Improving Indoor Air Quality Breathing Easier at Home

In recent years it’s been proven that, despite smog and a host of outdoor pollutants, indoor air quality in homes is actually often much worse than outdoor air quality. This isn’t good news if you suffer from allergies or hay fever, since indoor air is recirculated and any indoor contaminants will tend to simply be wafted through your home again and again.

Improving indoor air quality is a challenge that involves several steps to insure improvement in allergy symptoms, overall breathing quality and reduction of symptoms like red, watery eyes and itchy skin. The American Lung Association has confirmed that indoor air pollution, especially during summer months, can increase the odds of asthma attacks, upper respiratory infections and colds.

Indoor pollutants include molds, dust mites, tobacco, smoke (from cooking), pollen, and pet dander and pet hair. How do you get rid of or reduce these in your home? There are basically three recognized ways to improve air quality in the home.

Improving Ventilation

Any time you increase the amount of outdoor air that flows into your home, you’ll improve the air quality (there was a reason our grandmothers loved to throw open the windows and air out the house in the spring, they just didn’t know it). If you have an air conditioning unit that has vent controls, open these to allow air exchange when possible as well.

It’s especially important to properly ventilate the house when you are painting or cooking. It’s not just that the fumes smell bad, these are air contaminants and need to be vented outside and replaced with fresh, clean air.

In some newer homes you may be able to get air-to-air heat exchangers installed on your furnace. These actively bring air from the outdoors into the house when the furnace runs. Check into this type of mechanical system if you are building a new home, especially if someone in your home suffers from asthma or severe allergies.

Controlling the Source

Source control is just as simple as it sounds. If you want improved air quality, take better care of the air! Have your house inspected for any potential sources of contaminants or pollution, and then correct these problems. Does your chimney have creosote build-up? A chimney sweep can quickly get rid of this and dramatically improve air quality.

Check all major appliances for gas bleed-off and check for asbestos in the home. A simple adjustment usually takes care of bleed-off or emissions problems, and asbestos areas can often be sealed. (Asbestos removal should be a last resort, since it will temporarily kick up an enormous amount of asbestos dust).

There are a few obvious source controls as well, don’t smoke in your house. Tobacco smoke is a highly toxic contaminant that builds up quickly in your home and drastically reduces air quality. A few nights of shivering on your front porch in sub-zero temperatures to have that cigarette may induce you to improve your lung quality as well by quitting!

Pets are precious and most people wouldn’t dream of getting rid of them, but you should have them groomed regularly and brush them often outside. This will get loose hair and dander off of them so that less of it is shed in the house. You’ll be surprised by how much your pets actually shed once you start brushing them on a regular basis.

Air Purification

There are hundreds of air purifiers and air cleaners available in all sizes and price ranges to fit a variety of needs. You can get small units that will fit easily on your desk or whole-house units that are expensive and quite sophisticated. The one thing they have in common is that their function is generally limited to removing particle pollutants such as pet dander, smoke, and pollen. In most cases they won’t remove gases from the air.

To determine how efficient an air purifier is, check two things:

The percentage efficiency rate, which indicates how well it removes pollutants The rate at which air is drawn through or over the filter, determined in cubic feet per minute.

The best combination is one which will be relatively high in both. Mid-range on both is better than low in one and high in another.

Vacuuming your home regularly can also reduce contamination of the air from dust mites, pollen and pet dander that become imbedded in carpets and upholstery. For the best results, purchase a vacuum with a HEPA filter and completely empty the filter cup or replace the vacuum bags regularly. A HEPA filter will trap a number of pollutants and should also be replaced regularly.

Moisture Control is Also Important

Damp basements and other areas that retain and hold moisture also contribute to indoor air pollution because they encourage the growth of a variety of molds and mildews. Any time there is excessive humidity in an area, mold and mildew will tend to proliferate.

Controlling this is key to good air quality in the home, and is essentially more of a preventative problem than anything. You should always make sure you have adequate ventilation in areas like bathrooms and basement rec rooms where moisture tends to accumulate. Also clean regularly with a disinfecting cleaner that will discourage mildew growth.

Mold and mildew can also grow in heating and air conditioning ducts, and if you are having repeated respiratory problems or suspect mold because of stale smelling air, unusual odors, or reactions such as repeated colds or upper respiratory problems you should have your duct work inspected for possible mold or mildew growth.

The air ducts should be professionally cleaned if evidence is found of visible mold growth on the interior of the ductwork (on the sheet metal) or within the components of your air conditioning or heating systems. If over the course of months or years there has also been moisture leakage through to the insulation around the ductwork, you will need to remove and replace this insulation. You will also need to consult with a professional on how to prevent the mold growth from recurring.

After following all of the recommended steps mentioned, your home should have a greatly improved indoor air quality. After a few months of breathing this improved air you’ll probably notice your overall health has improved as well, included fewer allergy problems, fewer occurrences of itchy, watery eyes, fewer headaches and easier breathing.

About the Author Lori Wilkerson is a full-time freelance writer. Right now she knows a little bit about almost everything and a lot about electrical air purifiers, ozone air purifiers, and whole house air purifiers. She has two dogs who are spoiled and one teenager who is not. They all pollute her home.

I'm Allergic To My Cat!

Having a cat allergy came as something of a surprise to me. Growing up, I had many pets - cats, dogs and birds. My family were animal lovers and pets abounded, so being in contact with animals was a daily occurance. No one ever seemed to suffer from a cat allergy or any kind of animal allergy for that matter.

After my teens and my last pet had died, I wasn't in a position to take on another pet for many years. Then, eleven years ago, a friend of a cousin was looking for a home for their last remaining kitten. And so it was that Kira came into my life. This was a cat with attitude (and still is!) and we bonded pretty much immediately. While she was still a kitten, I'd put her in the kitchen overnight with a little cat bed to sleep in and the litter box close by.

As she grew older, I started letting her sleep in the bedroom. It's surprising how relaxing a cat's purring can be in wee small hours.

A little over a year later, when down with the vet getting some supplies, I heard that there was a kitten that needed a home or it would have to be put to sleep. And so, Fritz came home with me that day.

Unfortuately, Kira was less than impressed with this interloper and I had to keep the two separated for several days before an uneasy truce ensued.

They're an odd pair - Kira has attitude, Fritz is much more companionable; what you'd call a "gentle soul". She's still the Queen around the house and occasionally puts Fritz in his place with a right-hook to the face when she feels the need to assert her authority.

As Fritz matured, he also was allowed into the bedroom. Both he and Kira would sleep there during the day and night, as was their want.

We all know that cats are the greatest creature-comfort-seeking animals on the planet and a comfy place to catnap is one of their major concerns. But the place your cat chooses to snooze may not be your first choice. While I didn't mind the cats sleeping on the bed, I did take exception to Fritz's tendency to charge in from the garden and sleep in a basket of warm, freshly dried laundry straight from the dryer.

The Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine recently conducted a poll of pet-owners on the sleeping habits of their pets and found that 60% of them sleep in bed with one of the family. Where cats are concerned, there are two potential problems here: one is that, somehow, they manage to take up 90% of the bed and the other has to do with allergies.

I found I had a mild cat allergy when I started producing weird wheezing noises any time I was doing something strenuous. Coughing eased it for a few minutes but it would always return. I figured I’d developed a mild form of asthma, probably due to bad air quality and pollution, so I went to the doctor to have it checked out. After listening to my lungs he asked me one question: "Do you have a cat?"

Well, yes, I did. Two in fact.

"You’re allergic to your cats", he intoned.

Then he asked if the cats slept in the bedroom. Of course they did.

"There’s your real problem", he said. "What you’re allergic to is the dander produced by your cats. When a cat sleeps on your bed, the dander ends up in the sheets and the duvet and you breathe it in deeply at night when you’re asleep. Not good. That’s what causes your wheeziness. Stop the cats sleeping in your bedroom for two or three weeks and see if that eases your symptoms. If not, you’ll probably need to use an inhaler for the rest of your life."

Ok, that last sentence kinda hit me between the eyes. Much as I love my two furballs, I didn’t want to suffer a long-lasting health problem that could possibly be avoided.

So why is dander such a problem? It's the layer of dead skin that's rich in animal protein, which is continuously shed by animals. Sebaceous (oil producing) glands in the skin also produce these protein allergens. Male cats have, on average, greater amounts of sebaceous secretions and therefore are more allergenic than female or neutered male cats. This is a result of testosterone hormone effects on sebaceous glands.

So, with that information and the prospect of an enduring health problem, I banned my cats from the bedroom, threw out the duvet (on the advice of the doctor), bought a new one and changed everything on the bed (including getting new pillows). I didn’t get too much sleep the first few nights with the cats meowing and scratching on the door to get in but they got used to the idea, finally. After three weeks in a cat free bedroom, my wheeziness had all but disappeared. The cats haven’t been allowed back in since.

Should you find yourself with a similar cat allergy problem, banning the cat from your bedroom is one possible course of action. Alternatively, you can get your cat his own cat bed and put that somewhere out of harm's way (yours and the cat's).

