulfites, chemical additives and food coloring are triggers of eczema. It would be very difficult to avoid these food additives, and preparing food at home can help you avoid these triggers. Look for alternatives for better taste on your foods.

9. Some of the 10 foods to avoid with eczema are those with saturated fats. These fats could increase cholesterol and blood pressure. Having higher heart rates isn't good for a person suffering from eczema, and the substance itself promotes the scaling and the inflammation of the already affected patches of skin. Animal meats are sources of these saturated fats, and some of these meats are also processed, which gives you all the more reason to avoid them. Bacons, hotdogs and sausages are known to have high saturated fat content, along with healthy servings of food preservatives.

10. Because some people are highly allergic to seafood, it is highly recommended that it should be avoided too. Shellfishes like crabs, shrimps and lobsters are known to induce swelling in the mouth and throat, the inability or the lessened ability to breathe, as well as minor to major skin irritations and inflammations.

Eczema is a skin condition characterized by itchy rashes that look like thick scales. There could be pain when the rashes turn into crusting and oozing blisters. It can cause pain in mild cases, but severe cases would be painful and severely discomforting. Curing it could be simple, but it has been said, time and time again, that preventing something is always better than curing it. The most common type of eczema is atopic eczema, and it is a chronic disease that might relapse for a long time, only to flare-up again at the slightest irritant or trigger. Because of this, there are certain foods that an eczema-prone person should avoid. These 10 foods to avoid with eczema should be avoided no matter what, as they are known to set off discomforting, dangerous and deadly allergic attacks.

Has your thyroid and adrenal disease been missed or mistreated? There are an estimated 60,000,000+ people today with undiagnosed hypothyroidism. Discover what it takes to get properly tested; this is part 2 of 2 articles on thyroid adrenal disease testing.

In this second article, we continue with 6 more critical or major tests you should address if you really want to know what is going on with your thyroid and adrenal glands. While there is other thyroid adrenal disease testing that could be helpful, having these tests done should be a great start on assessing status and determining what kind of actions you can take to improve the functioning of your thyroid and adrenal glands.

Your overall health will also be much improved if you can address any factors where you have subpar thyroid or adrenal performance occurring, as these glands affect the entire body.

1. Basic Food Allergy Testing. If you have any food allergy findings, anything positive, you really should see a nutritionist, and especially a holistic nutritionist to help you review what you are eating, what you can change, and how you can revise your diet. If there are several food allergies that are elevated, you may want to consider a complete blood panel of IGG blood testing, and several of the laboratories like Bio Tek are able to do that from even just a little finger stick of blood.


2. Heavy Metal Testing. This should definitely be done if you have any amalgams or silver fillings, if you eat or every ate any significant amount of fish, certainly if you have exposures, just being near a coal factory that is coal burning, and certainly if you have any neurological symptoms, any tremor, any symptoms of Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis, any brain fog, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, as all of these can be related to heavy metal toxicity.


3. Vitamin Testing. This is very essential, and the things that are most related to thyroid problems are zinc levels, and especially RBC, red blood cells zinc level is important, you serum selenium is significant, those are both required for thyroid conversion in the cells to the active form (T4 to T3 conversion). And B vitamins are also essential, it is especially easy to measure B1, B6, and B12.


4. Comprehensive Analysis of Intracellular Nutrients. For more complete testing, there are labs such as Spectra-Cell that can do a very comprehensive analysis of intracellular nutrients, and they will measure 33 different vitamins, many that you can't get from a regular lab such as vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin E, certainly all the B vitamins, but also Biotin, CoQ10, Alpha-Lipoic Acid, selenium, chromium, calcium, which is the only way to get an accurate level, not possible from traditional labs, magnesium, zinc, copper, glutathione, Carnitine, serine, glutamine, on and on. So this is a very helpful test, and everyone I have tested so far has one, and usually several, deficiencies that are essential for maximizing your health.


5. Saliva Testing for Adrenals. If you have concerns and you're not sure, there are several companies including Diagnostics that will do a saliva test - a little spit 4 times during the day, and they can even measure your DHEA and cortisol as it fluctuates through the daytime and evening, and this is really much more accurate than one single blood test at one point in time. And it will tell you if you are having adrenal fatigue or adrenal burnout, or high cortisol, maybe high stress, both of these may be detrimental to your thyroid function.


