Hand rashes

Hand rashes doing the washing-up, my hands tendto break out in an itchy rash of red blisters.My pharmaeist says it's dennatitis, but what does this mean? Dermatitis is a very general term, used for any type  of Skin inflammation. Your symptoms probably fall into the category of contact dermatitis- a reaction to something in direct contact with your skin. One obvious...

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Do's and Don'ts for dealing with allergies

dealing with allergies Do try to identify and avoid allergens. Do stay indoors on dry, windy days and in the morning in spring and summer when pollen levels are high, if you suffer from hay fever. Do avoid chemical irritants, such as perfume, household cleaners and chlorinated pool water. Do dust and vacuum frequently - every day if possible. Vacuum your mattress when you...

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How drugs help

Allgery sufferes can find relief from several types of medication. How drugs help - Antihistamines counter the effects of body chemicals that are responsible for causing allergy symptoms. - Decongestant tablets or nose-drops relieve nasal and sinus congestion by narrowing blood vessels. - Bronchodilators are inhaled directly into the air passages and provide immediate...

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Findind the cause

Findind the cause  You may well have an allergy, but it is also possible that whatever symptoms you are experiencing could have another cause, so it is important to see your doctor for diagnosis. Once other possibilities have been ruled the process of trying to identify allergies begins. The first step will be self observation.Your doctor will probably ask about the...

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Allergy and intolerance

Allergy and intolerance These are medical terms used to indicate the  mechanism by which the disorder occurs. True food allergy results from the production in the body of abnormal allergic antibodies to particular substances in food. Babies who are allergic to cow's milk, for example, have allergic antibodies to milk circulating in their blood. Every time the antibodies...

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What allergies are

Your husbans's watery eyes and runny nose occuring together are classic systoms of hay fever - one of the commonest allergies there is. Hay fever (some times called allergic rhinitis) is usually produced by grass pollen irritating the respiratory tract, so it could be the fresh growth of grasses in summertime that is to blame. An allergy is an exaggerated response by the...

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Does diet hold the answer?

Does diet hold the answer One way of diagnosing a food allergy is by means of an exclusion diet. This involves cutting out suspect foods from your diet either one by one or in groups-and then gradually reintroducing them. The results can be quite decisive, provided the tests are properly set up and conducted under medical supervision. Before beginning, start recording what...

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How common is chronic illness?

How common is chronic illness As with acute illness, the incidence of chronic illnesses varies greatly and there are on general rules. Some chronic conditions are very rare while others affect a large percentage of the pupulation. Some, such as asthma, are on the increase of growing pollution. Increased life expectancy and better treatments for acute conditions also mean...

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Treating chronic problems

If chronic illness can't be cured, what sort of treatments and help can sufferers get? The important thing to remember about a chronic illness is that it is likely to be a permanent face of life. This means that the patient has to lern how best to control the symtoms in order to live as full and active a life as possible. Often simply following a healthy way of life, with...

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Causes and prevention

Chronic illnesses  What causes chronic complaints? Is there any way of preventing them? Chronic illnesses are very varied and can have many cases. In the vest majority of cases, however, genetic inheritance plays a major role in determining people's vulnerability. This not to say that everyone who inherits a certain gene or pattern of genes will inevitably develop...

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The main of chronic

Why are some conditions classified as chronic? Are they always serious? The main of chronic Doctors use the term chronic to describe any illness or symtom that goes on for a long period of time. Despending on the condition, the duration may very from months to years to a lifetime. Although many such illnesses are considered incrurable, they can very often be well controlled....

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