Since finding out I was mildly allergic to my cats, I've spoken to other cat owners about it and quite a number also suffer some mild form of allergic reaction - sneezing, wheezing, watering eyes, blocked sinuses and so on. Owners appear to become at least somewhat immune to their own cats insofar as the symptoms are not as pronounced as they become when they're around other people's cats.

But, having said that, none of us would ever part with our feline companions and would exhort others to adopt a cat as a pet, as the benefits far outweigh any minor inconveniences.

Animal dander allergy can significantly contribute to respiratory problems involving the sinuses, nasal passages, and eyes, as well as causing upper respiratory tract problems that can result in asthma (as in my case). These problems can significantly diminish your quality of life despite various medical treatments. For some people, it can be even more serious, leading to recurrent acute asthmatic attacks that can be life threatening, requiring emergency room visits and hospitalizations. The good news is that most people who are allergic to their pets can keep their symptoms under control if they know the facts.

Gary Nugent has been a life-long animal lover, especially of cats and is the webmaster of http://www.just-pet-cats.com - Make the best choices to keep your cat healthy, happy and long-lived. Information about cats in general, health issues that can affect them, some of their weird and wonderful behavior patterns, their history, and how to choose various products, supplies and toys for your feline furball. And, not to forget about you...there are a few things on the site to keep cat owners amused as well.

How to Use Natural Remedies for Asthma or Allergies

A lot people have asthma. My daughter, 41 years, included. She has suffered from attacks for many years. Recently I encountered three natural remedies that I asked my daughter to try. I have not yet received a report on these, so I would like to pass them on to you. Here is the first one.

Boswellia

Boswellia, an herb, is known for its anti-inflammatory abilities and its usefulness in reduces the effects of bronchitis, asthma, cough, laryngitis, and fever. It comes from the resin of a tree in India and made into a pill or cream. It is best known for use in arthritis.

Recommended dose is: 150mg three times a day.

Yamoa

Yamoa is an herbal powder treatment for Asthma, which is derived from the bark of an African gum tree. It is available in capsule and has been typically used to help asthma. It has a good history of helping asthma sufferers.

Minor Blue Dragon formula

The Minor Blue Dragon is a Chinese herbal formula. Another name for it is xiao-qing-long-tang, or XQLT.It's a blend of eight herbal medicines used to treat asthma for centuries in Asia

The XQLT formula has been used effectively for bronchial asthma for centuries and it is said to have an even more powerful bronchodilator effect than prescription drugs. This formulation contains ephedra, which has been banned in the US in diet formulas. However, ephedra in this formula is considered safe, since the formula only contains around 15% of this herb. The other ingredients in XQLT are paeonia alba, cinnamon, pinellia, ginger, schisandar, asarum, and glycyrrhiza.

Nutritional Supplements That Help Reduce Asthma

Antioxidants

In addition to the above herbs it is also important to take a good supply of antioxidants - especially vitamins A, C, and E, carotenoids, and selenium. Taking antioxidants helps to reduce the irritating effects of airborne free radicals, which can activate an asthma attack.

Magnesium

Magnesium has been shown to reduce the risk of developing asthma and might also be helpful in reducing asthma. Magnesium is also good for asthmatics because it helps to dilate the bronchioles. Also, make sure that plenty of water is drunk daily, which thins mucus. The recommended dosage of magnesium is 200-600 mg/day.

MSM

MSM has also proven useful for asthma aside from being beneficial for arthritis, allergies, fatigue, back pain, sinusitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, autoimmune diseases, and many other conditions. Start with 2000mg of MSM per day but be sure to take 50 to 150 micrograms of molybdenum daily since MSM needs molybdenum to activate it properly.

I was able to find a product that already has the proper molybdenum in the MSM, which makes it convenient to take just one pill. Go to google and put in the words "MSM molybdenum" and you will find some web sites that sell this MSM combination.

Rudy Silva is a Natural Nutritionist and received his consulting certificate from Baumer College of Nutrition. He is the author of Constipation, Acne, Hemorrhoid, and Fatty Acid ebooks. He also writes a newsletter called Natural Remedies Thatwork.com For more information on his writings go to http://www.natural-remedies-thatwork.com/archive.html

How to Sense Low Levels of Asbestos in Your Daily Environment

My discovery came to me by accidentally removing an asbestos material in my home. The resulting condition of the whole house after this accident left me with a sore chest, dry and unbearably iching skin and eyes. My wife complained of extreme thirst and my oldest son, age 14, developed severe asthma. This all continued for five to six months. During this time I tried desparately to determine if we were living in an unsafe level of asbestos. The material that I had removed was tested and found to contain 20% crysitile asbestos. Air sampling proved to be unreliable because the area had been ventilated so well. But the furnishings, carpets, walls and all other personal belongings were covered the remnants of the demolition.Everyone wanted to play down the seriousness of the situation, but, to me it was obviously not a healthy environment.

So, I set out to try to logically deduce, with a knowledge of the physical properties of asbestos,when I encountered the substance as I attempted to clean every surface and item in every room of the house.

That was fifteen years ago. During that time, as I learned more about where we all encounter asbestos materials on a daily basis. I made mental notes concerning my and others' reactions to these encounters. Many situations have arisen ranging from sore throats and skin conditions(acne and basil cell skin cancer) to asthma, pneumonia and death. I don't have clinical proof of these claims I've made, except to say "if it looks, walks and sounds like a duck it probably is a duck". Many times clinical trials are verified by producing the same results in subsequent testing. Deductive reasoning can also be verified in the same way. If the same results are observed again and again after low level exposure to these remnants then that is proof to me.

Without writing a book, I wouldn't have the space to detail every observation I've made during this period, but I can assure you that no contact with asbestos is without a possible adverse health consequence.

Asbestos is a very lightweight chrystal-like material with highly static electrical properties. It often produces a static discharge like when one is shocked by touching the metal switch plate or door knob in their home. It often leaves a bitter-salty taste in your mouth. It can stay airborne for days at a time. It absorbs moisture and produces a very dry environment (which only makes the static electric situation worse.)

The loose material may be accidentally contacted in a number of building types and situations.

Many buildings built before 1977 have vinyl asbestos floor tile. No one can avoid walking on this, if they enter the building. This is fine if the floor is well maintained. Look out for broken or worn and never waxed tile. This applies to any location in the building, commercial or residential. Closets are very seldom waxed. Items stored there will accumulate certain amounts of this substance.

Anytime an older building is renovated the possibility exists for a number of materials containing asbestos to be encountered. The contractor does't always do the right thing. In many instances it is cheaper to pay the fine if he is caught. So he just tears it out and throws it in the dumpster or hauls it to the dump himself. As a consequence, many newly renovated stores have a certain amount of this dust on the shelves and new merchandise in the store.

There are many more instances of contact for which I don't have the time to detail here, but basically, with the characteristics of the material, knowledge of where you may encounter the substance and many hours of observation (I've been in construction over thirty years), you too can make the same deductive conclutions that I have made.

In subsequent articles I intend to go into detail on the unique physical properties of asbestos and how this promotes detection in your hair and clothes. In future articles I would also like to expand on the many other health effects I've noticed, such as acne, which could benifit many young adults and a number of people who continue with this complexion problem into adulthood.

For more information on this subject see these sites:

www.livingwithasbestos.com

http://ezinearticles.com/?id=25139

Rick Raymond has been a construction electrician for thirty five years. He has been married for thirty three years with three children. Science and trouble shooting have always been a welcome challenge to him.

How Second Hand Smoke Threatens Your Health

Secondhand smoking, breathing in of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), is also called passive smoking. It is when a person breathes in smoke given off into the environment by other people.

Secondhand smoke or ETS is a combination of side stream smoke coming straight from the burning tobacco and the mainstream smoke that is exhaled by the smoker. It comprises of over 4000 chemical constituents, a large proportion of which are the inducers of respiratory illnesses and around 40 are known or suspected carcinogens.

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has classified ETS as a class A (known human) carcinogen along with other known carcinogens such as arsenic, asbestos and benzene etc.

ETS is unfiltered, thus the levels of carcinogens in it are much more than in smoke inhaled directly by an active smoker. Smoking of a cigarette produces smoke from two major places, mainly from the tip of cigarette and from the rest of the cigarette as the hot vapors liberated through the cigarette and its filter.

About 70% to 80 % of ETS is from the burning tip of cigarette and comprises of the highest levels of nicotine, carbon monoxide, tar and various other carcinogens. Therefore, a constant exposure to an ETS is apparently even more injurious than directly smoking a cigarette for an equivalent period. Effects of Exposure to Secondhand Smoke

Immediate effects:

Immediate effects of secondhand smoking comprise of eye irritation, cough, sore throat, headache, nausea and dizziness.

Long-term effects:

Lung cancer: The major cause of lung cancer among non-smokers is secondhand smoke. One of the studies revealed that hospitality workers who were exposed to secondhand smoke became three times more prone to lung cancer.

Cardiovascular problems: ETS can induce short-term and long-term harm to the heart by decreasing its functional capacity and lowering the capacity of blood to carry oxygen. Some of the chemicals in secondhand smoke can block or harden the arteries, causing problems like atherosclerosis, hypertension and later heart attack. In one of the studies, it was found that secondhand smoking enhances the risk of a heart attack by at least two times.

Stroke: Non-smokers exposed to secondhand smoke run at least 80% more risk of stroke than do the non-exposed people.

