Nasal irrigation or nasal lavage is the personal hygiene practice in which the nasal cavity is washed to flush out excess mucus and debris from the nose and sinuses. It has been practised in India for centuries as one of the disciplines of yoga. Some clinical tests have shown that this practice is safe and [...]
Food allergies are relatively common, affecting an estimated 2 million Americans, including 8 percent of children and 2 percent of adults in the United States. For some people, a food allergy results in nothing more than uncomfortable symptoms, such as itchy skin. But in others, an allergic reaction to a food can be a serious, [...]
The main cause of perennial, or year-round, allergic rhinitis, dust mites are microscopic organisms that live in ordinary household dust. The droppings of these little creatures are proteins, which act as allergens to provoke allergic reactions in susceptible people. Symptoms of allergic rhinitis from dust mite allergens are like those from other causes of allergic [...]
Winter brings many people with allergies a break from their symptoms. But for others, winter can be the start of a whole new allergy season. “Winter allergies are typically going to be the indoor allergens such as pets, dust mites, and mold,” says Julie McNairn, MD, an allergist/immunologist in Cincinnati. She says that for people [...]
The rise in temperatures associated with climate change might have an unexpected consequence: more allergies among more people. New research from Italy suggests that higher temperatures are lengthening the pollen season for some plants and trees, increasing the pollen load they produce and causing a rise in the number of people who are developing allergies [...]