Allergies
Kids Corner: Allergies in Children
Your body may be exposed to allergens from foods you eat, elements you breathe, or direct contact with your skin or the lining of your nose. The scope of the problem is tremendous!
Kids Corner: Allergies in Children
An allergy is the body’s immune system reaction to specific elements in the environment called allergens. Your body may be exposed to allergens from foods eaten, elements breathed in through the lungs, or direct contact via the skin or lining of the nose.
Hidden Food Intolerance and Chronic Disease
When most of us think of food allergies, we think of someone eating peanuts or shellfish and then having a life-threatening allergic attack (known as anaphylactic shock). However, as in most processes in the human body, there are many shades of gray when one starts to examine the full range of allergic reactions to food. Some people have allergic reactions to food that manifest as less serious symptoms such as eczema or they get a stuffy nose. Still others experience symptoms such as stomach upset or itchiness that may not occur until one to three days after they eat a certain food. This last scenario falls under the heading of a hidden allergy since it is very difficult to correlate the ingestion of the food with the corresponding symptoms. Furthermore, reactions of this type do not typically show up on standard skin-prick allergy testing.
Dealing with Spring Allergies
Now that spring is here, do you want to run and play, or run and hide? If it’s the latter, you must be a veteran of the Carolinas' springtime allergy season. Here are some guidelines for understanding and coping with the allergy response:
