Among the defense mechanism that the human body, is the cough, something that should not be reduced, because it usually occurs as a result of common diseases such as winter flu, bronchitis and pneumonia, but may be an allergic reaction to dust, smoke or other material, in some people, the immune system recognizes as “foreign” or “dangerous” (allergens), if it is accompanied by phlegm means there obstructive pulmonary disease.

Among the recommendations to reduce the risk of cough due to respiratory disease, was first mentioned that the basic measure of protection is good to leave home to avoid sudden temperature changes, better cover the neck and mouth with a scarf and drink plenty of fluids and avoid going to crowded places , especially if they smoke.

He explained that if two or three days decreased the frequency and severity of coughing, it was probably just a defense mechanism against exposure to cold environment or the presence of dust, smoke or pollen. If not, one must see your doctor, especially when accompanied by one or more of the following symptoms: fever, malaise, poor appetite, lethargy, boiling chest, shortness of breath or coughing that “barking or seal” and hoarse or harsh.

Rusman Padoe Dr. said it was important to let a cough developed, provided they do not grow or be accompanied by symptoms such as that mentioned above, because the function of this defense mechanism is to clean the lungs, it is necessary to remove and expel the agent that causes.

In the case of children, said parents should be alert and watching when suffering from cough, the cough is “dry, with or without sputum. There is no need to try to” cut a hole “with self-medication, because it only causes children not to defend what the respiratory tract.

When you cough or sneeze is to cover the mouth with a tissue and never do it with your hands, because they are the primary vehicle for transmission of viruses or bacteria that cause respiratory infections. Parents should teach their children good habits early is cleansing.

Estimated that forty percent of children with cough and not only repair or remove, even with treatment prescribed by doctors, perhaps because of problems due to asthma or allergies, while sixty percent of that associated with respiratory tract infections.

Maternal diet modifies allergic childhood

Increase consumption of green and yellow vegetables, citrus and vegetables and fruits rich in beta carotene (usually red and orange) to reduce the risk of having a baby with eczema on the skin

Foods rich in vitamin E, present in green vegetables, also reduces the risk of having children with respiratory problems, reported in the journal Allergy.

Beta carotene and vitamin E are two of the many antioxidants present in vegetables and fruits that are beneficial to health. But previous research on the consumption of mothers and children have allergies conflicting results.

In a new study, the team is evaluating the consumption of vegetables and fruits during pregnancy from 763 women and the early onset of allergic eczema or wheezing in their children.

Women around 30 years and 17 weeks of pregnancy when surveyed about their health. When the babies were between 16 and 24 months of age, participants reported on the birth and breastfeeding, number of siblings older tobacco and tobacco exposure.

21 percent of the infants had wheeze or suffer “whistling in the chest in the last 12 months and less than 19 percent have eczema.

According to the authors, women who ate the most green and yellow vegetables, oranges or beta-carotene during pregnancy is less likely to have a baby with eczema.

For example, after considering the risk factors eczema, skin conditions more common among children whose mothers ate the least of these products compared to most green and yellow vegetables are consumed, with 54 and 32 babies each.

And the high vitamin E intake during pregnancy is associated with a reduced chance to have a child with wheezing, as in previous studies in the United States and England.

The team concluded that increased consumption of green and yellow vegetables, oranges and antioxidants like beta carotene and vitamin E in the mother “should be further investigated as an effective way to prevent allergies in children.

Allergies are relatively common and both genetic and environmental factors may play a role in its development. Allergy is caused by an oversensitive immune system, leading to a mistaken immune response. The immune system normally protects the body against harmful substances such as bacteria and viruses. It reacts to substances (allergens) that are generally harmless and in most people do not cause any problems. But in a person with allergies, the immune response is oversensitive. When the system recognizes an allergen, it releases chemicals like histamines, which cause itching, swelling, mucus production, muscle spasms, hives, rash and other symptoms that vary from person to person.

This found that allergic children are easier prey than others to have more viruses and infections, especially of “upper airways, ear, throat, adenoids. It is more frequent, thus suffering from illnesses such as otitis, sinusitis or colds.