Asthma: One of the studies revealed that the non-smokers exposed to ETS at work showed at least twice the risk of asthma than the non-exposed people did. Those who were exposed to ETS at home as well, showed as much as five times greater risk for asthma than the non-exposed people did. In individuals who already suffer from asthma, exposure to ETS can significantly decline their lung function. Breast Cancer: Some of the recent studies have revealed ETS to increase the risk of breast cancer among women.

Effects on the fetus:

Smoking by a pregnant woman can have various serious consequences on the developing fetus.

• Babies born to women who smoked during their pregnancy have a low birth weight and are often born prematurely.

• Their organs, chiefly the lungs, are smaller than of other babies and these babies are more susceptible to cot death.

• They are more prone to illness all their life and are more likely to become addicted to the tobacco later in their life.

Effect on Children

• Kids that are exposed to secondhand smoke from either parent during the first year of their lives are far more likely to be afflicted with asthma, pneumonia, bronchitis, bronchiolitis and other respiratory problems than kids who were not exposed.

• Secondhand smoking may also predispose children to the impairment of the blood circulatory system, behavioral problems and olfactory (nasal) problems.

• It also increases their susceptibility to develop cancer during their adulthood.

Cancer is one of the main causes of death among humans. Visit Cancer Information, FREE web site for those who want to learn how to deal with this vicious disease.

Finding The Right Room Humidifers For Your Home

A room humidifier can relieve the symptoms associated with air that is too dry. Low humidity levels are common in the winter. Heating the house makes the air even drier. Low humidity levels are a year round problem in dry climates. Dry air robs the skin and hair of moisture. This causes dry, itchy skin and is a bigger problem for people with dry skin. The skin becomes scaly looking and rough to the touch. People with sensitive skin or eczema have the most problem with low humidity levels in winter.

Dry air can cause health problems as well. Your nasal passages and throat to become dry. Most people find this most noticeable in the morning. If your sore throat gets better during the day, only to return in the early morning, dry air is most likely the cause. Adding humidity to the room can help relieve your symptoms and help you get a better night's sleep.

Types of Room Humidifiers

A Steam Humidifier or Vaporizer uses hot water. This can be hazardous in homes with small children. The benefit of these is the boiling water kills bacteria and mold spores.

Warm mist humidifiers also use steam, but the air is cooled before being released into the room. The air can pick up bacteria in the cooling process and isn't as efficient at killing germs as steam models.

Cool Mist Humidifiers use cold water and release a fine pure mist into the room. Bacteria is most common in these humidifiers. Many contain humidifier filters that are meant to trap bacteria and mold. The best choice is a model with a HEPA filter. The filters must be changed regularly because they can become clogged with impurities from your water. To prevent particles from clogging the filter, use distilled water.

Potential Dangers of Humidifiers

Humidifiers can be a breeding ground for bacteria and fungus, if you aren't careful. Bacteria inside the unit can be released into the air and breathed into the lungs. This is especially dangerous for people with asthma and allergies. The bacteria can make you sick, even if you don't have one of these conditions.

The standing water is the main source of illness. Mold spores grow in standing water and are then released into the air when the machine is turned on. Mineral dust from the minerals in your water is another problem. This can be seen as white dust inside the machine. These particles are released in the air and can pose problems, depending on the elements and minerals present in your water supply. One way to prevent this problem is to use only distilled water.

Maintaining the correct level of humidity in the room will help prevent problems with mold and mildew. The acceptable range for humidity is between 30 and 50%. Mold breeds in levels above fifty percent and flourishes at sixty percent moisture. Invest in a hygrometer to measure and keep track. A built in humidistat is a great feature and allows you to set the machine with the level you want. When the room reaches the level, it will shut off automatically.

Cleaning and Maintaining

Proper cleaning can prevent illness caused by humidifiers. Regular cleaning is essential and instructions are included from the manufacturer to show you the right way to clean your machine. The water should be changed daily to prevent bacteria and mold spores from developing. Empty the water after each use, rinse the reservoir with fresh water and dry thoroughly. Do this every time you turn it off to keep germs away.

Clean the machine according to the manufacturer's directions. During times of heavy use, disinfect the machine regularly. If you use a disinfectant, be sure to rinse it thoroughly until all residue is removed and dry it completely. This will avoid problems with chemical vapors in the air. You should disinfect and wash the machine thoroughly at the beginning and end of the season.

About the Author John Elrow writes very often for the tips and tricks section of http://www.humidifier-tips.com . John is specializing in subjects like room humidifiers http://www.humidifier-tips.com/room-humidifiers.html and air purifiers.

Fighting Asthma - Part 2

One week my wife had severe asthma and it would not go away. In fact, we had visited our doctor numerous times for adrenalin shots. These helped in the short term (for a day or so) but the asthma just returned again later. Both of us wanted to resolve this condition on a more permanent basis, as it was becoming very difficult to deal with.

We talked to our doctor, a wonderful man named Dr. Frischer, and he directed us to a specialist. Someone who was familiar with the disease and could help us come up with a permanent handling.

I must admit that my wife did not want to go to this specialist. She didn't say why, she just was not comfortable with him. However, I convinced her, and before long we had pulled up to the doctors office, which was in a little hospital in Paramount, California.

The specialist took one look at Claudia and knew that her asthma was terrible. He had Claudia breath into a tube, then tisked to himself when he saw the result. It appeared that Claudia was not getting anywhere near the amount of oxygen that a normal person received. In fact, her lungs were drawing in about a forth of the normal amount of air - it was pretty bad that day. Which meant, of course, it was the perfect day to see the specialist.

The guy did some more tests, then recommended an allergy panel to determine exactly which substance was causing Claudia's condition. He explained that asthma is usually triggered by something, some particle in the air. It could be dust, pollen, cockroach droppings, cat dandruff or any other small particle.

We agreed and the panel was done. The doctor swabbed her arm with about twenty different substances, explaining that they would swell up into little bumps if anything registered. One substance registered strongly - simple dust. It seemed that Claudia's asthma was caused by dust.

While we were there, the specialist increased her Prednisone dosage to 60 milligrams. This is an incredibly high dosage of this drug, but based upon Claudia's poor breathing, the doctor felt it was necessary. If you remember from the previous article (part 1), prednisone has the side effect of making Claudia extremely hostile to our poor cat Baby. Well, during the next few weeks that cat had to be guarded night and day by Al and myself to keep Claudia from killing it.

The result of this trip? We finally realized the link between the environment and Claudia's asthma. We decided to be a little more proactive, and purchased some air filters for the living room and bedroom. These helped control the asthma to a certain extent. The other result? Now Claudia was feeling the other major short term side effect of Prednisone - it's very difficult to stop taking..

About The Author

Richard Lowe Jr. is the webmaster of Internet Tips And Secrets. This website includes over 1,000 free articles to improve your internet profits, enjoyment and knowledge.

Web Site Address: http://www.internet-tips.net Weekly newsletter: http://www.internet-tips.net/joinlist.htm

Claudia Arevalo-Lowe is the webmistress of Internet Tips And Secrets and Surviving Asthma. Visit her site at http://survivingasthma.com

Fighting Asthma - Part 1

My wife has asthma. It is extremely difficult, if not impossible, for anyone else to understand what that means and implies. If you have not had to care for someone with asthma, you cannot even begin to comprehend what it is like to deal with this condition. When I mention it to someone and they start telling me what they think, I have to control my feelings ... they do not and cannot understand. I restrain myself because they think they are being helpful. It's the same kind of thing when a single person gives a married couple advice on their union, or someone without kids thinks he knows how to raise them.

So what does it mean when I say my wife has asthma? It means her life is in constant danger. Every single day that she's breathing is a good day - because she survived the night. A week without gasping is a luxury, and a full month without an asthma attack is almost unheard of. What today really means is another day of breathing - it may be a difficult day or a good day, but there is always the knowledge that breathing is the most important thing.

You see, breathing is something that most of us take for granted. We never think about it, never need to be concerned about taking that next breath. Personally, the worst trouble I have had with my own breathing is a bad cold - my nose was stuffed and I had to use my mouth.

My wife, on the other hand, has to think about breathing all of the time. Some days she breaths fine, others are difficult. Breathing problems are in a special class all of their own - it's not like, say, having problems going to the bathroom, a cold or throwing up. These things all are minor compared to not breathing. You see, with breathing problems there is no time to think. You've got just minutes or even seconds to make a decision and get into action.

I discovered my wife had asthma soon after we were married. It was news to her also - she had never had asthma before, although her child had attacks when he was younger. So one day, out of the blue, Claudia came home because she had difficulty breathing ... and I didn't have a clue what to do.

This is a very unusual circumstance for me ... not knowing what to do. I am very intelligent by any measure and I make a strong point at knowing how to handle just about anything in my life. Before this time, no matter what the emergency was, I could and did handle it. Yet here I was with my wife having difficulty breathing. Over the next few days I learned a little bit. One thing I learned real fast is not al doctors are created equal. You see, even though our doctor visits were covered under insurance, our doctor would not accept any insurance. She ran a strictly cash operation. So on top of having a medical crisis we had a financial one - we had to pay the doctor then wait for the insurance company to pay us back. This severely limited our options at a time when we really needed options.

