Tag Archives: control allergies

Keeping On Top Of Allergies

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Food And Environment Allergies

As the Spring season kicks off, it brings with it warmer weather, rain, melting snow, and the dreaded POLLEN and our reaction of hay fever to it. More children seem to have allergies today than ever before. There are many theories to explain why this maybe such as perhaps we are “too clean”, or introduction of certain foods to early such as peanuts maybe identified by the immune system as foreign, or a parent having allergies, eczema or asthma.  Here are some things you can do for your child if they are suffering from allergies.

According to Food Allergy Canada, up to 300,000 Canadian children suffer from food allergies and children under the ages of 3 are most affected, however, the most chronic condition is non-food allergies in kids 12 and older.

How To Manage These Food Allergies?

First, it is very important to identify that the symptoms are related to a true allergy and not a sensitivity / intolerance – there is an overlap with the symptoms produced by both such as rashes, fatigue, stomach issues. However, symptoms such as dark circles under the eyes, puffiness and swelling, chronic diarrhea and of course anaphylactic shock are related to allergies. A simple blood test will help reveal whether there is an allergy or an intolerance. Once identified, here are simple tips you can use to help your child:

  1. There are natural and over the counter remedies that can help deal the symptoms of environmental allergies, so talk to your child’s naturopathic or medical doctor before starting either.
  2. Getting tested for allergies is important to identify what additional allergies your child has. Cooking foods can sometimes make a difference, as there may be less of an allergen.
  3. For environmental allergies, good hygiene practices and limiting or eliminating exposure helps.
  4. Educating those around you when it comes to cooking with foods or being around kids or people with known allergies such as peanut and shellfish, or being affectionate with a person / child after ingestion of known food allergies can be disastrous!
  5. Know the signs of anaphylaxis and how to treat them!

Controlling Allergies At Home

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The most effective treatment for allergies is to reduce your exposure, especially at home. There are several ways to do this = clean up your environment. If you have skin allergies or any allergy symptoms, you can get relief by removing allergens from your environment. By cleaning up your environment, you can reduce dust, dust mites, chemical and environmental pollutants in your environment that cause symptoms.

Controlling allergies in the bedroom

• Encase pillows, comforters, mattresses, and box springs in zippered, allergen impermeable, dust proof casings. Avoid purchasing foam rubber pillows and mattresses as they are more likely to harbor molds.

• Wash blankets, sheets, pillowcases, and mattress pads every other week in hot water (130 degrees F+). Hot water kills dust mites. Cold or warm water does not. Throughout the House (Especially the Bedroom)

• If you have wall-to-wall carpeting in your bedroom, remove it if possible. In addition to being the single most chemically-treated household item, carpeting acts a host for a multitude of allergic agents. If this is not possible to remove wall-to-wall carpeting from your bedroom, periodically apply a solution of tannic acid to inactivate allergy-causing dust products that routinely emanate from carpeting.

• If you have a forced air heating system in your home, cover the air vents in your bedroom with air filters to clean the air at the point of entry. If you have a central air heating and/or cooling system, install an electrostatic filter to clean air before it is distributed throughout your house.

• Avoid using heavy curtains and / or Venetian blinds to cover bedroom windows. If possible, purchase window shades. Shades are less likely to accumulate irritants than curtains or blinds. If you use curtains in your bedroom, launder them frequently. If you use blinds, clean them often.

• If possible, purchase hardwood furniture instead of upholstered furniture. Soft furnishings are more likely to collect and harbor dust and other allergens than hardwood furnishings. If you purchase upholstered furniture, buy only furniture covered in leather or cloth and constructed with an additional allergen barrier.

• Install a high quality HEPA / charcoal air cleaner to remove airborne allergen particles, molds, animal dander and pollutants. The filter of the air cleaner should be sized to the room dimensions and the air cleaner should process four to six air exchanges per hour. Air cleaners should not be placed directly on carpeting as their exhaust may blow dust and other contaminants harbored in the carpeting into the air.

• Control heat and humidity with an air-conditioner. Use a dehumidifier to reduce moisture. Heat and humidity stimulate dust mite and mold growth. While dust mites reproduce rapidly in environments of 75% – 80% humidity, they cannot live in environments of less than 50% humidity.

A humidity level of 40% or less will eliminate dust mites. Use a gauge to monitor humidity levels in your home. Avoid over humidification of the air in the winter. If using a humidifier, change the water and clean the humidifier frequently to prevent mold growth.

By: Sushma Shah, Toronto Naturopathic Doctor, at Nature’s Intentions Naturopathic Clinic.