Allergy
Consumer Review Issue #76
July, 2005
Dear Everyone, This last month, we achieved the ranking of the 12th largest woman owned business in Massachusetts, which I sometimes have to pinch myself to believe. In the meantime, our staff is hard at work this summer researching new products and putting together a blockbuster of a Fall catalog featuring our favorite products. If you are not already a subscriber, do sign up for the upcoming Fall issue. Enjoy the Summer if you live in New England; goodness knows we get all too little of it.
Mercia Tapping Disclaimer: Product and solution information reflect information available at the time of publication, including prices, availability, and reviews. To get the latest information, contact us or join our newsletter. |
|
On the other hand, the Comfort-Aire low temp dehumidifier really cranks away at moisture removal, but its noise level is such that I would want it at least 12- 15 feet away from me. So I have my Comfort-Aire dehumidifier in an unfinished part of the basement, which would otherwise be incredibly damp.
The plumber comes next week to hook up my new Aquasana whole house filter which I have come to realize is the easiest way to avoid multiple shower filters and water filters. My husband also spends a fortune in bottled water which I regard as one of Madison Avenue’s greatest successes - a dollar for a small bottle of water? Someone somewhere must be laughing at all of us. I will let you know next month how the Aquasana performs. Why
your Sinus Infection Won't Clear
We have long recognized the difficulty in clearing sinus infections completely. When FDA recommends a dosage of an antibiotic, you take it for one week for bronchitis but 2 weeks or more for a sinus infection. Originally we assumed that was because the lungs have a better circulation than the sinuses and that the sinuses produce globs of bacteria in the sinus cavities that the antibiotic can’t reach. However, Dr Ramadan of West Virginia Univ has demonstrated another factor – biofilm. Biofilm What is biofilm? In order to protect itself form the ill effects of antibiotics, bacteria have learned to make a cocoon around itself, like a cellophane cover. This keeps the antibiotic from getting to the bacteria. The toxins produced by the bacteria prevent the cilia movement from removing this material. Worse, it has been shown that simple irrigation doesn’t regularly remove this material. Fungal Infection There are other theories to explain long lasting sinus infections. The doctors at Mayo Clinic feel that a fungus infection is present in these persistent cases and the reason they don’t clear is that the doctors don’t use the proper anti-fungal agent. Actually it’s not the actual fungal infection, it’s the chemicals generated by the bodies protector – the eosinophiles – that causes the illness. Dr. Tichenor has had some success in desensitizing some of these patients to fungal products so that the eosinophiles don’t invade the area. The difficulty with this concept is that you can culture the sick patient and get the type of fungus that this sick patient has. But if you culture the next 10 persons who are symptom free who happen to be passing by, most will grow the same identical fungus! A second difficulty is that you have to give these anti-fungal medications for quite a long period of time to try to eradicate these organisms and many patients give up doing the whole course. Plus, even in the completed courses the results have not been consistent. For the patient, a serious problem is that many doctors use the same terms for various kinds of fungal infections of the sinuses. a. The serious fungal sinusits with severe growth in the sinus cavities. This one is associated with HIV and immunocomprimised patients b. The "mayo type" where you can get a positive culture and find the eosinopile product that the body produces to try the kill the fungus, but ends up harming the patient. c. The fungus that grows in the nose after heavy use of antibiotics, that is similar to the vaginal thrush some get from antibiotics. Although the culture may be positive, there is no harmful effect from this. Again, the dilemma is that you can always find a fungal product because they are all over the place – home, forest, etc. but rarely do they cause illness. Cilia Speed When you have a sinus infection, and the antibiotic clears the infection, you feel great. But then, six weeks later you are back with another infection. That’s a bummer. Is it because you didn’t continue the antibiotic long enough? And, at 2-3 dollars a pill, how long is long enough? What about the side effects of the medication? Among the patients I see, the common cause of the early return of infection is failure of the nasal cilia to return to their job of sweeping out the bacteria. When you measure the nasal cilia speed in these persons, it is invariably too slow. If the cilia fail to sweep out the remaining bacteria or the new bacteria, then the bacteria can just sit there and enter the body. Mucociliary System Mucocilary clearance is a big word for the system that the respiratory system uses to protect itself from illness. People got well before they had antibiotics. More important, some recent studies have shown equal results with placebos and antibiotics for sinus infections. It takes 10-20 minutes to clear the nose of invading particles. On the surface of the nose you have cells that secrete mucus. This humidifies the air. At the surface are cells that secrete liquid, mucus and cells that produce cilia or tiny oars. The bacteria and dust is trapped in the mucus before it can get to the lungs and by the movement of the cilia is passed to the back of the throat where it is swallowed and ends in the acid in the stomach. Only 5% of the total mucus is from the sinuses. This system warms the air before it reaches the lungs Certain industries are especially bad for nasal cilia function. Chromium, Cadmium, Nickel, and Copper dusts all inhibit cilia movement and can cause a sinus infection to hang on. Diesel fumes are known to slow cilia movement – which is why you feel bad when you are trapped behind a diesel bus. On a bad smog day there are dozens of chemicals that slow the cilia and cause illness. This same liquid system is also a roadway for