If you notice yourself skipping the traffic signals on your way to office or dozing of in front of power point slides as your boss watches on, then you are suffering from a serious problem of “sleep debt”. Of course, you aren’t alone in this pool of debt and discomfort, because as many as one in every five Americans are reported to get sleeplessness nights almost everyday.

Normally, an adult is required to get at least 6-8 hours of sleep depending upon one’s individual needs. However, experts claim that stress and unhealthy lifestyles are making 6 hours of sleep also difficult for people today.

Tips to Keep the Eye Shut for Long
Listed below are some tips that can fetch you a good night’s sleep to avoid allergies in the future:

• Avoid napping too often during the day as you would feel less sleepy at night
• Stick to a particular schedule for going to bed and waking up in the morning and try abiding by them even during weekends and/or holidays.
• Do not try to force yourself to sleep. Browse magazines or listen to soft music till you actually feel like going to sleep.
• Ensure that you bedroom only encourages comfortable sleep and not noise or incorrect lighting, reading etc.
• Exercise can fetch you good sleep at night. Ensure that you stick to an exercise regime either during the early hours of the morning or six hours prior to sleeping time.
• Avoid caffeinated drinks, alcohol and tobacco during the last six hours before going to bed.
• Do not eat huge meals before going to bed and also remember never to go to sleep hungry.

Improved sleep can thereby not help in keeping off the weigh permanently but can also ward off chronic illnesses like diabetes, obesity and several heart diseases. Dr Ronald Kramer claims that most people focus on diet and exercise for preventing diseases and forget sleep for that matter. Interestingly, it is a triangle of health cautions – diet, exercise and sleep, which people should keep in mind to ward of illnesses like allergies, diabetes, etc in the future.

There seems to be a scientific connection between allergies and dark circles. Experts opine that allergies can lead to dark circles by means of a histamine reaction or due to frequent itching or rubbing of the eyes.

Dark eye bags or circles arising due to allergies and/or allergy factors are commonly referred to as “allergy shiner” by some critiques who do not believe that dark circles can result from any kind of allergies.

Though there are numerous allergies that can ultimately result in under eye circles, allergies most commonly related to dark circles are – nasal passage difficulties, and/or sinus problems that usually occur in case of dust allergies, pet allergies and food allergies to mention a few kinds of allergies that can cause congestion of nasal passages and teary eyes.

Experts opine that sinus problems can get that uncomfortable and itchy that you can almost cause the region around your nose and eyes to be bruised. Constant itching and rubbing can lead to darkening of the skin around the teary red eyes.

Connection between Dairy Foods, Allergies and Dark Circles
Dairy foods are one of the most common to cause allergies in people. Further evidence also shows that removing dairy foods from one’s diet can lead to skin lightening around the eyes.

Experts suggest that you could probably go on a completely dairy-free diet for about 30 days to check whether there is any improvement and/or lightening of the skin under and around your eyes.

Treatment for Under Eye Dark Circles
When under eye dark circles result from allergies, the following remedies can be of use:

• Consult a doctor for medications and/or ways to tackle the itching bouts around the eyes and nose
• Makeup and/or cleaning techniques that can somewhat hide the dark circles under and around the eyes
• Be gentle and avoid rubbing your eyes and nose too vigorously

Dietary efforts that can help alleviate the dark circles around your eyes include – drinking plenty of water, vitamin B, vitamin C and grape seed oil. Some other home remedies that can help lighten the dark circles around the eyes are – cold compressors for the eyes, applying raw potato and/or cucumber slices over the eyelids for about 15-20 minutes, lemon and tomato juice or lemon and cucumber juice mixed and applied over the eyes for 10-15 minutes among some remedies that can be prepared at home.

A study carried out by the Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research (UFZ) in Germany claims that childhood stress can contribute effectively towards developing allergies in later life.

How Does Childhood Stress Lead to Allergies?
Scientists studied as many as 234 six year old kids. It is revealed that kids who suffered higher levels of stress in their childhood days, that is pertaining to shifting houses or regarding kids from separated parents showed higher levels of VIP (Vasoactive Intestinal Polypeptide) in their blood.