So when Claudia had breathing troubles we rushed over to the doctors office and asked for help. The doctor gave her a shot of adrenalin to correct her breathing. I watched in awe as my wife trembled from an injection of the same stuff they use to start a person's heart if it has stopped. I wondered for a moment if the "cure" was worse than the disease. The wonder soon stopped as Claudia's breathing settled down and she could take a breath without gasping. Her color returned to her normal pink - she had been slightly purple in hue., and the doctor prescribed something called Prednisone.

The next few weeks were not good weeks. You see, I didn't know it at the time, but Prednisone has some side effects. The most important one being that large doses tend to make a person a little bit psychotic. What I'm saying is my normally calm and collected wife became the "She Devil From Hell" ... but not so much to me or my son. No, her frustration was taken out on the cat (Baby).

That poor cat went through hell for those weeks. I had to protect him several times from the wrath of my wife for some new offense ... it appeared to her that the cat was trying to annoy her and make her miserable. I do believe that Baby used up at least two lives during those weeks ... and he only survived because my son and I protected him.

There were several trips to our local doctor during this first year with asthma. We noticed that the disease was not getting better, and our doctors did not really appear to know what they were doing. Their answer was more Prednisone and more adrenaline ... so we decided to see a specialist.

About The Author

Richard Lowe Jr. is the webmaster of Internet Tips And Secrets. This website includes over 1,000 free articles to improve your internet profits, enjoyment and knowledge.

Web Site Address: http://www.internet-tips.net Weekly newsletter: http://www.internet-tips.net/joinlist.htm

Claudia Arevalo-Lowe is the webmistress of Internet Tips And Secrets and Surviving Asthma. Visit her site at http://survivingasthma.com

Family Health: Coping With Hay Fever, Allergy & Asthma

If you suffer from hay fever, allergies or asthma, you know how annoying and frustrating they can be.

Hay fever is a chronic condition characterized by sneezing, nasal congestion, runny and itching nose, palate, ears and eyes.

If you recognize any of these symptoms chances are, you or some member of your family has experienced hay fever at one time or another.

Here are some family health insights to help you cope.

Doctors call it allergic rhinitis. Most people know it as hay fever and if you've got it - - as 22 million Americans do - - you're likely to be plagued during the spring and fall seasons by such annoying symptoms as sneezing, congestion, runny nose, itchy throat and red, watery eyes.

Allergy has different names.

Allergy reactions occurring in the nose and sinus are called "sinus" or "hay fever" or "allergic rhinitis."

And when allergy reactions occur in the chest we call it "asthma." Allergy reactions in the skin are named "hives" or "angioedema."

So you see, allergy has different names depending upon where in your body it occurs.

One out of every six Americans suffers from an allergic condition. Allergy may be an inherited trait, a genetic susceptibility towards the production of certain allergy anti-bodies.

Hay fever is basically an allergic reaction to pollens from trees, weed and grasses.

Unlike garden flower pollen, which is carried by insects, the dry lightweight pollens which cause allergic rhinitis are generally spread by wind currents which make them difficult to avoid.

In fact, samples of ragweed pollen have been found 400 miles at sea! While most people suffer mild discomfort with hay fever, it is estimated that more than 40 percent of the 5.8 million children who have respiratory allergies miss some school, stay in bed or feel upset by the condition.

Additionally, complications from allergic rhinitis can be serious. The same allergens that cause hay fever can reach the lungs causing asthma and other complications.

Sinusitis (inflammation of the sinus cavities) and nasal polyps (small outgrowths of the mucous membrane of the nose) may develop. Secondary infections of the ear, larynx and bronchial tubes may occur.

Also, prolonged year-round nasal stuffiness and mouth breathing may lead to facial bone growth changes in children.

Surprisingly, many parents realize that their children have asthma before their physicians do.

An accurate diagnosis, however, is most important in helping to determine an appropriate individualized treatment program.

Physicians specializing in allergy/immunology have special skills in the area of asthma management.

The allergy and asthma specialist will detect and determine those environmental elements (pollens, molds, dust mites, animal danders, workplace chemicals) which may be the cause of a patient's asthmatic condition.

A careful medical history, physical examination, selective allergy skill testing and lung function studies are typically performed. Occasionally, blood tests, home and workplace evaluations, and x-rays of the sinuses and lungs are required.

Unlike hay fever, asthma is a more complex disease involving a reversible constriction of the muscles lining the human airways.

It is more often associated with allergy immune cells and can get progressively worse reaching life-threatening stages if not properly controlled. It can be treated more effectively when it is diagnosed early.

The best therapy of all, however, is avoidance of those things which produce asthma symptoms. This includes allergens, such as house dust mites, pets and irritants, such as tobacco smoke and chemical fumes.

May these family health insights help you to live a longer, healthy and happy life.

Warmly,

I-key Benney, CEO

I-key, a Millionaire CEO from New York City is the creator of "Mscsrrr: Millionaire Secret Cash System", (forex market) program which has helped thousands of ordinary people from all over the world to attain financial security and shining success during the past 2 yrs.

Understanding Air Purifiers

Purchasing an air purifier can be confusing, and you do get an awful lot of information thrown at you when you visit the different manufacturing websites, don’t you? How can you tell what’s what, and why do we need air filters anyway? And how do air purifiers work? Is the air really that bad? Haven’t we been breathing the same air for thousands of years?

Yes and no. First of all, we’ve been breathing the same air for thousands of years, but we live in a symbiotic relationship with the plants around us that is, we rely on each other to survive. We breathe oxygen to live, and give off carbon dioxide. Plants exchange carbon dioxide for oxygen, effectively exchanging the air in a healthy relationship with us. This makes plants the first primitive air purifiers on earth, and explains why scientists are so concerned about the ecological balance on earth and the need for the survival of rain forests and plants they ensure our own survival as well by preserving oxygen in our atmosphere.

Nature cleans the air in other ways as well ozone (positively charged oxygen molecules) is generated by waterfalls and thunderstorms. Ozone also cleans impurities and particulates from the air naturally.

The Industrial Revolution and Air Quality

The industrial revolution made great strides in everything but air quality. In fact, pollution such as emissions from automobiles, smog and pollution from everyday chemicals like cleaning fluids, carpeting and paints enter the air every day. In industrial settings, air purifiers clean the air before it is released into the atmosphere in order to meet government requirements.

Today’s homes are also more energy efficient and cost effective, but to get there they have become much more closed in. When they are this sealed up, indoor pollutants are shut in so that today’s homes are actually two to five times more polluted than outdoor levels! Obviously, air purifiers are essential to improving indoor air quality to combat the effects of this stale, recirculated air.

Beginning in the 1980’s, medical practitioners began to take note of the direct link between poor air indoor air quality and the increased incidence of conditions such as asthma, allergies and recurring colds and upper respiratory infections. The development of a variety of improved, scaled-down air filtration systems for in-home use soon emerged.

How the Main Types of Air Purifiers Work

One of the most commonly used type of air purifier is also one of the first developed, and is used in most hospitals and clean rooms. This is the HEPA filter.

HEPA Filters

During the Manhattan Project in the 1940’s, the Arthur D. Little firm developed the first HEPA filters in order to filter out very small particles that had become contaminated by nuclear radiation in atomic bomb testing areas. It was during this initial development that the HEPA standards were set at 0.3 microns, which could effectively capture condensed radioactive iodine.

The filters at that time were called absolute filters, and not called HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) until the filters were marketed in the 1950’s. Today these filters are used by hospitals, surgical wards, biopharmaceutical research labs, micro circuitry labs, and the aerospace industry for their exceptional ability to control dust and particulates.

HEPAs remove 99.97% of particles of 0.3 microns or larger. For even more intense filtration, there is an ULPA, or Ultra-HEPA filter, which filters out 99.99% of contaminants pass through the filter.

Obviously, something has to draw the air through the filter, and with HEPA filters this is a motorized fan. This can make them noisy, which makes them an annoyance to some people. A HEPA filter will need to be replaced every 12-18 months, depending upon how it is used and the interior environment of your home. For instance, if you have pets, especially cats or dogs that shed a lot, you may need to change it more frequently because of the dander. If there are smokers in the house you will also need to change your air filter more frequently to ensure proper filtration.

However, for overall performance, nothing filters out or eliminates more particulates than a HEPA filter, so it is a matter of balancing cost, sound preference and convenience against your relative needs when choosing the right model of air cleaner for your home.

Ozone Air Purifiers

Ozone is created in nature by everything from waterfalls to thunderstorms, and is responsible for that fresh, clear smell after a heavy rain or storm has passed. It’s nature’s way of cleaning the air. Ozone air purifiers essentially do the same thing indoors by artificially mimicking the natural process that creates ozone.

Ozone molecules exist in the air all around us, and will react with any particles they come into contact with, but are very unstable and tend to exist in small quantities for short periods of time.

Ozone air purifiers work by using electricity to generate more ozone molecules, which have one more oxygen (O3) than we normally have in the air (O2) around us. Since ozone is highly unstable, one of the oxygen atoms is always inclined to break away and find another molecule to bond to. This process causes a chemical reaction which destroys odors and germs in the air and then converts what is left of the molecules into harmless oxygen and CO2.

