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Allergies reflect an overreaction of the immune system to substances that usually cause no reaction in most individuals. These substances can trigger sneezing, wheezing, coughing and itching. Allergies are not only bothersome, but many have been linked to a variety of common and serious chronic respiratory illnesses (such as sinusitis and asthma). Additionally, allergic reactions can be severe and even fatal. However, allergic diseases can be controlled with patient education, proper management and household products such as air purifiers, vacuum cleaners and cleaning products that decrease the amount of allergens in the air. People with allergies can lead normal and productive lives.
Allergies are the 6th leading cause of chronic disease in America with an annual cost exceeding $18 billion. Allergies are believed to complicate and even handicap the lives of nearly 50 million children and adults. Long regarded as trivial, and traditionally managed through self-medication and indifference, patients and physicians are now beginning to realize that allergies are serious disorders that may demand advice from a physician and changes to the environment in which you live, particularly your home.
Indoor air quality is a health problem in a home or at the office. The problem exists because the air we breathe indoors is polluted. The pollution comes from a myriad of sources such as toxins, pollutants, and noxious substances that can be found all around us. They are emitted by everything from rugs to people, from vacuum cleaners to furniture, from an air conditioner to the cleaning solutions used to keep things clean. Home air purifiers have become very popular in recent years because they have become more affordable and much more effective with the latest technological advances. Leading air purifiers include the HealthMate HM 400 Air Purifier from Austin Air and the more high-end HealthPro Air Purifier by IQ Air. A portable unit for use at the office is the FreshZone Air Purifier by Delonghi.
There are many types of allergies, all of which are triggered by allergens. The materials that cause allergic disease in susceptible people are known as allergens. They enter our bodies in a variety of ways:
Inhaled into the nose and the lungs from sources such as airborne pollens of certain trees, grasses and weeds, house dust that include dust mite particles, mold spores, and cat and dog dander; these can be reduced or eliminated through disinfectant sprays;
Ingested by mouth from sources such as shrimp, peanuts and other nuts;
Injected from sources such as reactions to penicillin, several other injected drugs, and stinging insect venom;
Absorbed through the skin from exposure to poison ivy, sumac and oak.
Allergies seem to have some link to heredity. (If both your parents have them, it's more likely you'll develop them). There is some belief that babies, who are not breastfed, are more predisposed to developing allergies. A depressed immune system can encourage the development of allergies.
Hay fever (allergic rhinitis) results from the presence of pollen, affecting mucous membranes of the nose, eyes and airways. There are three hay-fever seasons: February to May, late spring and summer, and fall (or ragweed pollen season). The presence of pollen can be greatly reduced by air purifiers.
Allergies to molds are brought on when cutting grass, harvesting crops, walking through fields/meadows or raking up leaves. Molds grow wherever it is damp and dark such as bathrooms, kitchens, garages and trash cans. These areas should be cleaned with an allergen formula cleaning solution.
The most common foods that people become allergic to are: chocolate, shellfish, wheat, dairy products, strawberries, eggs and sulfites.
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