If you suffer from a food allergy, then swallowing or even chewing a small piece of a certain food can cause symptoms to appear in as little as two minutes. They can be as simple and mild as a rash and nausea, a stuffy or runny nose, or vomiting, cramping and diarrhea. These are known as hypersensitivity reactions. On the other hand, a severe allergic reaction can lead to anaphylaxis, also known as anaphylactic shock. With that, the body reacts so violently that it pumps large amounts of histamine into the blood.  More

Asthma is a very serious medical condition, serious enough to kill! Each year, thousands of people die from a severe attack, and many more are hospitalized. First of all, let us define the condition. Asthma is characterized by a constricting of the airways within the lungs caused by inflammation of the lung tissue. As these airways tighten and close up it becomes harder and harder for a person to breath.  More

Dogs, cats, rabbits, and yes, even rats, are common pets that can give people allergies. It is a sad fact that the creatures we love and care for almost as much as our families (sometimes more it seems!), can make us absolutely miserable. A great many people think that pet hair is the cause of all their trouble.  More

So, you have an allergy, and you want to do something about it. Well, you are not the first and you won't be the last. Allergies have been plaguing people for centuries. Fortunately, in our modern high-tech world, there are a number of treatments available.  More

Pollen allergies (also called allergic rhinitis or hay fever) are almost without a doubt the best known of all allergies and are the result of a variety of airborne allergens. They cause the dreaded hay fever! Plants produce small, microscopic grains as part of their normal reproduction cycle.  More

We have all seen that nasty mildew growing on our bathroom tiles or that fruit left out too long. Molds are very small fungi with tiny thread-like filaments (called hyphae). Whether living or dead, mold spores are allergens that can affect people. All molds need to thrive is water, oxygen and a little organic matter.  More

Peanuts are the single leading cause of anaphylaxis, also known as anaphylactic shock, which is the most severe and possibly life threatening allergic reaction. In the United States and many Western nations, peanut allergy is the leading cause of death from a food allergy. Ironically, the incidents of peanut allergies are on the increase.  More

When you are talking about dairy products, the underlying main food is milk. And when you are talking about a dairy allergy, you are referring to the body's immune system reacting to one or more of the proteins that are in cow's milk. Essentially, it all boils down to lactose, casein and whey. When your body can not tolerate one or more of those compounds, you have an allergy on your hands.  More

Wheat is a natural grain that is grown and harvested around the world. It contains (among other nutrients) the proteins albumin, globulin, gliadin, and glutenin (also knows as gluten). Each is an important building block for people's diets, especially those of children, but they can also cause allergic reactions in some people.  More

Milk is one of nature's perfect foods, something that every baby mammal grows strong and healthy on. While mostly water, it contains proteins, carbohydrates, minerals, fats, and a few other trace compounds. A milk allergy occurs when a person's body reacts to cow's milk; or, more precisely, to the proteins (casein and whey) contained in the milk. Also, there is the answer to an age old question: What was Little Miss Muffet eating when the spider came along? Most people have heard of curds, but what in the world is whey?.  More

Skin allergies (dermatitis) generally manifest themselves as a rash, sometimes localized (at the point of contact), or they can cover the body from head to foot! And, even a localized rash, if it is on your feet and/or hands, can leave you unable to do much of anything. It might surprise you to know that the culprit (allergen) in many cases is a metal.  More

Latex is natural product made from a light milky fluid extracted from the rubber tree. That fluid is usually changed during the production process and made into a latex mixture. Ever since AIDS became a major health issue, healthcare workers have worn latex gloves as a means of protection from the disease, and (quite naturally) other blood born illnesses.  More

Being allergic to eggs is actually one of the most common of childhood. Since both the white and the yolk of the egg contain proteins, there are many opportunities for potential allergies. More often than not, it is the egg whites that cause most of the reactions. Fortunately, the vast majority of children (about two-thirds) with egg allergies outgrow them by the time they reach the age of seven.  More

Soy, milk and eggs are the three things that children are most likely to be allergic to, and can outgrow the allergic reaction to. While the use of soy is not very prevalent in the United States, it is used in a number of processed foods. Also, East Asian foods use it quite a bit, as do vegetarian diets.  More

The idea of someone having an eye allergy might seem a bit odd. After all, normally we think in terms of hay fever, or being lactose intolerant, or something like that. But an allergy that affects the eyes? Actually, most eye allergies are associated with other allergic conditions, hay fever being among the most common. Also - atopic eczema (also knows as dermatitis) can leads to eye problems as well.  More

Having a dust allergy is without a doubt one of the worst allergies there is, for the simple reason that there is virtually no way of escaping it! By and large, most “dust” allergies are related to dust mites. They are very small spider-like creatures (part of the family of arachnids) that live off of flakes of dead skin. Nice, hmm?.  More

inus allergies (also knows as hay fever, or allergic rhinitis) can be absolutely miserable, and can be the result of so many environmental factors. Depending on where you live, certain plants – trees, flowers etc. can release pollen at different times of the year, causing symptoms to appear; and close to thirty percent of the population is said to suffer from some form of the disease.  More