Eye allergies are sometimes referred to as allergic conjunctivitis. The conjunctiva is the membrane lining of the eye and conjunctivitis is the swelling of the membrane lining. It can be caused by a lot of things, not just allergies, but we are looking at the form of conjunctivitis that is caused by an allergic reaction.

The general symptoms of this allergic reaction are red eyes, dilatation of the blood vessels on the surface of the eye, an intense itching or burning sensation, swollen or puffy eyelids, watering eyes and, in some people, a discharge from the eye. You may also find that you are sensitive to light and you may also see some signs of eczema and other allergic skin conditions or symptoms.

The red color that you will see in your eye, aside from the dilated blood vessels, will be as a result of the histamines and other chemicals that the mast cells in your eyes will release in response to the allergen you have been exposed to. These chemicals cause inflammation which gives the surface of the eye the red color. It is also these chemicals that cause the burning or itching sensation that tempts you to rub your eyes.

The purpose of the increased tear secretion is to try to wash the allergen out of the eye. This will be your eye’s reaction to any foreign object that is irritating the eye.

As with all cases of eye irritation, it is not a good idea to rub your eyes. That just aggravates the situation and will cause your eyes to react even more violently to the allergen. It is better to get a bit of relief through the use of a cold compress and cool water to wash your eyes out.

If you are one of the unfortunate people who does suffer from this reaction to allergens you most likely would like to do something about it. The first thing to do is try to figure out what is causing the reaction and then to eliminate it so that you can stop the recurrence of the problem. You can also use things like antihistamines and allergy injections to get short term relief. You do need to be sure that you consult with a doctor before you start taking things and trying out different relief techniques.

A lot of people suffer from eye allergies, you are not alone. There are ways to get relief, you just need to find the one that will work best for you. It may take a bit of trial and error, but I am sure that you will find something if you just keep looking and trying various things.

Wendy Lind, RAc, offers Bioenergetics services for the BC Lower Mainland, including Vancouver, Richmond,  North Vancouver, West Vancouver, and Burnaby.

What do colds and allergies have in common?

A lot of people confuse colds and allergies because they have a number of things in common. Both allergies and colds can cause you to cough, sneeze and have a runny nose and post nasal drip. However, even the things that allergies and colds have in common contain clues as to which you have.

What are the signs of a cold?

If you have a cold then the discharge from your nose will be yellow or green or white and pretty thick. This is a sign of an infection rather than an irritation.

If you have a cold you will most likely also have a fever. It might not be a high fever, but your body temperature will be elevated. This is caused by your system trying to fight off the pathogens causing your cold.

If you have a sore throat and no post nasal drip then you might have strep throat with is caused by a bacteria. A post nasal drip or a bad cough could make your throat sore as well though, so you will have to pay attention to the rest of your symptoms when it comes to this.

Some other things to watch out for that will tell you if you are suffering from an infection rather than allergies would be fatigue, body ache and nausea. These are all side effects of your body trying to fight off the pathogens that are attacking you.

Colds and flu also typically occur in winter while allergies will occur around the time the seasons change.

What are the signs of allergies?

Allergies will typically give you a runny nose, but the discharge will tend to be clear and very liquid as it is your sinus’s reaction to an irritation rather than an attack on your immune system. The irritation could also make your sneeze and cause a tickle in the back of your throat that will make you cough.

You will also often have itchy eyes that get red and water a lot. They water because your body is trying to wash the irritant out and they get red because of you rubbing at them to try and relieve the itch.

You will most likely notice a pattern to your symptoms if it is an allergy. You will start to notice it when certain trees are in bloom or when dust is very high or something like that.

As you can see, it is possible to tell the difference between a cold and an allergic reaction. All you really have to do is pay attention to what your body is telling you.

Make your life a lot easier when it comes to either colds or allergies … give me a call (Wendy — 604-839-9789) to discuss the alternatives.

Keep an eye on the pollen count

It is important that you know what pollens you are most allergic to.  The daily pollen count will tell you how much you need to do to keep your system from suffering from hay fever.

