Common Allergies and Symptoms

How Strange Allergy Symptoms
Can Affect Sensitive Skin

These common allergies and symptoms often accompany the skin problems, rashes and inflammation that go along with sensitive skin. Here you will learn why and discover natural and non-toxic home remedies for allergies that can also help to clear your sensitive skin!

What Causes Allergies?

What causes allergies? Allergies generally are caused by immune system hypersensitivity. Our bodies respond to irritants in the environment such as chemicals, toxins, foods, pollen, smoke, animal dander, and create an inflammatory response.

In today's world many of us are experiencing an overabundance of toxins, irritants and potential allergens in our environment. Our air and water supplies contain many toxins, as do the soils we grow our foods on. Foods we eat today contain less nutrition, more environmental toxins and more salicylates which can further irritate our bodies.

In addition to these stresses, our daily lives are more stressful now than in years past, which takes a toll on our immune system and can lead to common allergies and symptoms as well as skin problems.

How do Allergies Affect Your Skin?

When our immune system develops a defensive reaction to substances that are normally not harmful, such as dust or pollen, then the body produces chemicals such as histamine which attempt to fight off the perceived threat. Histamine causes symptoms of inflammation and irritation.

This can happen more often when your immune system is more stressed. For example if you are going through a job change, or relocating, or are dealing with the death of a loved one or a life crisis, you are more likely to develop common allergies and symptoms, skin rashes and other inflammatory responses.

Common Allergy Symptoms

These are some common allergies and symptoms.

• Itching
• Skin rashes
• Hives
• Runny nose
• Itchy, watery eyes
• Exhaustion
• Feeling sick

Food allergy symptoms can include:

• Stomach cramps
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea

Insect sting allergies can cause:

• Swelling
• Redness
• Pain

A severe allergic reaction is called anaphylaxis, which is a life threatening, whole body allergic reaction. Anaphylaxis creates severe hives, swelling of the face, eyelids and throat, difficulty breathing, heart arrhythmias and other serious symptoms which require immediate medical attention.

Types of Allergies

One of the most common allergies is allergic rhinitis, also known as hay fever.

Another very common allergy is asthma, which is caused by irritating substances such as mold, pollens and dust, animal dander, infection, smoke, pollutants, chemicals sprayed on crops, medications or even exercise.

Another common allergy is eczema or allergic dermatitis which produces itching and skin rashes.

Related to allergic dermatitis is contact dermatitis, a skin inflammation from exposure to irritating plants, chemicals, medications or metals. Some people who wear gold jewelry develop contact dermatitis from the nickel that is blended with the gold.

Hives or urticaria is an unpleasant allergic skin rash that is thought to thought to be caused by a food allergy or medications.

Home Remedies for Allergies

There are many home remedies for allergies that can bring relief to common allergies and symptoms. Some herbs can be effective as antihistamines, and they have fewer side effects ... if you are not allergic to the herbs!

Some herbs that have antihistamine properties include:

• Butterbur
• Nettles
• Goldenseal

A gentle home nasal wash made from sea salt and warm water can help to reduce nasal congestion and thin out mucous. You can add a small amount goldenseal to the wash to increase the healing properties.

Grape seed extract and quercetin with vitamin C are useful home remedies for allergies. Quercertin is present naturally in many fresh fruits and vegetables, and also available as a nutritional supplement. Quercertin may help to inhibit histamine production.

Eating hot, spicy foods can help to open up your breathing and thin the mucous congestion. Make sure you're not allergic to any of the spices first! Some common spices that help to clear congestion are:

• Ginger
• Cayenne
• Fenugreek
• Garlic
• Onion
• Horseradish

Avoiding irritating foods can help to reduce the stress on your body. What is irritating for one person may be completely fine for another person, so the best way to discover foods that may be irritating is to keep a food diary of everything you eat each day. Make a note of when you develop allergy symptoms.

If you notice that a specific food you are eating is causing stomach upset or other common allergies and symptoms, stop eating it. Food intolerance can increase your allergic responses. If you still are not sure about which foods may be irritating, you can also get a food intolerance test or a food allergy test from your doctor.

If you have weed pollen allergies like ragweed allergy, avoid these foods and herbs which may make your symptoms worse:

• Sunflower seeds
• Banana
• Melon
• Cucumber
• Chamomile
• Echinacea

Best Allergy Medicine

Sometimes common allergies and symptoms become so intense that you need some medication to relieve the symptoms and to help your body to find some peace and balance. If you need allergy medicine, see your doctor to find the best allergy medicine for your symptoms.

Some of the most common allergy medicines are:

• Decongestants to reduce stuffiness
• Antihistamines to reduce itching
• Nasal sprays to open airways
• Eye drops to stop itching and watering eyes
• Allergy shots to accustom your body to the allergens it is sensitive to

A Very Simple Way to Reduce Your
Exposure to Allergens

There is a very simple change to your daily routine that could make a big difference in your allergies.

Did you know that you may be reacting to any one of the 130 plus chemical ingredients that you put on your skin, hair or teeth every day through your skin care and personal care products?

Did you know that skincare and personal care products are not regulated and that many of these ingredients that you put on your skin can cause irritation, allergic reactions or other health effects? Please see our safe cosmetics page for more information about this.

One very simple thing you can do to reduce your exposure to allergens is to use safer skin care products that do not have harmful ingredients.

By eliminating chemical irritants, botanicals, and most allergy producing substances from your products, your immune system will experience less stress, and you might just see your allergies and skin rashes start to clear up!

More Help for Common Allergies and Symptoms

Many of the recommendations in my free eBook not only help to clear your skin problems, but can help to relieve many allergy symptoms. Please download your copy today while it is still free: Clear ANY Skin Problem Naturally