Taking a Food Intolerance Test is becoming ever more popular as people associate symptoms such as indigestion, stomach cramps, headaches, insomnia and constipation with food intolerances.

There are many different types of food intolerance tests available (eg the RAST test, York test, Vega Testing) and over the years I have tried most in my nutrition clinic.

These tests all work to some extent, but the trouble I find is that the results from each food intolerance test varies by person, on a day-to-day basis, as our individual body chemistry changes. I also find that these food intolerance tests can be expensive and a hassle, as they may involve a visit to a specialist clinic or involve having to take a blood sample at home and then posting it and waiting a few days for the results.

Luckily I have now found a much simpler food test which gives instant results. It is quick and easy to do and costs nothing. I can do it on my patients and then teach them how to do it on themselves or on their friends and family in just a couple of minutes.

I know this sounds too good to be true but I assure you what I say is true. The food intolerance test I refer to is based on kinesiology and energy medicine. It involves doing a simple resistance muscle test on your arm and shoulder to see if a certain food is good for your body or if that food is likely to weaken the body.

This form of testing has actually been around for many years and used to identify food intolerances in many different healing modalities such as kinesiology, osteopathy, naturopathy and even by some Doctors nowadays.

If you’d like to learn how to do this simple food intolerance test you can see instructions by following this link – Food Intolerance Test 1. Here you will see full instructions on how to do this test.

In addition to using the muscles in your arm and shoulder to test for intolerances, you can use other parts of your body such as your fingers and legs. I have now learnt 5 different energy medicine techniques which I use myself at different times to test which foods suit my body best at that time.

Two of the tests need someone to do the test with you, but the other three I can just do myself. One of them is so simple I can do it when out in restaurants or shops to help identify which food to pick at that time. I learnt these tests from a great DVD called Food Testing Made Simple which as well as teaching me the ways to do food testing, showed me energy exercises, which I now use on a regular basis to help keep my body strong and able to tolerate most foods.

Among all that leafy growth, however, poison ivy also grows. Every year, many outdoor lovers suffer from ivy rashes. How can you treat poison ivy once you’ve gotten it? And is there anything you can do to prevent getting a rash in the first place?

Prevention & Treatment of Poison Ivy Rashes

It would make sense to try and prevent ivy rashes to begin with. If you love being outdoors, chances are you will encounter ivy and you may not always be able to avoid coming in contact with it. It’s not also reasonable to wear long-sleeve pants and shirts. Even then, you may still get poison ivy on exposed parts of your body. If this is a regular problem for you, you may want to try a poison ivy cream. These creams are a sort of poison ivy block. IvyBlock, Ivy Shield, and Tecnu block the plant’s resin from contacting your skin.

If you do come in contact with poison ivy, a basic method of preventing poison ivy rashes is to wash right away with soap and water. The sooner, the better, as you’ll be able to wash off a better part of the resin on your skin. However, you may not be able to do this or even realize you need to in some cases. Products like Zanfel can be applied after the fact to prevent a rash from forming. If you plan to be far from civilization, and therefore a sink and soap, consider carrying a product like this with you.

What about after the fact? You’ve been exposed, you didn’t wash it off, and now you have a rash? There are different ways to deal with the itching and blistering. There is no cure so you just have to cope with the symptoms and wait for the rash to go away on its own (about three weeks). Calamine lotion is a common aid to reducing the itchiness but it also dries up blisters and helps the rash to heal faster. Cortisone can help with itching in some cases as well. Taking cool baths with baking soda or oatmeal mixed in can reduce itchiness. Cold compresses and pastes of baking soda applied on the rash also help with the symptoms.

If your ivy rashes gets worse or is covering a good portion of your body, you may want to see a doctor. Sometimes calamine lotion and oatmeal baths are not enough. If the symptoms are bad enough, you may need to go on a regimen of prednisone or another oral medication to heal. If this is the case, make sure you take the full prescribed amount; don’t stop just because you’re feeling better. The ivy could return and be just as bad or worse if you don’t completely kill it with the medication.

