Itching for Some Allergy Relief?

Itching for Some Allergy Relief?by Michelle Meadows
Pollen grains from trees, grasses and weeds can float through the air in spring, summer or fall. But along with staying on mission to fertilize plants and tree flowers, pollen particles often end up in our noses, eyes, ears and mouths. The result can be sneezing spells, watery eyes, congestion and an itchy throat.
Pollen allergy, commonly known as hay fever, affects about 1 out of 10 Americans, according to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). For some, symptoms can be controlled with occasional over-the-counter (OTC) medicine. Others have reactions that may more seriously disrupt the quality of their lives. Allergies can trigger or worsen asthma and lead to other health problems such as sinusitis and ear infections in children.
"You can distinguish allergy symptoms from a cold because a cold tends to be short-lived, results in thicker nasal secretions, and is usually associated with sore throat, hoarseness, malaise, and fever," says Badrul Chowdhury, M.D., Ph.D., an allergist and immunologist in the FDA's Division of Pulmonary and Allergy Drug Products. Many people with seasonal allergic rhinitis notice a seasonal pattern with their symptoms, but others may need a doctor's help to find out for sure that pollen is the source of their misery. If these symptoms crop up year-round, dust mites, pet dander or another indoor allergen could be the culprit. This is known as perennial allergic rhinitis.
Chowdhury suggests you see a doctor if you're experiencing allergies for the first time, if your symptoms interfere with your ability to function, if you don't find relief in over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, or if you experience allergy symptoms on a chronic basis. You may need an allergy test, the most common of which is a skin test that shows how you react to different allergens, including specific pollen allergens like ragweed or grass pollen.
Once you know you have seasonal allergies, probably the most important step you can take is to avoid pollen as much as possible. Try to stay indoors when pollen levels are highest. In the fall ragweed pollen season, pollen levels are highest in the morning. During the grass pollen season in the spring and summer, pollen levels are highest in the evening. Pollen counts measure how much pollen is in the air and are expressed in grains of pollen per square meter of air collected during a 24-hour period.
It may also help to keep windows closed in your house and car and to run the air conditioner. If possible, avoid mowing grass and other yard work.
Of course there will be times when pollen is inescapable. Here's a rundown of drug options that can help you survive the sneezing season:
Nasal corticosteroids: These are typically sprayed or inhaled into the nose once or twice a day. The newer drugs in this category are Nasonex (mometasone furoate) and Flonase (fluticasone propionate). Side effects may include stinging in the nose.
Oral antihistamines: These drugs, which are available in both OTC and prescription forms, counteract the action of histamine, a substance released in the body during an allergic reaction. Benadryl (diphenhydramine) and Chlor-Trimeton (chlorpheniramine) are examples of OTC antihistamines. Drowsiness is a common side effect, so don't take the drug when you have to drive, operate machinery, or engage in other activities that require you to be alert. You could try newer and relatively non-sedating antihistamines that are available by prescription such as Clarinex (desloratadine), Claritin (loratadine), or Allegra (fexofenadine). Zyrtec (cetirizine), also available by prescription, has sedation frequency slightly higher than the relatively non-sedating antihistamines mentioned above. Last May, the FDA held a public hearing that discussed whether Claritin, Allegra and Zyrtec should be moved from prescription to OTC status. The FDA has not made a final decision yet.
Decongestants: Decongestants are available both by prescription and over-the-counter. These drugs come in oral and nasal spray forms, and are sometimes recommended in combination with antihistamines. Antihistamines alone do not have an effect on nasal congestion. Allegra D (fexofenadine and pseudoephedrine) is an example of a prescription drug that contains both an antihistamine (fexofenadine) and a decongestant (pseudoephedrine). Note that prolonged use of nose sprays and drops can result in even worse nasal congestion.
Non-steroidal nasal sprays: NasalCrom (cromolyn sodium) nasal spray which is available without a prescription, can help prevent symptoms of allergic rhinitis if used before symptoms start. It's a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug and needs to be used more often than the nasal steroids, three to four times a day.
this is my article for the topic disturbances in immunology for our class in curative2.

