I’ve been wondering for a little while now whether I might have avoided some of the allergies, sensitivities, and food intolerances I have if I had gotten help to figure out the cause of my problems sooner. Heightened Response The body is an amazingly complex construct. I won’t pretend to have any specific medical knowledge, […]
I have known I was allergic to the adhesive on some band aids for years. Applying the wrong type of band aid would leave me with dihydritic eczema if applied on my hands, and horrible itchiness and red, bumpy rashes if applied anywhere else. The rash took weeks to go away completely, and my topical […]
I’ve had eczema all my life. From the two-year-old who scratched her arms to scabs to the 18-year-old who reached for the hydrocortisone the moment she felt an itch, to now, when the once-fulfilled, “You’ll grow out of it,” seems like a distant memory. I’ve used steroid creams, nasal steroids, steroid mousse, and immune suppressant […]
I’ve said it before, and I’m sure I’ll say it again: Most situations are manageable with proper preparation and planning. That part out of the way, I’ll say that going to stay in hotels feels like a tough one. Not only do they tend not to assign you a specific room until you arrive, but […]
If you’re not used to reading ingredient labels, a positive patch test to propylene glycol might not mean much to you. If you do read labels, finding our you’re allergic to propylene glycol could send you into a bit of a tailspin. Propylene glycol is everywhere! It’s even in hydrocortisone cream, a common topical steroid […]
A very common chemical allergy or sensitivity is a reaction to “Fragrance.” This can take the form of an asthmatic reaction, a tight throat, a runny or stuffed up nose, hives, a rash, dizziness, or even something entirely different. Fragrance can trigger both sensitivity and allergic reactions. Usually fragrance does not contain proteins (allergy is […]
After seeing so many heartbreaking stories in Facebook allergy support groups recently, I wanted to choose a topic today that will help as many people as possible as quickly as possible. One of the most important things to consider when trying to stop reactions in their tracks is to consider contamination and allergen exposure routes. […]