What is Hay Fever?

Hay fever (Allergic Rhinitis) refers to an allergy to pollen and is usually seasonal, but may occur year round or perennially. It’s also called allergic rhinitis or seasonal allergic rhinitis. It got its name in the 1800’s and is misleading. Some British doctors noticed that some rural residents experienced sneezing, coughing, and itchy watery eyes after cutting hay. They noticed the condition caused nervousness, and so came about “fever” one old English definition of nervousness. Allergies don’t cause fever, and it is the pollen or mold that causes the reaction and not the hay.

Symptoms of Hay Fever

Signs and symptoms of hay fever may include:

• Runny nose
• Watery eyes
• Congestion
• Frequent sneezing
• Itchy eyes, nose, roof of mouth or throat
• Swollen, blue-colored skin under the eyes (allergic shiners)
• Cough
• Facial pressure and pain

Causes of Hay fever

Inhaled allergens cause the allergic reaction. Your body identifies the allergens as “enemies” and makes an anti-body to fight against it called immunoglobulin E (IgE). When you’re exposed to an allergen, your body releases IgE which in turn triggers the discharge of inflammatory chemicals which swell the mucous membranes of your nose, eyes and sinuses which cause the running of your nose and watering of your eyes and lead to coughing and sneezing.
Seasonal hay fever symptoms can be caused by:

• Tree pollen
• Grass pollen
• Weed pollen
• Spores from fungi and mold

Perennial hay fever symptoms can be caused by:

• Dust mites
• Cockroaches
• Animal dander
• Spores from indoor and outdoor fungi and molds

Home Remedies for Hay Fever

Avoiding the allergens is the most obvious thing to do. However, this is all but impossible unless you live in a bubble. Don’t go out early in the morning or later in the evening when the pollen levels are highest. Try to stay indoors on high ozone days when the allergens will also be plentiful. Avoid using nasal sprays for more than 3 days in a row. That might make nasal congestion worse. Avoid smoke and other pollutants.
Some things you can do to help soothe and ease the symptoms of hay fever:

• Mince together grapefruit and lemon and add a tablespoon of honey to the mixture. Take up to 3 times a day. Helps open swollen mucous membranes.
• Boil chamomile leaves in water, and breathe in vapor or steam. Acts as an anti-inflammatory.
• Irrigate your sinus passage with a nasal douche. You can find one at your local drugstore.
• In hot weather, use the air conditioner in your home and car. Open windows let in more pollen—closed windows keep it out. Clean the air conditioner filter once a month.
• Use the dryer to dry your clothes; don’t hang them on a clothesline.
• Shower after being outside to lessen the amount of pollen left on your hair and skin. If you can’t shower every night, thoroughly wash your hands and face paying special attention to your eyes and making sure to irrigate them well.

-Anne

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As a somewhat high-strung person, I needed something to help me calm down and de-stress in order to handle high-paced environments. As Americans, we tend to be on the go from the time we wake up to the time we go to sleep. My day holds no exceptions.

I always associated meditation with eastern religions and a robed guru sitting in the lotus position chanting “OOOMMM.” Although meditation originated in the East, and is rooted in such religions and ways of life as Buddhism, Taoism, and Hinduism, it doesn’t need to be done as a religious or spiritual practice to be useful. Of course it is most helpful with the acknowledgment that we are mind, body and spirit as separate but unified entities. Meditation helps bring attention to these factors, and builds a foundation from which we can find a calm contentedness.

What is meditation?

There are several types of meditation practices, and each religion has specific exercises in mediation that can range anywhere from 4-50 basic types. In western culture, or for non-Buddhists, meditation techniques are used in the search for mental and physical health as well as for Buddhist and non-Buddhist spiritual goals.

The most basic form of meditation is mindfulness of breathing. Focusing on the breath, the meditator learns to acknowledge the amount of thoughts that continuously clutter the mind and add to stress through the struggle to concentrate on single objectives and remain on task.

The idea is that through the practice of mindfulness of breathing, the meditator will learn how to acknowledge the other thoughts that creep in, but then refocus attention onto the inhalation and exhalation of the body, or the job at hand. The struggle of the mind becomes less as the meditator practices the exercise of refocusing attention. Other types of meditation include: contemplation, moving or walking meditation, chanting, and visualization. Types of movement meditation include yoga and Tai chi. Breathing or mindfulness of breathing can also be called stillness meditation.

How to do Breathing Meditation

After you learn the basic breathing technique, you will find that you can meditate anywhere and at any time as the need arises. To begin, set aside 15 minutes a day where you can be comfortable and alone. The morning is ideal as you will start your day in a relaxed and calm state.
1. Wear comfortable clothing and sit in a comfortable position making sure to keep your back straight. A straight back helps keep your mind from becoming sluggish.
2. With your eyes partially closed, breathe in and out naturally paying attention to the feel and sound of your breath. As you become more practiced, you can then employ more specific breathing techniques (See the blog archives for directions on conscious breathing through a three-step process under Prevention through Nutrition).
3. When thoughts come into your mind drawing the focus off of your breath, acknowledge them without judgment, and bring your attention back to your breath.
4. Repeat this process for 15 minutes.

