allergy

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. - A bothersome rash and intense itching following a day of gardening is likely an allergic reaction to poison ivy, oak or sumac. Disturbing these leafy plants while putting in a vegetable garden or flowerbed can result in direct contact with the urushiol oil inside the stems, roots or leaves. "Ninety percent of the country is allergic to these plants, with a Read more...

Modern science is trying to find effective ways to protect us from allergy-inducing household dust mites, but the answer may come from the wisdom of the ages. Researchers say the ancient Egyptians had the right idea -- use cotton. A British firm has developed a bedding cover made from 100 percent natural, unbleached cotton cloth from Egypt. Tests at the Entomology Center at the University of Read more...

The popular alternative drug echinacea can cause allergic reactions, particularly in folks who have a hereditary bent toward allergic disease. A study by researchers at the John James Medical Centre in Canberra, Australia, links 23 cases of allergic reactions to echinacea. The study, presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology in San Diego, says a Read more...

What do synthetic pillows and iguanas have in common? Both can be prime sources grounds for sneeze-causing allergens, scientists say. Researchers told a meeting of the Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology that traditional advice to patients about trading in their feather-filled pillows for the synthetic model may not be the best. The scientists say man-made pillows actually contain Read more...

Question: My nose constantly drips clear fluid. What can I do? Answer: A clear, watery nasal discharge almost always means allergy, according to Walter Bortz, M.D., in Healthy Living. This can be an allergic reaction to dust, ragweed, dogs, paint -- or anything. Try to find out when and where the drip is the worst and then see if you can avoid that environment. If this fails, medicine is the Read more...

Being relatively allergy-free throughout life doesn't mean recurrent sniffling and sneezing won't be a problem later on. The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology's Asthma and Allergies in Seniors Web site cautions that recurrent symptoms such as a runny nose, sneezing and itchy eyes may be something more just a "summer cold." Medical experts say it's not unusual Read more...

If you're one of the 50 million Americans suffering from hay fever -- and if you wear contact lenses -- the most miserable season of the year is here. Here's a Web site offering a free allergy survival kit. Contact lens manufacturer CIBA Vision says more than 75 percent of allergy sufferers who wear contact lenses experienced discomfort, mostly caused by allergens sticking to the lens surface Read more...

Hay fever got you down? Blame ragweed and pollen if you will for those bouts of itchy watery eyes, scratchy throat and sneezing. But indoor allergens also play their part in making you miserable. A spokesman for Wina Products, a manufacturer of indoor allergen immobilizers, says some of the following indoor culprits can help wreak havoc year round: --Dust mites. You can't see, hear, Read more...

Allergy sufferers have more to deal with than just sneezing and itching eyes--they want to be left alone, a new survey says. A poll of more than 3,200 allergy sufferers conducted by International Communications Research for Schering Laboratories says victims of pollen and other airborne irritants suffer on the social level as well as the physical. More than 70 percent of those surveyed Read more...