6. Complete Panel for Food Allergies. Again for food allergies, if you have one or two of the common food allergens such as gluten or casein you may want to consider a whole panel, because often with leaky gut there may be other foods that have caused problems and you have become allergic to them. Several companies, including Bio-Tek will do 96 different food allergens by IGG from just several drops of blood and you can even do this test at home - just a finger stick and put a drop of blood on a little card, dry it and send it off. So it is a fabulous way to get a very complete analysis, with minimal cost and time.

In summary, these tests, combined with the first five will provide a comprehensive picture of your thyroid and adrenal health. By knowing in depth what is going on, you can then move on to specific action steps to address any deficiencies, and work to correct any imbalances.

In the next article, we will provide a checklist questionnaire that will allow you to determine for yourself if you may have thyroid and adrenal concerns. If you score positively on many factors listed on the questionnaire, then it may be worth pursuing the additional testing that we wrote about in this article and the last one.

Thank-you for reading,

Diane Culik, MD
ABC Wellness

Do you sneeze a lot? If so the real reason may be right under your nose, literally! There are numerous reasons why you might sneeze a lot, but there are some major causes which until rectified may have you constantly feeling like you're suffering from a cold. Find out 3 very real causes for why you're always sneezing and get ready to start feeling better as soon as today!

3 Reasons Why you Sneeze a Lot

#1 - Undiagnosed Intolerances/Allergies: Even if you've seen a doctor and they said you aren't allergic according to the tests or that it's all in your head I would highly suggest getting a second opinion from a alternative holistic practitioner. There are numerous ways to test for allergies which includes EDS testing amongst other things.

Not sure what I mean by intolerances? They are often to things you eat every day or expose yourself to frequently that suppress your immune system or constantly create reactions in your body. The most common of which to eliminate are wheat and dairy. Do it for a week and you'll see huge relief! Many times it can be as simple as that.

#2 - Sinus Infection: Often you can have a low level chronic sinus infection which you aren't even aware of but it constantly keeps you stuffed up. In fact if you sneeze a lot this can be a good sign that you're body is still aware of it and trying its best to eliminate it. The one thing you never want to jump into is taking an anti-biotic for a sinus infection until its 100% determined to be bacterial, because most often sinus infections are fungal in nature and if you do end up using a anti-biotic it can actually make the infection much worse!

If this is the case that you've taken anti-biotics anytime within the last several years a chronic fungal infection is often the cause of your current health problems. The next cause then of chronic sneezing is what you need to eliminate to feel better.

#3 - Candida Overgrowth: The #1 reason many people feel sick constantly for no apparent reason is something known as a Candida Overgrowth. This fungus lives inside all of us, however in some people it grows out of control. Quite often the reason people suffer from it is due to the use of anti-biotics and both of the causes above, chronic allergies and liver toxicity. When all 3 are at play an individual will undoubtedly also develop a Candida overgrowth. The solution requires the elimination of all these factors, while doing specific cleanses and using specific herbs/supplements/foods to rebuild both the immune system and the functionality of the organs affected.

If you're constantly sick I highly suggest you consider taking a quick online test to determine if Candida is a major concern for yourself. Most people who begin eliminating Candida notice a tremendous change in their overall health and energy in as little as 3 days!

Honey bees attack people in two instances, when they feel their hive is attacked or when they themselves are threatened. When a honey bee attacks, it lodges its barbed sting into the victim's skin. A normal reaction involves swelling, redness, pain at the site. However, if the person has bee sting allergy, the reaction is severe and it can even lead to death. In fact, about 40 to 50 people die from bee sting allergies, every year in the United States

Symptoms of Bee Sting Allergies:
If a person with this allergy is stung, the hives would not be localized it but moves to other parts of the body. Following are the symptoms of bee sting allergy:

• Red, itchy hives which spread beyond the sting to other areas of the body


• Swelling of lips, mouth and throat


• Itchy, watery eyes and runny nose

Bee sting allergy can progress to anaphylaxis which is life threatening. The symptoms of anaphylaxis are low blood pressure, breathlessness, difficulty swallowing, dizziness etc. To stop the anaphylactic reaction, Epinephrine should be injected to the victim.