Don’t be surprised if a variety of emotions begin to surface. Some people may even weep. A single emotion such as sadness or nostalgia may surface, or you may feel multiple emotions at once such as anger, sadness and joy. Practice allowing the feelings to surface without judgment, as with the thoughts, and then bringing the focus back to the breath. There are no rules in meditation, so if emotions and thoughts don’t surface, that’s okay too. But if they do, there is a reason for it. The meditation exercise transports these thoughts and feelings from the sub-conscious to the conscious, allowing you to live more deliberately or fully.

When stressful situations arise as the day passes, or if you begin to feel anxious, take a moment to focus on your breath which will help you to de-stress and regain your serenity. Knowing how to meditate can help keep you calmer, and in turn, your blood pressure will remain relatively unaffected by stress and therefore your heart won’t need to work as hard.

-Anne

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Respiratory what? I’ve never even heard of this virus before I recently came upon it in my research. The good news is it’s usually as harmless as the common cold, although it makes you feel just as bad. I don’t know that I have met a single person who has ever had an official diagnosis of RSV or knows somebody that has been diagnosed, even after “polling” most of my family and friends. Because I’d never heard or read about this illness before, so I thought it very important to share what I learned in hopes of allaying fears and letting others know the mild nature of this illness but also of RSV’s risk factors.

What is Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)

Respiratory Syncytial Virus or RSV is the leading cause of bronchitis and pneumonia among infants and children under the age of 1 year old. The majority of children hospitalized for RSV are under the age of 6 months old. Most children infected by the virus recover within 8-15 days; however, a life-long battle of re-infection may occur, and is usually associated with moderate-to-severe cold-like symptoms.

RSV isn’t typically something that you need to worry about, but it can lead to pneumonia or other problems in some people, especially babies. So watch the symptoms, and contact your pediatrician if the symptoms get worse. Lower respiratory tract disease may later be a result of having had RSV, and can be severe especially in the elderly or those whose immune systems are compromised, but may occur at any age. Most people have had RSV at least once by the time they are 2 years old.

Causes

A virus causes RSV. Like the virus that causes the common cold, RSV attacks the nose, eyes, throat and lungs of the affected individual. RSV is spread from respiratory secretions through close contact with infected individuals with sneezing or coughing. The virus can also live on objects and surfaces such as kitchen countertops. RSV can be highly contagious, also like a cold.

Symptoms

As stated above, RSV typically displays the same symptoms of a cold, including:
• Cough
• Stuffy nose
• Mild sore throat
• Earache
• Fever
Babies with RSV may also:
• Have no energy
• Act fussy or cranky
• Be less hungry than usual

If your child is showing more severe symptoms like wheezing or difficulty breathing, consult with your physician or pediatrician.

Prevention

Trying to prevent RSV is as difficult as the prevention of the common cold. Using and teaching your child to use proper daily hygiene goes a long way in lessening your chances of contracting the virus. Wash your hands frequently throughout the day, and teach your kids to do the same. Eat a well balanced diet high in nutrients that will give you and your children natural antibiotic properties to ward against illness.

Home Remedies

Home treatment is usually all that is needed for most people with RSV, and typically goes away on its own. Below are some things you can do to make your child more comfortable and to quicken the healing process:
• Make sure your child’s head is propped up to make it easier for him/her to breathe
• Suction the nose of an infant to clear the nasal passage and enable better breathing for eating and sleeping
• Warm fluids relax the throat and help with coughing spasms
• Humidifiers or cool mist vaporizers will help keep the air from getting too dry and aggravating the throat
• Eating can be tiring, so offer formula or breast milk in small amounts more often throughout the day, and smaller more frequent meals for older children
• Offer plenty of clear liquid to the child to keep him/her hydrated

-Anne

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Breathing is the most natural thing to do, right? So why am I sitting here writing a post about breathing? Can you believe that most of us are breathing wrong? Well, we’re alive, so we must be doing something right. The thing is, if we learn to breathe a little more consciously and from the diaphragm, we can reduce our stress levels, optimize our sense of smell and taste, and even live a little longer.

There are basically two types of breathing: cleansing and energizing. Cleansing breaths detoxify the body and stress exhalation. Energizing breaths focus on inhalation and collect and store vital energy.

Sounds like basic breathing so far. But what of the spontaneous ’sighs’ and ‘yawns’ we sometimes experience? A sigh is a cleansing breath, a long, forceful exhalation preceded by a quick gulp of air. People sigh when toxins in the bloodstream reach a critical level or energy is running low. In contrast, a yawn is an energizing breath–a long, deep inhalation briefly held in the lungs, followed by a short exhalation.

