Food allergies and food intolerances are quite similar terms that are often used interchangeably – however, they are two very different afflictions that need to be more fully understood.

Food allergies cause dangerous allergic reactions. Your body sees the food as a hostile intruder, and manufactures increased levels of immunglobin E to attack it. This in turn produces increased production of histamine, resulting in red, swelling and irritated skin, wheezing, coughing, and a feeling of tightness in the nose and throat. Sometimes the reaction is even more dangerous, where the body goes into anaphylactic shock, and beginsstarts to shut down. The most obvious occurence of this is an allergic reaction to peanuts, where a quick injection of adrenaline is necessary to stop the often fatal anaphylaxis.

Food intolerance is a less severe allergic reaction. Most often observed in cases of lactose intolerance, food intolerance is where the body is unable to completely process a certain food. This commonly results in migraines, diarrhoea, vomiting, or feelings of dizziness and lethargy.

In both situations, an exclusion diet and skin prick tests can be highly successful in finding the specific foods that cause the reaction. Your diet can then be altered to cut out the unwanted foods whilst still being nutritious and satisfying. Many special food allergy recipe books are available which can be a huge help to those suffering from food allergies.

Mold growth can occur if there is moisture, right temperature, food and oxygen must be present. Just by removing one of these elements from the equation you will not have a toxic mold issue.

In order for mold to proliferate, it needs a moist environment such as spilled drinks to grow.

Mold also needs oxygen to survive. Sure, mold needs moisture to live but, like us, they will drown if you cut off their air supply. It goes without saying that removing oxygen from the equation would likely cause you more discomfort before affecting the mold.

Molds like comfortable temperatures. Unfortunately, the temperature range conducive to mold growth is the same range of temperatures that humans feel the most comfortable. If you have a thermostat, you can control your indoor temperature. However, this is also not an ideal solution as the temperatures that mold growth is inhibited are temperatures that humans are also uncomfortable with.

Therefore, the only element that we can reasonably control, is the mold’s food source. Remove the food source and there will be no mold growth.

By reducing the dust from surfaces, you are also reducing the amount of food that the mold feeds on.

Remove mold with the use of chemical cleaners.

However, there are certain safety considerations that need to be addressed. Using too much or using cleaners improperly may leave you with more mold growth than when you started.

Cleaners on contaminated surfaces will likely kill any mold that the chemical touches but the residual moisture after the chemical in the cleaner has dissipated in the air,may assist in promoting more mold growth. Completely dry the surface after cleaning to prevent future mold growth.

Carpets that have been shampooed that have not been thoroughly dried, can contain enough moisture for mold to grow on.

Damp clothing is in danger of becoming moldy. Most closets do not have enough ventilation and clothes become musty.

Surfaces can be damaged by cleaners. From this, water or humidity can seep in. Dirt, dust or fabric, can combine to provide a nice environment for mold spores to grow from.

Even when growth does not occur, damage to walls may become visually apparent, such as lifting of the paint or laminate. Once surfaces are damaged, it will be easier for the mold to take hold and to grow next time.

Sometimes, allergy symptoms from the toxic the chemicals in the cleaner can cause sneezing, etc; similar to the symptoms you can experience when exposed to toxic mold.

Always ensure that you have adequate ventilation upon using cleaners. Also, use gloves and eye protection to protect from splashes where appropriate.

Typically, there are thousands of mold spores that we breathe in every day. Mold is ubiquitous. It is impossible to remove all of the mold spores from your outdoor environment but you can reduce the level of allergens in your home or work place and, at the same time, prevent toxic mold growth.

Food Allergies in Kids

Food allergies are a common problem in kids. Nearly two million children have food allergies in the United States. Some food allergies are life threatening, even if the food is taken in very little quantity. Peanut tops the list of notorious foods which cause allergies. Following it are milk, especially cows milk, soy, eggs, wheat, seafood and other nuts.

Food allergies are caused when the immune system is confused. The job of the immune system is to protect the body from diseases, bacteria, viruses and germs. The antibodies produced by the immune system helps to fight these minute external organisms which makes the person sick. But if the body is allergic to certain food, the immune system mistakes the food to a harmful foreign substance and takes action towards it thinking that it is dangerous to the body. The body acts adversely, when it isnt supposed to do so.

When the immune system detects allergic substance, the antibodies produce mast cells. They are a kind of immune system cell which release a chemicals, such as histamine, in the bloodstream. These chemicals affect the respiratory system, digestive system, nose, eyes, throat, and skin. Initial symptoms are runny nose, tingling sensation in the lips or tongue, and itchy skin rash like hives. The reaction can be mild to severe and depends on every individual. The symptoms can appear right after the food is consumed or after few hours. Other symptoms are cough, wheezing, nausea, hoarse voice, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach ache, and throat tightness.

A sudden and harsh allergic reaction is known as anaphylaxis. The patient encounters many problems, all at once which involve blood vessels, the heart, digestion, breathing, and skin. The blood pressure drops very steeply, the tongue swells and there is swelling in the breathing tubes. Patients who have such allergic reactions should be ready to handle emergencies. They should always carry some type of medicine which will help to combat or reduce the adverse affect of the food.

Most of the times, it is very easy to detect the cause of food allergy. Problems such as hives begin to surface as soon as the child eats the substance he is allergic to. At other times, it becomes very difficult to determine the cause of allergy. In such cases, everything should be observed under close surveillance. Food items which are made out of many ingredients should be thoroughly checked for the allergic cause. Most of the times, allergies are inherited from other family members or other kids born with food allergies. Changes in the surroundings and the body play a major role in these kinds of cases. Some of the kids arent actually allergic to the food and show only mild reaction. Like people who are lactose intolerant suffer from diarrhea and belly pain after consuming milk and diary products. This is not an indication that the child is allergic to milk. This reaction happens because their body is incapable of breaking down the sugars which are found in diary products and milk.

If the conditions are severe, a doctor should be consulted immediately. If food allergy is diagnosed, the doctor refers to an allergy specialist. The doctor asks questions like eating patterns, past allergic reactions and the time period between the consumption of food and the surfacing of the symptoms. The specialist can also ask about allergy related conditions like asthma or eczema and whether allergic reactions are hereditary. Usually skin test and blood test is done to test the antibodies and the reaction they have on the skin when it is exposed to the allergic substance.

Kids who are allergic to egg and milk outgrow them as the age progresses. But allergies which are severe and are related to items such as peanut, shrimps, and some kind of fish, last for a lifetime. Other than food, children can be allergic to certain medicines and flower pollen. The best way to avoid allergies is to avoid the cause of it. No specific medicine has been developed for the cure of allergies.

More articles about Allergy Advice

It has been common knowledge that bad breath and allergies are interrelated and often one can be triggered or caused by the other.

The main causes of bad breath is dry mouth. Dry mouth can cause bacteria to build up on the tongue and the more bacteria build up the stronger the bad breath. These ‘not so lovely’ bacteria feed on food remains and as they do they emit a foul smelling gas which is what causes the bad breath.

One of the most common factors that cause dry mouth is allergies. To make matters worse many of the medications given to treat allergies also cause dry mouth and therefore stronger bad breath. These medications often have an impact on your saliva production and actually cause a reduction in saliva produced. This causes your dry mouth and as a result there is less oxygen present which makes ideal conditions for bacteria to thrive.