Owner: AllerJeez! URL:http://www.allerjeez.com/ Join Date: Tue, 03 Jul 2007 05:34:44 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: Information, advocacy, and other topics relating to all types of allergy, asthma, and eczema. Site statistics:Click here
The Eczema Treatment Encyclopedia 2007-07-03 01:30:47 (Firstly let me apologize for the formatting of this post being a bit off, my blogging software is acting up!)
One of the most unfortunate things about allergies, especially food allergies to me is that often a person is double - or triple - whammied with other medical problems associated with being allergic.
Allergies, eczema, and asthma all go hand in hand sometimes…and eczema is extremely common, especially among allergic children.
I’ve decided to compile a list of available eczema treatments, for now briefly describing each with examples but I may expand on some later on. I think it might be helpful for people who are new to the dermatitis world to learn a little about each treatment, all in one place since it seems most information is scattered all over the internet.
I would love to read feedback of any kind - what’s been the most successful treatment for you? What absolutely has not worked? Did I leave any remedies out?
Format: Type description (examples)
Med Read more:Eczema
, Treatment
, Encyclopedia
A Charitable Cause 2007-07-02 03:36:12 Inspired by Angie over at Baby Cheapskate, who donated a penny for every page view to her blog for the month of June, I’ve decided to take up a similar project…
For every:
Comment or Digg on article and I will donate a penny
Link to AllerJeez.com I will donate 5 cents
Throughout the month of July…to The Food Allergy and Anaphlylaxis Network (FAAN) to support allergy research.
I would love to do page views, but those few hundred pennies every day add up and I just don’t have the money to donate for every view, comment, and link.
If you would like to donate to the charity yourself, please visit FAAN’s donation page.
Thank you, Angie for the great idea!
Read more:Cause
Food Allergy Cure? 2007-07-02 02:32:02 The food allergy molecule has been discovered! It has been found that sufferers lack the molecule “interleukin-12″, which when intact prevents food allergy. Scientists are now trying to develop treatments for allergy sufferers using this new information:
Dr Claudio Nicoletti and colleagues had already done research which showed that special types of white blood cells called dendritic cells are important in helping the immune system decide on how to respond to foreign molecules.
They found that in allergic mice the dendritic cells are much longer lasting than normal, which over-stimulates the immune system.
In the latest study, he compared the activity of dendritic cells in the gut and in the spleen of allergic and allergy-resistant mice.
He found that in the gut of susceptible mice, dendritic cells have stopped producing interleukin-12.
Dr Nicoletti said delivering an allergen, such as peanut, alongside the interleukin-12 molecule. may help to bring allergic reactions Read more:Allergy
News Bits 2007-07-01 02:31:24
Things that make you go “huh”. Can you be “allergic” to electromagnetic radiation? One woman’s story.
A homeowner wants to remove nut trees from his property due to his children’s severe nut allergies. The city will not allow it, stating the removal of the trees would hurt the local eco system. While it would probably be in his best interests to just move to avoid nut trees in surrounding properties, the responses to this short article make my blood boil. There’s so much ignorance and unconcern for the health of the children from the majority of commenters it’s terrifying.
New drug could stop allergic reactions
AllerJeez Blog Carnival : 1st Edition 2007-07-01 02:15:53 Tracee at BlogFabulous wrote an entertaining and insightful piece about her battles with allergy and how she came to find her Sinus Wash Miracle Cure.
Those with food allergy will obviously want to be mindful of the ingredients of the recipe (contain walnut and coconut), but if your only concern is seasonal allergies and other sinus problems, you probably want to give this a try. The comments of the post contain multiple positive testimonials of the treatment.
Madeleine at Mad Kane’s Humor Blog has written a limerick entitled : Ode to Genetically Altered Cats to give pet allergy sufferers a chuckle.
Clara at Mind Mart discusses some herbal remedy suggestions to help with seasonal allergies.
More 4 Kids’ Kevin posts an article by Dr. Caron Goode on helping your child cope with asthma, featuring breathing exercises you can practice with your children to give them some control when an attack hits.