First Aid for Bee Sting:
Persons who are allergic to the problem should immediately be administered epinephrine to prevent anaphylaxis and they should seek medical help.

It is also important to remove the stinger out of the skin by scraping it or by flicking it. Avoid squeezing or pulling out the stinger. Apply cold compresses to the sting site for relief.

How to Avoid Being Stung?
If a person is allergic to bee sting, it is very important to take steps to avoid being stung. Here are a few tips:

• Prefer light-colored clothing. Avoid wearing bright colored clothes as bees are attracted to them.


• Bees are attracted to flowery perfumes. Hence, avoid wearing deodorants, colognes, perfumes with floral scents when entering into a bee or wasp colony


• If bee hives are around your place, make sure they are removed


• Avoid leaving food outdoors and close the dustbins, as bees are attracted to food

Bee Sting Allergy Testing:
An allergist can determine if you have the allergy by conducting allergy tests. Blood tests ( RAST) and skin tests are used to test for this type of allergy.

Bee Sting Allergy Treatment:
To prevent the progression of anaphylaxis one should use epinephrine. Self-injectable epinephrine such as Epi-Pen can be used by the victim. Epinephrine should be carried all the time to avoid an anaphylactic reaction

Venom immunotherapy or allergy shots are long-term treatment option for those with bee allergies. This treatment involves administering minute amounts of allergen over a period of time. Gradually, the person would overcome bee allergies

Medic-Alert bracelets could be worn by those who have bee sting allergies. This bracelet identifies the medical condition, allergies and enables the doctors to give proper treatment

Getting yourself tested for bee allergies is the first step in overcoming them. Bee sting allergies are very dangerous and those who have this condition should carry a self-injectable epinephrine all the time.

There are a lot of people who suffer from this allergic reaction. The symptoms are clear, so you could find out if someone has such a problem. For example, if you see a rash around your mouth, then it is probably caused by beeswax allergy. You do not have to worry about that, because you could cure the allergy if you know the perfect treatment. Of course, first of all, you should talk to some experts because they will give you the best advice. You could cure that allergy really fast if you know the right treatment.

It is not necessary to talk to an expert, so that you could find out whether you suffer from that allergic reaction. If you spend an hour surfing the net, you could find some helpful information. Everything is presented clearly, and you won't have any problems finding the information that you need. Beeswax allergy has particular symptoms, so it would be easy for you to find out whether you suffer from that problem. If you have a runny nose or watering eyes, you should know that they are only a small part of all symptoms of beeswax allergy. It could also cause hives and rashes and you can feel really tired all the time. If you have all these problems and if you don't find a way to treat that allergy, you should know that it could cause more serious problems. That allergy could cause death if you don't pay attention to it and if you don't take the necessary treatment.

Beeswax could be found in different products, for example, in beauty products, candles, different kinds of make-up and creams. So it is important to know from what allergic reactions you suffer, so that you could treat them properly. They are all curable, so you need to do the right things for proper treatment. Of course, the first step that you will need to take is to talk to a professional because the experts could really help you.

If you look for some information on the internet, you will understand that there are two medical treatments that would help you to cure beeswax allergy. These treatments are called decongestants and antihistamines and you have to know that if you try them, the effect will be great and you will get the desired result in no time. The thing you need to keep in mind is that this allergy is life-threatening, so the faster you find the right treatment to cure it, the better. If you know that you suffer from this kind of allergic reaction, you have to pay attention to the products that you are purchasing. Make sure that they do not contain beeswax; otherwise, the result will not be very good.

Some people note the symptoms of beeswax allergy right after using the products that consist of beeswax. But other people could use these products for months before noticing any symptoms of that allergy. However, if you see something strange about your body or if you do not feel good, do not hesitate to talk to an expert.

