Top 10 Causes of Skin Allergy

By Daniel J. DeNoon WebMD Health News
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

Jewelry metals and fragrances top the list of substances most likely to cause serious skin rashes, Mayo Clinic dermatologists report. When you get a skin rash after contact with an allergy-causing substance (an allergen) doctors call it allergic contact dermatitis. It can be a devastating condition, says Mayo's Mark D. P. Davis, MD.
"Patients with contact dermatitis can get a very itchy rash from head to toe, or in a confined area," Davis says, in a news release. "If it's on the hands and feet it can be disabling, and patients at times can't do their jobs."
How do you know what causes your itchy rash? Using a panel of common allergens, doctors put a small amount on a patch of skin and see whether there is a reaction. It's called patch testing. Davis' and other Mayo researchers patch tested more than 1,500 patients with a series of up to 73 allergens in their study. The top 10 culprits:

1. Nickel (nickel sulfate hexahydrate). A metal frequently encountered in jewelry and clasps or buttons on clothing.
2. Gold (gold sodium thiosulfate). A precious metal often found in jewelry.
3. Balsam of Peru (myroxylon pereirae). A fragrance used in perfumes and skin lotions, derived from tree resin.
4. Thimerosal. A mercury compound used in local antiseptics and in as a preservative in some vaccines.
5. Neomycin sulfate. A topical antibiotic common in first aid creams and ointments, also found occasionally in cosmetics, deodorant, soap, and pet food
6. Fragrance mix. A group of the eight most common fragrance allergens found in foods, cosmetic products, insecticides, antiseptics, soaps, perfumes, and dental products.
7. Formaldehyde. A preservative with multiple uses. It's found in paper products, paints, medications, household cleaners, cosmetic products, and fabric finishes.
8. Cobalt chloride. Metal found in medical products; hair dye; antiperspirant; objects plated in metal such as snaps, buttons or tools; and in cobalt blue pigment.
9. Bacitracin. A topical antibiotic.
10. Quaternium 15. A preservative found in cosmetic products such as self-tanners, shampoo, nail polish, and sunscreen or in industrial products such as polishes, paints, and waxes.
Davis reported the findings at this week's annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology in San Francisco. When a patch test is positive, the best thing for patients to do is to avoid the substance to which they are allergic. Treatment with corticosteroid cream can help -- but 3% of patients are allergic to the cream, Davis says.
How well does patch testing work from the patient's point of view? In another conference report, Mayo's Leigh Ann Scalf, MD, and colleagues surveyed about 1,500 patch-test patients.
More than three out of four said they were at least "somewhat satisfied," and more than half said they were "very satisfied." After testing, 58.3% of patients reported improvement in their condition. Why so few? A third conference report suggests an answer. Davis, Scalf, and Joseph Genebriera, MD, find that fewer than half of patch-test patients remember all of the things that make them itch.

