During the first few months after birth babies can demonstrate allergic reactions to food proteins, particularly hen’s eggs and cow’s milk, even if they are breast-fed, studies show.

According to the educational initiative Act Against Allergy, food allergies and reactions tend to occur most commonly in the first ten years of childhood as the immune system develops and matures.

Research has found that cow’s milk is the most common cause of food allergy among infants, with at least two to three per cent of children affected.

However, general symptoms associated with a milk allergy including eczema and rash, vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation and breathing difficulty may occur in up to 15 per cent of babies.

Parents required to cut cow milk protein from their child’s diet in order to manage an allergic condition are encouraged to use a supplement of amino-acid-based formulas to reduce the risk of poor growth and development.

Act Against Allergy claims that it is rare for babies over 12 months old to start developing symptoms of milk allergy.

Researchers have found a potential link between certain allergies and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

IBS is a disorder of the large bowel (colon) and is characterised by abdominal pain, bloating and irregular bowel habits, including alternating diarrhoea and constipation. It affects as many as one in five people and is most common among those in their 20s and 30s.

A team of US researchers found that adults with allergy symptoms reported a high incidence of IBS, suggesting a link between the two.

They looked at 125 adults and found that the likelihood of IBS was significantly higher in those with certain allergies. In fact, those with seasonal allergic rhinitis were 2.67 times more likely to have IBS, while those with atopic eczema were 3.85 times more likely to have the condition.

People with depression meanwhile were 2.56 times more likely to have IBS.

While previous research has suggested that allergen exposure increases the risk of IBS, the frequency of this had never been studied.

“The reported presence of allergic dermatitis was highly correlated to the presence of IBS in our population. In early childhood, allergic eczema is frequently associated with gastrointestinal dysfunction and food allergy. A clinical history of allergic eczema may be a useful marker for patients with gut hypersensitivity and IBS”, the researchers said.

The study suggested that people with IBS who have these allergic symptoms should be considered separately from other patients with IBS ‘because they may have distinct pathophysiologic features and may benefit from specific therapeutic interventions’.

Details of these findings are published in the journal, Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.

Source: http://www.irishhealth.com/?level=4&id=12993

Do you know your skin type? Sometimes is can be difficult to figure out, especially if the condition isn’t extreme. However, even slightly dry skin, or slightly oily skin, can be adversely affected by using the wrong skin care products for your skin type – dry skin becomes drier and oily skin becomes oilier. Using the wrong products can be particularly damaging for those with eczema. To be safe, it’s always a good idea to use a shielding lotion under any other skin care product, but knowing your skin type and choosing appropriate products for your condition will also help avoid eczema flares.

There are five basic skin types: oily, dry, combination, sensitive, and aging.

* Oily skin is shiny, has large pores, and generally is more prone to blemishes and blackheads than other skin types. Seborrheic dermatitis – one type of eczema – is common with oily skin. It is generally recognized by a red rash with yellowish, oily scales.

* Dry skin feels a little rough and can sometimes develop flaky, red patches. It also feels tight and has a tendency to wrinkle, even in young people. Atopic dermatitis – another form of eczema – is often associated with dry skin and is thought to be caused by a combination of dry skin and a compromised immune system. The tiny, sometimes invisible cracks in dry skin allow absorption of substances that irritate the skin – which, in turn, can cause flares.

* Combination skin, considered ‘normal’, has medium pores and a smooth texture, but the skin is slightly dry on the cheeks and slightly oily in the t-zone (forehead, nose and chin). If someone with combination skin develops flares, it is usually around or just above the nose.

* Sensitive skin has fine pores, blushes easily, and is prone to rashes and allergic reactions. It reacts like dry skin, but the reaction is usually more severe.

* Aging skin can be dry or oily, but becomes saggy and slack. How eczema manifests in aging skin is largely dependent on the ‘dry’ or ‘oily’ element.

If you’re having trouble identifying your skin type, here’s an easy test. After washing your face with gentle, natural soap and ensuring it’s completely dry – wait about 30 minutes - pat your cheeks, chin, nose, and forehead with rice paper. If your skin is oily, the paper becomes translucent. If it’s dry, the paper will stay the same.

Some cosmetics and other skin care products are now labeled as appropriate for certain skin types and, if you can find products so labeled, using them may reduce your chances of flares. However, although no one has really figured out what causes eczema, it is widely recognized to be associated with irritation from chemicals – and most skin care products contain irritating chemicals even if they are labeled for a particular skin type. That’s where a good shielding lotion comes in.

A good shielding lotion bonds with the outer layer of the skin to form a protective layer that keeps out chemicals – which is exactly what eczema sufferers need. In fact, thousands of doctors now recommend a shielding lotion as eczema treatment for precisely that reason.

No matter what your skin type, and no matter what skin care products you use, preventing contact with and absorption of harsh or irritating chemicals is still the your best eczema treatment. Using the right skin care products for your skin type will help but, to be safe, a good shielding lotion should always be used as a base. Give it a try!

Source: http://www.theopenpress.com/index.php?a=press&id=28435

Mothers who fear their babies suffer from food allergies are largely wrong, research has found.

More than 800 babies were monitored for three years, and more than a third of their parents, mainly mothers, said their child had a food intolerance. But just 27 were allergic to any food at the age of three, and fewer than 60 had a food allergy at any stage. The University of Portsmouth research also found that the incidence of food allergies is not rising. Carina Venter, a dietician and senior researcher at the University, spent three years studying nearly all the babies born in one year on the Isle of Wight. The babies were studied at six months, one, two and three years of age.

Dr. Venter said: “”People have become more aware of food allergies, particularly of peanut allergy. Mums tend to put down every rash, tummy ache, diarrhoea and crying to food allergy or intolerance.” The study, funded by the Food Standards Agency, found parents jump to the conclusion of a food allergy far too quickly. The appearance of a rash, itching or developing hives or eczema, were the main reasons parents decided their child had a food intolerance.

A tummy ache, vomiting, wheeziness and coughing were also factors.

The study also found babies could be allergic to some foods and outgrow this intolerance within a year or two - between 5% and 6% of babies had an allergic reaction to some foods at some point in the three years, but just 27 were left with allergies at the age of three.

Dr. Venter said: “”It is commonly known that most children out grow their milk and egg allergy.

“Fish and peanut allergies can be outgrown, but it is less likely.”

Allergy sources

Milk, eggs, fruit - mainly strawberries and citrus fruit - additives and wheat, peanuts, fish and soya were the foods most commonly blamed by mothers for causing an allergy.

But the foods that were more likely to cause an allergic reaction are peanuts, eggs, milk, wheat, brazil and almond nuts.

Some of the babies also had a reaction to gluten, hazelnut, cashew nut and corn.

Peanut and sesame allergy tests were not given until the age of three, because it is thought babies shouldn’t be exposed to these items when they are any younger.

The only other study of this type - monitoring babies’ allergies for their first three years - was conducted in the U.S. 20 years ago.

This study found the number of allergies had dropped slightly.

Dr. Venter said: “”Why food allergies haven’t increased isn’t clear. Asthma, eczema and hay fever are growing, and we thought food allergies were too.

“”We don’t know at this stage why it isn’t increasing.”"

Dr. Adam Fox, a consultant pediatric allergist at Guy’s and St. Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, said: “”Whilst a large number of parents do worry about their children having food allergies, most children won’t.

“”But unfortunately for a significant minority, food allergies are a very real problem, and it has a huge impact on their lives.

“”By failing to take parents’ concerns seriously, it will often lead them to look elsewhere for advice.

(Source: BBC)