Musculoskeletal disorders can affect joints, bones, tendons, ligaments, muscles, nerves or bursa. These conditions can include fibromyalgia, arthritis, tendonitis, sprains, strains, infections, injuries, carpal tunnel syndrome, lupus, fractures, dislocations and many other disorders. Diagnosing musculoskeletal disorders usually involves thorough physical evaluation and diagnostic testing procedures. These can include blood tests, MRI's, CT scans and x-rays. Diagnostic testing depends on the symptoms of the condition.

Pain is often the primary symptom associated with musculoskeletal disorders. Depending on the type of pain the patient is experiencing can help determine the cause. Pain that is more severe during movement can be a good indicator that there is a musculoskeletal problem or if swelling is present with tenderness when the physician palpates the area can also indicate the source of the problem. Although physical examination can help to determine the cause of the discomfort, diagnosing these types of disorders usually takes additional diagnostic measures. For proper diagnosis, physicians must rely on not only physical examinations, but also the patient's history, symptoms and test results.

If the physician suspects that a bone disorder is the cause of symptoms, they will order x-rays. This is common in suspected cases of fractures, bone tumors and infections. X-rays are also used to help confirm cases of certain types of arthritis such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. X-rays are not used for diagnosing conditions that are related to muscles, tendons or ligaments, as they are ineffective at producing image results.

Computerized tomography (CT scan) can offer additional details on bone problems such as fractures or soft tissue problems. These diagnostic devices take several different images at different angles to provide the physician with cross-sectioned images. This can give the physician more detailed information of the musculoskeletal problem.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is often used for diagnosing disorders related to tendons, ligaments, bursa or muscles. These diagnostic devices enable the physician to see detailed images of abnormalities. They are also effective for diagnosing disorders associated with joints and bones as they can detect hidden abnormalities in bones that x-rays or CT scans may not reveal.

When the physician suspects that symptoms are related to lupus, arthritis or other systemic causes, they often use blood and urine testing for help in diagnosing these conditions. Blood tests are also sometimes ordered when the patient is experiencing unusually severe symptoms or when symptoms persist. Blood and urine tests can reveal substances, which can indicate certain musculoskeletal disorders.

When the physician suspects that the patient may have a nerve or muscle disease, they will often perform a Truax biography, which will show changes in the conduction patterns of nerves that occurs when a disease affects the muscles or nerves. Physicians can use the Truax biography to distinguish whether the disorder is affecting muscle fibers, is a disorder due to defects in nerve conduction or is due to defects where muscles and nerves connect.

Diagnosis often begins with the recognition of symptom patterns, but definitive diagnosis has long relied on blood testing. Live blood analysis is a newer technique using a special type of microscope to provide real-time viewing of fresh samples. Haematic changes can be found in this manner, and they may be categorized to provide a faster and more accurate diagnosis. Due to the ease of the process, the efficacy of treatments for the diagnosed condition can be verified at follow-up appointments. Live haematic testing has proven especially useful at spotting several otherwise hard-to-detect conditions.

How Does Live Blood Analysis Work?

The procedure is simple and can be performed during an appointment, which allows the patient to share in analysis. A sample is drawn from the patient's fingertip and placed under the dark-field microscope. Instead of lighting the background, dark-field microscopy illuminates from the sides of the sample. In this manner, blood is allowed to maintain its natural properties during analysis. The image is transferred to a monitor for a real-time view of platelets and smaller particles.

What Conditions Are Best Diagnosed with Live Analysis?

Pathological changes in the body tend to cause haematic changes first, but most of these changes cannot be seen via stained slides. Conditions can be diagnosed by symptoms, but this is unreliable. In the past, physicians resorted to invasive and dangerous procedures, such as the biopsy and different types of X-ray, for definitive diagnosis. Some of the conditions most easily spotted with live analysis include:

* Oxidative stress

This condition shows an abundance of free radicals most commonly caused by dietary and environmental toxins coupled with a deficiency in dietary antioxidants. Oxidative stress can cause cellular damage and is a precipitating factor in heart disease and many types of cancer.

* Ratio of Essential Fatty Acids

Fatty acids are a critical factor in chronic inflammatory conditions, include pelvic inflammation, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and heart disease. Omega-6 fats are used to build inflammatory hormones, and omega-3 fats are building blocks for anti-inflammatory hormones. Both are necessary, but an imbalance in favour of omega-6 fats is extremely common and damaging to health.