—
This concludes our very first blog carnival! I plan on posting a new c Read more:Carnival
, Edition
Sex, Semen, and Allergies 2007-06-30 11:26:21 I just read a very interesting short article at South Coast Today as part of a Q & A session for health concerns. The question asked was by a husband concerned that his wife might have an allergic reaction to his semen during lovemaking.
What an interesting question it is. I have heard of women being allergic to the semen itself - specifically to the proteins. This condition is called “human seminal plasma protein hypersensitivity”.
However it’s news to me that apparently, it is thought to be possible to have a reaction to food and medications that you’re allergic to through your lover’s secretions.
“In some cases, substances such as certain medications and foods, may cause allergic reactions when transmitted through seminal fluid.”
- AANMA
This is an alarming news to me, although it seems rather obvious if you think about it. I’ve just never personally considered this possibility before.
I’d assume that most cautious signif Read more:Allergies
News Bits 2007-06-28 00:03:05
Lots of news today…
Firstly, we’ve got a couple of sad headlines…a 10 year old girl dies after having an anaphylactic reaction to peanuts after eating at a restaurant, while an elderly woman is fighting for her life after reacting to silver birch trees.
Has a student at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem School of Pharmacy come up with a possible cure for asthma?
How about this for the US? July 8th is declared National Allergy Awareness Day in the Philippines - GMANews
Could a can of cannabis help skin allergies and eczema? - MRT
A good piece about gluten free beers for celiacs over at PhillyBlurbs
MedicAlert celebrates 40 years by recognizing physicians with Healthcare Professional of the Year awards - HealthCareRepublic
Not a moment too soon, the American Medical Association (AMA) moves to require all schools to allow children to bring their asthma and anaphylaxis medications with them - MedicalNewsToday
An asthma and allergy related medical study in New Zealand
Organic: Better for Allergics and Everyone 2007-06-26 01:25:28 I believe most of us who are even somewhat health conscious have felt twinges of desire when we pass through our grocer’s organic produce section, or spot 100% organic clothing, bedding, and other novelties. Some of you may already be fudging the extra cash for the good stuff, or you might buy a thing or two, but the rest of us have at least considered it.
Today, a favorite financial blog of mine - My Money Blog - published a great article about which fruits and vegetables are best bets for buying organic if you’re concerned about pesticide reside that’s left behind on produce. They’ve posted a neat chart showing the top 12 most pesticide laced foods, alongside the cleanest.
The article got my wheels turning and inspired me to do some more research about how organic products could benefit allergy sufferers, and possibly make the additional cost of such products worthwhile.
Organic
Produce
The article over at My Money Blog concerned itself with worry of pestici
Allergy Proof Your Bedroom for Under $100 2007-06-25 20:41:09 The first step should be to rid the room of unnecessary hotspots where mites like to party. These areas would include curtains, carpet, and stuffed toys in children’s rooms (although I know some of you adults still haven’t parted with your childhood bear).
I hope you’ve already got a pull down screen or blinds in addition to those curtains, because those aren’t included in this budget. If you’re desperate, you could always tape newspaper over the windows!
Remove the carpet if you’re handy or if you’ve got a willing or blackmailable friend who’s able to do it. Otherwise, please see the alternative suggestions at the end of this article if you’ve chosen to keep your carpet installed.
The cost of ridding yourself of these mite utopias? Free, if you make it.
Next, be sure that no clothing is left sitting out on a dresser or other surface. Folded clothes that sit will gather dust, so it’s best to put them away in drawers if po Read more:Allergy
, Proof
, Bedroom
News Bits 2007-06-25 01:47:46
Columnist advises an office employee regarding her stinky situation with perfume: I certainly don’t expect everybody in the world to accommodate anybody with any type of allergy. However when you’re in tight spaces with a trigger every day and you’ve respectfully approached the offending source, they should comply and eliminate the problem. The fact that this issue now must be addressed by higher management is absurd.
Greek and Dutch consumers unsatisfied with food labeling practices: seems other parts of the world still have inadequate food labels too.
