101 Hints and Tips
|
51. Instant ‘Allergic Ear’ Relief! "Eustachian tube block can often be dramatically relieved with nasal sprays containing a strong decongestant, such as Neo-Synephrine (0.5 percent). Tilt the head back and to one side, turn the spray bottle upside-down and get enough of the spray into the nasal passage so that you can actually taste some of it in the back of your throat. Then turn your head the other way and repeat, using the other nostril. This technique is often dramatically effective at ending allergic ear problems, because it passes the decongestant directly over the entrance to the Eustachian area located in the nasopharynx. During plane flights, this should be done one-half hour before a scheduled descent. For children, it should be done at the first sign of pain or discomfort, repeated in 4 hours and then repeated again if symptoms reappear. This will often abort painful episodes of otitis media. Drinking more fluids on a regular basis will greatly reduce the unnecessary use of antibiotics.
52. Tissues, Not Allergies, Shred Noses "Red, raw and chafed noses are thought by many to be a sign that allergies are present. They may be, but the actual chafing damage is invariably due to the excessive use of paper tissues. All tissues are made of wood pulp and are extremely irritating. "Children often suffer heavily fissured, even infected, noses because mothers, in their zeal, insert the tissue into the nostril and twist vigorously. "The condition is easily cured by using handkerchiefs or other cotton cloths and greasing the nostrils with Vaseline".
53. Nasal Bleeding "Streaks of blood mingled with nasal mucus are a common occurrence. Medical texts and some physicians warn that such bleeding can be due to malignancy, but I have never encountered such a case. So far, it’s always been due to trauma caused by fingernails. "Children admit this habit, although adults rarely will. The proof in either case is that you can generally see the abrasions on the inside of the nostril after the bleeding stops".
54. Allergic Styes "Occasionally, people with allergies will develop recurrent styes that are attributed to their condition. "The real cause of the infection that has developed in the irritated hair follicles of their eyelashes is constant itching and rubbing. Treat the allergy and the eye symptoms will clear".
55. Wash Your Hands To Prevent Eye Problems! "The skin of the fingers is notoriously resistant to allergy reactions, but the thin skin around the eyelids is extremely reactive. And the area of our body most often touched with the finger is the area around the eye. "Washing hands immediately after handling pets, foods and other problem substances can greatly reduce eye symptoms in allergic individuals".
56. asthma? See An Allergist! "Asthmatics treated by a good allergist are hospitalized much less frequently than those under the care of other types of physicians. That’s because all asthma is allergic. If more physicians realized this, asthma treatment would be much more efficient in this country".
57. Moderate Asthma The Worst "It’s the person with low-grade, moderate asthma who benefits the most-from competent medical help. These people suffer constant low-level wheezing and shortness of breath that makes them irritable, miserable and tired all the time. "I believe that the additional muscular effort each breath takes for these people is a very common cause of fatigue".
58. Prescription: 40 Winks! "The difficulty some of these people have in coping with life is due entirely to the fatigue their condition is causing. Nothing produces a more positive response in such people than allergy therapy that allows them to get a good night’s sleep".
59. A Slap On The Back For Nighttime Panic "A somewhat rare but extremely frightening event can occur with asthmatic children at night: They awaken terrified and unable to breathe. If someone strikes them sharply on the back, however, they will cough and almost immediately begin to breathe again. "The explanation is relatively simple. The child has developed a large mucus plug that has been loosened by a cough but is so large that it becomes stuck in the trachea and obstructs their breathing. The slap on the back dislodges it so that it can be coughed up and swallowed harmlessly".
60. How To Fight Frequent Infections "Many asthmatics are treated for long periods of time with antibiotics, generally in response to the appearance of grossly purulent sputum. "Almost all of these infections are due to dehydration and can be easily prevented. Fluids will loosen the bronchial secretions, and this almost always results in dramatic improvement. Antibiotics should be used only when necessary".
61. Improve A Cough To Relieve Fatigue "Asthma basically consists of swelling and hyper-secretion of mucus inside the bronchial tree. Coughing is the most effective way to dislodge and raise thick mucus, but an ‘ineffective cough’ that requires a lot of energy can be exhausting. "The physician’s primary obligation in asthma is to improve a tight, rasping, ineffective cough until you can hear the rumbling, rattling sound of a productive one. This frequently relieves chronic fatigue".