There is some confusion between ozone air cleaners and ionic air cleaners, but there are some differences. With an ozone air purifier, the ozone that is released into the air will be unstable and cause a reaction that will alter and destroy certain germs, viruses, bacteria and molds. It does not, however, have a collection plate where dirt or grime collects.

Ionic Air Cleaners

An ionic air cleaner also uses electrical charges to alter oxygen atoms in the air, like an ozone air cleaner. But unlike an ozone cleaner, an ionic air cleaner will rid the air your breathe of dust and pollen as well.

Ionic air cleaners negatively charge the air particles in a room, which will cause a magnetic attraction to occur. The positively charged particles in the air, such as dust, pollen and pet dander, will naturally be attracted to these and they will “cling” to each other, creating a sort of magnetic bond. Particles that form into bonds like this become too heavy to remain suspended in the air and fall to the ground, where you will no longer be able to breathe them into your system.

Vacuuming and regular dusting can get rid of these particles. In today’s ionic cleaners, there are also fans that move the room air over negatively charged metal collection plates that the positively charged particulates will stick to. These can be regularly cleaned by simply wiping them with a soft cloth.

Electrostatic Precipitators

The original electrostatic precipitators were huge monsters used to control pollution emissions from industrial plants. The waste by-products of a plant were sent through large chambers that were charged by electrodes that acted as enormous collection plates to attract the oppositely charged waste products (such as dust, lead, sulfur, fly ash and other hazardous chemicals) from the materials passing through, filtering out all harmful materials. Periodically, the precipitators would be tapped so that these materials could be dumped from the chambers into disposal units.

Home electrostatic precipitators also work on the theory of using a negative charge and a positive charge to collect and retain particulates, however, the charge takes place within the air purifier itself rather than in huge chambers, and the dust and particulates are captured on metal filters that can be removed and cleaned or replaced, getting rid of the need for a separate collection chamber for the particulates.

Electrostatic Filters

With electrostatic filters, a small static charge is created that attracts airborne particles as they go through a filter, capturing even those particulates which are too small too be captured by the relatively loose weave of the filter itself. Because of the looser weave, the air flow in an electrostatic filter is very good, but the filtration is very effective because of the electrostatic charge.

These filters do have to be carefully maintained and cleaned at least monthly, and should be replaced every year for peak effectiveness. As the filters do become dirtier, the air flow will become less efficient.

Finally, there are systems that combine two or more types of air purification system. While these are usually more expensive, they can be worth the price if you are looking for the best possible combination of features. For instance, an air purifier that will kill viruses and bacteria like an ozone air purifier, but will also effectively filter out dust and dander with a HEPA filter.

About the Author Lori Wilkerson is a full-time freelance writer. Right now she knows a little bit about almost everything and a lot about electrical air purifiers, HEPA air cleaners, and whole house air purifiers. Her own home is polluted with several hundred books, pet dander and roving bands of teenagers.

Are Glyconutrients for real?

If glyconutrients are for real, why aren't they all over the news? Why haven't we heard about this before? These are just a couple of the skeptical questions encountered when sharing the life changing gift of glyconutrients with others. How do we know the science behind these products is real, and has the scientific community really embraced the field of glycobiology? A look at the numbers and the scientific communities involved in glycobiology reveal clues to what's really going on.

The sheer numbers of web pages devoted to glycobiology research gives us an idea of the activity in the field. There are currently 206,000 glycobiology research listings on the web, according to Google Search. Google Scholar lists 23,100 academic pages for glycobiology research as well.

Another clue to the validity of the science of glycobiology is the involvement of major universities in the study of glycobiology. Academic institutions throughout the United States now have laboratories focusing on glycobiology research, including the University of California, University of Oklahoma, San Francisco State University, University of Wisconsin, The Burnham Institute, The Scripps Research Institute, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Additionally, more than 30 biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies throughout North America, Canada, Europe and Japan are currently participating in glycobiology research. The focus of their research involves a wide range of possible uses including cancer treatments and anti-cancer vaccines, anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory agents as well as treatments for asthma, influenza and other infections. The sweetener Sucralose is a product of glycobiology research as well.

But why add glyconutrients to your diet? Glycobiology research tells us that there are eight bioactive sugars involved in cell to cell communication, an essential part of healthy body function. But our modern diet only supplies sufficient amounts of two-glucose and galactose. Our eating habits, depleted soils and modern methods of food distribution all conspire to deprive us of the other six essential nutrients. Medical experts agree that nutrition plays a big part in cancers, heart disease, diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure, and obesity-which by no small accident are also the major killers of modern man. There is evidence that glycobiology research can produce products to alleviate much of the suffering caused by these diseases.

That's all fine, you say, but how does all that relate to the glyconutrients currently on the market? Not only is there good science behind glyconutrients, the eight known bioactive sugars are currently being used in the development of glyconutrient supplements, with patents both pending and issued for these products. It makes sense that replacing these missing nutrients, thus improving cellular function, would increase the body's ability to repair, restore and correct malfunctioning systems.

Since it is nearly impossible to take in sufficient quantities of the nutrients in our diets today, supplementing with glyconutrients may be a good choice for optimal health. The vast amount of glycobiology research ongoing now demonstrates that leading researchers believe in the validity of glycobiology. A wise person who desires good health and a long, active life would do well to consider glyconutrients, too.

Summary:

Glycobiology research has proven that there are at least eight bioactive sugars. The amount of research currently underway shows us that leading researchers believe in the validity of glycobiology. The results of this research can provide real health benefits in the form of supplements available now.

About The Author

Karen Walker is a wellness consultant and author. She works from her home in western Montana. She and her husband, Lynn McCormick, maintain a website to help those whose lives have been upset by catastrophic health events.

www.keephealthkeepwealth.com karen@keephealthkeepwealth.com

Healing from Within

"We are responsible for everything in our lives, including how the chemistry in our bodies works or doesn't work." Wayne Dyer's words hit me like a bolt of lightening as I listened to his taped book, You'll See It When You Believe It.

Throughout the years, I had suffered tremendously with bouts of allergies and asthma; it wasn't until that moment that I had a confirmation I could eliminate my allergy problems. The asthma attacks had been under control since leaving the mid west where I was born and raised. This move eliminated contact with cattle hair and grain dust and other pollens indigenous to the area, which I had extreme allergic reactions with.

I often spoke, to anyone who would listen, about how the mind heals the body or allows the body to become ill. This knowledge was based on my thoughts, reading and research. As I spoke about my 'belief/knowledge' my bouts with allergies hung heavy in my mind. In all of my reading, nothing clicked as a solution until that moment in September 1989. I was 47 years old. As I had learned while studying transactional analysis, Dr. Dyer, also, held the premise: "We are responsible for everything in our lives." "OK, Wayne," I said, "I agree. Now what? How can I take responsibility for the chemistry in my body when my immune system is damaged? My immune system contains chemicals," I reminded myself. "I am responsible for those chemicals doing their job. What am I doing or not doing that is responsible for the chemicals not doing their job?" I asked myself fervently.

A few days later I began, in earnest, to be a detective. I revisited myself as an infant in the crib. With much satisfaction and pride, my father has told the story that he knew how to quiet a howling infant. With his hand, big and muscular from working as a cattle rancher, he 'patted my back with three or four hard, quick pats, 'You,' he proudly announced, 'stopped howling. You seemed to like it,' he concluded, 'because you always stopped howling.'

My father was physically abused as a child, and he carried the legacy into his parenting. He did not consider the 'hard quick pats' on my tiny back as abusive, nor would anyone necessarily consider either of us as abused at the time of our upbringings; some people would not consider it abuse today. In the days of my father's childhood, and those of my own, this type of behavior with a child was viewed as stringent discipline for a child obviously needing corrective action. However, with certainty, my abuse began when I was an infant in the bassinet. As I revisited my infancy and childhood, no new memories came forth. This was frustrating. I had not found any new clues. "Chemicals. I am responsible for my chemicals. How can I take responsibility for those chemicals?" The answer seemed elusive, but I was determined. "Chemicals? What mechanism triggers the release of my chemicals?"

"Ye gads! The brain. The brain sends messages to all systems in the body. The portion of the brain that controls the chemicals is often called 'the old brain': it is the 'fight-flight' mechanism that instantaneously (no need for conscious command) sends chemicals so the system can 'fight or flee.'

"So what has that got to do with allergies?" I asked myself. "Allergies, allergies, allergy attack,allergy attack-am I getting somewhere? I am being attacked by pollen-so? What is the link between allergy attacks and being an abused child? Allergy attack-allergy attack." Days and weeks passed. I repeatedly mulled the thought, "Allergy attack, child abuse, allergy attack, child abuse: there is a link. I know there is a link. What is the link?"

When the human system is attacked by something, the immune system instantaneously sends chemicals to fight the invasion. "My system is damaged since being frightened as an infant," I lamented. "What can I do now? I am responsible for the chemicals in my body," I reminded myself. "How do I make a system work that has been damaged? If my brain controls the chemicals and my thoughts control my brain, I can control those chemicals. Nevertheless, how can I control thechemicals? The link-where is the link?"

