What Is Allergy Immunology?

Allergies are an overreaction of the immune system to substances in the environment called “allergens”. Exposure to an apparently harmless substance, such as pollen causes the immune system of an allergy sufferer to react as if the substance is harmful. Allergies can be of various types: indoor and outdoor allergies (also known as hay fever, seasonal, perennial or nasal allergies), food and drug allergies, latex allergies, insect allergies, skin allergies and eye allergies. Here is a vital, reassuring piece of allergy information: people that have allergies can live healthy and active lives like everyone else.

The study of the biomedical aspects of allergies and what causes them, what types of things people are allergic to, what cures there are for those allergies is – allergy immunology. Many people benefit from allergy immunology because many people suffer from allergies or allergy symptoms. We have a lot to be thankful for in terms of scientific discoveries when we are able to take a shot that lets us enjoy milk again or take a pill that stops hay fever. All of those cures are courtesy of the study of allergy immunology.

There are a variety of tests that scientists do to discover what people are allergic to. There are a variety more that they perform to discover how to create an immunotherapeutic system to help cure us. In basic, scientists find out what causes allergies and then, sometimes, flood our immune systems with exactly the thing we are allergic to in order to drive our immune system into resistance mode which naturally fights the cause of the allergy symptoms.

This, of course, is only one part of the science behind finding the cures for various allergies but it is a popular method.

Immunotherapy is designed for those allergy sufferers that are not reacting to conventional medical cures.

If the natural medications for symptoms do not work, many people turn to immunotherapy instead. This is a type of therapy that actually moderates and fixes the cause and direction of the allergic reaction and fixes the allergy itself, not just the symptoms. Sadly, but immunotherapy does not work in everyone. It generally recommended as a last help by most medical professionals because of the expense and complication.

Immunotherapy requires taking injections for three to five years that may or may not result in long term benefits for the allergy sufferer. This allergy therapy is only recommended for those that have no choice but to be near their allergens or for those that are experiencing hard allergic reactions. This therapy is commonly used on people that suffer from hay fever allergies and on people with asthma as the allergens in that type of allergy are hard to avoid.

Allergy immunology makes it possible for those types of allergies to be cured because of the way science has dedicated itself to finding a cure for common allergies. To date, there are many cures for allergies and many more on the way.



By: Tomas Labas

About the Author:

Caffeinated Content

For allergy sufferers life can become miserable if they come into contact with whatever it is they are allergic to. Allergy control products in conjunction with allergy treatments or by themselves are effective in bringing relief to the allergy sufferer. allergy control products come in many forms and are more user friendly than ever before. If you are an allergy sufferer and have never before used allergy control products or have used them in the past and found them too expensive or unreliable then now is the time to see what progress has been made in the field of allergy control products.

Research and surveys have shown that the number of allergy sufferers world wide is on the increase. In a recent U.S. survey it was found that fifty-four percent of Americans are allergic to at least one pathogen. That’s over half of all Americans surveyed! Consumer demand has demanded better products and the industry has responded. Air purifiers were once expensive to buy, cumbersome and difficult to operate and maintain. Now though, a wide variety of less expensive and easy to maintain air purifiers are available and most importantly, they actually perform quite well.

Dust mites, human hair and shedding skin can all contribute to allergies. Many people have suffered for years not even knowing that the bed they slept in was the source of their misery. Now though allergy resistant sheets covers and pillow cases can bring relief and peaceful sleep to those who suffer from those allergies. allergy resistant fabrics also bring relief inside the home. Drapes and bed covers and carpeting are all available made entirely of allergy resistant fabrics. For allergy sufferers the fabrics that are so necessary to every day living can also bring misery. allergy resistant fabrics end the suffering.

Allergy sufferers who are chemically sensitive life can be pure hell. We live in a world of chemicals. For them the adage (better living through chemistry) is truly a farce. For many chemically sensitive people their home has become a torture chamber. Allergy resistant paint and chemicals of all sorts are now available that can free them from their misery. These products actually work very well and the money spent on these products is money invested well. The price has come down as quality has gone up on allergy resistant products. Now chemically sensitive people have the option of living a free and normal life.

If you are an allergy sufferer. No matter what you are allergic to there now is help. There is a wide range of products available and chances are there is something there you can use. Some allergy resistant products operate by helping your body cope with whatever it is you are allergic to while others effectively limit or eliminate all together whatever it is you are alergic to from your immediate environment. Many people have found it difficult to completely eliminate allergens from their whole home but have been very successful in creating an allergy safe room in their house. An allergy free zone to retreat to find relief if it is needed.

