Allergies are diseases of excessive and inappropriate response of the body towards the environment.

This means that we must take care of our respiratory tract if we can not be bothered by our environment.

There is in the air we breathe, gases, particles, organics, microorganisms and chemicals. All this is a source of irritation, infection or allergy.

The largest and most harmful air pollution is tobacco, it is proven to increase the probability of an unborn child to become allergic asthma and when his pregnant mother smoked, the first stages of life are also particularly affected with passive smoking but even the adult is very sensitive to pollution.

Three factors determine the quality of our air:

-The weather: who gives an idea of the percentage of water content in the air, temperature and overall conditions.

- Air pollution: indicating irritants in the air.

- Allergens with pollens
Weather

- The weather is often associated with an increase in pollen in the spring and peaks of pollution, especially in the summer.
- The days of rain are richer in fungi in outdoor air and dust mites in indoor air.

- Rain in the pollen season slows down allergies, it may be a good time to stop taking durgs.
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Most likely you or someone you know has allergies. The telltale itchy, puffy, watery eyes and red, stuffy nose signal changes in the seasons in homes and workplaces across the country. What these people suffer from is allergic rhinitis, or hay fever. The medical name for this condition refers to stuffy and itchy nose (”rhin-”), the most common symptom.

Hay fever is an allergic reaction. It is your immune system’s response to foreign material in the air you breathe. Hay fever usually refers to allergies to outdoor, airborne materials such as pollens and molds.

About 15-20% of the population of the United States has some degree of hay fever. It is found equally in both men and women. Usually hay fever is seasonal, but it can last all year long if the allergen stays throughout the year. Spring and fall are the main hay fever seasons.

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Fighting allergies seems like a constant battle for some parents and children, especially when kids have hard to control allergies.

Many parents are already working to control indoor allergies, limit exposure to outdoor allergens, and have tried most of the available allergy medicines, including:

• Allegra (fexofenadine)
• Clarinex (desloratadine)
• Claritin (loratadine)
• Singulair (montelukast)
• Zyrtec (cetirizine)
• Flonase (fluticasone)
• Nasocort AQ (triamcinolone)
• Nasonex (mometasone)
• Rhinocort Aqua (budesonide)
• Astelin (azelastine)

If some combination of these allergy medications for your child aren’t working, a newer allergy medication might be worth a try, such as:

Veramyst

Veramyst (fluticasone) is a once-a-day steroid nasal spray that is approved to seasonal and perennial (year-round) allergy symptoms in children who are at least 2 years old.

Unlike other steroid nasal sprays, Veramyst is also approved to treat seasonal eye allergy symptoms in children who are at least 12 years old. The fine-mist delivery system also seems to be a little better tolerated by kids than many other nasal sprays.

Headaches and nosebleeds were the most common side effects of using Veramyst.

Xyzal

Xyzal (levocetirizine) is a newer allergy medicine created by removing one of the enantiomers or parts of the chemical form of Zyrtec, with the plan of making it more effective and having less side effects. It is approved to treat seasonal and perennial allergies and chronic hives in children over age 6, teens, and adults.

Xyzal is also available as an oral solution, but is still just approved for children over age 6.

Patanase

Patanase (olopatadine) is an antihistamine nasal spray, similar to Astelin, that is approved to treat seasonal allergies in children who are at least 12 years old. Like Astelin, the biggest side effect that users complained of was a bitter taste following its use, which may limit how much kids will use it.

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Only the Allegra-D^® family of products contain Allegra^® (fexofenadine HCl)—the brand you trust for the treatment of seasonal allergies—plus pseudoephedrine.

Allegra (fexofenadine HCl) is the ingredient proven to relieve allergy symptoms—such as sneezing, runny nose, and watery eyes—without making you sleepy. While other products may relieve the symptoms, they can also leave you feeling tired and drowsy. This can be as frustrating as the allergy symptoms themselves.

Pseudoephedrine treats your nasal congestion. According to a survey, nearly 4 out of 5 people with nasal allergies reported nasal congestion as the most bothersome allergy symptom during an allergy attack. The pseudoephedrine in Allegra-D treats that nasal congestion, relieving stuffiness.

When it comes to relieving your symptoms, experts agree that a medicine combining fexofenadine HCl and pseudoephedrine works better than taking each ingredient by itself. Allegra-D provides 2 powerful ingredients that can help you live life, outdoors.

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Cyproheptadine is an antihistamine. Cyproheptadine blocks the effects of the naturally occurring chemical histamine in your body.

Cyproheptadine is used to treat sneezing; runny nose; itching, watery eyes; hives; rashes; itching; and other symptoms of allergies and the common cold.

Although not approved by the FDA for this purpose, cyproheptadine has been used to stimulate appetite in underweight patients.

Cyproheptadine may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this medication guide.

What is the most important information I should know about Periactin (cyproheptadine)?

Use caution when driving, operating machinery, or performing other hazardous activities. Cyproheptadine may cause dizziness or drowsiness. If you experience dizziness or drowsiness, avoid these activities. Use alcohol cautiously. Alcohol may increase drowsiness and dizziness while you are taking cyproheptadine.

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A few years ago, a study examined the results of tests performed routinely in asthmatic children over 5 years. The top ten of this study was in order: the two main families of mites of house dust (Dermatophagoides ptéronussinus and Dermatophagoides farinae), pollens from grasses (cocksfoot, phéole, ivraie), cats, cockroaches, or cockroaches, pollens bétulacées (alder, birch, charm, hazelnut), wheat, two air molds (Alternaria, Cladosporium) and rabbit hair. Positive tests for animals other than cat food and came away after the “winners”.

Children food allergies is increasing, but remains lower than allergy to dust mites, which has become a real public health problem. It should be remembered that 60 to 80% of children with asthma are sensitive to dust mites in house dust. Asthma affects, depending on age, 11 to 14% of children and adolescents french. In France, 7 to 9% of children are allergic to dust mites!

In the same study, one is surprised to find little testing positive for the dog, because this allergy is not exceptional. This phenomenon is explained technically. The allergen extracts used in tests for dogs are manufactured by laboratories. The product used for the test did not cover all species of dogs. The presence in the classification of wheat does not mean that children react to the consumption of wheat. This positive test is mainly due to cross-react with pollen. Other allergens very real, but more rare

Obviously these 10 allergens, the most common in children, do not summarize all allergies in children. The study looked at children whose dominant event was asthma. A similar study conducted among children with eczema have found more food allergens. Other allergens are encountered less frequently. The change of lifestyle leads to emergence of new allergies, including pets. Allergy to insects and especially wasps is uncommon in children and is uniquely responsible for respiratory signs. Allergy to drugs is a reality but it is much rarer than previously thought in children.

Oral antihistamines are classified into two groups: first-generation (sedating) and second-generation (non-sedating) antihistamines. Both generally have equivalent efficacy with regard to symptom relief in allergic rhinitis, but their side-effect profiles differ significantly.

A study concluded that first-generation antihistamines « can negatively affect mood, sleepiness, alertness, and cognitive and psychomotor function in adults and children¹ ». As a result, these antihistamines can interfere with performance and safety, even when taken the night before.

Newer second-generation antihistamines, such as Claritin^®, have the benefit of being non-drowsy and have a longer duration of action than first-generation antihistamines. Therefore, it is not surprising that many experts² recommend non-drowsy antihistamines products over first-generation antihistamines for the management of allergic rhinitis.

An allergy is a super-sensitivity to allergy triggers called allergens. Common airborne allergens include pollen from trees, grasses and weeds, molds, animal dander, dust and dust mites.

Allergies can have a big impact on your daily activities. You may be constantly fatigued, irritable, or just not feeling well. People with allergies often have difficulty concentrating, which can affect performance and even lead to absence from work or school. Many allergy sufferers have to give away pets, avoid foods they enjoy or curtail their outdoor activities. Allergic rhinitis or “hay fever” is one of the most common types of allergy. Typical symptoms of allergic rhinitis include sneezing, stuffy or runny nose, itchy or watery eyes, itchy throat and headaches.

Other types of allergic reactions include asthma, eczema and hives.

Skin rashes and hives may appear as a result of something you touch, eat or drink. In the case of a severe reaction, symptoms may be accompanied by an upset stomach, cramps, difficulty breathing or swallowing, nausea or other allergic symtoms.
Source: http://claritin.ca/info-allergies/allergy-facts.aspx#showmore

Many allergens such as dust or pollen are airborne particles. In these cases, symptoms arise in areas in contact with air, such as eyes, nose and lungs. For instance, allergic rhinitis, also known as hay fever, causes irritation of the nose, sneezing, and itching and redness of the eyes.Inhaled allergens can also lead to asthmatic symptoms, caused by narrowing of the airways (bronchoconstriction) and increased production of mucus in the lungs, shortness of breath (dyspnea), coughing and wheezing.

Aside from these ambient allergens, allergic reactions can result from foods, insect stings, and reactions to medications like aspirin and antibiotics such as penicillin. Symptoms of food allergy include abdominal pain, bloating, vomiting, diarrhea, itchy skin, and swelling of the skin during hives. Food allergies rarely cause respiratory (asthmatic) reactions, or rhinitis.Insect stings, antibiotics, and certain medicines produce a systemic allergic response that is also called anaphylaxis; multiple organ systems can be affected, including the digestive system, the respiratory system, and the circulatory system.Depending of the rate of severity, it can cause cutaneous reactions, bronchoconstriction, edema, hypotension, coma, and even death. This type of reaction can be triggered suddenly, or the onset can be delayed. The severity of this type of allergic response often requires injections of epinephrine, sometimes through a device known as the EpiPen auto-injector. The nature of anaphylaxis is such that the reaction can seem to be subsiding, but may recur throughout a prolonged period of time.

Substances that come into contact with the skin, such as latex, are also common causes of allergic reactions, known as contact dermatitis or eczema.Skin allergies frequently cause rashes, or swelling and inflammation within the skin, in what is known as a “wheal and flare” reaction characteristic of hives and angioedema. Allergy Relief Products are often necessary to fight the allergic symptoms.

Allergy is a disorder of the immune system often also referred to as atopy. Allergic reactions occur to normally harmless environmental substances known as allergens; these reactions are acquired, predictable and rapid. Strictly, allergy is one of four forms of hypersensitivity and is called type I (or immediate) hypersensitivity. It is characterized by excessive activation of certain white blood cells called mast cells and basophils by a type of antibody known as IgE, resulting in an extreme inflammatory response. Common allergic reactions include eczema, hives, hay fever, asthma, food allergies, and reactions to the venom of stinging insects such as wasps and bees.

Mild allergies like hay fever are highly prevalent in the human population and cause symptoms such as allergic conjunctivitis, itchiness, and runny nose. Allergies can play a major role in conditions such as asthma. In some people, severe allergies to environmental or dietary allergens or to medication may result in life-threatening anaphylactic reactions and potentially death.

A variety of tests now exist to diagnose allergic conditions; these include testing the skin for responses to known allergens or analyzing the blood for the presence and levels of allergen-specific IgE. Treatments for allergies include allergen avoidance, use of anti-histamines, allergy products, steroids or other oral allergy medications, immunotherapy to desensitize the response to allergen, and targeted therapy.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allergy