Some people end up with more than a headache following a holiday party. For many Americans, ingredients in both food and beverages can trigger allergy and asthma symptoms.
An allergen is an otherwise harmless substance that the immune system mistakes as being harmful. There are many types of allergens and conditions caused by them. Some people are allergic to lots of things. Some people are allergic to only one thing or to very few things. What a person is allergic to is determined by many different factors, including the environment, a person’s genes, and the way the immune system works. Here are the nine most common types of allergens.
Researchers at The Medical College of Wisconsin investigating latex allergy in healthcare workers have demonstrated that the most effective public health strategy to prevent allergic sensitization is by stopping the use of powdered latex gloves. Previous medical studies pointed out this association of latex allergy to powdered latex glove use but were not able to completely confirm this link in specific workers.
The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) announced the 2011 Fall Allergy Capitals™ rankings, and this season, Knoxville, Tennessee was rated the #1 Fall Allergy Capital due to high pollen counts, high use of allergy medications by patients and too few allergists to treat the burgeoning allergy population.