I am one of the three million Australians who suffer from hay fever. Every time springtime arrives so does the runny nose, itchy eyes and constant sneezing and wheezing as my body’s immune system goes to battle with allergies.

Hay fever or seasonal allergic rhinitis as some people call it is caused by common allergens in particular airborne pollen from flowers, trees and grasses, and can affect people all year round however springtime is hay fever time for me. Although not generally regarded as a serious condition, hay fever can severely affect your quality of life by interfering with your ability to work, sleep, exercise and socialise. I was once admitted to hospital (beginning of Springtime) after experiencing a rush engulf my body from my toes to my head ending in a massive headache, this sparks all kinds of concerns ending with the doctor concluding you have very bad sinus, in other words hay fever.

There appears to be no exact day I am going to suffer from the symptoms of hay fever, probably because the pollen levels on any given day are affected by temperature, humidity and the speed and direction of the wind. I have even felt the time of day can have a bearing on the symptoms of hay fever, as plants flower early in the day, making pollen counts particularly high between dawn and mid-morning.

My question is why me? Well I am told firstly, hay fever only affects people who have a tendency towards allergies (yet I am not allergic to insects), which occur when the body (immune system) has an exaggerated response to a substance that is normally tolerated by the body. These substances known as allergens initiate an immune response causing certain cells in the nose and eyes to release inflammatory histamines. These histamines inflame and irritate membranes of the nose and eyes causing a typical allergic response including blocked noses, runny noses, sneezing, and coughing and eye itchiness, among others.

Secondly, for hay fever to strike, you must be exposed to or come into contact with an allergen. Therefore to reduce the symptoms of hay fever you need to avoid exposure as much as possible.

So I have put together some tips for minimising the contact, to reduce the symptoms and put some normality back into my life, these include:

• Number one – avoid going outdoors on particularly high wind days when the pollen count is generally high, some online weather site can provide this if you are internet savvy!
• Number two – look at what is growing in your garden, and designing your garden in a way that minimises grasses and plant pollen; however I my case it is not what grows in my garden it is more what grows in the neighbours garden!
• Number three – pollens/ dust can hide in carpets and rugs so we have removed all carpets from the house and now live on polished floor boards and tiles.
• Number four – Maintain a dust free house, (dust mites contribute to hat fever) yes this means cleaning more regularly, vacuuming frequently to prevent any build-up of dust, as well as washing bedding and furnishing regularly
• Number five – choosing your pets carefully, animals that loses lots of hair aren’t ideal for hay fever sufferers, however if you do washing them and their bedding regularly may reduce the symptoms.
• Number six – first thing in the morning and throughout the day wash away the pollen from your eyes in other words continually rinsing your eyes, not only does it refresh you, it helps flush away pollen particles.
• Number seven – Boost your immune system. We have always taken vitamin C, for colds, and from research it known to decrease histamine levels, and possible reduce symptoms. Horseradish contains compounds that may reduce respiratory congestion, possibly reducing running noses. And finally due to the fact that congested sinuses are a breeding ground for bacteria, I have had ear infection from time to time, so it was suggested to me garlic may prevent this because of its antimicrobial properties and like vitamin C also has immunostimulant properties in other words an agent that stimulates the immune system.

Above all don’t stress, stress can cause your immune system to function below its optimal level, hay fever for me is a seasonal condition, and I know it will ease after a few weeks, so I spend most weekends at the beach in clear air and lots of salt water that also works wonders for the sinuses.

I am all “geeked up” about the upcoming summer movie season. Have you seen the movies coming out? This summer Xmen, Captain America, Thor, and Green Lantern will be exploding onto movie screens everywhere! This season looks as if it will be way better than Summer 2010 because between you and I, 2010 sucked big time! I thought Ironman 2 was cool but it seemed to be missing something, don’t ya think? In my opinion, the summer 2011 movie season kicks off May 6th when Thor finally arrives in theaters. I saw the trailers for it late last year and had it “penciled” in on my calendar since then! I get a little excited about these movies because I was a comic book fan when I was younger so if you see more exclamation marks than normal you now know why!!!!!;) I am so glad they’re making these movies when they have the right technology and special effects. At least it’s believable now, and it doesn’t look like those old Godzilla movies where you know there’s a man in a monster suit walking over cardboard buildings on a movie set. TG for technology is all I can say!

Since we are going to be talking about superheroes, let me ask a question? If these heroes are so super why is it they always seem to have a weakness? For Thor, he’s preoccupied with his hammer and tends to lose sight of his other powers. Everyone knows Superman’s achille’s heel is Kryptonite. Even super villains have their weakness. Don’t believe me? Well… Mxyzptlk can be banished to the 5th dimension if he’s tricked into saying his name backwards. You might have to “google” that to find it but if you are an ol’ Superfriends head like me, you won’t need to! I am almost inclined to believe having weaknesses make these characters human so mere mortals like you and I can relate to them. But… I’ve seen many people get caught up into thinking they are indestructible superheroes until a health issue pops up to remind them of their own personal kryptonite. Matter of fact, it happened to me not long ago.