Air Purifiers - How They Help Allergies If You Have a Problem

By Art Emiss
We get hundreds of calls from clients during the year asking; Should I buy an air cleaner or air purifier for their home or business? The first question we ask them is: Why do you think you need an air cleaner? Some say, we think the air in our home is dirty or we are concerned about the air quality in our business. Our next answer is another question; Have you had an Environmental Inspection in your home or office? Ninety per cent of the time, the answer is no.The next answer they provide is; We do not need an Environmental Inspection.
There are a large number of individuals that think about purchasing an air purifier for their home or office every year. Most of these individuals are concerned about Clean Air.
A good quality Air Cleaner will begin at about $300 such as the Austin Air Filter. There are a lot of bargain priced inferior products on the market, but remember, you get what you paid for. Before buying an Air Cleaner, check the quality out before buying it. First place to check is Consumer Reports, they will give an unbiased opinion after testing different models of Air Purifiers.
I read a lot of articles on the Internet, ninety per cent of them try to scare you into buying an Air Cleaner by using the following words: toxic air, toxic mold, toxic chemicals, harmful particles, dangerous particles, dangerous second hand smoke, toxic ozone and etc. When you see an add written with these words, start to question the validity of the product. Air Cleaners are meant to enhance your life thru cleaner air.
Going back to the basic question, have you had you home or business tested to see if you really have a problem. We have been in multiple homes where the individual claims that mold is attacking them and contaminating their home. A recent example of this is one of our clients told us that mold was making her sick. The basic question we always ask everyone is; Have you had a water leak or a flood in the last two years. Her answer was no. Next question; Have you seen any visible mold growing in the home recently. These are important questions because a lot of individuals blame mold for other allergens in the home.
We did an inspection of the home and found minimal mold in the A/C. There was no real moisture in the walls so we began to question the validity of the clients' self diagnosis. We did find high levels of fibers in the Air Conditioning Return Air Plenum. That was the first clue; we then knew it was not be a mold problem as the client had self diagnosed. We took air samples and sent them to the lab for id.Two days later we got the answer to our clients problem, it was high levels of skin cells and carpet fibers in the air. How interesting, we called the client and informed them about the testing results. We then proceeded to ask additional questions like; what is the quality of your vacuum cleaner. Is it a HEPA rated vacuum cleaner like the Miele. The answer was no, it was a 10 year old vacuum cleaner that someone gave them. I recommended that they dispose of the vacuum cleaner and buy a high quality HEPA rated vacuum cleaner like the Miele.
If you have high levels of skins cells in your home, you have Dust Mites. Dust Mites thrive on skin cells, especially in carpeting. We also recommended they remove the carpet and install tile. The client did and the allergy disappeared after the carpet was removed. She did not know she was allergic to Dust Mites.
In Conclusion: the moral of the story is not everyone needs an Air Cleaner but needs to clean up their home of certain contaminants such as skin cells. These contaminants can only be identified from an Environmental Inspection. If the client had bought an Air Cleaner, it would have helped some but the problem would still be there. Remember, you must find and fix the problem, not use a temporary measure such as an Air Cleaner. I am not saying, do not use an Air Cleaner, I am saying clean up your house before buying an Air Cleaner to see if that is your problem.

11 Unexpected Allergy Causes

By Kirsten Whittaker
Typical allergy causes like pollen from trees and grasses aren't the only items that might have you reaching for the tissues... some unexpected things you probably have in your home right now might also be causes of allergies and cause allergy symptoms to flare up.
There are eleven lesser known triggers to watch for...