A link between asthma and antibiotics: this doesn’t surprise me. I have a dear friend who was on antibiotics many times in her early life and now as an adult suffers from asthma, allergies, arthritis, and other disorders.
Beyond a Peanut Flashcards 2007-07-04 06:24:59
Beyond A Peanut
Flashcards
Not too long ago before I began this blog, I was e-mailed (assumingly directly by the company) to visit their website and consider ordering a few sets of the cards for the local allergy support group I lead.
The product is named “Beyond a Peanut”, a set of 36 flashcards to be used as an educational tool for parents to teach their kids how to tell the difference between “safe” and “unsafe” foods for peanut and tree nut allergic children.
I had actually thought of an idea similar to this in the past, in trying to think of creative ways I could teach my own allergic child about which foods are harmful. As a four year old she still has a hard time understanding the concept “allergic”. I would imagine that at this point, if another kid at the playground offers her a cookie, she’s not going to stop and think “is this okay for me to eat?” Which is an extremely terrifying thought.
Back to the card
Find the Best City for Your Allergies 2007-07-04 00:59:18 Whether you’re thinking of taking a job in a new city, or want to escape a cesspool of seasonal allergies you’re living in now, here are some considerations to take while on your quest to find the best potential cities for relocation as an allergy sufferer.
Your first step should be to make a list of states and regions that sound appealing to you. You then need to try to narrow generalized areas down to specific towns and cities. Many of the tools I suggest for conducting your research require that you know the zip code for specific areas, so once you’ve got your rough draft list do a quick zip code search here and write the codes next to your cities. Got it? Good. Here we go…
Pollution
ScoreCard.com offers a search by zip code for regional pollution data. The information they provide is extremely comprehensive and insightful: listing toxic chemical plants in the area, as well as air and water pollution stats. Handy additional information for each category is a Read more:Allergies
Mothering a Child with Severe Allergies 2007-07-09 01:31:37 I’m often asked what precautions I need to take on a daily basis to keep my daughter safe and as comfortable as possible. People are often surprised at just how many considerations and extra miles I must walk to accomplish this. It may all seem extremely overwhelming, and honestly it was in the beginning, but after doing this for years it’s become routine and second nature.
A Day in the Life
At Home
1) We do not keep products in our home that contain peanut ingredients, even in trace amounts or possible trace amounts (”may contain” on the label). Miss T is allergic to several other foods, but peanuts are the only food that are dangerous enough to completely ban from the house. Foods that have trace amounts of some other her other allergens are kept up on the tallest shelf in the pantry, where it’s impossible for her to reach.
She has a vague understanding of the concept of “allergies” and which foods are bad. Whenever there is a new food i Read more:Mothering
, Allergies
AllerJeez Blog Carnival | Second Edition 2007-07-08 12:54:01 This week’s carnival didn’t receive quite the response the first edition did, but the one quality article that was submitted deserves it’s own post anyway
Kate at BabyLune.com is a teacher who wrote an outstanding article about how she went the extra mile to include one allergic student in an otherwise dangerous classroom tradition. She has since gone on to write a small series of follow-up articles that are definitely worth a read as well.
Accommodating Other Children’s Allergies at BabyLune.com
Thank you very much, Kate for the submission! I’d love to have you back with future submissions.
Read more:Carnival
, Second
, Edition
, Second Edition
July 8th - World Allergy Day 2007-07-08 11:27:57 Today is “WorldAllergy
Day”, as declared by the World Allergy Organization.
In celebration, why don’t we all do something today that will help raise awareness to those outside of our lifestyle bubbles?
- Blog about allergies
- Submit an allergy free recipe to a non-food allergy cooking site
- Explain something you’ve learned about allergies to a friend or family member
- Strike up a conversation at the grocery store
- Write a letter or e-mail to the government
- Visit your local government and propose a regional allergy day
Or donate to an allergy related charity?
- American Academy of Asthma and Immunology Education & Research Trust
- Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network
- Food Allergy Initiative
- National Jewish Hospital
- Allergy & Asthma Network : Mothers of Asthmatics
- American Lung Association
We can all make a difference, every newly enlightened person leads to a safer world for ourselves and our children.