Breathing is a three step process. Did you ever notice a sleeping child or puppy? The stomach moves up and down as they breathe, not the chest. Take a gradual breath in, and expand your diaphragm. Your stomach should fill up like a balloon. Next, feel the air fill your lungs without lifting your chest or expanding your rib cage. Third, you can feel the air getting up into the top of your lungs. Exhale in the same manner, only the steps are in reverse. When we breathe, as we do, into the rib cage and the clavicle, our breaths are shallow and so not enough oxygen or negative ions are getting into the lungs and subsequently the blood stream leading to lower energy. A cleansing breath helps open the blood vessels in the brain as well, and is a great aid in relieving stress. Slower, deeper breaths will help the body to heat naturally, and comes in handy on a cold February day like today.

Chee-gung has been a formal branch of Chinese medicine for over 2,000 years, and means both ‘breathing exercise’ and ‘energy control’. It was found that it was first referenced in the mid-sixth century B.C. There are many different ways to do exercises in order to learn to breathe properly. This first one is for beginners and takes only 10 minutes a day.

· Dress in loose comfortable clothes.

· Find a comfortable, quiet location.

· Lay on back or sit with back erect in a chair or on the floor

· Count “1″ and breathe in and think “relax” and breathe out.

· Focus attention on breathing and counting.

· Expand diaphragm on breathing in and keep chest still.

· Count up to 10 and then back to 1.

· Practice up to twice daily, 10 minutes each time.

· Monitor your practice.

1. Place one hand on your chest and the other one on your stomach with your little finger just a little above your naval. The movement should come from your lower hand (diaphragm, muscle in stomach) not your chest.
2. Do not try to take in too much air and don’t slow your breathing down too much. Just breathe smoothly and easily through your nose. Do not hold your breath.
3. Count “one” mentally as you breathe in, and think “relax” as you breathe out. Then “two” on the next breath in, and breathe out and think “relax.” Do these until you get to 10 then start back at 1.
4. After about 5-6 weeks of doing chee-gung, gradually begin to slow your counting day by day until you can breathe at a rate of 10 breaths per minute at rest.

-Anne

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I can’t imagine having any type of chronic breathing disorder at any age, let alone in childhood. It baffles me that some children have to fight just to breathe. This is the case for about 6.5 million children (under the age of 18) in the U.S. who struggle with asthma. The age group most affected is between the ages of 5-17. Asthma is the third leading cause for hospitalization in children, and school absenteeism. Asthma can almost always be controlled even though there isn’t a cure. The key is education for you and your child.

Causes

Allergens, viral respiratory infections and airborne irritants cause an inflammation of the airways which is the common denominator in asthma patients. The inflammation is almost always causative of the asthma condition.

Asthma is often triggered by a condition or an outside stimulus that activates an over-reactive airway system.
Some common triggers are:
• Exercise
• Infections
• Allergy
• Irritants
• Weather
• Emotions such as crying (infrequent)

Signs and Symptoms

• Constant or intermittent coughing
• Wheezing or whistling sounds when exhaling
• Shortness of breath or rapid breathing

Children who have frequent respiratory infections, pneumonia and bronchitis should be evaluated for asthma. If the child coughs after running or crying, has recurring or worsening cough at night, tightening of the chest with shortness of breath and is complaining that their chest hurts or feels funny, they should be tested for asthma.

Prevention

Asthma is treatable and reversible. The most important thing is to help your child avoid irritants.

Some things to avoid:
• Harsh chemicals like those found in some cleaners
• Cigarette or cigar smoke
• Allergens such as pet dander or ragweed
• High humidity rates (A dehumidifier will help within the home. There’s not much you can do about Mother Nature.)
• People infected with a viral, bacterial or respiratory infection
• Over extending the child emotionally or physically which will bring on stress

Home Remedies

Some specialized items can be used to help your child breathe easier:
• Allergen-impermeable covers for pillows and mattresses
• Vacuum cleaner with a high-efficiency particulate air filter (HEPA filter)
• Air cleaner with a HEPA filter for homes with pets or mold problems (avoid smoking in the home even with a filter)
• Vent filters for homes with forced air heat

Things you can do to help your child while he/she is having an asthma attack:
• Stay calm—the calmer you are, the calmer your child will be. A panic attack will make it even more difficult for the child to catch his/her breath.
• Teach breathing from the diaphragm, the muscle in the stomach. The breaths aren’t as shallow that way, and more air is able to get into the stomach.

When to See a Doctor

Asthma is a chronic illness, but can usually be managed successfully at home. However, it can be life threatening. If your child is displaying any of the following symptoms, consult with a physician immediately.
• Struggling to get air. The nostrils may be flared, or your child may have a pinched-in look at the ribs or collarbone.
• Too busy trying to breathe rather than talk.
• Sitting up and leaning forward in an effort to get air.
• Grunting with each breath.
• Sitting very quietly and attempting to get his breath (won’t get up and walk around).
• Refusing to eat or drink.
• Not feeling better within 15 minutes after medication is given.

-Anne

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