62. Keep Your Cough Awake "Don’t ever suppress a cough with antihistamines or codeine. You need to be aware of the need to cough and you need to be able to cough productively. You don’t ever want to relax that cough reflex. It will improve with better hydration and allergy treatment, and a productive cough will cease when there is nothing left to produce".
63. Liquids Are Medications! "Unquestionably, the single most important element in the treatment of asthma and other bronchial allergy symptoms is hydration. Unless adequate fluids are available to the mucus glands in the bronchial tree, their secretions will be tenaciously hard to raise. In asthma, liquids are medications. They are a prerequisite for any other medications to be effective".
64. 10 Glasses A Day! "Liquids make mucus liquid. They change it from a troublesome solid that makes breathing difficult to an easy to cough up liquid. I demand that my patients drink 10 full glasses of liquid every day, and I question them constantly to make sure they understand how important it is. "Lack of fluids will lead to chronic fatigue, irritation — even family problems. "
65. Any Fluid Will Do! "Yes, I’m forceful about my patients getting fluids! I’ve been doing the same damn thing for so many years with good results that I see no reason to be flexible now! They can drink anything they want. Water is best, of course, but I tell them to drink what they like: iced tea, soda — Jell-O is basically water. Any fluids will work but you must make a fetish of it".
66. Women Are The Worst! "Women as a group are especially bad at this — they just don’t drink enough fluids! I lecture them about the dire effects of dehydration and get real dramatic about it — I have to! Some of them actually have to be harassed into it! But they soon learn that fluids are the best way to help a productive cough accomplish its purpose".
67. Inhaler Tips "Over-the-counter (nonprescription) inhalers that contain epinephrine can be a tremendous help for people with asthma. There are a lot of ‘new’ inhaled medications for asthma on the market today, but I find that epinephrine alone provides excellent relief. It’s often the best medication to help get a good night’s sleep. "But danger lies in the abuse of these products. Taken too frequently, they can have a drying effect on the bronchial tree. They must be used sparingly. In addition, epinephrine will be practically useless for the dehydrated asthmatic. The drug cannot provide relief if the bronchial mucus is all dried out. But it will provide excellent relief after the patient has been rehydrated".
68. The Most Common — And Least Treated — Allergy Symptom "The cough is the single most common symptom encountered in the practice of medicine, yet precious little consideration is ever given to its origin or treatment. The overwhelming majority of coughs are allergic or irritative in nature. The allergic ones are productive coughs trying to clear mucus. Irritation produces a nonproductive cough, and both are major causes of fatigue".
69. That’s Right — Fatigue "All coughs require muscular effort, and fatigue is the inevitable consequence of continued coughing. When the cough is severe enough, the fatigue will be accompanied by irritability and emotional problems. A severe cough can disrupt the tranquility of almost any home. "But remember — it’s important not to suppress a productive cough, because it is productive. It’s removing mucus plugs that must not remain where they are".
70. The ‘Hack’ Of Irritation "The irritative, nonproductive cough has a ‘hacking’ quality and is generally in response to some form of irritation in the throat. The most common cause in allergic individuals is irritation caused by mouth breathing and postnasal drip. "This tends to get worse at night simply because the drip increases when you lie down. The condition improves greatly when you sit up, and many people with the problem simply sleep sitting up".
71. Morning Cough The Most Productive "Since the cough reflex generally shuts down during sleep, a large amount of mucus can accumulate in the bronchial tree. This explains the morning cough that many people with allergies and asthma experience. The morning cough serves to ‘uncork’ much of the mucus obstructing the bronchial tree, and the result is a significant improvement in breathing".
72. Severe Irritative Cough "A severe, sometimes explosive, cough that originates in the larynx or the trachea is almost always due to allergic swelling of the area — especially if traditional cough suppressants such as codeine provide no relief. "Not surprisingly, it typically responds well to an epinephrine inhaler, whose only effect is to relieve such swelling".
73. If It Don’t Itch, It Ain’t Eczema "A rash that doesn’t itch enough to keep you awake at night is not atopic dermatitis, whose hallmark is exquisitely intense itching. More likely, such a rash is an indication of a drug reaction and will vanish when you stop taking the drug that caused it".