I began thinking about the incidents of physical abuse. I saw my father's menacing figure coming at me-face red, hand raised,swearing and shouting. Whack, his large hand hit the side of my head. ATTACK! My father attached me verbally and physically. There is the link! Allergy attack's verbal/physical attack. The two had emerged in my psyche as the same.

To understand the physiological and psychological construct, one needs to accept the reality that the physical body and psyche are intertwined. One is not separate from the other. To understand the emergence of allergy attacks with verbal or physical attacks in my psyche, we need to discern my experience as an infant in the bassinet. The five senses: hearing, sight, smell, taste, and touch-are an infant's only means of understanding their world and communicating. Three of the five senses are activated by the technique such as my father's to quiet a howling infant:

The infant hears the father's footsteps and, in the first instance, assumes that someone is coming to comfort her. The father says, 'Be quiet [shutup];' in a loud voice-the impact of a hard, quick pat is registered (touch). The shock of the loud voice (hearing) and hard pat (touch) is reacted to by a restriction in crying (breathing)-breathing and smell are associated. The shock of the loud voice and physical impact has knocked the breath from the infant. When the infant's autonomic system reactivates breathing, the infant breathes in the smell of cattle hair and grain odor, which permeates the father's clothes. In many instances, the mother responds to the crying infant;however, the infant is unable to distinguish when the mother or father will respond. Therefore, the infant soon recognizes the footsteps of the father, but has no way to escape. Her fight and flight mechanism is, no doubt, triggered,and chemicals surge through her body requiring additional oxygen as her heartrate and breathing increase. As she attempts to bring in oxygen, she simultaneously constricts her crying; the two conflict with each other. This causes swelling in the bronchial system, which is how asthma is manifested-restricted bronchial passage.

Not withstanding, humans have evolved with immunities to the elements that are common to the environment. With rare exceptions, the human immune system, as a chemically functioning system, is adequate to protect the organism. In an experience such as mine, the infant's psyche is being imprinted through three of the five senses. This leaves a powerful impact. As in my case, cattle hair and grain odors are associated with fear and not being able to breathe. Thus, my asthma/allergies became a physical reaction to fear, distress and the sensation associated with any strong smells. I remember experiencing asthma attacks when I was anticipating a stressful situation involving my father or if he verbally attacked me. Through listening to my past feelings and watching my reactions, I accepted the reality that my immune system had been damaged. The doctors also told me my immune system was ineffective, but they blamed it on a fact of genetics fluke,something I had to accept. I dutifully accepted my fate; after all, doctors know the human body and are healers-they know best. The next step, I began observing my physical reactions whenever I started having allergic reactions.

"What did I tell myself-what did I tell my brain? My brain has the power to send chemicals to my immune system. Why weren't my chemicals there when I needed them?" I observed and observed. One day I noticed a very subtle body sensation, so subtle that I hardly noticed its presence. The body sensation was so faint and so far away. I barely captured it. "What was the origin of this faint sensation? Listen carefully, listen, observe, listen. Yes, yes, there it is: Shut down, shutdown, do not move, do not think, do not feel, do not react, you cannot do anything, shutdown.'" My heartbeat seemed so still. It was very faint. I took my pulse and had a hard time finding it. "How is that connected to my chemicals? How is that connected to my immune chemicals not being sent?" More listening, more observing.

Ye gads! The thought came into my mind. My fight-flight command was not being activated. Instead, I was telling my fight-flight system to shut down. WHAT? The fight-flight mechanism is fundamental to the survival of the system I was telling mine to shut down. My mind then wandered back to the incident when my father attempted to chase me with the horse. I realized that was a time in which I shut my fight-flight system down more than it had ever been shut down. "Do not move, do not move, do not think, do not feel, do not react, you cannot do anything, shut down." My heart stood still as the horse jolted to a stop in front of me, his hot breath blowing in my face. From that point on, I remember not feeling the pain when my father hit me. I was completely shut down.

As the days passed, I continued to listen to and observe my breathing. As I observed, I became aware that I became passive when a sneeze was an allergic sneeze. The thought was, "There is nothing you can do, the pollen attacks and you are in a lot of pain and feel sick and can hardly function, but it only lasts a short time. Withstand the pain-keep going, it will pass." As a child, I could not fight or flee. Emotionally, to survive the verbal and physical attacks, I became passive by telling myself, "The best course of action is to do nothing." This thought process subconsciously blocked the transference of survival chemicals to protect my system from danger. When the chemicals were sent, I could feel the bone-chilling pain before and after the assault. I did not like this chilling pain and, therefore, instructed myself to shut down.

Eureka, the final link! I had trained my brain to stop sending the fundamental fight-flight chemicals used to protect the system. No wonder the doctor gave me adrenaline shots when my natural chemicals did not work. Adrenaline is the major chemical the immune system sends to fight or flee. The next step was to monitor the messages I gave myself when I sneezed. The pattern was consistent-I became very passive, I could feel my senses shut down. All my muscles relaxed, no outward emotion. Nothing! I listened, observed and listened. After many years of telling my brain to shut down, learning to fight back was not easy. It was so natural to shut down. Nevertheless, I listened and every time I felt myself shut down, I gave a command to fight back. I visualized the chemicals rushing into the blood stream and throughout my body. I practiced and practiced. Gradually, I noticed a difference in the severity and the duration of allergy attacks. Spring 1990 arrived (a usually difficult season, as I was allergic to tree and grass pollens): no sneezing, no watery eyes, no coughing. Eureka! I did it. I did it! This was and remains a physical and psychological victory with extensive implications. I wanted to shout from the rooftops. I wanted to tell everyone.

With each passing pollen season, I have been increasingly allergy-free. For three years, it was necessary that I consciously made the effort to 'remind' myself to fight back. I do not need to have total concentration anymore. In addition, if I have allergic reactions to manufactured elements, I do not hold myself responsible for generating the immune system to fight back. This is due to the fact that the immune system protects the system from natural elements; if I held myself responsible for eliminating all allergic reactions, I could set up unrealistic demands and constitute an unrealistic psychological failure as well.

A note of caution for anyone who may think I have described this process as simple and easy: it was very difficult and took total concentration. During the beginning stage of recovery, any distractions resulted in reduction in concentration as well as reduction in effectiveness. This was discouraging at times and I heard myself saying, "See you cannot really change this damage, you are not as good as you think you are." This was an example of all the negating and demoralizing things my father said tome. It occurred to me, I was allowing his words to control what I could or could not accomplish today, and I became even more determined.

Dorothy M. Neddermeyer, PhD specializes in: Mind, Body, Spirit healing for Individuals, Special Issues and Professional Coaching. As an inspirational leader, Dr. Neddermeyer empowers people to view life's challenges as an opportunity for Personal/Professional Growth and Spiritual Awakening. http://www.gen-assist.com

Flu Prevention and the Gym Member

Health officials' warning this month of a potentially harsh flu season should be a red flag to avid aerobic-bunnies and gym-jocks alike. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) warn that the flu is transmitted when flu virus in the air is inhaled after an infected person coughs, sneezes, or speaks. Transmission also occurs when a person touches a surface that has flu virus on it and then touches his or her nose or mouth. Those familiar with the typical health club milieu, then, can easily liken a workout in the gym to sitting in a veritable Petry dish.

Heavy-breathing members on closely-placed cardiovascular machines and in crowded group fitness classes, hundreds of kinds of shared equipment from dumbbells and weight plates to public restrooms and the corner water fountain provide countless opportunities for contact with the flu virus. So, short of ditching our fitness goals until mid-Spring, it would do us well to learn more about the flu, it's prevention, and what we can do about it.

What is the flu?

The flu, or influenza, is a contagious disease caused by the influenza virus. It attacks the respiratory tract in humans (nose, throat, and lungs). The flu is different from a cold; it usually comes on suddenly and may include these symptoms:

Fever Headache Tiredness (can be extreme) Dry cough Sore Throat Nasal congestion Body aches

About 10% to 20% of U.S. residents will get the flu each year. Among these persons infected, an average of 36,000 will die, and 114,000 will be hospitalized. Although the CDC claims it is not possible to accurately predict the severity of the flu season, this year's early incidence of Type A flu strain is historically associated with a more severe flu season, including higher numbers of related hospitalizations and deaths. To make the outlook more grim, an epidemiological assessment by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) already reports "widespread" influenza activity in over 10 U.S. states.

Who is at risk?

Although anyone can get the flu, including individuals who are healthy, there are various groups who are at higher risk for complications. These high risk groups include:

persons aged > 50 years; residents of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities that house persons of any age who have long-term illnesses; adults and children > 6 months of age who have chronic heart or lung conditions, including asthma; adults and children > 6 months of age who need regular medical care or had to be in a hospital because of metabolic diseases (like diabetes), chronic kidney disease, or weakened immune system (including immune system problems caused by medicine or by infection with human immunodeficiency virus [HIV/AIDS]); children and teenagers (aged 6 months to 18 years) who are on long-term aspirin therapy and therefore could develop Reye Syndrome after the flu; and women who will be more than 3 months pregnant during the flu season.

How to Prevent Getting the Flu

Health officials are encouraging people, particularly those in high-risk groups to obtain a flu shot. The CDC states that an annual flu shot is the best way to reduce the chances that you will get the flu.