In summary, try to prevent poison ivy rashes with a poison ivy cream such as IvyBlock. Wash off the affected skin as soon as possible or apply a preventative like Zanfel. When you have a rash, try calamine lotion, baking soda, and cold compresses to cope with the itching. And if things are looking bad or you’re covered over a good portion of your body, see a doctor.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Pieter_West

Having hay fever is quite similar to having a constant flu: it interferes with every aspect of your daily life and may even disrupt something important, such as a job interview, or a meeting, or an exam, for example. Far from pleasant, isn’t it? However, a lot of people still have no idea that there are in fact several simple ways to minimize the effects of hay fever. Here are a few selected methods and techniques for dealing with hay fever:

• Start taking some hay fever medications prescribed by your family physician before the pollen starts to appear. Taking action beforehand is very important: it can help you prevent hay fever symptoms developing at a later stage. The best preventive remedy depends largely on your symptoms. You may even need a combination of several antihistamine pills, nasal sprays and eye drops.
• Take a spoonful of honey after meals every day. Important: the honey must be locally produced for the best effect. This helps build your immune system.
• Keep windows closed from early morning until late in the afternoon. It is exactly the times when pollen levels are high. Keep car windows closed and turn your air conditioning system on to a closed circle, so that the pollination outside air does not get into the car.
• Stop consuming alcoholic beverages – they aggravate hay fever symptoms. Beer, wine and other alcoholic drinks contain histamine – a chemical that triggers the symptoms of allergies in the body. If you smoke – it’s also a good idea to quit, as nicotine only worsens any hay fever symptoms.
• Wearing big, wide sunglasses helps to protect your eyes from pollen. Women whose eyes get sore because of hay fever are strongly advised to use hypoallergenic makeup. Check at your local pharmacy for more advice on this.
• Put a tiny drop of petroleum jelly in each nostril. This will stop pollen from entering your nasal passages, and you’ll be able to ‘survive’ the streets.
• When the pollen counts are especially high, make sure you dry all your washing inside, to make sure no pollen gets onto it.
• Before entering your bedroom, take off any of your ‘outside’ clothes that you wore in the street. Take a quick shower and wash your hair before bedtime, otherwise pollen will be all over your pillow. If you’re too tired, brush your hair with a few hairbrush strokes and wear a shower cap.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_Shrowb

Poison Ivy, poison sumac and poison Oak all belong to the family of Rhus. These plants are mainly found along mountain trails and around lakes. These plants contains urushiol which is chemical oil. The oil is released by the plant when someone touches it. There are many people who are allergic to urushiol that is why they experiences, rashes, redness and allergic when they come into contact with these plants.

People who are allergic to these plant can suffer from rashes, redness and other allergic reactions while coming into contact with this plant. Rashes caused by them are experienced by various campers, trekkers and hikers. In this article, I would mainly like to give you some detailed information about these plant.

1. Is Poison Ivy Contagious
If you are standing close to them then you would not get any rashes, you would not be affected by the plant when you actually touch it. The chemical oil urushiol is contained in the branches, leaves, roots and the bark of the plant that is why as soon as you touch then you would be contaminated. In the winters alos this plant can be harmful for you if you touch any of its parts. They should never be burnt because the smoke emitted by the plant can really cause some serious reactions.

2. Poison Ivy
If is not at all true that poison Ivy is contagious. The rash that you get after coming into the contact with this plant looks very dangerous but the true fact is that it is not at all contagious. The fluid that comes out of the rash blisters also does not cause the rashes to spread further. The rashes can only get worse if you come in contact with clothes that were contaminated by them. You must always wash your clothes very carefully after you have come into contact with this plant.

3. The time period for which poison Ivy is contagious
It is a myth that poison Ivy is contagious but if you are suffering from the rashes then it would take at least two to three days to get cured. There are various special medicines available in the market that can help in curing the itch that is cause by the plant. If you want you can also use various home remedies for quick relief.

Well these are some essential things that you must remember about the rashes that are caused by them.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kevin_P_Rich

Mucus, a gelatinous fluid secreted by the membranes around important organs acts as a very good frontline defense for bacteria. In case of the nasal cavities, mucus prevents irritants in the air, pollutants and dangerous microbes like bacteria and fungi from entering into the system and going to the lungs where they could be devastating. Mucus and the cilia which are nothing more than projections in the nasal lining that constantly move pushing out the mucus, protect the body from entry of microbial organisms that can prove harmful.

Sinusitis mucus often leads to situations where either the mucus discharge is too thick making it difficult to flow, or the cilia become immobile thus not helping push the mucus discharge towards the throat. The buildup of this mucus is what causes most of the symptoms of sinusitis and further aggravates the condition.

Mucus can be secreted in many different colors depending on the cause and the situation. Clear mucus is part of a post nasal drip and causes a running nose by constantly dripping out from the back of the nose. Green mucus is relatively more dangerous as it signifies sinusitis in most of the cases. It is also relatively thicker leading to congestion, breathing difficulties and gradual ineffectiveness of cilia. Green mucus is most often due to a viral infection and the one way to treat this situation is by using homeopathy, ayurvedic and herbal remedies that enhance the immunity of the body thus affecting the root cause of the mucus.

