Better Health & Beyond

Common allergies are often diagnosed by symptoms and by serologic testing. Your healthcare provider can help you accurately diagnose the foods and environmental irritants you are allergic to using simple blood tests. Other people prefer to do their own testing using food elimination diets or other means. No matter what means you use to diagnose your allergies, it is important you discover your triggers.

Once you do, you can start treating your symptoms and prevent allergic symptoms from recurring. While you may not be able to cure allergies, you can reduce them to minor irritants using a combination of preventive techniques and by taking regular medicines. Some people will opt for allergy shots in combination with other treatments including use of air filters and the “avoidance” technique to help limit their symptoms.

Every year millions of people suffer from allergies. Those most at risk include individuals with a family history of allergies or those with weakened immune systems. Allergies and sensitivities are two birds of a feather, though allergies are a more extreme form of sensitivities.

Whether you are allergic to a food product or any other foreign substance, the best steps you can take to avoid or reduce symptoms is to recognize the substances you are allergic to and avoid them. Once you discover your triggers, you can also take medications that will reduce your body’s response to known irritants.

Acne primarily occurs when the pores of our face get clogged with whiteheads, blackheads or lumps like cysts or nodules. Acne appears on the face, neck, chest, shoulders, back and the upper arms. It is quite common with teenagers but adults till the age of forty can be affected by acne. It is not at all hazardous to health, but it creates blemishes on the body, which in turn is very irritating. Acne causes scarring which is often permanent. Acne is not dependent upon race, ethnicity, color, or sex. 100% of people belonging to the age group of twelve to...

Like all the other forms of acne, there is no one thing that causes back acne. As far as the medical community stands, back acne also happens when oil glands start functioning more rapidly around puberty. The hormone group androgens, found in both females and males, get overactive which in turn causes a reaction in the oil glands, which make extra oil. The oil glands are located just underneath the skin surface.   Oil glands are constantly producing and secreting oil through the pores in the skin. When too much of the oil is produced the pores and hair follicles...

Hyperthyroidism occurs when the thyroid gland produces too much thyroid hormone. This can cause a variety of symptoms, including a rapid or irregular heartbeat, weight loss, difficulties with fertility and sexual function, fatigue, and more. In rare cases, hyperthyroidism can lead to a “thyroid storm”, a life-threatening condition requiring emergency medical care. Could you be at risk from this condition?  Risk Factors for Hyperthyroidism Risk factors for hyperthyroidism include:  A family history of thyroid problems, particularly Graves’ disease.  Being female. Women are two to ten times more likely to have thyroid problems, and around one in eight women will have...