The best time to get a flu shot is from October through November, although you can still benefit from getting the vaccine after November, even if the flu is present in your community. Be aware that it takes about two weeks after the vaccination for antibodies to develop in the body to provide protection.

Obtaining the vaccine does not guarantee a flu-free season, however. Influenza viruses are constantly changing, and vaccine effectiveness depends on the match between vaccine strains and circulating viruses and the age and health status of the person getting the shot. Although the strain in this year's flu vaccine is different from the circulating strain, the CDC states that studies indicate that the vaccine should provide some cross-protection against the circulating A strain.

Some people resist getting the flu shot because of the belief that they will get severe side effects, or even the flu itself, from the vaccine. The viruses in the vaccine are inactivated, so you cannot get the flu from a flu shot. Certain side effects are possible, such as soreness, redness, or swelling where the shot was given, fever (low grade), and aches.

Chances that the shot will cause serious harm, or death, is very small and allergic reactions to the vaccine, though possible, are rare, states the CDC. Most people who get the vaccine have no serious problems with it. However, the following groups should not get a flu shot before talking with their doctor:

People with an allergy to hens' eggs. People who have had a severe reaction to a flu shot in the past. People who have developed Guillian-Barre Syndrome in the 6 weeks following a flu shot.

Since obtaining vaccination doesn't necessarily guarantee immunity against the flu, it is wise to add common sense to our prevention efforts while we are busy pumping iron at the health club. Old fashioned hand-hygiene can go a long way in helping to prevent flu transmission. Although you don't want to spend your entire workout running to the restroom to wash your hands after every set, it's certainly advisable to make sure your hands are clean before and after the workout. Refrain from touching your nose and mouth during the workout to avoid obtaining the virus. Use of hand-antiseptics which include alcohol can also help to prevent transmission of the flu virus.

What to do if you get the flu

So what if you obtain a flu shot, practice stellar hand-hygiene and manage to contract the flu anyway? Since it is impossible to tell if you have the flu based on symptoms alone, visit your doctor. Tests can be performed in the first few days of the illness to determine the diagnosis. Since influenza is caused by a virus, antibiotics won't work to cure it. You need to rest, drink plenty of fluids, avoid using alcohol and tobacco, and possibly take medication to relieve symptoms.

The CDC warns never to give aspirin to children or teenagers who have flu-like symptoms, particularly fever, without speaking to your doctor. Doing so can cause a rare but serious illness called Reye syndrome.

By all accounts, we may be in store for a particularly harsh flu season this year. Take precaution to reduce the likelihood of getting the flu, particularly if you are an avid gym-goer. Preventative measures may not only help to avoid the flu, but also interrupting hard earned progress on your fitness goals.

For more information about the flu, it's transmission, prevention and treatment, check out the CDC website at http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/flu/.

About The Author

Jon Gestl, CSCS, is a personal fitness trainer and instructor in Chicago specializing in in-home and in-office fitness training. He is a United States National Aerobic Champion silver and bronze medalist and world-ranked sportaerobic competitor. He can be contacted at jongestl@jongestl.com.

Reduce Asthma And Breathe Free

Asthma can be a serous and often frightening condition that is typified by a tightening of the chest, wheezing and difficulty breathing. Asthma is made up of two underlying components: inflammation and constriction. During normal breathing, the bands of muscles that surround the airways are relaxed, and air moves freely. But in people with asthma, the bands of muscle surrounding the airways tighten and air cannot move freely. In addition, individuals with asthma often have airways that are inflamed, irritated and swollen. This can make it hard for them to breathe. This irritation can also cause the mucus membrane that lines these tissues to produce excessive mucus, which can further reduce the flow of air into the lungs.

The airways of people with asthma are extremely sensitive. The airways tend to overreact and narrow due to even the slightest trigger. These can include: emotional upsets and stress, upper respiratory tract infections, breathing cold air and even exercising too hard. Airborne allergens, such as bee pollen, animal dander, dust mold and smoke can also trigger an attack, as can certain foods or medications.

Asthma attacks can be both mild and severe. The severity of an attack, however, can escalate rapidly, so it is important to treat these symptoms immediately once you recognize them. In any case, it is important to work with your primary health care provider when you look to treat this health concern. Fortunately, there are a number of things that you can do to help reduce the severity or eliminate asthma from your life.

Recommendations for Wellness

To help control an attack:

Sit leaning forward or in a semi-prone position to help restore normal breathing.

Try placing a hot, moist towel over your chest to help relax your chest muscles and restore normal breathing.

To help reduce your chances of another attack:

Incorporate breathing exercises into your daily routine to help strengthen your respiratory muscles.

Keep a health diary. Use it to help you figure out what is triggering your attacks, then reduce your exposure to them or eliminate those things from your life.

Don’t smoke. Avoid perfumes.

Make a special effort to keep your environment allergen free. Get an air purifier. Dust and vacuum often. Change your home furnace or air conditioner filter regular.

Stop exercising if you start wheezing or feel an attack coming on.

Drink plenty of water to help thin any mucus build-up in the lungs.

Eliminate or reduce mucus-forming foods such as milk products, products made with white flower and refined foods.

Lobelia has a long history for relaxing respiratory muscles and reducing spasmodic coughing.

To help reduce asthma symptoms, including ginkgo biloba into your health care program.

Herbal combinations such as Nature’s Sunshine’s Chinese Lung Support can help to support and protect the lungs.

Herbs such as mullein, licorice root, marshmallow root or slippery elm can be taken to soothe irritated tissues.

Fenugreek and thyme can help to open the chest as it loosens & stimulates the gentle removal of mucus and phlegm.

Incorporate a homeopathic Asthma formula to help with shortness of breath, difficulty in breathing, tightness of the chest and wheezing.

About The Author

© Copyright Body, Mind & SoulHealer 2004. All rights reserved.

Dr. Rita Louise, PhD is a Naturopathic Physician and it is her unique gift as a medical intuitive that enlivens her work. Author of the books “Avoiding the Cosmic 2x4” and “The Power Within”, Dr. Rita Louise, Ph.D. a can help you identify what is really going on and provide you with straightforward guidance and advice. She can be reached by calling 972-475-3393 or visiting her website at http://www.soulhealer.com.

rita@soulhealer.com

The Reflux / Asthma Connection

Most babies and kids with reflux will have typical symptoms of reflux (spitting up or vomiting, excessive crying and irritability, etc) but some do not express any outward symptoms. They are referred to as having silent reflux. Their only symptom may then become asthma and many doctors may not realize the link between reflux and asthma so the reflux never gets diagnosed or treated. The child's asthma can then be difficult to control with the normal medications.

How Does Reflux Make Asthma Worse?

One possible reason is the acid that comes up the esophagus can enter the airways, especially when lying down. This acidic refluxate can cause the airways to narrow and create the wheezing and shortness of breath associated with asthma. Over time, this refluxate can also damage the airways worsening asthma symptoms. Another possibility is acid reaching the lower part of the esophagus can stimulate nerve endings causing the muscle in the airways to contract, narrowing breathing tubes. This can be perceived as a shortness of breath.

How Do I Know If The Asthma Is Reflux-Induced?

Some indications that asthma could be caused by reflux are:

*The asthma symptoms get worse after eating, particularly high fat foods

*Asthma like symptoms appearing with any other typical or atypical symptoms of reflux

*Persistent cough, especially worse when lying down

It's important to remember that not all reflux will present typical symptoms. In some cases the only symptom could be the presence of asthma.

How Is Reflux Induced Asthma Treated?

Treating reflux induced asthma may be as simple as treating the reflux itself. All the usual treatment methods (visit http://www.infantrefluxdisease.com for more info) apply to this type of reflux and as previously stated, the asthma can usually be controlled by treating the reflux. Of course, because everyone is different, it's not always that simple for all kids and some could have stubborn cases that don't respond well to treatment.

Roni MacLean

http://www.infantrefluxdisease.com

Roni MacLean, founder of InfantRefluxDisease.com, started researching reflux and GERD shortly after her daughter was born with GERD in May of 2000. She has spent the years following her daughter's birth learning everything she could. MacLean felt the need to reach out and help others going through what they had been through by sharing all that she had learned. Early in 2001 she launched InfantRefluxDisease.com as an informational website to help guide other parents. MacLean's dedication to the GERD community continues to this day. She has written the highly acclaimed, Life on the Reflux Roller Coaster, published in 2004, which was the first book ever published entirely on this subject. She dedicates all her spare time to the website that started it all, InfantRefluxDisease.com, which has since grown into one of the best sources of information online.

The Mighty Dust Mite and How To Deal With It

A Closer Examination of the Dust Mite

The dust mite's mouth parts are grouped in front of the body, resembling a head. Their body is oval and covered with fine striations. Their eight tiny legs have small sticky pads which enable them to burrow deep into carpet fibers and furniture, easily resisting the pull of even the most powerful vacuum cleaners. You definitely would not want to turn over in your bed and find yourself face to face with one of these strange looking creatures. Unfortunately, that is where their populations are often the highest. The average bed can easily have over 10,000 dust mites living in it. Dust mites do not bite, sting or transmit diseases, so they pose no harm except to people who are allergic to a protein they produce. Their numbers have increased dramatically in the past 20 to 30 years, especially during the winter months, partly due to tighter homes where ventilation is limited and temperatures tend to be warmer.

