Tag Archives: asthma

Health and the Firstborn Child

Studies are showing that birth order can actually have an impact on health. You can’t help the order that your children are born in. But knowing what ailments are likely to strike your oldest child can help you keep them safe, happy, and healthy! Firstborn children score an average of three points higher on IQ tests than younger siblings do. Smarts are good, this is better: research from the University of Glasgow suggests that children who score higher on IQ tests are less likely to develop coronary heart disease and some cancers. Firstborn children are more likely to suffer from … Continue reading →

Asthma Camps

A study from the University of California’s San Diego School of Medicine shows that for children with asthma, attending a special camp can help improve asthma management skills. I could have told them that — back in high school, I spent two summers working as a counselor at Camp Superkids, an American Lung Association camp in New Jersey. Each week-long session gave kids with varying levels of asthma (and often allergies, too) a chance to do the things that normal kids do at camp. We played sports, swam in the lake, made crafts, sang songs, and told stories. Okay, back … Continue reading →

An Unexpected Reaction

I discovered mold underneath the sink in my bathroom last week. Living in a very high humidity area like the Pacific Northwest — that’s not a big surprise. I did some research on how to clean it up and prepared myself to tackle the growth. One important thing to note here: I’m allergic to mold in all forms. If I take penicillin (or any mold-based medication), I break out in hives. If I eat bleu cheese, my mouth burns. Knowing this, I protected myself with a face mask and rubber gloves. I figured I was in danger of ending up … Continue reading →

Dealing with Dust Mites

Dust mites are popular… as far as allergens go. These tiny critters are to blame for allergies in a lot of people (myself included). So how do you keep the dust mites out of your upholstery and bedding? Here are some tips. Wash your pillows quarterly. Mark your calendar if you have to, but make sure you send your pillows through the washer four times per year. Wash your curtains quarterly, too. Wash your sheets and blankets at your washing machine’s highest setting. A study from South Korea found that temperatures of 140 degrees Fahrenheit killed one hundred percent of … Continue reading →

Mold Basics

I’m allergic to mold. Allergic enough that I can’t take penicillin when I’m sick — I break out in hives. I can’t even eat bleu cheese — it makes my mouth burn. Fall is one of my big allergy seasons thanks to leaf mold. Mold is a definite health problem for certain people. You may be more sensitive to mold if you: Have allergies Have asthma Have another lung or breathing condition Have HIV Are a cancer patient undergoing chemotherapy Have received an organ transplant Have any other immune system suppression or issue Exposure to mold can cause a number … Continue reading →

Pet First Aid: Allergy Attack!

As I’m sitting here at the computer, merrily tapping away, Lally is cramming her left hind foot into her mouth. She does this from time to time; I figure she’s got an itch on her paw pad or between her toes and the best way to take care of it is with her teeth. Over the last few days, she’s been really attacking her feet. She’s been chewing and licking them relentlessly, which makes me thing she’s having some allergy trouble. Lally has had problems with allergies in the past — she’s sensitive to plastic, and can’t eat from a … Continue reading →

Substitute Teacher’s Corner: Medical Intervention

You know, one thing that teachers struggle with on a day to day basis are the individual needs of their students – as a sub, when you walk into a classroom where a student has specialized needs, it can really ramp up the pressure you feel. Recently, I was called in as a floater. In other words, I’d go where they needed me throughout the day. Sometimes, you get a class where you teach all day and sometimes you don’t. That day, I was assigned to a kinder class and that was fine. I like kindergarten, they’re young, they’re fresh … Continue reading →

Allergy Attack — What Am I Doing Wrong?

In the last week or so, my allergies have kicked into overdrive. My days have been full of sneezing fits. The garbage cans are filling up with used tissues. My throat is tickling, and my eyes are watering. All the signs point to an allergy flare up! I’ve always had trouble with allergies. It all started when I was a little kid. My brother was three and I was five when we started with scratch tests and allergy shots and all that fun stuff. I’m no stranger to what an allergy attack feels like. But I have been fortunate — … Continue reading →

New Therapy For Pet Allergies

New research from Madrid, Spain is showing that people with cat dander allergies can build up a tolerance through immunotherapy — meaning that people with cat allergies may not be forced to get rid of their furry friends! Immunotherapy is the idea that a person’s immune system can learn to tolerate an allergy trigger or allergen based on exposure to gradually increasing amounts of the trigger. Therapy starts with small amounts that don’t cause an allergic reaction and gets bigger over time. The Spanish researchers used SLIT — sublingual immunotherapy, or allergens placed under the tongue and absorbed into the … Continue reading →

Tinospora

Folk legend in India says that a climbing plant with heart-shaped leaves was responsible for keeping the angels eternally young. They call it “giloya” — heavenly elixir. But the plant known as tinospora (tinospora cordifolia) has more mundane uses as well. Tinospora has long been used in ayurvedic medicine to enhance longevity, promote intelligence, and prevent disease. Research in more recent years has focused on that last element: preventing disease. A 2004 study at Miami Children’s Hospital showed that tinospora can help trigger activity in white blood cells — your body’s natural defenders. A special carbohydrate in tinospora seems to … Continue reading →