1. Candles - the odors from scented candles can inflame your nasal cavities, according to James Wedner, M.D., chief of allergy and immunology at the Washington University School of Medicine. Those with allergies are likely to have a runny nose or watery eyes when near a burning candle. Candles with scents like pumpkin are usually best tolerated. If you're having trouble with a candle, try to move away, extinguish it outside or get some fresh air yourself.
2. Perfume - has hundreds of chemicals, mostly untested on people, and when mixed with the essential oils in the perfume and sprayed into the air they can cause a person to sneeze, feel congestion or get a headache. It's hard, but ask people around you to go easy on the spray scents and suggest body creams and lotions as their scents aren't quite as strong. You might also keep a small fan in your office or car to keep the air moving.
3. Soaps and detergents - you might be surprised to learn that most of the itching you think is caused by a cleaning agent, is actually the fault of a perfume additive. Look for "no additives", "unscented" or "phthalate-free" on the label. When drying clothes, use a sheet of aluminum foil in the dryer (instead of smelly static cling sheets) to get rid of static without the strong odor. You can also try a scent-free, no-additive dryer sheet.
4. Stuffed animals - can get chock full of dust mites, a problem for an estimated 15% of people. You can try washing (in water 140 degrees or hotter), drying and then repeating (usually monthly) for favorite toys. Toys that can't be washed can be put in a plastic bag in the freezer for a few hours; this will also kill the mites. Store toys on a shelf, rather than on the bed.
5. Carpeting - it's warm on your feet and feels wonderful, but even if you vacuum all the time, you still have dust mites. Your best bet if you have a persistent allergy is to take out the carpeting and replace it with wood or tile and use area rugs instead. Wash the rugs monthly, and keep the humidity of the space below 50%. Dust mites thrive in humid environments.
6. Spices - add zing to your food but as they come from pungent plants they also can bring on everything from sniffling to swelling of the nasal passages, itching and burning in the lips. Avoid the troublesome ones including coriander, poppy seeds, pepper, dill, paprika, cumin and saffron - often found in Indian and Middle Eastern dishes. If you're not sure which spices are the trouble, try writing down what you eat each time you have an allergy attack and see if you can find a common theme.
7. Christmas Trees - the staple of the holidays is a place where mold grows very fast... especially if the tree is put into a bucket of water or damp soil... a moist, dark place mold just loves. Many people are either allergic to or irritated by the mold spores. A fake tree is the answer for many, with pine scented candles providing that must have "smell". If you must have a real tree, avoid one that's been cut weeks in advance, as its probably already ripe with mold. Be stingy with water once the tree is at home and keep it up for as short a time as possible.
8. Wall paint - the solvents and synthetic resins often lead to itchy eyes and headaches, with oil based paints being particularly troublesome as they continue to release chemicals even after they dry. Keep the windows open as you work, and try to have fresh air circulating in the space for up to four weeks after finishing the work. Paints with low levels of VOCs send fewer chemicals in the air, but this isn't a guarantee you won't still have trouble with them.
9. Alcohol - it's not an allergy to alcohol (which is rare) but the grains and additives used to make the liquor. Wheat or sulfur dioxide preservative can also cause stuffy noses or rash. New York allergist Wellington Tichenor, MD also mentions grains like corn, barley and rye as well as fruit flavorings that can be troublesome too. You might try to drink grain free liquors like potato vodka, rum or tequila and skip flavored liqueurs. Look for wine labeled "sulfite-free".
10. Buttons on Blue Jeans - are often made from nickel which can be a trigger for rashes in up to 20% of women. These can be itchy, red and sometimes causes blisters and are often treated with topical creams. To avoid these symptoms replace the buttons with plastic ones or coat the button with clear nail polish, a remedy found to work by a recent St. Louis University study.
11. Lemons and limes - limonene, the zesty compound in lime and other citrus fruits, leaves many with watery eyes and a burning feeling in the nose. You might even have irritation on your skin if you touch, eat or drink products with limonene. Treat any rash with topical hydrocortisone creams and skip the garnish with your drink or salad. Watch for lime in salad dressings, marinades and desserts as well.
Many allergy causes (allergens) can be avoided but you'll need to keep your eyes open for 'hidden' causes of allergies like the ones mentioned above.
Next just head on over to the Daily Health Bulletin for more tips on allergy causes and get 5 free revealing Health reports

Skin prick tests identify asthma risk for toddlers with eczema

Toddler with eczema who have a positive skin prick test for allergy have almost triple the risk of developing asthma than those with a negative test, says an Australian study.
The study, led by the University of Melbourne, is the first to clearly demonstrate that skin prick tests can be used to assess how likely it is a baby or toddler with eczema will go on to develop asthma later in childhood.Researcher Adrian Lowe, from the University of Melbourne's School of Population Health, says the study shows that toddlers who have positive skin prick tests have a much higher risk of developing asthma by the time they are seven.They are also more likely to develop hayfever, particularly if their skin prick test results suggest a possible food allergy."There has been much discussion about the links between eczema and other allergic diseases such as asthma but this study is the first to clearly demonstrate that among children with eczema there are certain groups who are at much higher risk,'' Mr Lowe says.As part of the study, 620 Melbourne children with eczema were skin prick tested for allergies to cows' milk, egg white, peanut, house dust mite, rye grass and cat hair.Skin prick tests were conducted on the children at six months, one and two years of age. The children's allergy status was then followed up five years later when the children had turned seven.The study, published in the international journal Clinical and Experimental Allergy, also included researchers from the John Hunter Children's Hospital, Monash University and Murdoch Children's Research Institute.Mr Lowe says the study shows that skin prick testing may have benefits for the management of childhood allergies."By identifying high risk children we can explore ways of avoiding potential allergens that could exacerbate their condition," he says.Mr Lowe says although eczema is extremely common – affecting up to 20 per cent of children – only a very small percentage are tested for allergy."
Given that specialist allergy testing requires a referral and long waiting lists it is not surprising that children are rarely tested," he says.Mr Lowe says the study also shows how skin prick testing has the potential to boost future research into the links between eczema and other allergic diseases."Previously researchers have studied children with eczema as if they were one homogenous group,' he says. "By showing that there are two distinct categories of children with eczema, future studies can separate these groups and we may be able to more accurately pinpoint the causes of allergic diseases in the longer term."The research was funded by Dairy Australia, VicHealth, Nestle and the Asthma Foundation. The University of Melbourne has received a grant from the National Health and Medical Research Council to extend the study to follow children into their teenage years.

