Should You Avoid Peanut Butter If You Are Pregnant?

It’s an experience no mother wants to go through: your child eats one of the most common foods found in sandwiches and cookies all over the country and suddenly their little body reacts violently with hives, runny nose, or in the worst case, a swollen tongue and airway, which can lead to choking and ultimately, death. A combination of these symptoms in the severest form along with a sudden drop in blood pressure is called anaphylactic shock. How something as common and seemingly mild as peanuts can cause a life threatening allergic reaction in a child is shocking and a … Continue reading

Severe Reactions To Bug Bites

For one miserable summer when I was in elementary school, I had some bad reactions to mosquito bites. Two or more bites in a localized area and I would swell right up. The worst was the three bites on my cheek and forehead that swelled my left eye shut! Each time it happened, I ended up at the doctor’s office or in the emergency room for some heavy-duty antihistamines. And those shots always hurt! I’m lucky that my reactions weren’t worse — they were severe locally, but not system-wide. Systemic allergic reactions involve the whole body and usually are a … Continue reading

Home Remedies For Bug Bites

I managed to hold out until May to get my first mosquito bites. Unfortunately, the little pests managed to chomp me in the armpit — a somewhat embarrassing place to try to scratch! Mild reactions to insect bites can be quickly and easily treated at home. Deal with the bite itself as soon as possible: If a stinger (like from a bee or wasp) remains in the bite site, try to pull it out as soon as possible! Use a flat knife or other flat edge to scrape out the stinger; venom may remain in the stinger and can be … Continue reading