Health

Did you know that mold growing in your home may be more likely causing an allergic reaction rather than a toxic one? Could your children be having symptoms or possibly an allergic reaction? What can you do if your children have been or are being exposed to mold?

Many articles online focus more on the toxicity of the mold, rather than the daily allergic reaction you may be experiencing from the mold. Yes, mold can be toxic, but you are more likely to have a toxic reaction from ingesting food containing mold than inhaling it. The more probable reaction you have will be an allergic reaction from inhaling the mold.

Mold contains spores that are easily released into the air and inhaled, thereby causing an allergic reaction. You can find mold in dark, musty places such as closets, attics and basements. It is also found in bathrooms, kitchens, in areas filled with clutter, leaves and grass piles. There are 80 different types of molds that can cause respiratory symptoms or distress. Asthma is a common reaction to inhaling molds, as well as sneezing, itchy eyes and possible sinus infections.

If you think the mold in your home is toxic, bring in a professional to make that determination. There are also test kits you can order online that will tell you if your mold is toxic. Most likely, your mold is just ?plain old regular mold,? and can be causing you and your family allergic symptoms that are preventable. Clean your showers with a combination of bleach and water. Open your shower curtain or door and allow daylight to shine in from the window if at all possible. Remove clutter from your home ? especially in closets and tight spaces. If you find mold or mildew, wash it with a mild solution of bleach and water. Allow to air dry, and then spray some Lysol on it for good measure. Keep all areas well ventilated, clear and dry.

Chickenpox is an infection caused by the varicella virus. Chickenpox is still a common infection with most cases occurring in children up to age 10. While Chickenpox may be a mild illness in most children, some children and adults can have serious complications.

Chickenpox is very contagious and a person can catch it by coming into contact with someone who has it or by breathing the air when an infected person coughs or speaks. A person infected with the Chickenpox virus is contagious from the day before the rash begins until all the blisters have scabbed over and dried up. You should always keep a child with Chickenpox home from school or daycare and away from persons who have not had Chickenpox. You should also avoid contact with pregnant women as it can harm the fetus.

Chickenpox infection usually starts as a rash on the chest and rapidly spreads to the rest of the body. The rash tends to begin on covered areas of the body and appears to be little red bumps. The little red bumps then turn into fluid filled blisters. The blisters will crust over and fall off in about one to two weeks.

Since some children get as many as 300-500 blisters per infection, the child may have blisters, bumps and scabs at the same time. Since the rash usually itches badly, cool soda baths may help. To make a soda bath, add a half a cup of baking soda into a tub of tepid water. Some claim oatmeal baths do the same and offer similar relief.? Scarring can occur if scabs are scratched off and children should be encouraged not to pick at them.

Your doctor might be able to recommend other medications if itching becomes severe. It is also important to keep your child?s fingernails short and hands clean to avoid the rash from becoming infected. Your child may also have a slight fever.

You want to give your child plenty of water to drink to avoid dehydration. The average duration of the illness is about 7 days and may produce a headache in your child. If your child develops a bad cough, stiff neck, high fever or any of the blisters become infected, you should call your health care provider immediately.

Most people gain immunity from chickenpox after contracting once. Usually in 90% cases it gives lifelong immunity. The rest of the 10% get the chickenpox more than once due to a weak immune system.

The virus may remain inactive in nerve cells lifelong causing Shingles. Shingles, a skin rash with painful symptoms, may occur several decades later due to reactivation of the chickenpox virus from a latent state within a person’s body.

Food can affect both children and adults alike in a surprising variety of ways. Food allergy symptoms can include rashes to dark circles under the eyes to stomach pain or nausea – even hyperactivity. The problems you are experiencing may be your body telling you that you are suffering from a food allergy or intolerance.

Recognizing a food allergy can significantly change your health and life for the better. Detection and avoidance of these specific foods will leave you feeling healthy and ready to take on the world.

If you suspect your body is reacting to milk, peanuts or any other food, make an appointment with your primary care physician to discuss the possibility. After all, food allergies can be serious, if not life threatening to some.

Four out of every 100 Children Suffer From Allergies

The National Center for Health Statistics has release new statistics on children with food allergies. About 3 million children under the age of 18 were reported to have either a food or digestive allergy in 2007. Unfortunately, from 1997 to 2007, food allergies have increased by 18% among children.

Also, these children with food allergies are 2 to 4 times more likely to develop related problems such as eczema, asthma or other food allergies, as opposed to children with no food allergies. Bottom line? Four out of every one hundred children suffer from a food allergy. Among these, 0-5 year olds have the highest food allergy rate, evenly dispersed between boys and girls.

Genetically Modified Foods

Even if you don’t have allergies, it is important to know exactly what is going in to your body. But do we really know what we are eating? Find out more about how your food is genetically modified, and how to avoid genetically altered food

Over 90% of food allergies are caused by the following:

• Dairy
• Soy
• Shellfish
• Wheat
• Tree Nuts
• Peanuts
• Eggs

Did you know that between 30% and 50% of Americans have a deficiency of vitamin D? That deficiency increases in the winter due to lack of exposure to sunlight since we stay indoors more. Here are 5 reasons to add vitamin D supplements into your diet and to benefit from it.

Benefits from Vitamin D

• used to treat osteoporosis and may help prevent rickets
• may prevent high bood pressure
• protects against some cancers
• may assist in weight loss
• may cut death rate in heart related conditions

In a study done on heart health by the American Journal of Cardiology, increasing the amount of vitamin D cut the death rate of those in the study by as much as sixty percent. These are significant findings.

Even the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends giving 400 IU of vitamin D supplements to infants.

Vitamin D Dosage Recommendations

Vitamin D3 is the recommended supplement with suggested dosage varying among experts. Minimum is 600 IU for adults while some believe 1,000 to 2,000 IU is beneficial. The best scenario is to have a physician check your levels through a blood test to determine how much your body actually needs, since over 10,000 IU may lead to toxicity.