If the pollen count for your particular allergen is low then you do not need to worry too much. If, on the other hand, the pollen count is high then you need to take extra precautions.

Keep antihistamines handy

If you have mild reactions,  antihistamines that can be bought over the counter at most pharmacies.  It is important not to use these drugs as a long term solution.  Long term use can cause other problems that are more sever than mild hay fever.

Keep as much pollen out as possible

Since pollen and mold are the substances  causing you all your grief you need to keep them out of your living spaces as much as possible. You can do this by making sure that you keep the windows closed. If the pollenand mold cannot get in to you and you do not go out to it then you will suffer a great deal less. You can also use air filters that are specially designed to keep pollen from getting through to allow clean fresh air to flow through your house and office but keep the pollen from coming in as well.

Keep clean

Pollen is a very tiny particle and can easily stick to your clothes. Make sure that you shower regularly and take your clothes off with care so that you do not send pollen showering down around you. A shower is better as you are able to wash all the pollen that might have stuck to you away more easily and more thoroughly.

Keep your pets clean

If your pets go on outdoor excursions, be sure to wipe them down when they come in.  Pollen and mold on their fur can be spread around.  Many people think they are allergic to their pets, when in actuality they are allergic to what is on their pet’s fur.  Read Look What the Cat/Dog Dragged In for more information.

Stay indoors

This tip kind of goes along with keeping pollen out of your house and office. F you do not go out to the pollen then it cannot affect you. It is not possible to stay indoors the entire time, but you should limit the amount of time you spend outdoors, especially when the pollen count is highest.

Make your life a lot easier when it comes to spring allergies … give me a call (Wendy — 604-839-9789) to discuss the alternatives.

The pollen forecast in Vancouver has been provided by the weather network since 1993. Each and every single day samples of air are collected and analyzed for pollen content. The most common allergens are counted and this is the information that is released onto the website at specific times of day.

Of course, the pollen count is specific to a particular area and can only be an estimate of regions within that particular area. It can still help a great deal when it comes to taking precautions against allergic reactions. Over the years it has become apparent that the pollen count is highest in the morning so it is considered best to check the pollen count early on in the day so that you know what to expect for the rest of the day.

You cannot rely on the pollen prediction from yesterday to plan for today. Trees  produce pollen at different times of the year and will change from year to year and day to day as the environmental circumstances change. You need to check the pollen count each and every single day. You will need to figure out which trees’ pollen affects you the most and keep an eye on that specific tree’s pollen count.

The thing about allergic reactions is that if you know what you can expect then you can prepare for it and guard against it. There are a number of things that you can do to try to minimize your reaction to the pollen in the air. The most common tactic is to take antihistamines. These do work really well, but it is best not to have to rely on them to keep your sinuses clear and eyes free from the itchiness that an allergic reaction can cause. A lot of antihistamines tend to make you sleepy and this is not an ideal state to be in when you are going to be driving and working.

Another tactic is to stay indoors on the worst days. Be sure to wipe your pet down when they come in from their outdoor breaks … and be sure to take off your shoes and jacket so that you are not spreading pollen around your home.

Vancouver Pollen Forecast

Suffering from spring allergies?  Make your life a lot easier when it comes  your allergies … give me a call (Wendy — 604-839-9789) to discuss the alternatives.

Before we do that though, you should know that not all pollens affect everyone the same way. You need to figure out which pollens you react to so that you know which pollens to keep an eye on when you take a look at the pollen count each morning. The various pollens will peak at different times so your allergies will also peak at different times.

The most common sources of allergy reactions are tree pollens and molds. Trees will produce pollen at certain times of year. Though molds  produce spores all year round, mold spores will increase during the spring rains.

Trees that cause allergic reactions

The trees that are most often associated with causing an allergic reaction are the oak, western red cedar, sycamore, maple, elm, birch, ash, cypress, walnut, hickory and poplar. Each of these trees will release their pollen at a particular time of year and around the time that the tree whose pollen you are allergic to is produced you will find that you suffer from itching eyes and a runny nose. You will start to sneeze and your sinuses will get congested. Rain will wash the pollen out of the air and bring you some relief, but that relief will only be temporary.