delivery of good white cells, and good enzymes that tend to take out bacteria. Treatment Knowing these factors you can help avoid sinus problems. I recommend: a. Adequate liquid intake b. Take products known to improve cilia function such as warm green tea and lemon. Avoid iced drinks as this slows cilia. c. Avoid bad smog days. Stay indoors in a filtered air environment. d. If you are allergic, pay attention to dust proofing your bedroom e. Use pulsatile irrigation. Pulsatile irrigation – as with the Hydro Pulse Nasal / Sinus Irrigator – is effective in removing thick phlegm. The pulse rate helps "harmonize" the cilia back to normal speed. Pulsatile irrigation may remove enough of the biofilm to allow a natural healing from the body’s defenses. f. Bed rest. There is only so much "energy" your body can muster, and if you don’t provide enough bed rest, healing may be slow or insufficient. The ancient temples of healing worked because they allowed the patient to rest physically and mentally. g. The right medication. Although studies do show placebo as effective as drugs, a proper medication accompanied by attention to cilia function may be your answer. h. Do warm compresses to the sinus areas. i. Reduce stress. There is no question that being stressed reduces your immune factors. Some stress is in the eye of the beholder – instead of having that worker upset you, feel sorry for them or keep an image of them without any clothes! I absolutely 100% guarantee that any laughter is a sinus curer. j. Breathe in count of four and out count of six. The longer your exhalation the longer your body is relaxed and unstressed. Be well! I hope a bit of insight as to how the sinus system works will be of help to you so you won’t have to suffer another sinus attack.
Test results Dust Mites and Airfree Sterilizer - Research Report
Disclaimer The results described in this report were generated in vitro. The samples tested were accepted in good faith that they were representative of the intended final formulation(s)/ product(s) and the test methods employed were used on the understanding that they were the most appropriate available at the time the tests were agreed. As such the results should be taken only as an indication of the potential for activity of the formulations or products under test. These results cannot be considered as confirmation that a formulation or product will work in a clinical or field application. Evidence for such activity can only be obtained from properly constructed and executed clinical or field trials. Use of this report This report may be used as part of a portfolio of documentation by the sponsoring organization. It may be used as part of a submission for regulatory application or as a reference only as "Data on File" in any promotional material. The name of Insect Research & Development Limited, Cambridge, may only be used in advertising or other promotional material with the prior consent of the Directors of the company. It should be noted that Insect Research & Development Limited is an independent consultancy and contract research organization. Aim The aim of these experiments was to assess the effectiveness of the Airfree device at reducing the levels of Der p 1 (A major house dust mite allergen) in allergen placed within it for varying lengths of time. Materials and methods House dust mite allergen, derived from colonies of the house dust mite Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, maintained by Insect Research and Development ltd was placed into the centre of the incinerator for 1, 5 and 300 seconds using a probe. All of the experiments were conducted in a controlled climate chamber set to 25ºC and 75% RH. The probe was constructed from straight metal wire measuring 120 mm with a diameter of 0.75 mm, a 5mm by 10 mm strip of autoclave tape was wrapped around the wire leaving an expose surface of 2mm by 10mm. Approximately 0.001 grams of frozen culture containing high levels of allergen was placed onto this surface, calculations in the results section will take this variation into account. The incinerator was placed in the upright position and turned on for 24 hrs prior to the addition of the probes. The allergen was placed into the centre of the incinerator, through a small hole made in the grill at the bottom for 1,5 and 300 seconds, 3 replicates were conducted at each time interval and 3 control replicates were carried out at each time interval with the AiFree device switched off so the incinerator was at room temperature (25ºC). The incinerator was 13 cm long so the tip of the probe was placed 7cm within it, in the central hole. The centre of the autoclave tap was inline with the centre of the incinerator. After being placed in the incinerator the autoclave tape was gently removed from the wire and placed into a 25ml water tight container containing 5ml of dust extraction buffer (0.125M ammonium hydrogen carbonate buffer + 0.1% sodium azide). The container containing the allergen and dust extraction buffer was spun with a blood rotator for 1 hour. 1ml of liquid from each arena was then transferred to labelled Eppendorf tubes using a micro-pipette, and centrifuged at 6000rpm for 5 minutes. The supernatant liquid (0.2 ml) was removed from each Eppendorf tube and transferred to a new, labelled Eppendorf tube, after this the tubes were frozen until they were analysed for Der p 1. Results (corrected)
Results and discussion The results indicate the AirFree device has the potential to control the airborne house dust mite allergen Der p 1 extremely well. After just one second, the time which air is thought to remain in the incinerator, the AirFree device was able to reduce the amount of the house dust mite allergen Der p 1 by an average (mean) of 70.6%. In the field the airborne allergen may be denatured even more as quite a lot of allergen was placed on the probe, some of the allergen on the probe may therefore have shielded the allergen beneath it from the heat. Longer exposure periods resulted in higher % reductions in allergen concentrations, indicating that repeated exposure to the incinerator would reduce the amount of allergen further. The AirFree Enviro RL 60 and the Wall Mount 60 are both available on our site and the RL 60 model is currently on sale for $199 – save $100.