Yellow colored mucus signifies the internal struggle of the immunity system against the bacterial infection. Mucus usually turns yellow from green indicating that the stagnated thick mucus has been infected with bacteria. This is a cause of concern as it affects the body in various ways like loss of smell, swelling of the linings and headaches, increased pressure on the nasal cavities and eventual chances of eyeball and brain cavities to be infected. Brown colored mucus is potentially the sign of sinusitis in heavy smokers. The tobacco smoke hurts the internal mucus linings and in some cases erodes it thus reducing the functionality. It is characterized by a nasal discharge that produces a burning sensation, and constant throbbing pain in the delicate bones of the nasal cavity.

Brown mucus discharge could also be due to bleeding. Blood streaked mucus is generally because of rupture of blood vessels in the nasal passage due to extreme dryness or the excess pressure caused by frequent blowing of nose. Consuming alcohol, chocolates and garlic also cause a brownish mucus discharge that may or may not have blood in it. White mucus is often seen when excess mucus discharge causes vomiting. White mucus is also formed due to dairy products especially milk. High pressure in the nose along with sharp pain in the sinus cavities are the other symptoms.

Whatever is the mucus color, excess dripping or inability of the nose to make the mucus flow indicate abnormal conditions where the body is affected by sinusitis. The defense of the body against infection in such cases is weakened further paving way for bacteria and fungi to attack. Hence one should treat sinusitis as soon as possible and avoid stagnation of mucus. Warm tea aroma or steam vapors are effective in improving the fluidity of the mucus and preventing it from settling down in the nose.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Adam_J_Bradley

As early as the 1930′s it was theorized that constant or repeated exposure to an allergen put exhaustive stress on the body, including the immune system. Ultimately this exposure has a negative effect on the body’s defenses and leaves it open to illness and other medical complications. In addition, these allergens can have a degenerative effect on energy levels which results in chronic fatigue and other more serious health problems. Under the Allergic Tension-Fatigue Syndrome theory if you remove the allergen you will relieve the not only the allergy symptoms but also the underlying medical conditions caused by the drain on energy levels.

While there can always be many potential causes for various illnesses or conditions, one of those causes may be undetected allergies. One of the most common causes for fatigue problems is allergies yet awareness of them may remain hidden for years. Removing the allergen may sound like a simple solution but what if you can’t get away from the allergens? What if you can’t even identify them?

To most people an allergic reaction implies you have breathed, eaten, or touched something that causes your body to sneeze, cough, itch, swell, make your eyes water and/or your nose run. But allergies can also be the root cause for a wide range of ailments including but not limited to:

>Gastrointestinal ailments such as indigestion, constipation, ulcers, etc.

>Headaches & migraines

>Backaches

>Arthritis, joint pain, restless leg syndrome, etc.

>Brain symptoms such as brain fog, depression & attention-deficit disorders

>Skin problems including rashes, boils, slow healing wounds, etc.

>Heart irregularities

Modern life assaults our bodies from without as well as within. We are exposed to chemicals in the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat.

Consider this. At the turn of the century bread making required only whole grains, water, butter, baker’s yeast, and a little sweetener to help the yeast rise. Today a modern loaf of bread may contain more than 100 different ingredients, including preservatives, coloring agents, insecticides, pesticides, and fungicides, as well as chemical residue from various packaging and cleaning procedures. These can sensitize an immune system and cause us to react negatively to many other substances.

Our bodies are still biologically programmed to reside in a much simpler environment. Is it any wonder that the number of people complaining of allergic reactions has increased dramatically? At the same time traditional Western style medical schools and journals are broadening their definitions of allergies and recognizing that the immune system, when under a perceived attack, will respond in many different ways leading to the ailments mentioned above.

In the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Sept. 19, 2002 there was an article about findings published in the New England Journal of Medicine that counter decades of conventional thought regarding dust and allergies. Where it was always thought that dust causes allergies and therefore should be avoided, a European study has shown that household dust actually helps protect children from developing hay fever or asthma. The same has been found for children exposed to pets at an early age.

Conventional diagnosis has been to expose the body to small, concentrated doses of potential allergens by injecting the substance under the skin. The areas that show swelling and itching indicate an allergic reaction. Treatment usually consists of a long series of “allergy shots” over an extended period of time. Each shot contains minute amounts of the allergen and the theory is that the body will slowly build up a resistance.