A person is born and he is allergic throughout life. Sometimes you are asleep and at some point in the life of the person appears. It’s constitutional and does not heal. This does not mean, however, that this character has to cause allergic problems permanently: it can have symptoms for several years and then disappear with appropriate treatment or spontaneously. The opposite is also possible that a child will grow up without showing allergic symptoms and that these occur when an adult. However, the majority of allergic diseases are manifested in childhood and adolescence.

Allergens
Common allergens include pollen, mold, pet dander and dust. They are also very common food allergies and medications. Similarly, allergic reactions can be caused by insect bites, jewelry, cosmetics and other substances.

Heredity
Parents play a key role. If one of the two (or 2) they are allergic, they should be particularly alert. When one parent is allergic, the child has a 40% chance to be. If both are, and the probability is 60%. And if given the circumstances (not very common) that father and mother have the same type of allergy, and that percentage rises to 80%.

That heredity is a major factor is indisputable. However, in our family has not allergic history does not put our children “safe.” The specialists are noting that allergic diseases affect more and more children.

Prevention to reduce symptoms
Especially if we are dealing with a respiratory allergy (hay fever, allergic ritnitis, etc) should develop a series of measures to prevent the establishment of symptomatology.

To avoid these allergies should remove the animals that cause it. To do this we must take into account the following guidelines:

- Wash sheets frequently at a temperature of 60 ° C
- Dry cleaning all fabrics of the house.
- Do not use feather beds. Replace the mattress before 10 years of use.
- Do not use too many rugs or upholstered furniture.

What are the alimentary allergies that affect children?
First we must make clear that the three basic nutrients, carbohydrates, fats and proteins, it is the latter responsible for food allergies.
In Spain, the main cause of allergic reactions are milk, eggs and fish-age children, and fruits, seafood and nuts into adulthood. Unfortunately any animal or plant protein is likely to trigger allergic reactions.

When parents can say that your child is allergic to food. What are the symptoms?
Often the terms are often confused intolerance and allergy. In the case of the intolerant, and celiac disease patients, we talk about digestive diseases character. In the case of food allergies is responsible for the immune system responds abnormally to alleged offenders (proteins). Confusion usually occurs because among the symptoms of food allergies are the gastrointestinal, pain, swelling, vomiting, diarrhea, nausea … similar to those that occur in case intolerance, although other more specific as ODS (oral allergy syndrome) and angioedema. However, food allergies usually have other symptoms: skin: hives, eczema, DA (atopic dermatitis); Respiratory: rhinitis, congestion, asthma, broncho-spasm and edema of glottis. And the most serious, although fortunately the least common is that anaphylactic shock resulting in a multisystem failure with two or more of the symptoms already mentioned. In more severe cases there is reduced blood pressure, arrhythmia, weakness and cardiorespiratory failure that compromises vital signs becoming lethal. In any case, only a doctor allergist will give us the final diagnosis. Intolerances have a chronic but not life threatening, whereas allergies can get to overcome but are potentially fatal.

In general, what underlies the treatment of food allergy?
Regarding the treatment of food allergies on the one hand we can consider the treatment of symptoms (mild with antihistamines, corticosteroids and bronchodilators, and severe with adrenaline injection) and on the other causes. The makers of food allergies are proteins, and today the only way to prevent them is strictly eliminate foods that cause. Periodic reviews are conducted to assess the levels of tolerance and the evolution of the elimination diet (eliminate the cause and allergic memory generated by our body). Where it is considered that there may be successful? Overcome? tests are conducted or controlled exposure challenge (always in the hospital). Currently, the best results in this direction are taking place between those allergic to milk. They are also testing some vaccines for specific foods though much for the “total vaccine.

What parents should take care when buying food products to their children
The hardest thing in day to day of allergic and their families is what seems most simple: eliminate from the diet food causing the allergy. In practice, avoid hidden allergens, especially in processed foods, packaged and frozen. Sometimes we parents go crazy to “interpret” the labels. Labeling Act requires mandatory on labels appear the following 14 allergens: milk, eggs, cereals, nuts, peanuts, fish, mollusks, crustaceans, soy, celery, mustard, sesame, lupins and sulphites, but not always appear as? milk or egg? but with names hard to identify or remember (casein, lysozyme) or impossible codes (E-numbers, for example). One should also take into account not only food products may contain allergens, but also cosmetics, school supplies and crafts, medicines and other everyday products. To all this must be added that there are few safe brands, not available in all usual outlets (supermarkets, hypermarkets, convenience stores), sometimes only in specialty stores and priced considerably higher than for non-allergic counterparts.