Molds that cause allergic reactions

Molds do produce spores the entire year round and these spores can cause an allergic reaction just as quickly as pollen can. Spring brings rain which will increase the mold spore production. Mold is not just found outdoors though, it can also be found inside your own home. If you find mold in your home you will need to take care to clean out every single bit of it. If you leave any behind it will just come back to plague you again.

Some of the steps you can take to reduce allergy reactions include taking antihistamines, staying indoors, keeping the windows of your car and home shut and filtering the air that comes in through special air filters.

It is possible to predict and combat your allergic reactions to tree pollens and mold spores. You just have to know what you are allergic to and what preventative measures will work best for you.

Give me a call to see how I can help you with spring allergies.   Wendy — 604-839-9789

A child with an allergy to certain foods like peanuts, who ate a cupcake topped with peanuts, would experience an allergic reaction. Immune system cells in the body such as the mast cells will be stimulated by the antibodies to release certain chemicals into the bloodstream. Histamine is the most common chemical secreted by these cells.

Which are the most common food allergies?

The most common food allergies found in adults are peanuts, walnuts, milk, shellfish, shrimp, lobster, crab, crayfish and eggs. In recent studies, the peanuts, a type of legume, is considered as the main food that can cause severe allergic reaction or anaphylaxis. This condition is characterized by a sudden drop in blood pressure that can be life threatening if immediate medical attention is not provided.

The pattern of food allergy in children is a little different than adults. In children, the most common food allergens for them include milk, peanuts and eggs. Adults will have to live with their allergy for life, but there is chance that children can outgrow them. Usually, the foods that children and adults normally eat are the ones that they develop allergies to. An example of this is in Japan, where there are many people who are allergic to rice, whereas allergy to codfish is more common in Scandinavia.

Identifying Food Allergies

Often a simple patient’s history that includes an elimination diet and a diet diary can pinpoint many food allergies.

There are cases where a simple patient history is not enough to diagnose food allergy, so an allergist may require patients to keep a record of the all of the contents of every meal and note if any reaction is felt while eating. This can help isolate ais a pattern in the reactions.

An elimination diet is where an allergist instructs patients to avoid eating a certain food suspects that commonly cause allergic reactions. These include; milk, eggs, peanuts, nuts, wheat products, strawberries and other similar foods. The diagnosis can most likely be made if the symptoms don’t come back after the patient eliminates the food from his or her diet. However, this method can NOT be used if the reactions are irregular or if the patient is having severe reactions.

The “gold standard” in identifying food allergies is the double-blind food challenge. This is done by having several suspected allergy foods placed in a capsule. The patient is then asked to ingest a capsule one at a time to see if there are any reactions that will happen. In this test, the capsules are prepared by someone else, so the allergist doesn’t also know the contents of each capsule. This test can confirm which foods the patient is allergic to. However, this test can’t be done in patients with severe allergic reactions. Another downside of this test is it’s high cost because it takes a lot of time to perform. Additionally, this test is not safe to use for patients with multiple food allergies.

Western Medical Doctors also use scratch-puncture tests, skin tests and a variety of blood tests.

Traditional Food Allergy Solutions

The most common solution for food allergies is to avoid the allergen food. The patient must read all the ingredients of the food that they plan to eat. Eggs, peanuts and milk are some of the common allergy foods that may appear in hundreds of manufactured food products. Governments regulate the listing of food ingredients on food labels. The problem is, that food allergies can be triggered if the product doe not contain the ingredient, but is prepared in a facility where the ingredient is present. This happens a lot with peanut and nuts.

There are cases where even the most careful person can make a mistake and eat a food they are allergic. So it is important that the patients know how to protect themselves in these cases. As a precaution, patients with severe allergic reactions are advised to wear medical alert necklaces or bracelets that say they have food allergy and they have severe allergic response. These patients are also advised to always have a syringe of epinephrine or adrenaline with them. Such patients are trained to administer the drug on their own and get immediate medical attention. Allergic reactions or anaphylactic response is a fatal condition.

Children with food allergies must have special care. Parents and caregivers should take precautions and must know how to keep children away from foods they are allergic. This also includes proper training for the management of allergic response like the administration of adrenaline or epinephrine. Schools are also required to have emergency response plans in place.

Other food allergy symptoms that are not part of an anaphylactic reaction can be managed by taking some medications. Antihistamines are given to relieve hives, sneezing, runny nose and gastrointestinal symptoms. This can be taken if the patient ate the allergen food, but this drug can’t be used in preventing an allergic response if it will be taken before they eat the food they are allergic.

Investigative and non-approved treatments for food allergies include the injection of extracts of the food which the patient is allergic in small quantities. The goal is to desensitize the patient from the food allergen by administering it on a regular basis over a period of time. The effectiveness of this method in treating food allergies hasn’t been confirmed yet by medical experts.

Make your life a lot easier when it comes to food allergies … give me a call (Wendy — 604-839-9789) to discuss the alternatives.

Fish and shellfish allergies are not one in the same since an allergic reaction to fish does not always mean an allergic reaction to shellfish.

Fish allergies are usually developed in adulthood and therefore are are not as common in children. It isn’t unusual for a person who has consumed fish or shellfish for 20 or more years to suddenly develop an allergic reaction to fish.
Fish allergies are normally considered lifelong; once a person develops the allergy it is assumed they will have it for the rest of their lives.

An estimated 2.3% of North Americans — that’s nearly 9 million people — report some kind of allergy to seafood.
including fish and shellfish. Salmon, tuna, and halibut are the most frequent kinds of fish that people are sensitive to.

What are the signs and symptoms of seafood allergy?

• Reactions are reported to be mostly within 2 hours after ingesting, touching or even inhaling seafood cooking gases.
• Reactions that are delayed for up to 6 hours, have been reported for species of the Mollusc groups including Abalone and squid. The more common symptoms include skin, stomach, and respiratory problems.
• Respiratory complaints are very common in vulnerable subjects following inhalation of fish or crustacean vapors, especially from food preparation.

Avoiding Allergic Reactions to Fish

The good news is, of all of the food allergens, fish and shellfish stands out as the easiest allergens to avoid,  but they can also cause the most serious allergic reactions therefore they must be taken very seriously.

• To avoid a reaction, strict avoidance of seafood and seafood products is vital.
• Always read ingredient labels to identify fish ingredients.
• Avoid touching fish
• Do not visit fish markets
• Avoid areas where fish is being cooked – some people get reactions from breathing in cooking vapors
• It  is recommended that if you are allergic to at least one species of fish to avoid all fish.

For those who have a fish allergy but  would like to have fish in your diet, speak with your allergist about the possibility of being tested with various types of fish.

Avoid Seafood Restaurants  And Be Very Careful in Oriental Restaurants

This is important for two reasons:

1. The chance of cross-contamination at a seafood restaurant is extremely high
2. Oriental Restaurants (Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, Korean, etc) often use fish pastes or fish sauce as flavorings even in vegetable, noodle and non-fish or shellfish dishes.  Again the chance of cross-contamination is high.

Example of cross-contamination in restaurant food preparation:

If the restaurant serves deep fried fish or shellfish, the frier is now contaminated with fish/shellfish residue.  You order french fries. They are cooked in the same fryer as the fish or shellfish, putting you at risk for getting some of the allergen in your food, causing a mild to severe reaction.

Make your life a lot easier when it comes to fish and shellfish allergies … give me a call (Wendy — 604-839-9789) to discuss the alternatives.

Inside your home you may find mold growing in your bathroom or basement. Check out the hallways of dark and damp apartment buildings. If you detect a “musty” smell, it is likely mold or mildew.

There are many hidden sources of mold that can be affecting your health.

In a previous post, I talked about mold particles found on the fur of your outdoor loving pet.   If your pet loves rubbing against trees and fences, or jumping into rotting piles of leaves, be sure to wipe them down when they come indoors.  Read Look What the Cat/Dog Dragged In for more information.