74. To Stop The Itch "Two factors increase the itching in atopic dermatitis — exposure to the air and the presence of crusts and scales. The best treatment attends to both factors. "Soaking in a tub filled with a handful of Epsom salts dissolved in comfortably warm bath water for 15 to 20 minutes several times a day will remove crusts and scales. Ocean bathing can achieve the same result. Open lesions may sting a bit at first, but relief will come rapidly. "After the bath, get dry and immediately apply boric acid ointment. In children, use Vaseline instead. It may seem messy, but it will greatly reduce itching by protecting the skin from exposure to the air. "If the grease appears to inflame the skin further, use a water-soluble ointment like Aquaphor instead".
75. Antihistamines And Long Sleeves "Sedatives should be used cautiously in eczema, as they may actually make the itching worse. Antihistamines not only control the itch, but their side effect of drowsiness can help people with the condition get a good night’s sleep without scratching. "Children with eczema should wear long sleeves and long pants day and night. This reduces exposure to the air and offers some protection against scratching, especially during sleep".
76. Habit Scratching "Even after successful allergy therapy many patients will continue to scratch out of habit. Keeping the area well lubricated with Vaseline and covering it with an elastic bandage will disrupt the habit and allow the area to heal".
77. Could ‘Chronic Hives’ Be Bug Bites? "I find it odd that so many pediatricians and dermatologists report seeing patients with chronic hives when I’ve never encountered such a person. I have seen the persistent itchy little bumps these physicians describe, but they are invariably the result of insect bites. "Their appearance on the legs is a strong clue that the culprit is fleas. These little creatures are tenaciously hard to eliminate from the home and rarely jump higher than 18 inches to bite their prey.
78. Hives Or Bites? "Hives are generally widespread, affecting almost all of the body at-once. Insect bites tend to be confined to limited areas, such as the legs, and appear in isolated clusters".
79. Bee Careful When Swimming! "The most common location where people are stung today is in swimming pools. The bee falls in the water, the swimmer brushes up against it, and the bee does what comes naturally".
80. Bee Sting: When To Worry As long as the reaction to the sting remains close to the actual area stung, there is no need for concern. But hives, nasal symptoms or asthma are the alarming signals of bee sting allergy. People who have so reacted must carry emergency epinephrine and know how to use it".
81. Allergic Headache "It is unfortunate that this common allergy symptom receives so little attention, since it responds to treatment more readily and more successfully than any other form of recurrent head pain. "So-called ‘cluster headaches’ that appear in the spring and fall are inevitably allergic responses to pollen. Indoor allergens are also a common headache cause".
82. Migraine? — Or Allergy? "Both allergic and migraine headaches tend to appear early in life. Migraines, however, decrease in intensity as one gets older. Allergic headaches do not. And while migraines have a classic, distinctive appearance, allergic headache is characterized by the total absence of any specific pattern. Pain can occur anywhere in the head".
83. Head Pain? How’s Your Nose? "There is a strong association between head pain and nasal congestion in allergic individuals. Many notice that their head pain is relieved at the same time as their congestion. Others notice considerable nasal discharge or a ‘bubbling’ noise in the head as their headache improves, strongly suggesting that a sinus obstruction has been relieved".
84. Pass On Pillows For Headache Relief "Of 75 headache patients I tested, all but a very few were found to be strongly allergic to environmental (indoor) allergens. "A few ended their headaches with such simple environmental controls as removal of a down comforter, feather pillows or a pet. One patient’s head pain was relieved by the removal of a bedroom chair found to contain goat hair".
85. A Positive Mistake "Sometimes a person will inadvertently receive an injection that is too strong during allergy therapy. The headache that quickly develops is the final diagnostic proof that their headaches are allergic in origin and that the correct allergen is being used. "Many patients will also note that their headaches return if they wait too long between injections".
86. Pack Your Nose For Head Pain! "When head pain is definitely caused by blocked sinuses, there is a technique that brings quick relief. Saturate tufted cotton with a strong nasal decongestant, pack as much into each nostril as the person can tolerate, using a twisting motion, and leave it there for 5 minutes. "There’s often dramatic relief of the pain, especially if you catch the headache early on. You can’t do it more than once a day or it’ll be too irritating, and you have to use tufted cotton in order to hold enough of the decongestant fluid. Q-Tips won’t do the job".
87. Kids: Teach Fluids Early "Fluids are even more important in young children. Try to get them used to drinking fluids when they’re free of any symptoms. Young children will always balk at forcing fluids when they don’t feel well".