- Are allergic children are so protected and non-allergic when they go to daycare, schools and canteens?
Regarding school canteens, the rules in the Community of Madrid provides for the existence of menus adapted to specific dietary needs (intolerances, allergies, metabolic disorders, etc.).. However, in practice allergy can see their applications rejected that center or claim service company being awarded the organizational problems or otherwise. We face the ignorance on the part of teachers and assistant schools in what are allergies and how to treat, especially in emergencies. Most families, in the absence of security, opt not to use the canteen service and have to endure situations that are clearly discriminatory and poorly integrated (the allergic child eats only at a separate table, or you have to bring lunch box home). Many mothers come to stop work in order to feed their children allergic to house. The periods of greatest risk and generate more stress to families are school activities, camps and celebrations several (often those with allergies do not take part in them). As we see we are facing not only a medical problem but also social and educational.

What do the latest statistics on food allergies
In Europe there are about 2% of food-allergic adults and up to 8% of children, of whom 65% are between 0 and 5 years. Regarding the importance of genetic factors, it is considered that if one parent suffers from an allergy, your children have a 45% chance of suffering too, and the percentage rises to 75-80% in case they are Allergy both parents. These combined data lead us to predict that the incidence of allergies in general and specifically food allergies, could reach 25% in a generation. Of all food allergic reactions caused by less than 2% are severe (anaphylactic shock).
In Spain the foods that cause allergies are more cases in children, milk, eggs and fruit in adults (especially the melon and peach) and seafood. In Europe, many reactions occur, apples and celery. In the U.S., peanut allergy is prevalent in South America and fruits like pineapple.
Finally, in terms of positive numbers, it can surpass the majority of milk allergies (80%) just under the egg (55%) and more rarely to fish and fruits (15%).

What the Association offers advice to parents
Our work goes in three directions. Families give updated information and advice to partners about safer brands, diet and nutrition, we keep them informed with monthly newsletters about new items and issues related to allergies, and offer social and psychological support, especially those newly diagnosed.
Secondly, we want to spread the culture of allergic and our collective problems. We conducted training activities and workshops aimed at professionals from different sectors (teachers, catering, nursing, leisure) and of course the general public. Also, do not hesitate to collaborate with other associations and related support groups.
Finally, we developed a series of projects to improve the lives of food allergic to trying to secure the cooperation and involvement of institutions and food businesses.

Just hay fever …?

Among the most common diseases in the summer is one of the hay fever, as he said earlier. Pollens irritate the mucous membranes of the nose and eyes, so that those affected constantly sneeze and cry.

If the parents are already allergic, their children may have inherited immunodeficiency. For this reason, infants should be breastfed as long as possible, preferably one years. For preventing the immune system early allergies.

The less the cause pollen allergy, the better. Basically, the allergens should be avoided. But since this is not always possible, the body can be desensibiliert. Using the smallest doses, he got used to the pollen and unresponsive with itching and sneezing on it. Ideally, this treatment in early childhood, because the doses are administered in the form of drops, painless, and long-lasting.

An adolescent or adult receives a weekly injection during the asymptomatic period. After three years of the hay fever is usually gone.

More than four packs do not allege the body. So who has a wide range of allergens, will have to go another route. Tablets for hay fever with sneezing and itchy eyes are significantly reduced.

Anyone with allergies should know its allergens and cross allergies. Homeopathic relief funds, which contain extracts of citrus and quince, very good, but must be taken for at least two years away.

Supportive measures are the following: eye drops, nasal spray and Kleenex are on hand in the apartment. Allergies should wash their hair every night. On smooth floors pollen are easier to remove than on carpet. Polyester pillows should be washed once a week. Cotton bed linen should be changed weekly.
Women should refrain from eye makeup, because that also stimulates it.

In cross-allergy sprayed fruits are recommended, preferably from their own garden.
During pregnancy, women do not have hay fever. No Spring Travel “pollen-contaminated” areas, rather stays at sea.

Hay fever is annoying – but at some point and may even disappear on its own