Just as conventional thoughts about the cause and effects of allergies are being challenged and changed, so are treatments for allergies. Today there are several non-invasive, drug and needle free options for diagnosing and treating allergies that have provided relief for 10s of 1,000′s of people. These techniques typically use a type of bio feedback mechanism to identify the allergen and then, in very simple, general terms, use a form of pressure point and breathing to reset the body so it does not react to the allergen. The most well known of these is NAET but there are numerous other non-invasive methods available.

If you suffer with chronic fatigue without a known cause you may want to explore the possibility that you are suffering from Allergic Tension-Fatigue Syndrome and work to discover whether or not you have “hidden” allergies.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Raymond_Alexander

A corn allergy can often go undetected in the United States due to its high prevalence in processed foods. Corn, in some form or another, can also be found in almost every fast food item. In addition to that, corn allergy symptoms vary widely from person to person. While some need only smell popcorn to have a severe reaction, others are somewhat more tolerant and have less severe reaction which is difficult to connect to corn.

The best way to know if you are allergic to corn is to get an allergy test done by a qualified allergist. Barring that, keeping a food diary can be very helpful in checking and cross checking which foods were found to be offensive. But what symptoms are associated with a corn allergy?

Those who suffer with a corn allergy, in its severe form, might go into anaphylactic shock. Most people with this severe allergy to corn know what they are allergic to. However, many suffer their entire lives with symptoms that range from obesity to inflammation to sinus congestion.

Inflammation is one of the most common symptoms. A corn allergy sufferer may not even realize they are swollen because they have gotten used to it. If you wake up tired, have difficulty getting on your knees, think you may have arthritis, notice ankle swelling or overall achy body, you may actually be allergic to corn. If not corn, you may be suffering from some other allergy and it would be prudent to visit an allergist to know for sure.

Most corn allergy sufferers are exhausted and as they age, it usually gets worse. They feel better before they ate than after. Usually, they have trouble making it through the day and around late afternoon, have nearly had it. Many who have corn allergies have been diagnosed with other illnesses. The exhaustion is so terrible sometimes, that after having been exposed to corn, the only thing a corn allergy sufferer can do is sleep it off.

Abdominal troubles are extremely common among those with corn allergies. Some have been misdiagnosed with IBS, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, or other bowel related sicknesses. Your doctor may have told you that you need more fiber. After you eat, your stomach becomes severely bloated. You may experience excessive burping or gas. In extreme times, you may have been to the ER with vomiting or you have experienced what some doctors refer to as “blow outs” where you struggle with alternating constipation then the sudden diarrhea.

Chronic sinus problems are a telltale sign that you may be suffering from a food allergy. My own son suffered for years with shiners, tired eyes, stuffy and runny nose as well as post nasal drip. All of those symptoms were related to corn. He had trouble breathing and even bouts with sleep apnea as a small child.

Pre-diabetic and insulin resistance symptoms can actually be corn allergies. A few times, after nearly passing out after eating, I had wondered if I were becoming diabetic. I had all the symptoms of a pre-diabetic, of someone who was insulin resistant. I even took medication for hypothyroidism. These, of all the symptoms, were by far the scariest. I felt dizzy, in a fog, and cold most of the time. I couldn’t garden or exercise as I was afraid I would start to get the shakes. Something was clearly wrong.

As we whittled away at high fructose corn syrup, corn starch, monosodium glutamate, dextrose and eventually switched to sea salt, our corn allergy symptoms began to disappear. My son and I both experienced a rebirth of sorts. My son’s nose is clear and his shiners are gone. I planted two trees without passing out. My ankle swelling is nearly gone and we both lost a significant amount of weight without dieting. It’s simply a miracle that we figured out the connection between corn and our symptoms. Now, we are on the road to recovery and the quality of our lives is absolutely one thousand percent better.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kimberly_Arslan

Sinus infections don’t just form on their own; normal sinuses do not present the right conditions for a sinus infection, or sinusitis, to develop.  A progression of factors has to occur first.

Road To Sinus Infection In Children—Blockage

Normally functioning sinuses can clear mucus and congestion on their own, and so sinus infections do not have the opportunity to develop.  Often children with allergies can continue to clear nasal congestion and will not experience a sinus infection.

When the sinuses become blocked, however, mucus builds up and creates the perfect breeding ground for bacteria, fungi, and viruses—a moist, warm, enclosed space with a medium for growth.