Wheat Allergy Symptoms

Back when I was in the corporate world, I had my share of company meetings. You know the ones where they say the same thing 50 gazillion times but they try to disguise it like it’s new information? Well, part of those meetings and the only good thing about them was lunch was provided free and clear! Who doesn’t like a free lunch every now and then? That lunch would usually be pizza or sandwiches. Now, I have a weakness for pizza and even though I’m lactose intolerant a “brotha” will take a chance every now and then and eat it. Most of time when the lunch was over, the meeting would continue and I would drift into what I called “Wile E Coyoteism.” If you don’t know who that is, it’s the character who always chased the Road Runner but was too slow to catch him. This is exactly how I felt after eating pizza as everything seemed to slow down and sleepiness set in. It was hell fighting sleep in those meetings, let me tell you! It wasn’t until this year I found out I had a gluten sensitive issue mainly through following Sean Croxton’s Underground Wellness blog. Big ups to Sean for bringing this to my attention! I took my suspicion to an alternative doctor and sure enough she confirmed it.

Here are some symptoms I experienced:

*Fatigue
*Sleepiness
*Flatulence (farting… I ain’t scared to say it)

Other effects of wheat allergy or gluten sensitivity may include:

• Skin rash
• Diarrhea
• Bloated Stomach
• Headache

Food allergies can affect different people in different ways. I sat down with a friend of mine and she told me her son would always cry and get emotional and it wasn’t until he was tested and confirmed as having a food allergy that they eliminated the food and thus the symptoms. See how deep this can be!

Celiac Symptoms

Celiac disease which is another way of saying you have an intolerance to gluten can affect the body in different ways depending on the individual. The symptoms can be mild to severe and consist of the malabsorption of minerals and vitamins which can be detrimental to the body’s overall health.

Here are several symptoms of Celiac:

*Infertility
*Weight Loss
*Iron Deficiency
*Obesity

Oddly enough, I have read many times where fitness trainers who train women tell them to eliminate gluten from their diet if they struggle with losing weight. The biggest danger associated with Celiac in my humble opinion is the way it affects the small intestine by damaging the villi (lining of the small intestine) which leads me to believe it may contribute to the breakdown of the immune system since it’s located partly in the digestive system. As a secondary concern, Celiac can lead to malnourishment which is already happening as our foods aren’t as nutrient dense as they once were. So if you have Celiac Disease or suspect you do this is a double whammy!

Celiac Test

Is there a test for Celiac? There sure is and an at home kit can be bought to do it. I would advise against this unless you don’t have a naturopath or alternative health practitioner located in your area. Most conventionally trained doctors don’t test for Celiac and even if you are referred to an Allergist chances are it might involve shots when all you need to do is a simple change of diet and gluten free products to alleviate the symptoms. In any event, seek medical attention before your superhero Thor persona starts looking and feeling like Ol Yeller. Just remember this…allergies are not just a result of sneezing from pollen but can also be attributed to reactions from the food you’ve been eating for years. Be a conscious eater ya’ll! Over and out!

Allergic reactions from food are one of the most persistent. It has yet to be discovered why some people react one way to foods, while others don’t. The only thing that is known is that as soon as an allergen to food hits, the symptoms won’t be too far behind.

A particularly tough food allergy, the gluten allergy, causes people to be extremely sensitive to gluten. Celiac disease, related to it, affects the lower intestines. How it occurs is that, when any food with gluten in it hits the small intestines, the intestines retaliate by attacking the lining.

Canadian generic viagra

This weakens the stomach and can possibly lead to very serious problems with health down the road. It is this lining that takes care of the body’s absorbing of the nutrients in the food that we eat. After weakening of this lining, it becomes very hard for us to convert food to fuel.

Gluten allergy can become present in children, soon after the baby is starting to eat solids. It is not clear what the reasons for gluten allergies becoming developed in people, but the only cure once it starts is to just not take in gluten ever again.

Gluten is common in foods that contain wheat. This includes pasta, bread and any baked creations, all of which people suffering gluten allergies should avoid entirely. You can also find gluten in pastries and breakfast cereals, and biscuits, sauces and instant soups.

Making it more difficult to diagnose, gluten problems in children and adults are not the same. Children have a hard time growing normally, may suffer unexplained weight loss, and have a problem eating. They may also vomit and diarrhea regularly. With their lower intestines damaged, all of the minerals and vitamins they are taking in just aren’t doing them a great deal of good. Without the benefit of using minerals and vitamins, children take on a guant, pale look, with no energy to boot.

For adults, things can happen much the same way, however they have the added trouble of either diarrhea or constipation and losing weight to make things difficult for them. Add to this harsh fatigue, lethargy, ulcers in their mouth, depression and pain in their bones, and adults just don’t have an easy time of it.

As with any other food allergy, treating sufferers of gluten allergies starts the same: avoiding the allergen. Lucky for suffers of gluten allergies, food manufacturers are devising substitutes to help out, such as sunflower oil instead of regular oil, and going for the wine, while staying away from beer.

Medications can help gluten allergy sufferers. However, gluten sufferers don’t show external signs, like other food allergies that show off a rash on the skin. Gluten allergies attack from within, so that detecting it is not easy to do. With pain erupting from the small intestines, oral medication can ease it, and vitamin supplements can help give what isn’t being taken in normally.

The important thing for gluten allergy sufferers is to keep a close eye on what they eat. Get into label reading to find all things wheat to avoid. Only practiced self-discipline will win the battle. The best diet for celiac disease sufferers is anything with seafood and fish, eggs, nuts and vegetables, fruit and salads, rice and meat, and eggs and all things dairy.

If a sufferer doesn’t treat their disease, then anemia or bone disease can result, and this can also make the way to some type of cancer down the road. Keeping gluten foods out of the diet is the biggest treatment success. The less gluten eaten, the greater the chance of better health as they get older.