www.healthnewstrack.com

Home remedies for allergy

Allergy in general terms can be defined as hypersensitivity of some foreign particles on your skin or any part of the body. Different individuals have different kinds of patience level for foreign particles. At the time when some people can not adjust with such elements present in their surroundings, then you may be suffering from various skin problems that are popularly called as skin allergies.
There is a sure fire way of verifying whether your skin pain or affliction is a form of allergy or not. And in case, if you got a skin trouble due to the reason that has affected nobody else then certainly you got skin allergy. For instance, few people are exposed to dirt but if it harms you in a stronger way, than it is sure that you are allergic to dirt and dust.
If you are suffering form skin allergies such as hives, dermatitis and others skin ailments and want to use home made medication, ayurvedic medicine is the best cure that provides you instant relief form the pesky problems of skin allergies.
Allergy home remedy skin treatment includes sandalwood, madhuca, henna, holy basil and cassia that provides you relief from the skin allergy such as itching, rashes and dryness. Applying sandalwood paste and oil is highly useful in treatment of eruptive allergies.
Apart from such a home made treatment, make sure that you eat a healthy and balanced diet that is rich in vitamins and proteins. Make sure that take vitamin A and E as it is very useful for the rejuvenation of the skin. Along with this, intake of fruits will help you in detoxifying your body. However, apart from allergy home remedy skin; make sure that you take proper care of your skin by keeping it dry.
Make sure that you keep young children away from your contact as skin allergy is contagious. Taking bath with neem leaves as it will help in soothing your skin. Neem has antiseptic properties that will ensure perfect skin. The best thing about allergy home remedy skin is that it is free from any side affect.

www.skinallergymedical.com

About allergy akin rash

A skin rash is usually a skin inflammation which is different from the normal colour and texture of the skin. It can be a result of allergies to food, chemicals, plants, insects, animals and other environmental factors. This allergies skin rash can affect a specific area of the body or some times the entire body.
Though all allergies skin rashes are not infectious, some are. The most common symptoms of allergies skin rashes are blisters, blotches, bumps, redness or swelling, followed by itching and even fever in some cases. Apart from this, these skin rashes may be seen in various shapes, and are usually white or red in colour.
If proper medication is not given on time, the situation may worsen. There may be many causes for allergies skin rashes including certain foods, perfumes, detergents and plants. It can also be caused due to insect bites, skin allergies, rubbing by a poorly fitted cloth or by a fabric which is rough on the skin.
Some times people may also get skin rashes by wearing a certain piece of jewellery. Dangling necklaces, rings or chains may cause irritation to the skin when in contact. Either the material used to make these pieces may cause the rash, or may be that they have a rough edge or spot that is causing rash on your skin. A qualified dermatologist will be able to decide what is the problem and cause of the allergy, and what treatment should be given to the patient.
Contact dermatitis is allergies skin rash caused due to touching something that was contaminated or that did not suit the chemistry of your body. Eczema is a kind of skin allergy that is mostly seen in people with asthma. Other types of allergies skin rashes include acne, cellulitis, boils, hives, infected hair follicles, chicken pox, measles, shingles and herpes.
If the condition is serious, you may contact a dermatologist for skin biopsy in order to rule out chances of diseases like skin cancer.