There are a few ways that allergies can cause sinus blockages that result in sinus infections.

• Continuous production of mucus in large amounts is too much for the child’s drainage system to handle, so mucus causes congestion that backs up into or remains in the sinus cavities.
• Dry, crusted mucus blocks the exits of the sinus drains
• Swelling and inflammation narrow sinus drainage points

Road To Sinus Infection In Children—Inflammation

Inflammation is considered a symptom of sinus infection in children.  It can either cause the infection if a cold or allergy irritates nasal and sinus linings, or it can result from a sinus infection after pathogens have set in.  In either case, inflammation exacerbates drainage problems and creates a better environment for bacterial, viral, and fungal growth.

Road To Sinus Infection In Children—Aggravators

Certain factors aggravate nasal allergy symptoms and sinuses, and can make sinuses more receptive to infection.  The presence of any of the following puts a child at a chance of developing infected sinuses.

• Asthma
• Deviations of the septum
• Cigarette smoke
• Immune problems
• Ear infections
• Gastro esophageal Reflux
• Swimming
• Cystic fibrosis
• Dry air

Linking Allergies And Sinus Infections In Children

Sinus infections require some sort of primary condition in order to develop.  It may be a common cold or flu, but in many children the primary condition is an allergy that causes nasal congestion and nasal allergy symptoms.  If the primary condition can be prevented or controlled, a sinus infection can often be prevented.

Allergy prevention consists primarily of allergen avoidance, but there are some measures that can be taken during an allergy attack to prevent a sinus infection in children with allergies.

• Humidifying the air can keep mucus fluid and moving
• Decongestants help clear congestion
• Antihistamines can reduce swelling and inflammation and prevent drainage
• Nasal sprays and saline flushes can help move out mucus congestion

If allergies and sinus infections in children are related, it is worth knowing so that these preventative measures can be taken; preventing a bacterial sinus infection means a child will not have to rely as heavily on antibiotics, which also helps reduce instances of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (and that’s good for everybody).

Preventing sinus infections also reduces the likelihood of an acute sinus infection becoming a chronic condition that might require heavy medication or may cause serious nasal or sinus and bone damage which requires surgery.

All the links between allergies and sinus infections in children do not focus on the infection; sinus infections can also serve as a symptom for child allergies.  A child that repeatedly suffers from sinus infections may have undiagnosed allergies.  When a child experiences many sinus infections the possibility of allergies as the cause should be explored with the help of the child’s primary care doctor.

Neither allergies nor sinus infections are conditions that are clear-cut all of the time; in both cases, the condition itself must be managed along with secondary and exacerbating conditions.  Often, the best health management of allergies and sinus infections in children is a matter of finding the link between the two, so that both conditions can be controlled through allergy control measures.

Why A Child Peanut Allergy Is A Concern

Child peanut allergies are of particular concern for four main reasons:

• Child peanut allergies cause life-threatening reactions in many cases
• Children with child peanut allergies may be extremely sensitive to peanuts and peanut products—some children cannot even be near peanuts or products
• Peanuts, peanut oils, and peanut products are found in many foods, and cross-contamination increases the possibility of peanut-causing allergens in others
• Child peanut allergies are not usually outgrown

Anaphylaxis is an uncommon allergy symptom for most food allergies, but it is much more common in the case of a child peanut allergy, accounting for 80% of anaphylactic reactions.

Signs And Symptoms Of A Child Peanut Allergy

The signs and symptoms of a child peanut allergy can come on very suddenly and severely, without warning.  It is not unusual for a child’s first taste of a peanut to cause their first known reaction from a child peanut allergy.

Early signs that a child might be experiencing a reaction resulting from a child peanut allergy include

• Runny nose
• Skin rash or hives
• Tingling of the tongue
• Itchy mouth or throat

These symptoms can quickly progress into much more dangerous peanut allergy symptoms and anaphylactic shock.  Any time any of the following symptoms are observed, the child needs to seek medical emergency help immediately.  Threatening symptoms of a child peanut allergy may be

• Difficulty breathing
• Difficulty swallowing
• Swelling of the mouth, lips, or throat
• Body swelling
• Drop in blood pressure
• Dizziness
• Loss of consciousness
• Confusion

Still other symptoms may result from a child peanut allergy, including

• Hoarse/raspy voice
• Nausea or stomach upset
• Vomiting
• Abdominal pain or cramping
• Diarrhea
• Feeling of being light-headed

Tips For Parents Of Children With Child Peanut Allergies

Any time a child peanut allergy is suspected, it should be discussed with the child’s pediatrician or family doctor immediately.  A diagnosis can be confirmed and a plan of action, which will include strict avoidance of peanuts and peanut products, will be devised.  Armed with this plan, and the following tips for managing life with a child peanut allergy, parents and caregivers can give the child the best chance at avoiding potentially dangerous reactions.