VIP is a stress related “neuropeptide” which messes with the regulation of immune responses. Though it is yet to be ascertained as to why stress leads to allergies in later years, this study shows a distinct connection between allergies and higher neuropeptide VIP.

Earlier efforts also sought to establish connections between lifestyle and its impact on the immune system development in early childhood that could increase the risk of allergies in later years of life.

What Kinds of Childhood Stress Do Kids Face?
Experts opine that undergoing stressful situations can increase a child’s risk towards developing – asthma or allergic skin disorders in later life. For kids anything as simple as shifting locations or house or the illness of a relative or closed one can result in “stress”.

Experts maintain that the results need further scrutiny because few kids were taken into consideration. However, the study is careful reminder of how stress can affect kids in a big way. The study also suggests how an internal and/or emotional factor such as stress can case allergies apart from the more obvious factors like pollen, pollution, pets, etc.

Now, you have reason to stop and think whether you need to shift locations immediately or not and to ensure that your kids are away from the trauma and pain of seeing any member of their family suffer from any illness.

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This confirmation comes against an earlier study conducted in 2003 which confirmed that soy milk does trigger peanut allergies in children. Peanut allergy is said to result in a life-threatening allergic reaction called the anaphylaxis.

Experts explain that the connection between soy milk and peanut allergy is simply by fluke. Australians scientists emphasize that parents whose kids are already at an increased risk of developing peanut allergy whether on account of a personal or family history of allergy towards cow’s milk tend to feed their kids with soy milk instead.

Soy milk is no more a reason to fear allergies in kids. Jennifer is now involved in yet another interesting study that deals with peanut allergies. The scientist is going to speculate the reasons why peanut allergies occur after all, why some are targeted and why others are not, does the diet timing have anything to do with peanut allergy or is there any link between the occurrences of allergies with the age at which either peanuts or eggs are consumed.

Her future efforts are also stretching the mile with the need to investigate environmental factors like smoking parents, kids exposed to other siblings and/or pets, birth conditions, etc.

Peanut allergy leads to fatal allergic reactions affecting nearly 1 in 100 kids with the rate increasing by every minute in the past 30 years.

Well, do not worry; cat allergens are manageable even with the pets at home. These allergens are air bound, and because of their small size stay for a long time in the air.

That means you will react to them only if you inhale them. Here are some points, which will help you keep the air clean of these cat allergens.

1) Keep the cats off your bed, talk about this to your partner and explain it to him/her that it is necessary and important for you. They wouldn’t deny you.

2) Make sure that the cat stays away from your room. Your partner who loves cats will be mad at you for this, but kindly bear up cause you cannot go around the house sneezing every two minutes.

3) Wash your clothes; bed sheets etc in hot water, steaming up the laundry also, will be a great option.

4) Buy a good air purifier device, which keeps the air clean from any kind of allergens.

5) Vacuum clean your house as often as you can.

6) Wash your hands after petting the cat and do not rub your eyes after petting the animal.

7) There is a new brand of liquid called Allerpet that is come out in the market, which when applied on the cats coat helps get rid of allergens.

8) Confine your cats to a particular area of your house and do not step into that area.

Keep these points in mind and implement them, this way you wouldn’t have to get rid of the cat and also wouldn’t be suffering from any kind of cat allergy.

However, researchers claim that living close to the road aggravates the risk of asthma and allergic reaction in children.

The various pollutants, chemicals, smog particles and toxic aerosols negatively impair the functioning of our lungs.

Researches conducted by various experts have proved this health statement.

The exposure to smoke emitted by these vehicles causes the body to produce an allergy antibody –IgE that attaches itself to allergens-pollens and dander.

The IgE is a key trigger of allergic reactions. That is why one immediately reacts with watery eyes, sneezes, and rashes etc in the presence of allergens.

It is therefore very important that one takes up a house at a distance away from the road. If that is not possible one can try and reduce the impact of allergens at home by

• Keeping indoor plants.
• Avoiding burning wood at home.
• Also avoiding smoking at home.
• Do not open the windows for air as all you will get is polluted air, instead resort to using the air conditioner often.

