A Blog For Healthy Living

Posts Tagged allergies

What You Need To Know About Eczema

Sep 26

Posted by mreed in Health, Skin Care | No Comments

TexturesEczema covers a whole multitude of skin problems that cause the skin to become inflamed or irritated. The most common form of eczema is known as atopic dermatitis/eczema. Atopic eczema occurrences are on the rise in within the U.S. population, especially in young children and infants. Commonly, infants who develop the condition will outgrow it by their second birthday but many continue having that problem, requiring treatment throughout their lives.

Eczema commonly causes itching and often with that itching comes a rash, the rash normally appears on the face, knees, hands or feet but also affects other areas. The affected areas may appear dry and thickened, it may also have a scaly appearance. Fair skinned people may have reddish or brownish rashes while darker skinned people may have lighter or darker patches. Although there is no cure for eczema, it can be well managed by treatments as well as avoiding triggers.

In treating eczema, the main goal is to relieve and then prevent itching. Because the disease creates dryness that leads to itchiness, lotions and creams are recommended to keep the skin moist. Usually these are applied after showers or baths while the skin is still moist. If itching is already an issue, cold compresses may relieve it. Hydrocortisone and other prescription creams and ointments that contain corticosteroids are commonly prescribed. Even oral corticosteroids are prescribed in harsh cases.

In order to prevent outbreaks skin should be moisturized often, avoid sweating or overheating, avoid scratchy materials, avoid harsh soaps, detergents and solvents. Also avoid any allergy triggers.

  • Share/Bookmark

Tags: , , ,

Food Allergy or Food Intolerance

Jul 29

Posted by James in Health | No Comments

foodallergyKnowing the difference between food allergies and food intolerances can be the difference between a minor inconvenience and a fatal condition.

Some people are more sensitive to certain foods such as lactose, and can produce gas and other side effects when ingested. Food intolerances are usually not life threatening and easily manages by limiting or trying eliminate the suspect food from your diet. Mild intolerances can sometimes be managed with over the counter remedies that will diminish the sensitivity of your body to the food while still allowing you to enjoy them in moderate amounts.

Food allergies on the other hand are a much more serious matter. If a person is allergic to certain foods, such as nuts and happen to ingest them, the immediate intervention of medical attention can be necessary. The negative effects can be immediate and life threatening. Food allergies can produce serious side effects such as rashes and hives or even produce internal swelling that can cut off air passages and even cause death.

It is often common practice for people to refer to foods that they have any adverse reaction to as being foods that they are allergic to. While this might be accepted as a matter of speech, the reality of the two conditions puts them worlds apart. If allergies are not given medical attention from the offset of symptoms, the results can be far more disastrous than bad gas or the flu like symptoms produced by food intolerance.

Allergies are usually discovered by either exposure and reaction to the item or through testing for specific allergens in a lab setting. The best situation to be in is to find out through communication with your health care provider and not by having an adverse reaction to any given allergen.

If you have known allergies, one of the best things that you can do is invest in a medical bracelet with you known allergies listed on in the case of accidental ingestion. They are inexpensive, there use is widely accepted and known, and if you are unable to communicate by speaking can save your life. If you were to ingest peanuts at a restaurant unknowingly, and you had an allergic reaction and was unable to explain your condition to those around you, a medical bracelet would allow those around to summon medical attention with information that could save your life.

  • Share/Bookmark

Tags: , , , , , ,

Read The Label! What Are You Feeding Your Kids?

Jul 19

Posted by mreed in Food, Health, Nutrition | No Comments

kids foodLearning to decipher food labels might seem complicated at first, but it can help you make smart choices when shopping for your family. The FDA and the USDA require nutrition information labels on almost all packaged foods. Nutrition facts are also displayed near fresh foods – fruits, vegetables, and fish – in grocery stores.

Nutrition labels include a “% Daily Value” — that shows the amount of daily recommended nutrients in the product, based on a 2000 calorie diet. Also included are the serving size and information about total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, fiber, and other nutrients. Additional information includes claims, such as “light” or “low-fat,” health claims, and an ingredients list.

Reduced fat means that a product has 25% less fat than the same regular brand. Light means a product with 50% less fat, and Low fat means a product with less than 3 grams of fat per serving. Even a food low in fat may not be low in calories. A low-fat food can be high in sugar. The “no-cholesterol” claims do not necessarily mean it is low in fat. Too much fat can contribute to health problems, including heart disease. Dietitians recommend that in a daily diet of 2000 calories, no more than 30% of that total should come from fat. This applies to adults and to children over the age of two.

The amounts of saturated fat and trans fat are listed separately on the food label. These two fats are often called “bad fats” because they raise cholesterol, thus increasing the risk for heart disease. Both saturated and trans fats are solid at room temperature. Saturated fat usually comes from animal products (butter, cheese whole milk, ice cream, and meats. Trans fats, naturally found in these foods, are also in vegetable oils that have been hydrogenated to be solid at room temperature. Saturated fats should account for less than 10% of calories that kids consume each day, and trans fats should be kept to less than 1% of total calories.

Unsaturated fats are often called “good fats” because they do not raise cholesterol levels. These are fats that remain liquid at room temperature. Foods high in unsaturated fats are vegetable oils, nuts, and fish.

Reading the ingredient list is especially important if someone in your family has a food allergy. The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology estimates that nearly 8% of kids in the United States are affected by food allergies. The eight foods that account for 90% of food allergy reactions are: milk, eggs, peanuts, wheat, soy, fish, shellfish, and tree nuts.

Food labels also list amounts of cholesterol, sodium, sugars, protein and fiber, as well as, vitamins and minerals; a good working knowledge of all nutrients is important in planning healthy, well-balanced diets. Good nutrition directly contributes to our kids’ achievements in school, as well as dramatic differences in home life and in the over-all benefits to good health.

  • Share/Bookmark

Tags: , , , , ,