Egg-laying female mites can increase the population by 25 to 30 every three weeks. They go through five stages in their life cycle; from egg, the larvae stage, then two nymphal stages, and finally the adult. The adult may also molt once. This cycle from egg to the adult takes about one month. Adult mites can live up to two months, depending on the humidity levels and temperatures of their environment. They do not drink water but they absorb moisture from the air and their environment. They just love higher relative humidities of 70-80% and temperatures of 75-80 degrees F in which their development and food consumption increases.

Dust Mites Produce a Powerful Allergen

It is the protein DER p1 in the faecal products and disintegrating body parts of these minute dust mites that has a mighty adverse effect on those who are allergic to it. Dust mites produce about 20 pellets per day, each measuring about 10 to 24 microns in size. To put that in perspective, the diameter of the human hair measures 80-100 microns. A gram of dust can hold 250,000 of these minute droppings. They are so tiny and light that they float easily into the air when disturbed by our daily activities. Inhaling these minute particles causes allergic reactions in those who are sensitive to this protein.

Allergens from the dust mite which cause asthmatic symptoms was first suggested in 1921 but analysis of dust did not happen until 1964 when a group led by Voohorst suggested that a mite may be responsible for the dust allergen. It was soon established that the dust mite droppings contain an allergen so they became a focus over the years for their involvement with respiratory ailments. The DER p1 produced by the dust mite is though to be the most important allergen associated with asthma. About 10% of the population are allergic to dust mite extracts.

Identifying the Sensitivity to Dust Mite Protein

House dust contains many types of debris, including fabric fibers, human skin scales, human and animal dander, bacteria, cockroach parts, mold spores, food particles and other organic and synthetic materials. About 90% of the people who are allergic to house dust extracts are allergic to dust mite extracts. Symptoms which may come from sensitivities to the dust mite protein include sneezing, congestion, itchy, watery eyes and persistently stuffy nose and ears. Symptoms point more specifically to dust mites when you experience repeated sneezing shortly after awakening, symptoms get worse when beds are made or when using your vacuum cleaner, and improve when you are outside. Diagnosis, using scratch tests, etc., by an Allergist is recommended to determine which allergens cause reactions. These doctors who specialize in treating allergies can recommend a course of action specifically designed to reduce or eliminate your allergic reactions. This may include steps for reducing exposure to troublesome allergens, medical therapy and desensitization injections (Systemic Immunotherapy - SIT). The latter may be recommended if avoidance and medical therapy fail to sufficiently reduce the allergic reaction. It involves injections of a dust mite extract starting weekly, followed by injections every six weeks for three to five years.

Importance of Reducing Exposure to the Dust Mite Allergen

If your family is not sensitive to the dust mite protein DER p1, managing them may not be a high priority. For those who suffer from it, management by reducing exposure to the allergen DER p1 is quite important. Two important aspects which need to be addressed are the removal of environments which are conducive to dust and dust mites and the reduction of airborne dust mite droppings and disintegrating body parts. Inhaling these minute particles causes allergic reactions in those who are sensitive to this protein.

The exposure level at which you experience allergic reactions is determined by the sum of exposure to all allergens you're sensitive to. Those who are sensitive to multiple allergens find that reduction of exposure to any of the allergens will help in their tolerance of all the allergens. It is important to realize that you do not need to completely eliminate exposure to allergens. Simply keeping your total exposure of all allergens below the threshold at which you experience reactions is all that is necessary.

Reducing Exposure to Allergens in Your Bed

Due to the amount of time we spend sleeping the mattress should be covered with a protector, our bedrooms are the areas which deserve the most attention. Simply turning over in bed or breathing near your pillow can cause you to inhale minute dust mite droppings. Using hypo-allergenic fiberfill pillows is recommended over feather, kapok or foam since they are more easily washed. Encasing your pillows, mattress and box spring with plastic or specially coated or finely woven (pore size < 10 microns) vapor- permeable fabrics will deprive the dust mites of food and prevent many of the dust mite droppings from reaching you. The fabrics are more comfortable since they allow perspiration vapor to be more naturally carried away from your skin. Thorough vacuuming the mattresses, especially the seams and bed frame on a regular basis is also helpful. Wash your sheets and mattress pads in soapy water at 130 degrees F every one or two weeks to kill all mites. Bedding and curtains which can withstand frequent washing should be selected. Blankets can be dry cleaned or washed frequently. Using an electric blanket for eight hours every day can reduce dust mites in beds significantly. Heating blankets in a cloths dryer for several hours also kills mites. By doing this, dry cleaning or washing of blankets can be reduced to once a year.

Reducing Exposure to Allergens in All Your Rooms

Wall to wall carpet and upholstered surfaces can be reduced or replaced with hard surfaces that are easier to clean. Dust mites can not survive long on hard surfaces due to dehydration. They absorb water through contact with their environment. Dusting with a ULPA or HEPA filtered vacuum cleaner or specially treated cloths is recommended over damp mopping. The latter may increase the humidity in the house. Dust mites can't live at humidities below 50%. Using air conditioners and dehumidifiers during the summer to keep the humidity between 40% and 50% is often recommended. During winter, if using a humidifier, be careful to keep the humidity in this same range. A good humidity gauge can help monitor this. Carpets that get damp on a regular basis should be replaced with hard surfaces.

Having carpets professional cleaned with superheated steam will effectively killing dust mites in them. Carpets can be treated with sprays containing 3% tannic acid to make dust mite droppings non- allergic. Benzyl benzoate powder which actually kills dust mites is also available. Reduction of contact with dust mite droppings is often preferred since these contain toxic chemicals which some people are sensitive to.

Reducing Exposure to Allergens with Air Filters

Wearing a well fitting dust mask while vacuuming and making beds can reduce the dust mite allergens you inhale. Some allergists even recommend airing out a room really well after vacuuming to reduce the airborne particles which are stirred up by many vacuum cleaners. Furnace mounted and portable air cleaners are available but their cost may be greater than the benefits achieved by them. They definitely are not a substitute for the preventative measures described above. The best are media type filters like those which meet the stringent HEPA specification. Electrostatic filters are not recommended unless cleaned regularly in which case they may be as effective. Special filters can be placed on the furnace air vents leading to your rooms to help trap allergens before they can enter the room. Air cleaners which generate ozone should be avoided since they have little effect on allergens in the air and may worsen allergy symptoms since the ozone may irritate the respiratory system.

Importance of an ULPA or HEPA Filtered Vacuum Cleaner

The vacuum cleaner is one of the most important tools for managing dust mites and their minute droppings. Thorough cleaning of carpets, mattresses, upholstered furniture, curtains and drapery regularly will reduce the dust mite allergens in your home. It is better to clean thoroughly once a week instead of lightly every day. In order to prevent these minute particles containing allergens from being recirculated into the air you breathe, a vacuum cleaner's filtration system must be very efficient at trapping particles at least that small.

The agitation and air flow created by your vacuum cleaner to clean you surfaces causes a huge number of minute dust mite dropping to be drawn into it. They can easily pass through most vacuum cleaner bags and filters and be exhausted back into the air you breathe, making it much dirtier than before. The vacuum cleaner industry is taking advantage of the development of advanced filtration media to provide much higher quality exhausted air than was possible just a few years ago. The current cutting edge in vacuum cleaner technology is in the area of improving the filtration efficiencies of vacuum cleaners. Special high filtration paper bags are available from many manufacturers which filter much better than conventional ones. To learn more about these high filtration paper bags, see our article on the efficiency of vacuum cleaner paper bags

To reduce the effects on allergies and asthma caused by the allergens in dust mite droppings, look for a vacuum cleaner with an ULPA or HEPA filter. It also is very important to have a completely sealed system so all air flow must pass through the ULPA or HEPA filter to be cleaned by it. By combining high filtration paper bags, a Certified HEPA filter and completely sealed systems, vacuum cleaners can achieve extremely high filtration efficiencies of 99.97% at 0.3 micron size particles. ULPA filters have an even higher efficiency of 99.999% at 0.12 micron size particles. For more information about HEPA and ULPA filtration.

Summary

Dust mites are microscopic creatures which live at peace with all of us, constantly going about their routine of cleaning up our environment. Unfortunately, for about 10% of the population, the protein DER p1 in their minute droppings causes allergic reactions which affect their respiratory systems causing allergic reactions and triggering asthmatic attacks. A visit to an doctor specializing in allergies (allergist) can confirm which allergens you are sensitive to. They are able to prescribe a course of action which may include steps to reduce the allergen exposure, medication therapy and possibly desensitization injections.

Key steps to reduce exposure to dust mite allergens include encasing mattresses and pillows, washing bedding and curtains regularly, controlling humidity in you home and cleaning thoroughly with a powerful high filtration vacuum cleaner. In extreme cases, carpets and upholstered surfaces should be replaced with hard surfaces which are easier to clean and which inhibit dust mite growth. The goal is to reduce allergen exposure to below the level at which allergic reactions occur, not necessarily the elimination of all exposure to the dust mite allergen.

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