88. The Shot Glass Solution "If you ask a child to just ‘take a sip’ from a full glass, they know you really want to get them to finish it. But you can easily ‘trick’ them into drinking more fluids than the full glass contains by giving them the liquid in a whiskey shot glass and repeating it every 10 or 15 minutes. No child has a problem drinking that small an amount, and they’ll do it frequently".
89. Allergy Treatment Improves Personality! "Parents tend to take their child’s stuffy nose and constant sneezing for granted, but these chronic symptoms have a marked impact on a child’s personality and their ability to perform well in school. "After successful allergy therapy, parents and teachers often comment on how much brighter and less irritable the child has become".
90. Down Or Dog, It’s Still All Dander "In all reactions to animals, only the dander is significant. The hairs and feathers have no allergic potential themselves, but are always contaminated by dander, which is nothing more than an animal’s old skin scales. "Each feather, if examined carefully, will show the presence of dried dander at its base. This dander will remain despite commercial cleaning, which is why ‘down’ can be highly allergenic even when old".
91. Puppys No Problem "Very young animals have no old skin to shed, and therefore have no dander. It usually takes a couple of months before such pets produce their allergen, which may explain why some people ‘suddenly’ become allergic to a dog or cat they got as a pup or kitten".
92. Pet Myths Myth The Point "Legend has it that poodles don’t cause allergy problems. The fact is that they may have less dander to give off because they are the breed that is washed and groomed the most frequently. "Likewise, Chihuahuas are thought to be a ‘safe’ pet because they are hairless. But hair is not the problem! It probably just takes a long time for such a small dog to give off sufficient quantities of dander to put a person over their allergic threshold".
93. Fun Fur No Fun "Rabbit, when used as a ‘fun fur’ or in an angora sweater, can be a source of allergy symptoms because the fur is too delicate to clean all the dander out. "Most other costume furs are ‘dander free, but contact allergy symptoms sometimes develop from the lacquer used to color the fur".
94. Mow A Wet lawn "Mowing the lawn, frequently a symptom-producing chore, can be made safer by wetting the lawn first to keep pollen and molds from flying around. It does make the job more difficult, but truly allergic souls won’t mind if it prevents their symptoms".
95 . Olive Tree Not Too Pretty . . . "The olive tree, commonly found in the western states, can produce intense allergic reactions during the first four or five weeks of spring. It produces a lot of heavy pollen, most of which stays close to the tree. "Since it is often used as a decorative tree around homes, allergic people would do well to identify such trees and keep that side of their house closed up during its pollinating season. Hosing the tree down daily is also helpful".
96. Allergy Relief Begins In The Bedroom "Since we spend half our lives in the bedroom, this is the area where controls will be the most effective. "Of course the living room contains allergens! But the short time that we spend there generally doesn’t justify the expense and inconvenience necessary to remedy its faults. "Time and energy spent in allergy proofing the bedroom, however, will be well returned in reduced symptoms".
97. Pillow Power "All pillows must be synthetic. I’ve found Dacron to be the most comfortable substitute for feather pillows. "Forget allergy encasings. They don’t work well on pillows unless the zipper is airtight, and that makes the pillow like a balloon, since the air can’t escape".
98. Blanket Protection "Wool blankets are not only irritating, they’re notorious dust collectors. Turn off the lights in the bedroom, shine a flashlight across the bed and slap down on the blanket with your free hand. You’ll probably see a very convincing cloud of dust. "Synthetic blankets should be used since they don’t collect dust as readily. Down comforters, of course, must be removed".
99. Forego Furnishings "Overstuffed furniture should be removed from the bedroom. Analysis has found cattle dander, goat hair and burlap, which contains highly allergenic hemp and jute, in such furniture".
100. Rugs Are Okay — Just Not On The Floor! "Rugs hanging on walls for decoration are harmless, even if they are ‘real’ Orientals laden with goat and camel hair. Symptoms only occur when allergens are kicked up as rugs and furniture are disturbed — not when they just hang on a wall".
101. Victory Through Ventilation "Many patients observe that they feel bad in the morning, but not until they get out of bed and start moving around. "That’s because dust has settled during the night and they only react when it’s disturbed. High efficiency filtration of incoming fresh air and of recirculating air can help lessen exposure to allergens".
Learn here what causes and triggers asthma, more information like symptoms, treatment, the medicine and inhalers. Visit this asthma and allergy guide.