These factors will greatly help in minimizing the effects of pollution.

According to several researches, laundry when washed at a higher temperature i.e. 140 degrees Fahrenheit or higher or 60 ºC helps kill dust mites, when compared to washing laundry at 104 degrees Fahrenheit or luke warm water.

Hot water not just helps calm and soothe our bodies but is also very beneficial when it comes to washing clothes. Washing clothes in hot water helps in removing dog dander and pollen.

Not just hot water even cold water proves to be very effective in removing allergens from the clothes.

Washing clothes at a lower between 86-104° F, and 30-40 ºC, and then rinsing the laundry in cold water for a brief time of three minutes each, helps get rid of allergens. You can resort to this way of cleaning if your delicate laundry cannot take the heat.

So if you want to get rid of allergens from your clothes make sure you wash them in very hot water . If washing in hot water is not possible, resort to washing them in very cold water.

This is one of the best ways of getting rid of allergens.

Studies conducted show that even steam cleaning of sheets is as effective as washing sheets in hot water.

Wash your sheets keeping the above points in mind and get rid of allergens.

Cells from the umbilical cord of 50 babies delivered vaginally and 68 babies delivered by C-Section were observed and studied. Each of these babies had a parent who suffered from a form of allergic reaction. 

It was observed that the immune system of the C-Section babies was weaker in comparison to the babies delivered vaginally. 

The reason quoted for this cause is that vaginally delivered babies are exposed to stress at the time of delivery, this further causes them to be exposed to important bacteria, which in turn activates the immune system immediately. 

The C-Section babies however, are not exposed to any such stress, and their immune systems are left unaffected.

Hormonal reactions in the baby at the time of delivery when exposed to stress plays a important role in determining the functioning of the immune system. 

Research work still continues in this area and further study is being conducted to explore this field.

However, till then all those who have been delivered normally can rejoice and cheer themselves for being blessed with a strong immune system.

Well, you have really decided and made up your mind to go on a holiday and have come up with the necessary precautionary measures to fight allergy while on the road.

But what about your place of stay? Have you thought about it? What if the hotel at which you are staying is a rich source of allergic reactions- hotel carpeting, dust mites, mattresses.

What can you do about it?

Well here are some measures that will help you have a happy stay at a hotel irrespective of all the odds.

Firstly enquire and make sure that the hotel that you are going to stay in has a flexible pet policy and request a room that is pet free.

Secondly ask for a room which is dry and sunny and away from the pool.

Thirdly carry your own dust free pillow covers and bed sheets which can use while sleeping.

Fourthly make sure you have a air conditioner in your room. Use it as much as possible of it, avoid opening the windows. If possible request the hotel staff to change the air filter of air conditioner before you arrive.

Last but not the least avoid using the hotel’s closet or drawers as they are great breeding places of mould spores.

Keep these points in mind and have a happy stay.

In order to make life simpler and easier researchers have come up with a specific immunotherapy against allergies wherein the body stops reacting to the source of allergy. This would mean no running noses, embarrassing sneezes and a stoppage to perennial watery eyes.

Allergen Immunotherapy according to researchers can be done with the aid of certain injections, sublingual therapy (drops which have to be taken under the tongue), tablets, and sprays.

Research is till being conducted to test out the effectiveness of this specific Immunotherapy against allergens. According to a recent study, most of these         immunotherapy procedures are already being practiced in Germany. The sublingual therapy on the other hand is gaining a lot of prominence in Europe and is found to be more effective than the injections.

Scientists are still yet to find out the reason why sublingual treatment is more effective than Injections.

Also, researchers have found out that parents can relive the suffering of their children who are prone to allergic reactions by quitting smoking. Smoking is said to be the major cause of so many children suffering from allergic reactions.

Also, various studies are being conducted to find out the effectiveness of Probiotics.

Probiotics are drugs, which pregnant women can take in the later stage of their pregnancy to prevent their babies from developing any kind of allergic reactions.

Science has developed greatly and is coming up with measures that help make life less complicated and easy to live. This therapy will surely prove to be a great benefit for those who suffer from allergic reactions.