Do Allergy Shots Help in Reducing the Allergy Symptoms?

October 25, 2009 by mbelcher · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Diseases And Conditions 
Itchiness, watery eyes, runny nose, sneezing, and redness are some of the common symptoms that majority of the people experiences as allergy symptoms.

The most effective way to fight against particular allergen is immunotherapy or allergy shot, but some people will get frightened to get allergy shot.

Allergy shots hold a little amount of substance that fights against the particular allergen. For example, if the person is allergic to pollen, a small amount of substance called pollen will be added to the shot.

A small amount will be given so that the body will get used to fight against the allergen and if the body comes in contact with that substance next time, body will be familiar with that.

Who are not eligible to take allergy shot?

Allergy shots are not safe for everyone. Although most of the people experienced positive results from these shots, they are not suitable for all. People who are suffering from asthma, heart attack, and respiratory problems, pregnant women, and children under age of five are not recommended to receive allergy shot.

Alternatively, certain individuals are experiencing some side effects such as:

• Feelings of shock when the shot is initially injected

• Lightheadedness

• Nausea

So, for these reasons, the patient should stay in the doctor’s office for at least fifteen to twenty minutes after receiving the shot.

Benefits of allergy shots:

• Allergy shots improve allergic rhinitis, hay fever, bee sting allergies, drug allergies, and eye allergies.

• In some cases, allergy shots improve asthma symptoms also. The most common reaction to allergy shot is swelling at the place where the shot is given.

The success of this immunotherapy varies from person to person depending on the severity of the person’s allergy and the number of substances the person is allergic to.

In addition to the traditional allergy shots, there are new approaches to immunotherapy procedures to treat allergies.

Oral immunotherapy works similar to the allergy shot. In this method, increasing doses of allergen will be given to slowly build up the patient’s tolerance. The only difference with oral immunotherapy from allergy shot is with oral immunotherapy extract of allergen is used as drops. In this method, generally the drops are placed under the tongue and then swallowed.

Intranasal immunotherapy method involves intranasal administration of grass and house dust mite allergen extracts, which reduces the nasal symptoms such as “nasal allergy”.

The side effect with intranasal immunotherapy is nasal irritation. When compared to the traditional allergy shots, intranasal immunotherapy has no long lasting benefits.

Rush immunotherapy involves quick build up to the maintenance dose of extract. In this method of treatment, during early phase increasing doses of allergen will be given every few hours rather than a few days. Since there is a great risk involved with this rush immunotherapy, this should be done in hospital under close supervision.

Some people will experience severe reaction to the allergy shot, which is called “anaphylaxis”. In case of bad reaction with this shot, physicians will do appropriate treatment to stop this reaction.

Since allergy shots are not good for everyone, talking to the physician before taking this shot is more advisable. Visit Allergy Symptoms



By: Neelima Reddy

About the Author:

Allergy Asthma blog helps you learn everything you need to know about allergy relief. Know more about asthma control & protect yourself to improve your quality of life. Visit http://www.allergyasthmazone.com



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Ibs Sufferers Rejoice Over Probiotics

August 4, 2009 by mbelcher · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Irritable Bowel Syndrome IBS 
For those people who are tormented by Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), the good news is that there is a safe and effective remedy. The FDA recently requested that a drug which is commonly used for IBS be withdrawn from the market, with the agency adding that doctors who prescribe the drug should work with their patients to transition them into other therapies. Thankfully, studies have already shown that there are specific bacteria that are as effective as the drug and have no side effects. The news about this probiotic treatment offers relief from the debilitating constipation; diarrhea, abdominal cramps, gas, and bloating that cause IBS victims to suffer.

Since there are so many things that can go wrong with the human body, it is amazing that any of us feel healthy. The rush for scientists to find a cure for every problem people experience is now having a negative impact on us, as bacteria have become resistant to the drugs and many of the medications have side effects that are worse than the initial ailment. For many sufferers of IBS, that is the case with the prescription drug Zelnorm. Early this year, Zelnorm was withdrawn from the market at the request of the FDA because of its life-threatening cardiovascular side effects. It was shown to coincide with a higher chance of heart attack, stroke, and worsening heart chest pain that could eventually become a heart attack. Additionally, anti-diarrheal medications of laxative drugs are not recommended for the long-term treatment of IBS because the colon can become dependant on them for a bowel movement.

Because one in five Americans suffer from IBS, this condition is the most common disease diagnosed by doctors. IBS starts affecting people in their early adulthood, afflicting more women than men. Stress, emotions, and diet can strongly affect the colon of people that affected by IBS, triggering a variety of symptoms ranging from uncomfortable to agonizing. Symptoms of IBS can be so severe that their lifestyle can be disrupted. Although IBS cannot be traced back to a single cause, it is classified as a functional disorder, meaning a problem with the way the body works. Researchers have concluded that more than 75 % of patients with IBS have evidence of excessive bacteria in their small intestines. Doctors tell their patients to control their diet and lessen emotional stress, as well as avoid French fries, milk products, chocolate, alcohol, caffeine, and carbonated sodas. The following factors continually affect overall health and can leave microflora in a bad state: stress, diet, pollution, aging, illness, colon cleanses, drugs and antibiotics, medical treatments such as chemotherapy or radiation, and environmental changes due to traveling or moving.

Research has shown that Bifidobacterium infantis is an effective treatment for all the symptoms of IBS. This supplement helps to restore optimal immune function to protect the intestines from damaging toxins, but also presents no toxins. B. infantis can be found as a supplement, but be sure to buy only supplements that list the exact strain of the bacteria, such as NLS super strain, to make sure that you are getting the right bacteria. This bacterium is the most beneficial bacteria prominent in a healthy baby, having up to 99 percent Bididobacterium spp, in its G.I. tract. B. infantis has also been shown to prevent the invasion of Bacteroies in the gut epithelial layer, a bacteria that is responsible for inflammatory bowel conditions. Taking the right probiotic beneficial bacteria, B. infantis, NLS super strain, may not only ease the symptoms of IBS, it may also help patients achieve optimum health.



By: Darrell Miller

About the Author:
More information on Probiotics is available at VitaNet ®, LLC Health Food Store. http://vitanetonline.com/



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