Allergy and Intolerance » Allergic Reactions http://www.allergy-and-intolerance.com tips and advice with allergies and intolerances Sat, 12 Jun 2010 16:16:35 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 The difference between allergies and intolerances http://www.allergy-and-intolerance.com/2010/06/the-difference-between-allergies-and-intolerances/ http://www.allergy-and-intolerance.com/2010/06/the-difference-between-allergies-and-intolerances/#comments Sun, 06 Jun 2010 16:50:16 +0000 admin http://www.allergy-and-intolerance.com/?p=28 There is a lot of confusion between allergies and intolerances and their symptoms.

Allergies

Typical allergic reactions are swelling, rashes, sneezing.

The immune system reacts to something in iteself considered harmless. The body produces immune cells, IgE, in people who have allergies and intolerances, when it encounters the specific food or substance. These IgEs can be measured in the blood, which is probably the best way to test and pinpoint the guilty substance.

Intolerances

These symptoms are not as clear cut as they can appear slowly and wide ranging. Symptoms are low energy, bloating, running nose, tinitus, weight gain. With ingolerances, the immune system releases IgG cells, which again can be measured in the blood. Some experts say that raised levels of IgG are natural, and signs of a raised IgG have no connection to an intolerance. Therefore, in these cases alternative tests could be used to test for an intolerance such as muscle testing or electrical impulse.

]]> http://www.allergy-and-intolerance.com/2010/06/the-difference-between-allergies-and-intolerances/feed/ 0 Dust Mites http://www.allergy-and-intolerance.com/2009/08/dust-mites/ http://www.allergy-and-intolerance.com/2009/08/dust-mites/#comments Tue, 11 Aug 2009 14:16:00 +0000 admin http://www.allergy-and-intolerance.com/?p=17 You will not be going to bed alone tonight. Thats right. You will be sharing it with around 2 million dust mites. A warm and cosy environment is ideal for dust mites. It isn’t widely known, but the house dust mite is one of the most common causes of Allergy in the UK. Dust mites thrive because there is an abundance of food for them. The average person sheds about 1.5kg of skin per year! These little critters (about 0.3mm in length and almost transparent) travel around by clinging on to material such as feathers, fur, hair, or anything that will give them a place to hide.

House mites cause itchy and runny noses, sneezes, wheezing, tight chests and shortness of breath. This also leads to poor sleep, poor concentration and headaches. This is especially harmful to young people when they are studying or taking exams. It is not the mites themselves that cause the allergic reactions; it is their faeces that case allergic reactions.

dist mite

What can you do? One of the easiest things to do is to reduce indoor humiditiy. Other things you can do is de-clutter your house, use barrier covers for mattresses (gore tex sheets are one of the best, however they are expensive), and vacuum regularly. When you wash your bed clothes, make sure that the temperature is around 60 degrees C.

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