food allergies in kids
January 9, 2008
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 cow’s 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 isn’t 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 aren’t 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.
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foods high in b complex vitamins
January 8, 2008
An Overview of Foods High in B Complex Vitamins
Vitamin B complex is an essential group of eight vitamins that are needed for the proper function of cells in the body. Being essential, the vitamin can’t be produced by the body and thus it has to be taken from outside sources. Deficiency in this type of vitamin can cause serious conditions that can hamper the proper functioning of life. In these modern times, people easily pop a couple of pills to fill their nutritional requirements, but this isn’t always a safe thing to do. It is best to take nutrients the way nature intended - through food.
Here is an overview of foods high in B Complex vitamins, according to each sub-type of the vitamin group:
Vitamin B1 or Thiamine (necessary for healthy nerves, and proper release of the energy stored in food) like beans, egg yolk, seafood, pork, beef liver, wheat bran, peanuts, and sunflower seeds.
Vitamin B2 or Riboflavin (helps body in using energy coming form food; transports iron around the body). It is found in yogurt, whole grains, legumes, fish, vegetables (green leafy), lean meat, milk, eggs, cheese, nuts, and organ meats.
Vitamin B3 or Niacin (promotes skin health together with more than 50 bodily processes), found in fish, green leafy vegetables, milk, seeds, asparagus, legumes, cereals, liver, meat, organ meats, peanut yeast, nuts, rabbit, poultry, and coffee.
Vitamin B5 or Pantothenic Acid (maintains healthy hair; used in protein metabolism, helps in nerve function and keeping healthy red blood cells), found in whole wheat, whole rye, torula yeast, saltwater fish, royal jelly, pork, nuts, mushrooms, liver, legumes, kidney, vegetables, eggs, brewers yeast, and beef.
Vitamin B6 or Piridoxine (helps ease premenstrual syndrome, used in protein metabolism), found in walnuts, wheat germ, peas, kidneys, liver, fish, carrots, chicken, eggs, and brewers yeast.
Vitamin B7 or Biotin (also known as Vitamin H, needed for the use of glucose and fatty acids; helps maintain healthy hair and skin), found in nuts, brewers yeast, spinach, salmon, chicken breast, mushroom, eggs, cauliflower, beef liver, and cheese.
Vitamin B9 or Folic Acid (helps in the production of red blood cells, prevents birth defects like cleft palate and spina bifida), found in liver, whole grains, beans, starchy vegetables, fruit, broccoli, and spinach.
Vitamin B12 or Coalmine (used in nerve cell communication, helps form red blood cells), found in milk, fish, cheese, eggs, shellfish, muscle meat, organ meat, and liver.
There are many foods high in B Complex vitamins and it is wise to take advantage of them. Not only do they provide people with good amounts of nutrients, they are also more enjoyable than boring pills.
fat soluble vitamins
January 4, 2008
The Benefits of Fat-Soluble Vitamins
There are two types of vitamins; the fat-soluble vitamin and the water-soluble vitamin. Simply defined, water-soluble vitamins are the types that easily dissolve in water. Vitamin C is the best example of vitamins falling under this type. On the other hand, fat-soluble vitamins are the ones that require the body to contain certain amount of fats in order for them to properly absorb their nutrients. Examples of fat-soluble vitamins are Vitamin A, D, E, and K.
Only small amounts of fat-soluble vitamins are required by the body in order for them to maintain good health. And if the body is given too much of these vitamins, they will merely transform into toxins that will eventually cause health-related problems. In essence, there is no need to take supplements for these vitamins as the body doesn’t need them everyday. When not in use, it is merely stored inside the liver.
The main benefit of Vitamin A is to enhance ones vision. Aside from that, this vitamin also promotes bones and teeth development. Vitamin A, more particularly beta cartone, is also known to protect a person against certain types of cancer. Foods rich in Vitamin A include carrots, potatoes, pumpkins, milk, and other dairy products.
Vitamin D is the one believed to come from sunlight. And much of that is because Vitamin D is synthesized the moment sunlight strikes the skin. This is the kind of vitamin that promotes the hardening of teeth and bones, by increasing the body’s absorption of calcium. Fish oils, margarines, and egg yolks are other good sources of Vitamin D.
