How to Deal With Allergy and Asthma

If you suffer from allergies, like I do, then you need to take some action. You can try to depend on over-the-counter medications, but if they don't work, you might want to consider a visit to an allergist.

An allergist can test you for certain types of allergies and can figure out if you have asthma (I grew up having labored breathing after exercise or allergic reactions, but was never diagnosed with asthma until I was about 27). You might need a stronger medication that needs to be prescribed, or you might need shots that can help you de-sensitize you. You will probably need to be tested (scratch tests where a sample of the allergen is put under the skin to see what kind of reaction you have). It's not fun, but it's no big deal. Bring a book or magazine to read to keep your mind off it. You will also need to do a breathing test to figure out your lung capacity.

Childhood Illnesses May Be a Result of Allergies or Sensitivities

Have you noticed the higher rate of incidence of childhood illnesses - including cancer and asthma? There are kids who are intolerant to many conditions and products around them. There are more allergies and sensitivities. Why is that? It's partly because of there being more people on earth, and more medical records being kept - but it's also due to changes in our lifestyles and products we use.

Our earth's soil has been largely depleted of important nutrients, so our foods do not have what is needed anymore. The fresh foods are often several days or even weeks old before we can get them at the grocers. Every minute or hour we wait to eat a fruit or vegetable after picking - they lose more of the nutrients. Complicate this with adding harmful pesticides on the fruits, vegetables and grains. Foods that are processed lose important nutrients, as well. There are a lot of empty calories in what many people eat. Try to eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables - raw is better - and as close to picking as possible. Eat grains - not white flour products and breads. Use skins of the fruits and vegetables when you can - many nutrients are still there. If you cook them, try steaming rather than boiling. That will retain more nutrients.

We now have more pollution in the air and water. Many children react to ir pollution and environments with smokers - and get asthma. Contaminated water can cause a huge number of health problems.

The products we use regularly can cause problems - many are made with potentially harmful ingredients which can cause all kinds of problems. Many of these ingredients are used as "fillers" in everyday products. Many of the fillers are made from petroleum by-products and are the same as used in many automotive products, such as antifreeze or engine degreasers.

There are many kids who are sensitive to products, soaps, and other products. The symptoms these kids experience are such that many doctors misdiagnose - and treat the symptoms rather than finding the cause. If the child is taken away from the problem products, he might lose all the symptoms and be fine. Many mothers are turning to making their own soaps and products that their children can tolerate, for this very reason.

One way to find out if there are sensitivities is to pull all irritants away - feed him only bland foods for awhile, and get him to a bedroom with no carpets or pets or dust, and use pure soaps and lotions. Once he's had several days adjusting, and he seems to be doing fine, introduce one new food or situation at a time. If he reacts to the dog or to eggs or to the bubble bath - make note and keep him away from that from then on. If you cannot get him to a normal state by taking all irritants away, consult your doctor - there might be something you aren't thinking of.

There are many ingredients that are harmful to kids and adults, because they can be harmful when exposed to eyes, or seep into the skin and then into the nerves, or clog up pores in the skin, etc. There are ingredients you should not have in your home products - including propylene glycol (which is in so many things, including soaps, lotions, pain and cough medicine - and more), salt in large concentrations, and more. Many have varied names so it's hard to identify them. If you value your child and even yourself, you should find products without these ingredients.

It's no wonder children are getting seriously ill at younger ages. They are exposed to so many more problems than ever. If you value them, you should find the best products with the purest ingredients. You should keep them away from smoke and heavy pollution. You should feed them the best food you can. If you are able to take the biggest harmful factors away, then perhaps you can help your child stay healthy.

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Why Are So Many Children Having Health Problems?

These days, the incidence of childhood health problems has risen to unbelieving proportions – kids with cancer, more kids with allergies and asthma, more with other sensitivities. Why is that?

No doubt that part of this is just that there are more children and more reports from doctors. But there is more sickness and more sensitivity among kids – and it can be traced to the environment, the products we use, and the foods we eat.

The environment – there is more pollution, less protection from the sun, and more abuse of drugs, alcohol and smoking. Pollution can cause more asthma symptoms, as well as causing other health problems. Pollution of water can cause permanent problems and death. Pollution also had eroded the ozone layer, which used to be give more protection from the sun's harmful rays. Now those rays are more intense and people don't use enough sunscreen and common sense. Alcohol, tobacco and drugs all contribute to even more problems – and they can affect children directly from use, or from others using them – like a pregnant mother, or anyone who is in the same room as a smoker.

The products we use contain potentially harmful ingredients. There are petroleum by-products that are used as fillers. There are ingredients that suffocate the skin. There are ingredients that can seep into the skin and perhaps get into the bloodstream. These can cause a multitude of problems – which can include neurological damage, irritated skin, blindness in the eyes, intolerance of certain soaps and detergents, among other problems. You should check your products for these potentially harmful ingredients and replace them with others that have safe ingredients – and check the ingredients for yourself – many companies "say" they have decent ingredients, but in reality, you will find potentially harmful ones listed on the ingredient labels.

Our foods no longer have the rich nutrients as there once were – our ground has been depleted of many minerals and nutrients that used to be in the fresh fruits and vegetables. Now our food is no longer fresh, taking days between being picked and then getting to the store – losing more nutrition for each day and hour that you wait from picking. The foods are treated with pesticides, as well. And many foods are processed so that the nutrients are stripped away.

No wonder our children are getting sick early! And adults, too. There is so much to avoid, so much to change in our lifestyles in order to give back to our bodies what is needed for health.

The things you can do include to:
· Eat more FRESH fruits and vegetables.
· Eat organic foods.
· Eat more whole grains and less white flour products.
· Use supplements to get more nutrients.
· Use products without potentially harmful ingredients.
· Stay away from tobacco and drugs.
· Minimize use of alcohol.
· Use sunscreen, sunglasses, and other sun care.

There are other common sense tactics you can use – but start out with this list. It will help – and if you still have problems, you'll need to try other tactics – which we'll go into in a later article – watch our site for additional information.

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