Allergies; Facts to Know.Allergies affect more than 50 million Americans, or one in every five adults and children, and are as common in men as women. Thirty-five million people suffer from upper respiratory symptoms that are allergic reactions to airborne pollen; up to 10 million Americans are allergic to cats; and two million develop severe allergic reactions to insect stings. Food allergies are less common, affecting about 12 million Americans. While up to one out of three people say they have a food allergy, only about one to two percent of adults and six percent of children have true allergic reactions to foods. Unfortunately, about 150 deaths per year are attributed to food allergy. Allergies have a genetic component. If one parent has allergies, each child has a 30 to 40 percent chance of having an allergy. If both parents have allergies, each child has a much higher chance--75 percent--of having allergies. Adults usually do not lose their allergies, but children can sometimes outgrow outgrow verb To change the relationship with a condition or structure by dint of ↑ age or size; while children outgrow clothing, and certain behaviors, they rarely outgrow diseases–eg, asthma them. An allergy is your body's response to what it perceives to be a threat. Your body attacks the allergen in a way similar to how it would attack an invading virus or bacterial infection. The pollens of some plants, grasses and trees are so small and light they can travel through the air for miles. Samples of ragweed ragweed, any plant of the genus Ambrosia, coarse, weedy herbs belonging to the family Asteraceae (aster family), most of which are native to America. They have inconspicuous greenish flowers and soft subdivided leaves. pollen have been collected 400 miles out at sea and two miles up into the atmosphere. A pollen count represents the concentration of all the pollen or of one particular type, like ragweed, in a certain area over a certain period of time; it is usually expressed in grains of pollen per cubic meter of air collected over 24 hours. Molds, too, are light and can be easily carried by air currents. The mold season peaks in July in warmer states and October in colder ones, but mold can thrive year-round indoors. It's the waste product of dust mites, not the mites themselves, that cause the allergy. Similarly, the waste products of cockroaches are an important cause of allergy symptoms, particularly in some urban areas of the United States. Because dust mites can't be drowned, the only way to get rid of them in washable items like rugs and curtains is to use water that is hotter than 130 degrees Fahrenheit and a hot dryer setting. The major allergen from animals is not their fur, but proteins secreted by skin glands that are found in dander; proteins in the saliva that stick to fur when the animal licks itself; and proteins found in the animal's urine. References "Food allergies." Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to finding a cure for and controlling asthma, food allergies, nasal allergies and other allergic diseases. AAFA's mission is also to educate the public about these diseases. . http://www.aafa.org. Accessed May 2008. "Allergy statistics." The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. http://www.aaaai.org. 2008. Accessed May 2008. "Food Allergy." The Mayo Clinic. February 2007. http://www.mayoclinic.com. Accessed May 2008. "When pregnancy is complicated by allergies and asthma." The American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. http://www.acaai.org. Accessed May 2008. "About food allergies." The American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. 2008. http://www.acaai.org. Accessed May 2008. "Pollen and mold counts." The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. http://www.aafa.org. Accessed May 2008. "Diagnostic tools for food allergy." Uptodate.com. January 2008. http://www.uptodate.com. Accessed May 2008. "Tips to remember: Allergy and asthma medications." The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. 2008. http://www.aaaai.org. Accessed May 2008. "Advice from your allergist al·ler·gist n. A physician specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of allergies. allergist Immunology A physician, who is often trained in both internal medicine and clinical immunology and who manages Pts with : rhinitis Rhinitis Definition Rhinitis is inflammation of the mucous lining of the nose. Description Rhinitis is a nonspecific term that covers infections, allergies, and other disorders whose common feature is the location of their symptoms. ." The American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. http://www.acaai.org. Accessed May 2008. "Tips to remember: outdoor allergens." The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. 2008. http://www.aaaai.org. Accessed May 2008. National Women's Health Report. "Indoor Allergens & Women's Health." Reprinted May 2006. National Women's Health Resource Center. http://www.healthywomen.org. Accessed May 21, 2008. "Allergy shots: Hope for long-term allergy relief." MayoClinic.com. Last updated January 2008. http://www.mayoclinic.com. Accessed May 2008. "EczemaNet." Information from the American Academy of Dermatology.http://www.skincarephysicians.com. Accessed May 2008. "Omega-3 fatty acids, fish oil, alpha-linolenic acid." The National Institutes of Health. March 2008. http://www.nlm.nih.gov. Accessed May 2008. "Eczema." The University of Maryland University of Maryland can refer to:
"Sublingual Immunotherapy." The University of Texas Health Center at Tyler The University of Texas Health Center at Tyler (UTHCT) is a health institution located in Tyler, Texas. Originally named "East Texas Tuberculosis Sanitarium", it was established in 1947 as a tuberculosis treatment facility at the located of Camp Fannin. . 2008. http://www.uthct.edu. Accessed May 2008. "Executive Summary of the NAEEP Expert Panel Report: Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma - Update on Selected Topics 2002." National Asthma Education Program, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov. Accessed June 2002. "Allergy Facts." Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. Copyright 2000-2003. http://www.aafa.org, Accessed Nov. 2003. "Allergy Research." The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID NIAID National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. )http://www.niaid.nih.gov. Accessed Aug. 2001. "Answers to Frequently Asked Questions." Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis anaphylaxis (ăn'əfəlăk`sĭs), hypersensitive state that may develop after introduction of a foreign protein or other antigen into the body tissues. Network. Updated Oct. 2003. http://www.foodallergy.org. Accessed Nov. 2003. "Fact Sheet: Allergy and Asthma Statistics." National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health. Updated June 2003. http://www.niaid.nih.gov. Accessed Nov. 2003. MedWatch: The FDA Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program. Revised Nov. 2003. http://www.fda.gov. Accessed Nov. 2003. The Allergy Report. The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, http://www.theallergyreport.org. Accessed Nov. 2003 Allergic rhinitis in www.bestdoctors.com. Updated Nov. 2000. http://www.bestdoctors.com. Accessed Nov. 2003. "FDA Approves OTC OTC See: Over-the-counter. OTC See over-the-counter market (OTC). Claritin" FDA News, U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Nov. 27, 2002. http://www.fda.gov. Accessed Nov. 2003. "Xolair" Genentech Corp. Full prescribing information. http://www.gene.com. Accessed Nov. 2003. Keywords: allergies, allergic reactions, pollen, children, adults |
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