Vitamin E is the vitamin that prevents cell damage. Vitamin E is a known anti-oxidant and it can trigger cell renewal. This is the vitamin commonly used in skin and aging solutions. It is also tasked to protect two other vitamins, Vitamins A and C, as well as other fatty acids. Vitamin E can be found in nuts, whole grain products, wheat germ, and liver.
Vitamin K is the one responsible for proper blood clotting. This is the one referred to as the vitamins for the blood. Food rich in Vitamin K are green leafy vegetables and cod liver oil. Deficiency of Vitamin K in body may cause excessive bleeding.
These are what fat-soluble vitamins do for your body. While excessive contents of these vitamins are harmful, lacking them altogether is equally harmful. Make sure that your body has enough of these vitamins to keep yourself in the peak of health at all times.
flu cold in children
January 3, 2008
Flu and Cold in Children
Flu and cold usually accompany each other when attacking a child’s immune system. It is a wide spread viral infection and the harsh truth is that there is no permanent treatment designed for it because of the involvement of many types of viruses which cannot be killed, but yes their growth rate can be suppressed. Symptomatic treatments can trigger the rate of improvement in the child’s health, but it might not work for all kids.
The child can get affected by the flu and cold virus when he is exposed to an infected person. The symptoms are mild headache, feeling of tiredness, stuffy or runny nose, watery eyes, light fever, sneezing, cough, muscle aches, and sore throat. It takes two to five days for the symptoms to appear and three to five days for the complete development of the virus. It takes nearly two weeks to completely get rid of the flu. The virus attacks the upper respiratory system. These are the symptoms of cold. The symptoms of flu are more terrible than cold and grow very rapidly. They are high fever, runny nose, sore throat, nasal congestion, chills, fatigue and nausea, vomiting, eye pain and extreme headache. Symptoms are extremely important when trying to differentiate between flu and a cold. As stated before, the symptoms of flu are more severe when compared to the symptoms of cold. Also, it is easier to get over cold than flu. The biggest clue will be recalling any incident of exposure to patients having either flu or cold. Even after thorough analysis, if it is difficult to reach any clear conclusion, a doctor should be consulted. A swab is taken from the nasal track or throat and the results are determined an hour after the test is taken.
No antibiotics work on these viruses. Intake of antibiotics cannot better the condition in any way whatsoever. Also, there are chances of secondary bacterial infections like sinus or ear infection. The child should be administered with fluids and a cool mist humidifier to suppress the symptoms and to help him feel better. Medications are available over the counter which can be bought depending on the symptoms of the infected. Antiviral medicines are available for the treatment of flu, which hasten the recovery process. But the medicines are effective only when given within forty eight hours after the onset of flu symptoms. Runny nose, especially of infants and kids who cannot blow their nose, can be taken care of with the help of a bulb syringe or nasal drop. If flu isn’t treated at the right time, it can worsen the health of the infected and can also lead to pneumonia.
Flu is a very commonly spreading infection among school going kids. According to a research, nearly twenty percent of Americans are infected with flu every year and nearly twenty thousand people die because of it. The only way to prevent the child from contracting these virus is by getting him/her a flu shot before the flu season or as recommended by the physician. The vaccine is either administered through a shot or nasal spray. Regular dosage will strengthen the immune system by constructing antibodies. The nasal spray vaccine contains live weakened viruses and shots contain completely dead viruses. By any chance, if the child does get exposed to the virus, he/she should be given medicine meant for flu patients, immediately. More than hundred viruses are known which cause cold. A lesser number of viruses are known to causes flu. That is the reason why there is a shot for flu and not cold.
But flu shot cannot be taken by anyone or everyone. People who complain of allergic reactions from previous flu shots, people who have the Guillain-Barre syndrome and people allergic to eggs are not eligible for flu shots. It is highly recommended to take advice from a physician before getting vaccinated. Children and elderly should be given nasal spray vaccination, but instead they should opt for flu shots. Out of total population, there are certain people who have a greater probability of getting flu. Children up to five years of age, elders older than sixty five years, nursing home residents, pregnant women, patients with long term problems regarding health, and health care workers who come directly in contact with flu patients.
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