If you’ve had any water leaks in the past, mold may be hiding under the dried out carpet, tiles or behind the dried out wallpaper or wall paint.  Be sure to check out your bathroom … watching for tell-tale black spots growing behind titles.

Surprising to many people is the fact that the soil their houseplants sit in, may be filled with mold.  If in doubt, change the soil and wipe or scrape off black spots where the plant enters the soil.

Here is a great article on how to prevent and get rid of mold in your houseplant soil.  Beginner Houseplants: Mold on surface of soil, how can I prevent it.

During the rainy season, leave your shoes at the door.  This will help prevent the spread of mold and mildew spores throughout your household.

If you are suffering from mold or mildew allergies, give me a call to discuss how the alternatives. (Wendy Lind —   604-839-9789

Symptoms of Soy Allergies

It is important to know the symptoms of soy allergies so you either avoid soy products or get treated for the allergy.
Here are some of the most common symptoms of soy allergies:
“    Sudden break out and growth of acne
“    Swelling of blood vessels and veins underneath the skin
“    Inflammation and irritation in the nasal cavity
“    Nasal congestion
“    Diarrhea
“    Localized rashes on the skin

Symptoms can  range from mild to life threatening.

Food Sources That Might Trigger Soy Allergies

Products that contain soy protein include:

•  miso
• edamame
• shoyu sauc
•  natto
• soybean
• soya
• soybean butter
• soy milk
• soy sauce
• soy protein powders
• textured vegetable protein
• tofu
• tempeh

These products also may be hidden sources of  soy protein:

• hydrolyzed vegetable protein
• chocolate
• canned chicken broth
• flavoring
• bouillon cubes
• vegetable broth
• caramel color
• lecithin
• vegetable oil
• vegetable
• methylcellulose
• some baked goods
• most canned products
• crackers
• cereals
• sauces
• instant formulas
• soups
• and many more

Make your life a lot easier when it comes to either colds or allergies … give me a call (Wendy — 604-839-9789) to discuss the alternatives.

Indoor molds commonly grow in dark, damp and poorly ventilated areas like the basements, clothes hampers, crawl space, under the kitchen sink and bathrooms.

Outdoor molds can grow in areas with poor drainage like in compost piles or piles of decaying leaves. Presence of mold and mildew growth gives off a musty odor in the area. These molds can grow any time of the year.

Household molds are very unpleasant to see, they can appear as black spots in your shower room, slimy orange film in the kitchen drain or as fuzzy white patches on the basement floor. They are not only unsightly but they can also cause illnesses especially if you have asthma or allergies.

Whether you have mold and mildew allergies or not, prolonged exposure to these allergens can cause irritation to your skin, eyes, throat, nose and lungs. You should not disregard the presence of molds, getting rid of them will protect not only your home but also your health.

Symptoms:

If you are sensitive to molds, you may experience allergic reactions whenever you touch or inhale these spores. Symptoms of mold and mildew allergies include red and itchy eyes, skin rash, sneezing and runny nose. Severe allergic reactions can also be experienced by individuals who are highly allergic to molds; symptoms include shortness of breath or difficulty in breathing. Asthmatic attacks can also be triggered by inhaling the mold spores by people with asthma who have mold allergies.

Sensitivity:

Aside from people who have allergies and asthma, there are also others who may be sensitive to molds; they are the elderly, infants, children, people with chronic lung disease and those who have compromised immune systems such as with cancer, liver disease, chemotherapy and HIV infection.

Eliminate the Source:

Treating mold and mildew allergies include the elimination of these allergens from the home. Determine the places where these allergens grow, clean the floors, carpet, furniture or appliances. Fix any leaks in the bathroom, kitchen or drainage.

Although it may be difficult to eliminate all mold and mildew spores from your home, you can minimize the moisture in your home to prevent further growth of molds. Clean and fix the cause of the dampness inside your home. Merely cleaning up only the mold but leaving the cause of the problem unfixed will only cause the molds and mildews to return.

Call me to discuss your allergy symptoms and to book an appointment today!  Wendy Lind:  604-839-9789