More and more people appear to be suffering from allergies in the West. It is uncertain exactly why people are becoming so sensitive to common items, which only troubled a very small percentage of mankind for tens of thousands of years. Some people say it is because our world is so clean, so clinical, that our bodies have forgotten how to deal with a bit of dirt and others point to the increased amount of air pollution. So could air purifiers be the solution?

If you have an allergic reaction, the first thing to do is to work out which substance you are allergic to. This is not easy to do alone, so you will almost certainly need some professional medical help. Or you could begin by trying to eliminate dust from your house and see if that helps. You would begin to do this by cleaning or replacing any filters you already have on the air conditioning and central heating and then turning the appropriate one on. Clean the vacuum cleaner's filter too and replace the bag, if it has one. Then vacuum the house thoroughly from top to bottom.

If this does not work, you may be allergic to pollen, mold or tobacco smoke, if there is a smoker in the house, or maybe environmental pollution from cars or and near-by industry. Try installing an electrostatic furnace filter and running your heating or cooling system 24 hours a day to see if that clears it up. The filters can eliminate 90% of household dust and some other allergens.

The majority of airborne mold particles can be removed from your air by the use of specialist air purifiers. These air purifiers usually raise the ozone levels too, which has the effect of clearing up smells and killing some bacteria. However, for a longterm answer, you will need to seek advice from a professional to clear up the source of the mold, which is usually dampness caused by leaking pipes or damp brickwork, caused by a bridged cavity wall.

Second-hand tobacco smoke is unpleasant enough, but it can cause an allergic reaction too. If this is the cause of your problem, you could try one of the liquid air purifiers. This type of air purifier is very effective at its job. Some air purifiers purport to kill viruses too, but beware of such claims. The claim is normally based on the use of ultraviolet light, but any UV light producing less than 24,000 microwatts of UVGI is doubtful to be effective.

Sadly, there is no one total solution to the problem of air pollution, because there are so many sorts of substances that cause allergies. Carpets can be a major source of allergens, as can all fabrics, particularly if you keep pets. Fleas, their larvae and house mites love carpets, curtains and upholstery, so you have to steam clean these at least once a year and spray them with a long-lasting insecticide containing permethrin or remove the carpets altogether and get leather furniture.

It is best to know which allergy you are fighting, but if you carry out the cleaning methods mentioned above and use one of the ozone producing air purifiers, you will have gone a very long way to purifying the air in your home and defeating allergies.

Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with split air conditioning systems. If you are interested in Home Air Conditioning Systems, please click through to our site.

Posted under Allergies

Curly horses have a certain gene which causes their hair to curl. In addition to curls in their coat, they may have curls in any or all other hair (such as the tail, mane, or even eyelashes). The growing popularity of this group of horses is due to:

1) Hypoallergenic. Curly horses appear to be unique in that people who suffer from horse allergies generally have a reduced reaction to curly horses or no reaction at all.

2) Appearance. The curls or waves in the coat of these horses gives them a unique appearance, which many people find attractive.

3) Feel. The soft feel of the coats make petting these horses especially enjoyable for both children and adults.

4) Behavior. These horses are known for being unusually calm and sensible, characteristics apparently bred into their bloodlines.

The curly hair genes are relatively rare, as the vast majority of horses have straight hair. However, the genes can be found in many different types of horses, from miniatures to standards to drafts, of any build and any color.

The type of curl varies from horse to horse. It can be large and heavy, or small, or even fine pin curls, or waves instead of curls. Sometimes the coat is straight as in a common horse, in which case the horse is identified as a curly horse only by the fact that its parents were curlies and that it displays the other characteristics (e.g. hypoallergenic).

As the above shows, there is a great deal of diversity in curlies (size, color, build, curl characteristics). This diversity is partly due to the fact that the curly genes are naturally occurring and there has not been a long term breeding program to develop a uniform set of characteristics against a breed standard. In fact, an official breed standard has not yet been agreed. Consequently, one should feel free to choose a curly horse which one finds attractive without worrying greatly as to whether the horse fits a certain standard.

When choosing a curly, also keep in mind that the extent of the curl changes with age and also with season (it is most pronounced in winter). In summer, the hair is not only less curled, but is also shorter and thinner; in some cases the manes and tail hair are extremely short. If appearance is very important, before making your final decision you should see what the horse looks like (even if just from photos) in both winter and summer. You should also check the bloodline which the horse is from as an indication of how the coat will change as it ages (the nature of the changes vary from bloodline to bloodline).

The hypoallergenic quality of curlies varies from horse to horse, and the benefits vary from person to person. Consequently, while one can say that most people have reduced or no allergic reactions to curly horses, this is not true of all people or all curlies. Therefore, before buying one in the hope that one will not have an allergic reaction, one should in fact test the specific person to the specific horse to confirm this. Take appropriate medical advice on how to test safely, if you have extreme allergies.

Other names for the curly horse include: North American Curly Horses, American Bashkir Curlies, and Bashkir Curlies. There are also a number of named bloodlines, each with their individual characteristics.

This Curly Horse article was written by Duber Stewart, owner of Horses for Sale

Posted under Allergies

Even though you will have a deep love for animals ; sometimes you could develop pet allergies after coming into contact them. Actually, it is also common for some folks to develop pet allergies even after having kept pets for many years.

The downcast part is that your love for animals can be put to severe test if you develop pet allergy and this allergy in turn will make you suffer with unwell health. Some of the common indicators of pet allergies include inflamation in the skin, wheezing as well as having eyes that water constantly.