• Learn how to read food labels and look for possible cross-contamination.
• Thoroughly read every food label
• Keep injectable epinephrine with your child everywhere they go—including at school, sports, and activities, at home, and in the car
• Carry antihistamine with the child
• Avoid fried foods in restaurants, as they are often cooked in peanut oils
• Don’t allow your child to eat anything with unknown ingredients
• Be vocal about your child’s peanut allergy and make sure all teachers, family members, friends, and family know not only how the child should eat, but also what to do in case of an accidental ingestion or reaction
• Develop an emergency plan in case of reaction and help your child memorize it
• Teach your child that it is not safe for them to accept food from others unless you give the okay
• Pack food for your child to eat at friends’ houses and birthday parties
• Encourage frequent hand-washing
• Pack a list of especially dangerous foods for your child to keep with him/her
• Help your child learn the signs of a reaction and get help as needed
• Do not allow yourself or your child to become relaxed about his or her child peanut allergy

To be sure, life with a child peanut allergy can be a scary thing; but when care is taken to properly manage the diet of a peanut-allergic child, and when a clear plan is laid out for emergency procedures in the event of an accidental peanut ingestion, life with a child peanut allergy is much less threatening.

• Outdoors
• Inside
• In school
• In the home
• Anywhere the child spends time

That’s a lot of area to cover.  But when child environmental allergy symptoms are present, each of those areas may need to be examined as harboring the allergens causing the reaction.  It could be that all of those places harbor allergens harmful to the child.

While some descriptions of child environmental allergies are broadened to include pollen and seasonal outdoor allergies like hay fever, here the focus is on more chemical, pollutant, and artificial allergens found in the child’s environment (be it home, school, or geographical).  These are the substances that are being closely researched as child allergy and illness numbers increase—asthma has grown by more than 200% over the past two decades.

Many professionals do not characterize a lot of chemical and environmental child sensitivities as allergies; like food intolerances, many just do not fit the narrow definition of an allergy resulting from the production of the immune antibody immunoglobulin E, or IgE.  There are a few names that child environmental allergy symptoms and reactions might be called; these include child environmental illness, sick building syndrome, chemical sensitivity, chemical intolerance, multiple chemical sensitivity, and others.

Semantics aside, if you are a parent with a child who is suffering some unknown reaction, you’re going to want answers, and you’re going to want to know what to eliminate to stop adverse reactions and environmental allergy symptoms in your child.  Whether you call it a sensitivity, an illness, or an allergy, the first step toward relief is identifying the symptoms so that you and your child’s doctor can develop a plan to manage them.

Environmental allergy symptoms in kids can look exactly like an allergy of a more typical variety.   Child environmental allergy symptoms may include one or more of the following:

• Congestion
• Stuffy nose
• Sinus pressure
• Itchiness
• Sneezing
• Watery eyes
• Runny nose
• Skin rash
• Hives

Very commonly, child environmental allergy symptoms involve breathing problems such as asthma and systemic reactions, including eczema.  But a number of other, less common child environmental allergy symptoms may be present as well.  Other conditions that might be present and attributable to child environmental allergies include:

• Headache
• Fatigue
• Light headedness or faintness
• Confusion
• Trouble concentrating
• Sore, irritated throat
• Difficulty with memory
• Muscle or joint pain
• Gastrointestinal problems
• Mood changes

When any of these symptoms are present parents and doctors need to search for the cause.  Often, the search will start by eliminating the most obvious and most likely common child allergies first.

In addition, the search will need to focus on where the reactions are starting; this can be difficult if child environmental allergy symptoms are present most of the time, or if more than one location appears to bring on a reaction.  The possibility of an inhalant or other allergen staying in the child’s system or a common factor between locations needs to be explored.

The search for an uncommon allergy is never an easy one.  It is almost always a long process to find the cause of child environmental allergy symptoms, a process that takes time and dedication.  It’s a process parents of affected children have no problem committing to, and the payoff comes when the allergen is found, and when a management plan can be devised to reduce exposure to tolerable levels.  As more and more comes to be understood about the increasing problem of child environmental allergy, it is a process that will hopefully become far easier.