Let's Talk Allergies

April 24, 2021November 4, 2022

New Use For An Old Dust Mite Pillow Cover

I am always interested to find people using allergy control products in unusual ways. We had a customer that was extremely allergic to mango pollen and she lived in an area of Jamaica that was loaded with mango trees. The pollen gave her fits.

She absolutely swore that mopping the floors with De-Mite did more to control the pollen in her house that mopping with any other solution. As long as she lived in Jamaica, she mopped with De-Mite. I just learned a great new use for an old dust mite pillow cover.

Dust Mite Pillow Cover New Use #1

use dust mite pillow cover to protect your tea pot — © David Shawley | Dreamstime Stock Photos

This past Easter Sunday, I found someone in my church using a zippered dust mite pillow cover as a cover for her dish at the potluck breakfast. I had to laugh and asked her what on earth she was doing.

She told me that several years prior to her becoming knowledgeable about what makes a good zippered dust mite cover, she purchased some very inexpensive covers made of SMS material.

As you can imagine, she quickly discovered that SMS is not a great fabric for any piece of bedding upon which you directly sleep. She found it to be loud and hot. I told her that we love SMS box spring covers, but we do not even sell a dust mite pillow cover made from SMS because it just is not comfortable

She told me how much happier she was with the all-cotton dust mite pillow covers that she purchased from The Allergy Store but she hated to get rid of the old covers. So, she started using them to carry hot or cold dishes to potluck meals.

She said they are great because whether your dish is hot or cold, it will not hurt the seat of your car. In addition, even if the contents escape the plastic wrap or aluminum foil covers it will not splash in the car and create a mess.

Dust Mite Pillow Cover New Use #2

She also shared that she uses the old SMS dust mite pillow covers to store some of her serving dishes. Instead of buying special protective covers for her special serving dishes and nice dinnerware, she put the zippered covers she was not using to a new use.

The covers keep her dishes protected from chipping and keep them dust-free. This is important if you have a dish you don’t use very often and want to protect,

I have to admit this was one weird use for a zippered pillow encasement! So if you have some zippered dust mite pillow covers that you don’t think are very comfortable, you might want to consider replacing them with some of our AllergyCare 100% Cotton covers and don’t throw away those uncomfortable covers, use them for dish carriers.

Until next time

Cheryl

April 5, 2021October 6, 2021

Already Suffering From Spring Allergies – Eat Yogurt

According to an article in the Huffington Post, if your spring allergies are making you suffer try eating a container or two of probiotic yogurt a day.

Probiotics, or “good bacteria,” may be helpful to people with seasonal allergies, a new review suggests.

Researchers believe that in our sterile modern world, probiotics can encourage the production of antibodies in babies and children that can protect them from allergies later in life.

Researchers analyzed the results from more than 20 previous studies and found that hay fever sufferers may get some benefits from using probiotics, improving their symptoms and quality of life.

The review shows promise, but one of the reasons the researchers can’t yet recommend probiotics to treat seasonal allergies is because the studies used different probiotic strains and different study groups.

March 11, 2021July 16, 2021

Milk Allergies Can Make Life Miserable for Kids And Parents

Milk allergies are some of the most common food allergies, striking thousands of children every year. Unlike lactose intolerance, there are specific allergy symptoms involved that usually manifest themselves within minutes to hours after drinking milk. While these symptoms are generally not severe, they can be quite uncomfortable and unpleasant.

While cow’s milk is the most common allergy trigger, some children can also develop an allergy to goats, sheep’s or buffalo milk. This makes substitution with another type of milk impractical. Even soy milk, which is often used as an alternative for allergic individuals, may not work as some children can also develop an allergy to soy.

There is a distinct difference between milk allergies and lactose intolerance. An allergy to milk most often affects children whose digestive systems are not fully developed. Lactose intolerance is a negative reaction of the digestive system to a protein found in milk. Intolerance can develop at any age and usually results in digestive issues such as gas, bloating, and diarrhea after drinking milk or eating dairy products.

According to the Mayo Clinic milk allergy symptoms, which can differ from person to personand occur anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours after drinking milk or eating milk products.

Immediate signs and symptoms of milk allergy might include:

Hives
Wheezing
Itching or tingling feeling around the lips or mouth
Swelling of the lips, tongue or throat
Coughing or shortness of breath
Vomiting

Signs and symptoms that may take more time to develop include:

Loose stools or diarrhea, which may contain blood
Abdominal cramps
Runny nose
Watery eyes
Colic, in babies

In some rare cases, an allergy to milk may cause anaphylaxis, a severe reaction that can cause the individual to stop breathing.

Unfortunately, there is no way to prevent milk allergies short of avoiding all milk and milk products. This can be particularly difficult as milk is a common ingredient in many processed foods and recipes.

You may need to be extra vigilant, paying close attention to product labels and asking about food content when you are eating in a restaurant. A little extra caution now can prevent a lot of heartache for you and your child.

While there are some risk factors for developing food allergies, including a genetic predisposition and the tendency to have other allergies, it may be impossible to know for sure that your child is allergic until he ingests milk. Some experts believe that breastfeeding rather than using a cow’s milk formula for the first four months of life can help to reduce a child’s risk of developing an allergy to milk.

The good news on milk allergies is that they are often reduced or even eliminated entirely as the child grows. As they are exposed to more types of food, their digestive system can develop more tolerance and symptoms will naturally abate.

In the meantime, there are medications such as antihistamines that can be used to treat symptoms of an allergic attack. If your child has a tendency to experience anaphylaxis, you should equip him with an epinephrine pen for emergency use.

Food allergies, such as those involving milk and dairy products, can be an uncomfortable fact of life for many children and adults, but they don’t have to take over your life. With the proper precautions, the allergy sufferer can live a full and productive life, free of symptoms.

Wishing you the best of health

The Allergy Store – Helping customers since 1989

800 771-2246