Kyle Dine - Music About Food Allergies 2007-07-07 20:50:14 I just came across this great website while browsing the links listed at AllergyTranslation.com, which I’ve just recently linked in the sidebar directly to the right.* Apparently, I’m a bit tardy in reporting this news as it appears Kyle announced his new CD late last year.
Kyle Dine, a musician from Kingston, Ontario has compiled a CD entitled “You Must Be Nuts!” especially for children with food allergies.
The track listing for the record is as follows:
1. I Wrote a Song About Allergies
2. Epi-Man
3. Smellaphant the Allergic Elephant
4. Under the Surface (I Feel Allergy Free)
5. Grocery Store Trip
6. Gluten-Free Blues
7. No Dairy Please!
8. I Won’t Let it Bother Me
9. Dale Evan-Allergy Extinguisher Extraordinaire
10. Tingle on My Tongue
11. That’s a Peanut
12. The Birthday Party
13. The Doghouse
14. Stop! Please Don’t Feed Me
The CD has yet to be released, but you can listen to six of the tracks over at Kyle’s website and subscribe to Read more:Music
Allergy Poetry Contest 2007-07-06 12:13:08 Allergic Living magazine is hosting their first annual allergy poetry contest.
As stated at their website, “the only requirement is that they (the poems) in some way involve allergies, asthma or living with celiac disease.”
There are three different age groups with two age appropriate prizes for each:
Group 1 - 18+. Sharp Plasmacluster Ion Air Purifier, Sharp Electronic Dictionary
Group 2 - 11 to 17. Root’s Stainless Steel Watch, Sharp Electronic Dictionary
Group 3 - 10 & under. Olympus Digital Camera, Blue Bear Aware Allergy
T-Shirts (2)
The contest ends on August 23rd, so get to writing!
For more information and official rules, visit Allergic Living Magazine.
Read more:Poetry
, Contest
6 Ways to Raise Food Allergy Awareness 2007-07-05 22:41:48 1. Start an annual allergy-free cook-off or bake-off! Challenge your community to come up with delicious recipes without using the top 8 most common food allergens (milk, egg, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, wheat, soy). It would be easy enough to find local businesses as prize sponsors - a good place to try first would be kitchen gadget shops.
You could make your event as simple or as elaborate as you’d like…you could have contestants mail or e-mail their recipes to you by a deadline and have a cookbook of all recipes available by the contest date for each contestant - and have extras for sale (donations with the proceeds to FAAN would be nice!). Just be sure to display printed recipes next to the dishes if you plan on allowing sampling by the general public. This ensures everybody is safe, even those with allergens not in the top 8 most common.
2. Volunteer to speak annually at local schools, community conferences, town meetings, etc.
3. Start a blog! Be sure t Read more:Allergy
, Awareness
Vitamin C Allergy Treatment 2007-07-14 03:13:08 Those who swear by herbal and natural treatments sometimes claim that taking vitamin c can help reduce allergy symptoms, and even slow or stop an allergic reaction as it happens when dosed quickly enough.
I first learned of this in April by suggestion of my grandmother, the family naturopathic hobbyist. She’s quite knowledgeable, as a liscenced massage therapist she was required to learn about herbal remedies and other natural treatments.
Grandma Jan advised that I begin giving my daughter several doses of vitamin c per day, and that the result would be greater allergy resistance and milder eczema flare-ups. I have yet seriously implement this type of treatment (although I have been increasing her vitamin c intake in foods), mainly because I keep forgetting to bring it up at her allergist appointments. We have the next on Monday, I’m actually going to note in my planner to discuss it at that time.
How does it (supposedly) work?
Vitamin
c allergy treatment is claimed to w Read more:Allergy
, Treatment
Cat Allergy Myths Exposed 2007-07-12 01:37:39 1) Certain breeds are “hypoallergenic” or less bothersome than others.
Probably THE most common misconception about feline allergy, or even pet allergies in general is that an allergic person would live more comfortably around a specific breed that supposedly is allergy resistant, or doesn’t trigger a reaction as easily.
Often times, it’s also wrongfully believed that cats with shorter hair are better for allergic people than our puffier friends.