Part With Your Pet

If a pet allergy treatment does not work in controlling symptoms of your pet allergy you may even be forced into parting with your pet. However, some people are so fond of their pets that they won't contemplate giving away their pets. A solution for such folks is to ensure reducing dander in the home and to also remove allergens in the home so the chances of developing pet allergy are greatly reduced.

There are however some simple natural pet allergy treatment options worth checking out. For one, you must make sure that your pet isn't allowed anywhere near your sleeping area and to also make sure that the pet isn't permitted on to your furniture. These are comparatively easy natural pet allergy treatment options and should be followed precisely to prevent pet allergy from inspiring you.

Another natural pet allergy treatment possibility is to wash the pet each week and when brushing the pet to recollect and do so outside the house and on a regular basis too. These measures will help in reducing the amount of dander that the pet carries within the home. In an analogous vein, another simple natural pet allergy treatment choice is to convert your pet into an exterior pet and to not let him stay indoors with you.

You'll also have to vacuum your carpets on an everyday basis and also damp out dust at least once in a week. Other than this, you need to guarantee washing your hands with a good soap each time you have played with or touched your pet.

Other easy pet allergy treatments include installing air purifier in the home which will remove pet dander from the air and to have wooden floors instead of carpeting the floors which will only trap the allergens which will mean increasing the chance of pet allergies.

Allergy asthma is very often noticed among children and also in youngsters and to stop and treat this condition requires learning about effective allergy asthma treatment such as becoming physically active and playing sports and games.

You can also need to look at another pet allergy treatment option and that is that when selecting your pet to look to bring back home a pet that is regarded allergy friendly? This implies that tiny birds as well as little dogs are known to carry less amounts of dander and so will thus pose less of a threat in regard to possibility of pet allergy.

Scouting a fix for your Pet Allergy Treatment condition? Visit our Allergy Asthma website for help in controlling those sniffle attacks.

Posted under Allergies

Some people are allergic to horses. Depending on the person, this can result in a combination of the following symptoms: - Watery or itchy eyes - Runny or itchy nose - Hives, rashes or itchy skin - Coughing or sneezing - Breathing difficulties - Asthma

The severity of these symptoms varies from person to person, ranging from a slight itch to a serious asthma attack. People with asthma should be careful when they first come into contact with horses as there have been a number of cases of fatal asthma reactions. In particular, asthmatic children coming into contact with horses for the first time should be carefully monitored to see if they have an adverse reaction and their medication should be available to hand in case that they do.

The most common cause of horse allergies is horse dander (bits of hair and skin which flake off, like dandruff). Other common causes include horse mites, urine and even horse salvia.

One can easily have an allergic reaction without touching or being close to a horse. If one enters a barn or other enclosed area which has been recently used to hold horses, one can have a reaction to allergic agents which remain even though no horses are present at the time. Likewise, if one has a friend or family member who rides, it is quite possible to have a reaction when coming into contact with their riding clothes, tack or even their hair as allergic agents can easily be rubbed into these.

Horse allergies can be easily treated, using the same methods as for other allergies. These include medication, desensitizing treatment or simple avoidance.

If you want to ride horses but find that allergies are making this difficult (or less enjoyable), another approach is to try riding a 'curly horse' breed. Many people who are allergic to other breeds of horses find that they have little or no reaction with these breeds.

Finally, you could try medical testing or trial-and-error to determine which aspect of the horse you are allergic to and then simply take care to avoid this aspect. For example, if allergic to urine, rather than go into the stable to get your horse, have it brought out to you. As another example, if allergic to horse mites, have your horse and its box treated against mites, which should greatl

The article Allergy to Horses was written by Doug Stewart, as part of his series on Horse Care.

Posted under Allergies

Owning and caring for pets is a favorite pastime worldwide. Many people are as close to their pets as they are to the people they are living with in their daily lives. The choice of your pet may depend on where you live, and your own personal preference.

Pets range from many selections. They can be: snakes, rabbits, birds and lizards. However, the most common pets to have are cats and dogs.

Many, who would otherwise choose a cat, will not due to allergies. Cat allergies can vary from mild to severe. So it is most important to take care when you are around cats.

Coping with Cat Allergies

Up to 40 % of people who suffer from asthma also have some cat allergies and are more sensitive to these pets than they are to dogs. A protein in the cat skin and saliva is the element that creates the problem.

The problematic element for those with this allergy is a protein found in the skin of the cat and in the saliva of the cat. When the cat licks his fur while cleaning himself, he deposits this protein on his fur.

While there are no cats known to be hypoallergenic, male cats cause more allergic reactions than there female counterparts due to the testosterone increase in the cat's glands. The cat allergen is found primarily in homes of cats.

Male cats cause more allergic reactions than female cats due to the testosterone increasing in the cat's glands. This in turn increases the amount of protein. Cat allergens are found mostly in homes where the cats live. This has however also been found in offices and places where animals are not allowed. It is quite sticky and is transmitted by people getting it on their clothing and carrying it from place to place. The protein particles causing cat allergies remain in the air for long periods of time, and those who are sensitive are more likely to have an allergic reaction when entering a room where there are multiple cats.

Wheezing, the most common symptom of cat allergy, begins upon entrance to a room with cats. There are also more subtle, delayed reactions that can linger to up to a week or more. Chronic asthma can be an ongoing malady for those who are exposed often. Hives and eczema may also occur. Be safe, if allergic to cats, don't be in their presence. It is better to maintain good health and be aware of the symptoms of your allergy. By yourself a dog!

Posted under Allergies