On the medical front great strides have been made in allergy relief products. A broader understanding of allergies and how pathogens effect the allergy sufferers has paved the way for new and better products. There are natural products available that for many people who have tried them appear to work. The medical establishment for years collectively scoffed at herbal remedies and now the facts speak for themselves. Herbal remedies for some people do work. It is up to each individual allergy sufferer to seek out what is best for them as there is no cure all. What works for one may not work for another but their is help out there.



By: Sven Ullmann

About the Author:

Create a video blog…instantly.

Part 1:  Understanding the Allergy Basics

Whether you suffer from seasonal allergies or indoor allergies to dust mites, molds and pet dander, you may be regularly faced with allergy symptoms such as congestion, runny nose, watery eyes, sneezing or more.  You may experience allergy symptoms while outside as a result of seasonal allergies.  Or, your allergic reactions can come about due to exposure to indoor allergens while cleaning, coming into contact with pets or even while sleeping!  In order to understand the secret to living with allergies, you must educate yourself about allergic triggers, environmental controls and what causes your allergy symptoms.  As Part 1 of the Allergy Control Products series on The Secrets to Living with Allergies, learn some time-tested allergen avoidance steps toward living a healthier life that is free of allergy symptoms. 

Step 1:  Diagnose the Allergy Triggers that Cause Your Allergy Symptoms

Any allergy sufferer knows the misery that can be caused by allergy symptoms such as congestion, runny nose, headache, watery eyes, sneezing, itching, rash and even severe symptoms such as asthmatic reactions.  What some allergy sufferers don’t fully know is what may be triggering their allergies, and the key to managing these symptoms is diagnosing precisely what causes allergic reactions.  It may be surprising that many allergy sufferers who have mild allergy symptoms may not be able to pinpoint what they are allergic to.  Without consulting with a physician to understand the nature of their allergies, these allergy sufferers are unable to proactively control their allergies. 

In some cases, identifying allergy triggers is easy.  For instance, if you sneeze and have trouble breathing when around cats, it’s likely that you have a pet allergy.  Certain food allergies, contact with allergen sources or exposure to obvious allergy sources (such as dusty or moldy rooms) may also be easy to identify.  However, many people are unaware that they can come into daily contact with large allergen sources throughout the home that cause or worsen their allergy symptoms.  Understanding your sensitivity and resulting allergy reactions to these indoor allergens can have a profound impact on alleviating your allergy symptoms.

For the best understanding of your specific allergies, see your physician or allergist for allergy testing.  A skin test may be performed in order to determine whether you many be allergic to dust mites, pollens, pet dander, fungi or other sources.  Allergy medications or allergen injections may be recommended.  Physicians can help you outline a plan for addressing your exposure to allergy triggers in order to alleviate allergy symptoms.

Step 2:  Identify the Dust Mite as One of the Biggest Culprits in Causing Indoor Allergies

The top 3 indoor allergens are dust mite allergens, molds and pet dander.  All three can be found in most homes and millions of dust mites can be found in even the cleanest of homes.  One easy way to find allergy relief is to reduce your allergen exposure within your home.  Many people who have allergies are allergic to dust mites and because they cannot be seen by the naked eye, you could be totally unaware of how much you come in contact with dust mite allergens. 

Dust mites are relatives of the spider, and they thrive in the dark, warm and humid environment found in pillows, mattresses, bedding, carpets and upholstered furniture.  Dust mites excrete fecal particles and it is these particles, as well as their dead bodies, that cause your allergic symptoms.  In fact, “dust” is made up of dust mite allergens and other allergen particles. Inhaling these particles triggers your allergies. 

Around the home, you come in regular contact with indoor allergens, but the greatest allergen exposure is to dust mite allergens.  A large dust mite allergen source is your bed.  If you wake up feeling congested, sneezing, with swollen eyes or a runny nose, or with other allergy symptoms, inhaling dust mite allergens while you sleep is to blame.  You spend up to 8 hours a day in bed, inhaling these allergens and unwittingly aggravating your allergies.  The second largest source of dust mite allergens is found in carpeting. Since many homes have carpeting, the carpet is another large area for causing allergy symptoms. 

Step 3:  For Indoor Allergy Relief, Control Your Environment to Eliminate Allergy Triggers

The good news is that simple steps around the home could alleviate allergy symptoms and possibly reduce your need for allergy medications and treatments.  The first step is to address the bedroom due to the large amount of time spent there each day.  Cover your pillow, mattress and other bedding in allergy bed encasings to create a barrier between you and the dust mite allergens in the bed.  Wash your linens frequently in hot water to remove allergens.  Treat your carpet with special allergy-removing carpet products, or remove carpets in favor of hardwood floors or tile.  Vacuum weekly with a quality HEPA vacuum, which will contain allergens while you clean, and wear a face mask while cleaning.  Keep your home’s humidity level below 50% as low humidity discourages dust mite and mold growth. 