In truth, those who are allergic to cats are triggered by their “dander”, or dead skin cells. Since all cats have skin, all of them shed dander, and it’s pretty universal between breeds how much dander is produced by the pet.
Recently, there’s been controversy in the allergy world about a new genetically engineered “allergy free” cat called an Allerca Lifestyle Pet. This designer breed is thought by some to be less likely to cause an allergic reaction, but many doctors and scientist Read more:Allergy
, Myths
Food Allergy Support Group Listings 2007-07-10 13:36:34 A support group can be a wonderful resource for allergy sufferers and their families. Whether you’re new to allergy living or a veteran, it can be wonderful to have a group of people that understand your frustrations and triumphs, where most people outside of our lifestyle just don’t “get it”.
I’ve decided to compile a master list of allergy support group listings, since I have yet to find a website that lists every single one since many groups are affiliated with the organization they’ve been listed on.
Multi-state listings:
AllergicChild.com
Allergy
Moms.com
Asthma & Allergy Foundation
Celiac SupportGroup
s
FoodAllergy.org (FAAN)
FoodAllergyCookbook.com
FoodAllergyProject.org
MeetUp.com
Regional:
Cincinnati F.A.A.S.T
Illinois Groups
Madison, WI Food Allergy Support
Minnesota Food Allergy Support
Rochester, NY FACTS
Sacramento, CA Food Allergy Support
San Diego Food Allergy Group
Seattle F.E.A.S.T.
Tampa Food Allergy Group
Can’t find a loc
Phantom Peanut Allergy Scares 2007-07-17 05:13:08 “Mrs No Peanut
s” over at No Peanuts Please has written an article that I think many allergy parents can relate to.?? It’s quite common for non allergic parents to experience guilt when they’ve had the opportunity to eat “forbidden foods” without endangering their children.
Mrs No Peanuts describes her experience of having a sudden feeling of panic when she discovers an unexpected peanut in her fruit parfait.
I haven’t personally had any nutty surprises, though I can relate to how she describes her feelings afterward, of briefly imagining that she was actually allergic.?? I recently ate my first peanut butter and jelly sandwich in over four years a month or two ago.?? Soon after, I was engulfed with feelings of shame, and even a “dirty” kind of feeling (and no, not in a good way).?? For a few moments I even nearly had myself convinced that I was in for an allergic reaction, I even imagined my throat and lips itching.
It’s truly Read more:Phantom
, Allergy
Allergy Translation Cards Article at Canada.com 2007-07-16 20:47:46 Kyle of AllergyTranslation
.com and KyleDine.com has just been featured in an article on Canada
’s Times Colonist website promoting his allergy translation cards. I am proud to have Kyle as a reader of AllerJeez.com, and urge everybody to check out the article:
“Allergy Translation Cards
Help to Keep Travelers Out of Danger”
Related Posts:
Kyle Dine : Music About Food Allergies
Read more:Article
Trace Adkins Fighting Food Allergy 2007-07-15 01:16:45 Trace Adkins
will serve as the honorary chairman of this year’s Walk for Food Allergy
: Moving Toward a Cure. The event, to be held in 20 cities across the country as well as online, is sponsored by the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network to increase awareness about food allergy and raise money for research and education.
Trace has been involved in food-allergy issues for several years. His daughter, Brianna, now 6, was diagnosed with a peanut allergy when she was 18 months old, following a severe reaction to peanut butter.
- Great American Country
This is wonderful news, even for those who aren’t huge country music fans. I truly wish more celebrities would join the cause. There have to be others that either have food allergies or family members with them, it makes you wonder why we don’t see more famous representatives.
It would be a nice gesture for us all to be supportive of Trace for helping our cause. You could stop by his website at TraceAdkins.com and wri Read more:Trace
, Fighting
, Trace Adkins
Getting People to Take You Seriously 2007-07-14 20:02:33 As the parent of a child severely allergic to several foods, I know all too well that most people just do not realize the severity of food allergies. They just don’t seem to believe that everyday staples such as peanut butter could be truly dangerous, much less deadly, to an allergic individual.