* Infection Versus Allergy

Symptoms tend to be general and common to multiple illnesses. Most represent the immune system going into attack mode, but it can take weeks for traditional lab samples to determine whether an infection is responsible. Live analysis provides a quick method of discerning between symptoms caused by allergic reactions or infections. This is extremely important from the treatment standpoint but also to epidemiologists.

* Impaired Liver Function

Anyone who has tried to lose weight unsuccessfully is likely suffering from an unseen problem. It could be nutritional deficiency or impaired liver function. The liver is involved in every hormonal pathway of the body. It activates the hormones necessary to release fat stores. Dieters may attempt to correct underlying problems with the liver by trial and error, but live blood analysis is faster.

Live blood testing is an effective diagnostic tool. Accuracy is critical to developing effective treatment protocols.

Nutritional Treatment

It has been suggested that food intolerances are more likely to occur when the mucous membrane lining the intestines becomes excessively permeable, allowing large food-derived molecules and breakdown products to pass from the intestines into the bloodstream and triggering intolerance responses. This is known as the "leaky gut" hypothesis. Many food intolerance reactions of this nature are not mediated by the immune system through the production of IgE antibodies (as occurs in true allergic reactions). It is possible that some no immune mechanisms may also be involved in food intolerance.

Elimination Diet

Although many tests claim to identify sensitive foods, their reliability has yet to be conclusively proved. The elimination diet is regarded by many practitioners of nutritional medicine as the most accurate way of testing for food intolerance. In this approach, all likely problem foods are removed from the diet for several weeks. Initially symptoms may actually worsen, but if, as usually happens, an improvement in symptoms is seen, foods are added back into the diet, one at a time, and a note is made of which foods cause a recurrence of the symptoms.

Improving digestive function may help reduce a tendency to food intolerance, because more complete digestion of food ensures that it is not absorbed in a partially digested form.

Homeopathic Treatment

Homeopathy is reputed to be helpful for children who are intolerant of cow's milk protein (this is not the same as lactose intolerance, in which the body cannot digest the milk sugar lactose). The most commonly appropriate medicines are Silicea, Calcarea carbonica, Magnesia carbonica and Natrum carbonicum and in order to get a correct diagnosis it is best to take your child to a homeopath. If sensitive children continue to have milk, other problems may develop, including runny nose, asthma and skin rashes.

Homeopathic pills usually include lactose, which theoretically might cause problems if you are lactose intolerant. However, the amount of lactose is very small and is unlikely to cause trouble. If it does, homeopathic medicines.

Silicea and Calcarea Carbonica

In children who respond to Silicea and Calcarea carbonica, milk often causes vomiting. Children who respond to Silicea tend to be small and wiry, with fine hair and delicate skin. However, appearances may well be deceptive because these children can actually be quite determined, set in their ways and stubborn.

By contrast, children who respond to Calcarea carbonica are often big and chubby, and they may sweat on their heads at night. They are often stubborn, and may have various fears that cause them to wake at night crying and frightened. Another key feature of these children is that they often love eggs.

Natrum Carbonicum and Magnesia Carbonica

In children who respond to Natrum carbonicum and Magnesia carbonica, the problem is more likely to be diarrhea. Features that suggest Natrum carbonicum include a lot of nasal catarrh and symptoms such as headaches brought on by the sun. Symptoms that suggest Magnesia carbonica include abdominal swelling and diarrhea that resembles frog spawn. An affected baby may also have a sour smell, even after bathing.

Hives are one of the unfortunate side effects of many allergies. These annoying pink bumps and raised patches aren't just unsightly - they're also very itchy, burning and stingy!

Hives can pop up anywhere on your body after coming in contact with, or eating something that turns your immune system into overdrive, causing an allergic reaction. They may be relatively small (like a mosquito bite), or big like a dinner plate. Hives may also come in groups or clusters.

Many people associate eating acidic foods like fresh tomatoes or strawberries with hives, but did you know that virtually any food or allergen could cause these itchy bumps to occur? It really just depends on how your body reacts (or over reacts) to the allergens it comes in contact with. While one person may experience itchy watery eyes and a runny nose from pollen, another may get hives!