Allergies
to Dogs
If you find yourself getting congested or suffering a runny nose, itchy nose, sneezing, itchy and watery eyes, coughing, sore throat, skin rashes or hives, headaches, fatigue, difficulties breathing, or asthma symptoms when you’re around dogs, then you probably have allergies. You can still indulge in your appreciation for canines, but you will need to learn some basic techniques for protecting your health, while still enjoying your pet’s company. One. Dog allergens can adhere to clothing, drapes, walls, furniture and even remain airborne for quite awhile. You can ease your allergies by observing basic rules of cleanliness. Keep the dog out of areas where you will be sleeping or spending prolonged periods of time. Wash your hands after playtime, petting or grooming. You may need to take an over the counter allergy medication prior to playtime, extensive petting or grooming. A shower and change of clothing may help as well. Never allow the dog to jump, sleep or play on furniture where you will be sitting, sleeping or using. Dander will pool in these areas and cause a severe allergic reaction. Keep floors swept or vacuumed, and shampoo or steam carpets every second or third month. Keep the dog’s bedding, toys and feeding area washed and clean also. Two. A good HEPA air filter may help keep airborne dander under control, but you will need to maintain a rigorous grooming schedule if you want to prevent dander at the source. If grooming the dog yourself is a problem, you might need to recruit a friend or family member for this job. Bathing should be once or twice a week, but be sure that the shampoo does not dry out the dog’s skin or it will create worse dander. Use of a soft body brush can be daily, if gentle. It will remove loose dander on and in the hair. A full body scrub down should be scheduled once or twice a week, this will work loose any flakes deeper in the coat. When I say ‘scrub’ I’m suggesting a firm body brush that will be able to massage the skin but not hurt the dog. If you brush too roughly your dog will quickly learn to dislike grooming, and it will become a miserable chore for both of you! Three. No dog should be considered non-allergenic because, regardless of strict grooming and prevention techniques, all dogs produce dander, saliva and urine, which are the cause of allergies. There are some breeds, however, that produce less dander than others, and sufferers should seriously consider choosing from one of these breeds. Airedales, Poodles and Schnauzers make the best choices for allergy sufferers. All three of these breeds shed less dander then other breeds. They also shed very little hair, and have very little dog odor if they are kept regularly groomed and cared for. Airedales Airedales are a medium large breed originated in England where they were bred to be a brave, strong, and intelligent hunting dog. Today it is highly prized as a companion for its beauty, shape and type. They are called the "King of Terriers" by dog fanciers. They have a merry temperament and love to play games. They are good learners, good with children and adapt themselves easily to the home, yard or garden. On the downside, Airedale’s coat should be trimmed by a profession al, as they require their hair to be "plucked" or it will cause unhealthy skin problems, severe irritation, itching and of course, dander. Poodles One of the best features of this breed is choice in size. The standard and giant sized Poodles are a good choice for a family or individual with a large house or yard. They make excellent watchdogs or pets, and are so intelligent that they can be easily housebroken and even taught to do tricks. The miniature and toy poodles are less then 15 inches tall at the shoulder, and are just as intelligent and loving as their larger counterparts. Poodles are an excellent choice for allergen sensitive owners. They do not shed, and the coat can be clipped quite close by your groomer, making soft brushing less of a chore. In fact, some poodle owners even learn how to clip their own dogs. Bathing is very simple for a poodle with a short coat, just avoid those lion manes and you’ll have a perfect companion. Schnauzers This breed also comes in a variety of sizes from Giant to Miniature, and the best part is that they have almost NO doggy odor! Just like Poodles, the Schnauzer needs to be clipped because they do not shed out hair as most dogs do. But unlike the Poodle, most Schnauzers are allowed to keep their beard and some fuzzy socks. If necessary, however you can modify his furry attire to best suit your needs. Schnauzers are very brave, intelligent and aristocratic. He is excellent in a family setting, and was even given the name "kinder watcher" for his loving care of the children. They are so talented and versatile that they are equally suited for hunting, tracking, retrieving, security, guarding, military work, agility, competitive obedience and even learning tricks. So if you find yourself driving past the dog park and thinking about how much you’d enjoy having a dog in your life, now might be a great time to act upon your desires. You don’t have to give up your love of do gs; you just need to find the right balance to fit a dog into your life. These beautiful and loving creatures truly deserve a warm place in our hearts, and the title of man’s best friend. This article may be reproduced in whole or in part provided that the reproduction includes a credit of authorship to "Avid Pets", plus a crawlable link to http://www.avidpets.com/ . Author: Jennifer
Brooke, webmistress of www.avidpets.com
|
.................................................. .................................................. .................................................. ..................................................
