The dust mite is a tiny bug. It is a member or the spider and tick family. There are numerous types of mite, but the domestic dust mite which has been linked to allergy likes to live in beds and carpets. It won’t bite you, but it excretes very fine droppings which are HIGHLY ALLERGIC to […]
Eczema
May 24, 2011 by
Eczema is an itchy, weeping, scaly skin condition which mainly affects babies and children, but can persist into adult life. In babies it tends to occur on the face, trunk and nappy (diaper) area, and in this age group there is a strong association with food allergy. Many babies settle down when they are switched […]
Hay Fever
May 24, 2011 by
If you think about it, hay fever is a strange term…it’s not usually due to hay (although it can be), and there is no fever or elevation of body temperature. The origin of the name is historical. Early in the 19th Century, it was noted that some people living in the British countryside developed sneezing, […]
Itchy Skin
May 24, 2011 by
Nothing drives a person to distraction more than itchy skin! Sometimes the skin looks normal but it is incredibly itchy. Sometimes there is a rash that is itchy. And, quite commonly, scratching causes a rash – usually wheals and whelts like mosquito bites – where you have scratched. There are only three causes for an […]
Major allergy attacks with collapse and swelling [called anaphylaxis]
May 24, 2011 by
Sudden severe allergy can be deadly. The body may react so violently to a foreign substance that huge amounts of histamine are released. Histamine is a normal chemical of the body. It is stored in various parts of the body, especially in the skin and the wet linings of the airways and bowel. In other […]
Pollens
May 24, 2011 by
Grass and tree pollens are a major cause of allergy in Australia. About 30% of the population is allergic to these tiny packets of concentrated protein which are so light that they are carried by the wind. These pollens cause seasonal hay fever and seasonal asthma. Which season? Usually spring and early summer, but in […]
Sinus problems
May 24, 2011 by
The thing about sinus problems – if you’ve got “sinus”, you usually won’t get much sympathy from someone who has never suffered from it. You can tell them about headaches and congestion and fatigue and poor concentration and inability to work, but they won’t be impressed. But you and I know how severe the problem […]