Are hives very common? Yes! It is estimated that as many as 25% of us will get them at least once in our lives.

When you're exposed to something that can trigger hives, the cells in your body begin to release a chemical called histamine, which causes fluid to leak from the small blood vessels under the skin. When this fluid collects under the skin, it forms the blotches we call hives.

The most common cause of hives is an allergic reaction to an insect bite, food, or some other allergen. But other things can cause hives to. They include:

-Exposure to the cold (like diving into a cold pool).

-Exercise.

-The sun.

-Stress.

-Infections caused by viruses.

No matter what the cause, a case of hives can last for a few minutes, a few hours, or even a few long days.

Antihistamines can be used to alleviate the itchiness and burning of hives, but they usually go away all by themselves in a few hours, or a few days. Sometimes a stronger prescription medication is needed, however, to alleviate the discomfort of hives.

It is rare, but hives can sometimes be a sign of a more serious allergic reaction that can affect breathing and other body functions. If someone you know exhibits any signs of breathing trouble (a tight chest, swollen throat; raspy voice or wheezing), after you've noticed hives appearing, get medical help immediately! If the allergic reaction begins to constrict their throat, it can prevent enough air from getting into the lungs within minutes. Some people who know they have these serious reactions carry a one-shot pen like dose of epinephrine with them called an Epi-pen. Although it will ease their discomfort, they still must get to a hospital right away.

As you can see, hives can be more than juts an itchy annoyance. When coupled with a severe allergy, they can be life threatening. The important thing to remember is that in most cases, they are a temporary reaction to something you've touched or eaten and will go away with little if any attention or medication.

For allergy sufferers, finding the right allergy relief can be downright frustrating and, at times, feel quite hopeless. When medication after medication proves unsuccessful, relief can seem like a far-off dream. However, being persistent, monitoring triggers, and keeping open lines of communication with a doctor may prove to be the best possible ways to get one step closer to finding a solution.

Depending on the type of allergy, many options are available for relief. Obviously, the most important treatment is to avoid the irritant as much as possible or to try and completely eliminate any type of contact with the allergen. In order to find the specific irritant, testing may take place to see what specific allergen is causing the allergy symptoms. Once the specific trigger is defined, a plan can be discussed with a doctor or allergist.

For individuals who suffer from pet dander, mold, dust, and mildew allergies, keeping the home as clean as possible can help to achieve some allergy relief. Choosing not to have an animal in the home if there is a pet allergy would eliminate this problem completely. But if the animal must remain in the home, frequent washing of the animal to eliminate excess pet dander can prove to be helpful in minimizing symptoms.

Frequent dusting, vacuuming, and cleaning of bathrooms and kitchens with a bleach and water solution can help keep dust mites and molds at bay. Protecting mattresses and pillows with covers and pads minimizes the possibility of dust mites. And weekly washing of all bedding, including blankets, will also provide allergy relief by reducing allergens within the air. Also, obtaining an air humidifier and an air filtration system can reduce mold spore production within the air.

Certain over-the-counter medications also prove helpful for sufferers of seasonal allergies - those that are induced by the release of pollens into the air - as well as any other type of mild allergy. Nasal decongestants or certain antihistamines such as psuedoephedrine, phenyleprhrine, or oxymetorlzaone can be used alone or in conjunction with each other to achieve relief through the elimination of such symptoms as itchy and watery eyes, stuff and runny nose, and chronic sneezing.

For sufferers of more severe allergies, prescription allergy relief may be found in long term antihistamine use or in nasal corticosteroids. Corticosteroids, taken at low dosages, have proven very successful in eliminating ongoing chest congestion. Immunotherapy is also utilized in severe allergy cases and involves injections of the specific allergen over time in order to build the body's immunity and create tolerance to that allergen in the future.

If all of the treatments have proven unsuccessful, individuals should remain persistent and discuss other alternatives with their doctor to find the relief they need. Monitoring the triggers and tracking any changes will help the doctor understand the individual's specific allergy. New treatments are being discovered on a daily basis and keeping up-to-date with the newest developments could lead to finding the right allergy relief for you.