For more tips on controlling dust mite allergies in your home, request a copy of the Allergy Control Products Improving Life Indoors catalog or visit the Allergy Control® Allergy Learning Center for more allergy education.  Also, visit allergycontrol.com for upcoming topics regarding The Secret to Living with Allergies.  Next, Allergy Control Products will cover Addressing Pet Allergies and future series will include Controlling Mold in Your Home.  Don’t miss these helpful allergy tips from the allergen avoidance experts!



By: Colleen F Finnegan

About the Author:

Caffeinated Content

Oak allergy sufferers who live in South Texas are well aware of the large quantities of pollen that oaks produce and the symptoms that result. The pollen pods, which resemble little fuzzy worms, release the pollen into the air to be carried by the wind and the pods accumulate on the ground.

During the oak pollen season, the effects of the pollen are everywhere, with cars and windows covered with the orange-brown film the pollen creates. Even pavement where the spent pollen pods accumulate will get stained brown. Those suffering from oak pollen allergies can experience severe reactions. Massive sinus drainage, watery eyes, sneezing, and/or coughing will develop that can defy almost any allergy treatment available, at least until the oak pollen subsides.

Severe oak allergy reactions can motivate sufferers to turn to every remedy they can think of, including drastic measures like sterod injections. Some will decide to handle the situation once and for all by starting allergy shots, even though the needles are less than pleasant, without realizing that it often takes years to finally get results.

Many oak allergy sufferers will seek out natural relief from treatments like nutritional supplements, herbal remedies, homeopathy and/or acupuncture, and all of these forms of treatment will provide some degree of temporary relief for the majority of people. But what if there was a way to do more than just suppress allergy symptoms?

But what if there was another way to deal with allergies that gets rid of the problem long-term as seen with allergy shots, but gets results in days and doesn’t require getting stuck with needles repeatedly? There is in fact a way to accomplish this using “energy medicine” methods.

The most widely-practiced of these natural allergy relief methods is NAET, which stands for Nambudripad’s Allergy Elimination Technique. Dr. Devi Nambudripad is a chiropractor and acupuncturist from California who accidentally discovered how stimulating specific acupuncture meridians while being exposed to the allergens one reacts to can reset the body so that it no longer reacts to those allergens.

Since NAET was first developed in the 1980’s, other similar techniques have been developed that are more streamlined, but NAET is still the most popular. All energy-basd allergy elimination techniques are definitely strange and can seem like they are too good to be true, but in eight years of practicing Allergy and Sensitivity Elimination and Reprogramming Technique (ASERT), a newer, more efficient version of allergy elimination based on the underlyng principles of NAET, I have found it to be extremely effective on even the most severe and chronic of allergy sufferers.

Because these techniques are so strange and because I practice in San Antonio, an area where a high percentage of the population is still extremely skeptical of alternative medicine, I do the allergy desensitization on people and let them experience the results before they pay me. I use the honor system with regards to the allergy elimination procedure I use in my office – I do the full allergy elimination procedure and patients pay me after the fact when they are satisfied that the treatment was effective for them. The vast majority send me checks or call me with a credit card number, which I thik is a dramatic testament to the effectiveness of this technique.

The great part about these techniques is that the results occur quickly. In the case of seasonal allergies like those to oak pollen, symptoms may be severe for weeks at a time, so allergy sufferers seek out some form of natural allergy relief that takes effect quickly, rather than a treatment approach like allergy shots that can take years to be effective, and rather than treatments that have potentially serious side-effects such as steroid drugs. Energy-based allergy elimination provides relief within a day or two and does so without the risk of side-effects.

Better yet, the effects of energy-based allergy elimination last for several months to several years because these techniques actually get rid of the allergies, not just suppress allergy symptoms and inflammation. So, oak allergy sufferers can usually go through multiple oak seasons without any problems without ongoing treatment after going through the allergy desensitization.

Although NAET practitioners often claim that the effects of NAET are permanent, which they may be in some cases, it has been my experience that allergies can re-develop, particularly after somone is sick with a cold or flu, or suffers a major trauma during a high pollen season. It appears that the body may develop allergies in a “guilt by association” manner in which an activation of the body’s immune system and inflammatory response from something other than pollen may become associated with the presence of a given allergen, thus triggering a reaction to the allergen. In other words, if you catch the flu during a time when oak pollen is high, it is not unusual to develop oak allergies.

In any case, energy-based allergy desensitization is very much for real, and it offers fast, effective natural allergy relief for oak pollen allergies, as well as any other type of allergy (including airborne allergens, foods, and skin-contact allergies).



By: George Best

About the Author:

Create a video blog…instantly.