Allergies

Wheezing, weepy eyes, a streaming nose, itchy skin, rashes - all are signs that something disagrees with you. Allergies occur when our body has a bad reaction to a food or an outside substance such as pollen. Allergies are widespread - Allergy UK estimates that around 21 million adults suffer from an allergy in the UK and the figure continues to rise. Fortunately, there are plenty of remedies to alleviate many symptoms associated with an allergy.

Can fish oils help allergies?

Omega 3 fats found in fish oil may be protective against allergies. Fish oils appear to reduce inflammation and many allergies involve inflammation - for example asthma involves inflammation of the airways. In the past century, Western diets have seen an increase in consumption of meat and vegetable oils (omega-6 fatty acids) compared with fish and flax oils (omega-3 fatty acids) which may go some way to explain why allergies are on the rise. In a study from Harvard Medical School using lab mice, omega-3 fatty acids were shown to dampen the development of airway inflammation. Other studies have linked increased levels of omega-3 fatty acids with lower asthma prevalence in people. A good reason indeed for a fish supper.

Why dust is bad for allergies and how to tame your dust?

Dust consists of a many things, including dust mites, dust mite faeces, fungi and their spores, human skin scales and bits of dead insects such as cockroaches. The fungi, insects and mites can all cause allergic responses. If you are frequently exposed to dust mite faeces it can trigger an immune response causing asthma or allergy, and because dust particles are tiny they can navigate deep into the lungs causing other health problems. To ?tame your dust' remove your shoes when you come into your home. The Japanese do this and they subsequently have less dust in their houses. Also vacuum thoroughly and declutter as it's easier to clean if there are less obstacles.