I have to say that normally I have an aversion to About.com. The website just rubs me the wrong way, from the layout to their message board format. However, one About author has been worth it enough to venture outside of my comfort zone - Victoria Groce, the food allergy “guide”.
She’s recently posted an article with some wonderful advice on what to do to get people to take you more seriously when food allergies becomes the subject of conversation:
Do you ever get the feeling, when you tell someone you’re allergic (or severely intolerant) to a food, that they think you’re just trying to get attention?
There are a lot of reasons for that to be the case. One Read more:Seriously
Vitamin C Allergy Treatment 2007-07-13 03:13:08 Those who swear by herbal and natural treatments sometimes claim that taking vitamin c can help reduce allergy symptoms, and even slow or stop an allergic reaction as it happens when dosed quickly enough.
I first learned of this in April by suggestion of my grandmother, the family naturopathic hobbyist. She’s quite knowledgeable, as a liscenced massage therapist she was required to learn about herbal remedies and other natural treatments.
Grandma Jan advised that I begin giving my daughter several doses of vitamin c per day, and that the result would be greater allergy resistance and milder eczema flare-ups. I have yet seriously implement this type of treatment (although I have been increasing her vitamin c intake in foods), mainly because I keep forgetting to bring it up at her allergist appointments. We have the next on Monday, I’m actually going to note in my planner to discuss it at that time.
How does it (supposedly) work?
Vitamin
c allergy treatment is claimed to w Read more:Allergy
, Treatment
When Turkeys Become Doctors… 2007-07-18 04:40:10 We’ve recently made the switch from visiting our regular pediatrician for Miss T’s allergies, asthma, and eczema to seeing an allergist and I am so grateful to finally have adequate medical care for her. To fully understand why having a doctor who knows what they’re doing is such a blessing, I must take you through a brief history, my daughter’s allergy story.
The Beginning
When T was only two months old, she had her very first eczema flare-up. It began as just a tiny spot on her forehead, but quickly spread to cover her face. After doing some research of my own on the internet, I was able to easily self diagnose her with eczema and I also learned about its association with food allergies.
However when I took her in to her pediatrician at the time for treatment, he dismissed my concerns about possible food allergies, stating there was absolutely no correlation between eczema and allergy.
Three more months went by, and T started having major gastrointestinal p Read more:Become
, Doctors
, hellip
Interleukin-12 and Food Allergy: A Closer Look 2007-07-19 14:06:36 I had previously blogged about the coorellation between the gene Interleukin-12 and food allergies when news of the connection broke a few weeks back. Ive been meaning to expand on this, so here we go…
What is Interleukin-12?
“Interleukin-12 is a natural chemical, or cytokine, produced by T-helper cells to activate and recruit the constituent parts of the immune system.” - AidsMap.com
Why is it relevant to food allergy?
It’s recently been identified as the gene responsible for suppressing food allergies in “normal” people. It’s believed that those who suffer from food allergies lack interleukin-12. With this discovery treatment and possibly even a cure could be in the not-so-distant future, as scientists are now looking into possible therapies using this new information.
What Kinds of Treatment Types Have Been Proposed?
In the research led by Dr Claudio Nicoletti, it is suggested “that by delivering an allergen in the presence of IL-1 Read more:Allergy
Small Link Roundup 2007-07-22 18:34:43
Gina at AllergyMoms.com wrote an interesting post about how you can ask presidential candidates how they feel about food allergy. The Zum Family blog covered this as well.
Check My Tag writes about a disappointing family birthday cake experience at Disney World that’s worth reading if you’re planning a trip there.
Read more:Small
Allergy Free Peanuts? 2007-07-26 02:39:33 N.C. A&T State University food science researchers say they have developed a simple process for making allergen-free peanuts, which could impact millions of peanut-allergy sufferers.
- A&T Researcher Develops Allergy
-Free Peanut
Can you imagine? There may come a day when my daughter can safely enjoy a PB&J sandwich along with her friends.
I wonder if this processing becomes successful if they will implement it for most, if not all peanut products?
Read more:Peanuts
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