Allergy - When Bird Allergy Flies Your Way

Bird allergy is a normal reaction of your body's immune system to the feather dander, or more popularly known as feather dust, and droppings or fecal matter coming out of birds. People who work closely with birds and those who take care of birds as pets are the most at risk to develop bird allergy. Farm workers, bird fanciers and zookeepers are the most common bird allergy patients in hospitals in the US alone. However, medical statistics reveal that globally, the ratio of people allergic to birds are far lower compared to those allergic to other animals like dogs and cats. Be also aware that bird allergy is an allergic reaction that indicates the immune system's efforts to defend you from what it senses or perceives as a health threat. In reality, bird allergy should not be considered as a harmful or deadly disease. Take note that complications to bird allergy kill, not the bird allergy itself. During the process of an on set of bird allergy, the feather dust becomes an allergen that is not wanted by the body's system. When it manages to make a contact with your body, it will automatically trigger or cause the immune system to retaliate and produce antibodies or counter substances. Hence, you have the symptoms. Symptoms of bird allergy People with bird allergies exhibit manifestations or symptoms that are sometimes similar to those for hay fever or allergic rhinitis. It is alarming to know that most of the time, people with this allergy often ignore the onset of the symptoms thinking that these are just petty reaction to some weather or dust elements. Symptoms for bird allergies can be divided into two groups. One, those symptoms that are considered lesser or less severe. These include watery eyes, sneezing, postnatal drips, sore throat, stuffy nose, coughing, hives itchy eyes and allergic shiners or the presence of black circles in the area below the eyes. For the more serious form of bird allergies, the symptoms may vary. Take note that suffering from a severe attack of bird allergy can reduce your lung's capacity, that may potentially pose a detriment not just to your health but also to your life. Such symptoms may appear in a long term like two years of regular or constant exposure to allergy-causing birds like budgies and pigeons. In some cases, bird allergy appears after as long as 10 to 20 years after initial exposure to allergens. Such cases are determined by finding the following symptoms in a patient: prolonged coughing, breathing difficulties occasions, occasional fever and chills, weight loss and dry cough that lasts for some time. How is bird allergy treated? Usually, your doctor will have to delve deeper into your medical records to determine or to make sure the disease is pin pointed at bird allergy. Take note that most or basic symptoms of bird allergy are minor and therefore needs no further and serious medical treatment. Just like other allergies, bird allergy can disappear on its own without the help of any drug or treatment. Avoiding or discontinuing exposure to allergens, in this case the birds and their feathers, will surely help cease the bird allergy attack. Physicians often prescribe antihistamines, decongestants and corticosteroids to relieve the person from a bird allergy attack. Antihistamines block symptoms to allergic reactions, not just to birds, but also to all forms of allergies. Decongestants relieve swelling of the nasal area and stops secretion of mucus or the stuff that runs through your nose when you have a bad cols. Corticosteroids are drugs that treat inflammation due to allergic and other medical reactions. Allergy shots, of course, will also greatly help to curtail the onset of bird allergy. Prevention The most effective measure to avoid bird allergy, if ever you are allergic to birds, is to avoid getting near these animals. Hygiene is the best combative defense against any form of diseases and will also be effective in fighting attacks of bird allergy. Charlene J. Nuble 2006. For answers to All your frequently asked questions about bird allergy, please go to: http://bird-allergy.allergyanswers.net/ Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Charlene_Nuble Allergy - Moms, Be Concerned About Mold Children, the elderly, and people with depressed immune systems due to cancer, organ transplants, or AIDS, can become very sick when exposed to higher than normal levels of mold. Even some healthy individuals happen to be very sensitive to mold and are unable to tolerate a slight elevation of mold spores. Mold, scientifically known as fungi (singular: fungus), is not new - it's been around since the beginning of time and is a normal occurrence. Mold spores are found everywhere, even in Antarctica. The amount of spores in the air fluctuates day to day according to geographical locations, temperature, and the weather. Mold is abundant - there are between 1.3 to 3 millions species of mold, and they come in all kinds of colors. Some are common, and some are rare. Some are known to be toxic. Mold can be classified into three broad categories as far as health effects are concerned. The first category is allergenic molds, which cause allergic or asthmatic reactions, but do not usually cause permanent health effects in most healthy, active people. There are pathogenic molds, which can cause serious health problems in those who are more susceptible. And finally, there are toxic molds that can cause serious health problems in everybody. The severity of these problems differs depending on age, immune system, and sensitivity. Mold becomes a problem when it is growing inside our homes. A mold problem is, above all, a water or humidity problem. Without moisture mold spores cannot grow. Thus it behooves homeowners to practice mold prevention through regular maintenance and being vigilant in making prompt repairs when leaks occur. One must remember that within 24 to 48 hours following leaks, mold can start growing. Mold serves a good purpose in life by breaking down dead organic material, because without it, we would be living in a trash heap. To reproduce itself mold ejects microscopic spores (seeds) into the air. When a spore lands in a good environment with food (dead organic material such as wood or drywall) and water, it starts to grow. It then sends hyphae (tree-root like system) into the material and these hyphae emit enzymes that rot and digest the material it is sitting on. If anyone has tried to "clean up" mold and has seen it coming back, it is due to those hyphae that stay embedded in the material. A few weeks following the cleaning, mold reappears because the root system is still in the material, and similar to a plant, it grows back if moisture continues to be present. Certain types of mold do not even need a leak in order to grow. If the relative humidity of the air (RH) is above 60% some mold can take the humidity from the air and start growing on walls, furniture, and personal effects. Sometimes people have no idea that a problem has taken place until they get sick. Plumbing leaks in showers are notorious for being unnoticed for a long period of time before being discovered. If mold is suspected, call a mold inspector who will be able to detect whether a mold problem exists and if so where it is coming from. Before hiring a professional, it is important to obtain credentials and references. Mold detection is not an exact science, thus experience often equals expertise. If your child seems to have constant allergies, it might be due to mold. Collecting air samples with a corresponding outside control is the only way to assess the air quality, with respect to mold spores, inside the home. In 2005 researchers from the Mayo Clinic found that fungi play a large role in chronic rhinosinusitis. In fact, the findings indicates that chronic rhinosinusitis is a result of a fungal driven inflammation rather than a bacterial infection. Indoor air quality problems in schools affect both students and teachers. The following statistics were published on February 2, 2005 by the IEQ Review: One in five schools in America has indoor air quality problems. Asthma accounts for 14 million missed school days each year. The rate of asthma in young children has risen by 160 percent in the past 15 years. 1 out of every 13 school-age children has asthma. The Center for Indoor Environments and Health at the University of Connecticut states "the most common types of illnesses directly related to mold are type I responses of allergic rhinitis and asthma." They go on to say "... allergic inflammation can trigger bronchospasm, chest tightness, and shortness of breath, leading to either new onset of asthma or asthma exacerbation in sensitized individuals." Poor maintenance in schools and lack of money are often cited as excuses for mold problems, but little is done about it. This does not only pertain to public schools; some private schools are just as bad. Many university dorms, regardless of school prestige, are in poor condition and some harbor mold. Students accept these conditions as status quo and fail to complain. This situation does not have to be. If money can be found to modernize a gym and re-sod the school lawn, money can be found to maintain buildings properly. Air quality should be a priority of any institution, and parents and teachers should demand it.