Paris Hilton says jail changed her life By SANDY COHEN, AP Entertainment Writer

Paris Hilton says jail changed her life
By SANDY COHEN, AP Entertainment Writer Thu Jun 28, 8:45 AM ET
LOS ANGELES - Paris Hilton told CNN's Larry King she would never again drink and drive and that her time in jail was "a time-out in life."
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In her first televised interview since leaving jail, a demure Hilton said Wednesday that even though she's an Aquarius and "we're social people," her time behind bars taught her "there's a lot more important things in life" than partying.
"I'm frankly sick of it," Hilton said, with loose, re-blonded locks and camera-ready makeup. "I've been going out for a long time now. Yeah, it's fun, but it's not going to be the mainstay of my life anymore."
She said her incarceration was "a very traumatic experience" that inspired a "journey" of self-discovery that she intends to continue. The world will see a new Paris Hilton, she said.
"I'm glad it happened in a way because it's changed my life forever," she said in the pre-taped, hour-long interview. "I feel stronger than ever and, I don't know, I feel like this is a lesson in disguise."
The hotel heiress spent about 23 days in custody before she was sprung Tuesday. Hilton passed the time, she said, considering "what was important and what I want to do."
Among those plans? Using her fame to bring attention to social causes rather than the newest Hollywood nightspot.
"I feel like being in the spotlight, I have a platform where I can raise awareness for so many great causes and just do so much with this instead of superficial things like going out," she said. "I want to help raise money for kids and for breast cancer and multiple sclerosis."
Hilton said a big misconception about her is that she lives off her family's money.
"I completely disagree with that," she said. "I work very hard. I run a business. I've had a book on The New York Times best-sellers list. I'm on the fifth season of my TV show. I did an album. I do movies."
The media has exaggerated her party-girl image, she said, telling King twice she's never taken drugs and does not have a drinking problem.
"I'm not really into it," Hilton said of drinking.
Asked why she never tried to correct inaccurate reports of partying and drug use, Hilton said, "I'm telling you right now so I put a stop to it."
Alone in her cell for 23 hours a day, Hilton devoted herself to reading, writing and thinking. She said she made plans to help her fellow inmates and imagined ways to be "a more responsible role model."
"I feel like God does make everything happen for a reason," she said. "And it gave me, you know, a time-out in life just to really find out what is important and what I want to do, figure out who I am."
Educated in Roman Catholic schools, Hilton said she's "always been religious" and "always had a sense of spirituality but even more so after being in jail."
She bought a Bible from the jail commissary and read it daily, she said. Asked to name her favorite passage, she smiled and looked away.
"I don't have a favorite," she said.
At various points during the interview, Hilton read excerpts from her jailtime journals, beginning each passage with a heavy sigh. She wrote about being at a crossroads, characterizing it as "neither a downfall nor a failure, but a new beginning," and about her "compassion for those I left behind at the prison."
"I want to help set up a place where these women can get themselves back on their feet," she read. "I know I can make a difference and hopefully stop this vicious circle of these people going in and out of jail."
Hilton said she suffers from claustrophobia and attention deficit disorder, for which she takes medication. She said sheriff's officials released her to home confinement after just three days because of claustrophobia and anxiety and panic attacks.
After a judge ordered her back to jail, Hilton said she coped by meditating and reading letters from fans. But she still had nightmares of "someone trying to break into my cell and hurt me."
"Just the whole idea of being in jail is really scary," she said. "I hate to be alone so that was really just hard for me in the beginning."
When asked about the party crowd she hangs with, including Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan and her reality TV co-star Nicole Richie, Hilton said "everybody makes mistakes."
"I think it's hard for anyone when you're in the spotlight so much," she said. "It's overwhelming for any young girl, but I've handled it well."

10 Ways to Ruin a First Date

10 Ways to Ruin a First Date
By Kathryn Lord Special to Yahoo! Personals Updated: Jun 28, 2007

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1. Don't look like your picture. Post an old picture from when you were thinner or had more hair.
Or you could post a photo of someone else: your daughter (folks always say you could be twins, right?), a model you plucked from an online site (hey, didn't you say you always wanted to be a model?), or your "sort of" twin brother (non-identical).
2. Don't make any special effort to present yourself well. Dress for a first meeting the way you would for a Saturday night at home, rationalizing that you want to appear "real" and be liked for the way that you are.
Maybe it is a kindness to show, right up front, what your date's Saturday nights would be like if they were to marry you!
3. Be late.
Nothing says you couldn't care less than to be late
Nothing says you couldn't care less than to be late. While arriving early might give you the advantage of being able to see your date before he/she sees you, being late implies you are too important to be polite.
4. Forget your wallet. Male or female, the "I forgot my wallet" schtick is the fastest route to being labeled cheap.
If you are a guy and this is a coffee date, springing for both cups is a bargain-rate way to look good. And ladies, men notice if you offer to pay, even if they insist on opening their wallet for your latte.
5. Use your cell phone. Go ahead, plunk your cell phone down on the table between the two of you, leave it on and answer every call, taking as long as you want while ignoring your date.
Cell phones are the best excuse for blanket rudeness that has been invented. They have no place on a date, except as a safety mechanism.
6. Brag. My grandma used to say "Don't brag," and when you are on a date, she was -- and is -- so right.
However, if you can't resist, talk about the price you paid for your car, flash your Rolex, and prop your implants on the table. Tell how important you are at work and how many men or women are dropping at your feet.
See how your date reacts...
See how your date reacts... if they are still at the table.
7. Complain. Whine. Grouse. Say how no one listens to you and you are looking for someone who will.
Go on and on about your health problems or, better yet, your dietary quirks. Then notice that your date is in such a rotten mood, whine about that, and chalk this date up to yet another one of those horrid experiences.
8. Be rude. To your date, and to everyone around you. Talk down to the waitperson and don't leave a tip. Complain to the management about the poor service. Ask your date what the last STD they had was or whether they are still fertile.
If you must, really pull out the stops and get all your orifices going: burp, pass gas, scratch scabs, pick your nose or blow it on your hand.
9. Try to get sexy. Tell your date that she is turning you on and you want to see her naked. Move in too close too fast, hugging, touching or kissing, despite what your date is signaling.
Grab his butt when you meet. Wear clothes that are too short, too tight and in general too slutty. Talk sexy and do it loud.
10. Tell dirty, racist or just plain poor-taste stories. You know that you are funny, especially after you have a couple of drinks. If it is a coffee date, then stop off for a couple of quick ones before you get there.
You know that men (or women) like a good sexy joke, so fire away. And most people think that racist or bathroom stories are hilarious, so your date should too. After all, you want a partner who can take a joke, don't you?
Photo credit: "Cafe Satan" malias (flickr)

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