Your Dog Has Ear Problems? Could be Food Allergies

Ear problems?  Could be food allergies

Years ago my sweet dog Avery started having inflamed ears when he was just a puppy. I couldn’t figure out what the problem was. I cleaned his ears as often as I cleaned my other dogs’ ears. I kept the hair around his long ears trimmed. I used a good ear cleaner that my vet had recommended. I even took Avery to the vet and we went through a couple of rounds of antibiotics. His ears would clear up but, as soon as the medicine was gone, the inflamed ears and yucky stuff would be back again. Believe it or not, Avery had these ear problems, off and on, for years.

That was a long time ago, before people talked very much about food allergies in dogs. The very idea that dogs could be allergic to regular dog food? Preposterous! But now we know that it not only happens, but it’s actually not uncommon at all. And one of the signs of food allergies is recurring ear infections.

Your dog’s ears provide a warm, moist, dark environment — perfect for things to grow. When your dog’s immune system is healthy his body (and his ears) can regulate all of the proteins, carbohydrates, starches and other nutrients in his diet. If your dog’s immune system is out of whack because his body is having a reaction to his food, that reaction can manifest itself in an ear infection — or in hives, itchy skin or other allergic reactions.

Changing food often helps your dog’s ears, especially if you are upgrading the food to one that’s higher quality. Animal protein is usually a better choice than vegetable proteins, such as corn, since it’s easier for your dog to digest and produces less waste in his system. Corn and wheat, found in many dog foods today, have been linked to many allergies.

There are lots of dog foods on the market today which offer “novel” or “exotic” proteins. You should be careful about feeding your dog a diet that is based completely on yak meat or making him crave emu burgers. (That’s not very far-fetched.) If your dog does have allergies you should try to use a food with an easily-available meat protein. Save the extremely exotic meat proteins in case the more common proteins don’t work for your dog. Whether your dog has allergies or not, you always want to have some options for him in the future. If you feed him the most exotic foods when you don’t have to, you won’t have anything available that he can eat if he develops an allergy to those foods.

If changing your dog’s food doesn’t completely clear your dog’s ears up you can also try adding some supplements to his diet. Acidophilus tablets, echinacea, and Ester C can all help improve your dog’s ear problems due to allergies. Acidophilus works to improve digestion. It has active live cultures, similar to yogurt, and can restore any imbalances in your dog’s gastrointestinal tract. Echinacea, in particular, can give a boost to your dog’s immune system.

I wish I’d known about many of these solutions when I still had my Avery. We battled his ear problem all his life. I tried one topical solution after another but the ear problems always returned. There was one terrible time when I tried a potion with blue gentian in it. Avery jerked just as I was pouring the concoction in his ear and my poor boy had purple ears for a few weeks. I tried to keep my friends and family from laughing at him but they laughed anyway. Poor Avery! It was bad enough to have ear infections. Now he had purple ears and people were laughing at him.

At least now we know much more about dogs and food allergies. We can do so much more to eliminate these ear problems by attacking the cause. If your dog has ear problems that seem to keep coming back after every treatment, look at his diet! He may have food allergies. http://www.happytailsspa.com/

Do Your Dog Have Allergies

Constant scratching, tail-chasing, coughing and wheezing, eye and nose discharges – if these symptoms can be observed on your pet dog, chances are very likely that he/she is suffering from allergies.

Yes, dogs, just like their masters can suffer from allergies. Roughly about 20 percent of the dogs living in our homes suffer from some allergy type. Major classifications of canine allergies are atopic dermatitis, flea allergy, food allergy and inhalant allergy.

Atopic dermatitis is skin allergy disease caused by hypersensitivity developed by your dog’s immune system to several and very common substances like molds and dust mites.

If your dog scratches and licks himself very often (particularly licking and chewing the paws, abdomen and legs), and his/her ears are hot to the touch, he/she may be suffering from atopic dermatitis.

Check to see if your dog’s saliva causes stains. A red to brown stain is another indicator that your dog is atopic. In persistent cases, the skin on the abdomen changes color from pink, to a bright red then to black. Flea allergy is the most common form of canine allergy. However, it is not the flea but the flea’s saliva that your dog may be allergic to.

To find out if your dog has flea allergies, a skin allergy test is preformed. If it he/she is tested positive, a strict control regimen can reduce symptoms. Consult you’re your vet as to what type of treatment is best for your pet. There is a wide array of choices ranging from pills to sprays to shampoos

Just like their masters, dogs are susceptible to allergens inhaled from the air. Pollen from trees, grass, and flowers, dust mites and molds are just some of the common culprits. However, unlike their masters who exhibit inhalant allergies through sneezing and coughing, dogs show their reactions through scratching and biting as well as chewing of feet and licking constantly. A less common reaction is recurrent infections in your dog’s ears.

You can help alleviate the allergy by vacuuming frequently and dusting the areas your dog spends much time in (like his sleeping area). Dogs also exhibit allergies to the food they eat. And this is perhaps the most tedious to diagnose because food allergies can mimic any of the other allergies mentioned in this article. First thing to do is to remove all possible allergy causing ingredients from your pet’s diet. You can do this by using a homemade meal of a protein and starch source your dog has not had before. Add gradually (one at a time for about a week), more ingredients into it. If symptoms return after adding a particular ingredient, then the possible allergen could be identified.

However, allergic reactions may not appear for about a week after consuming the allergen so be sure to confirm your findings with your vet. Once it has been verified, avoid the ingredient in the dog foods you’ll subsequently feed your pet with.

Other symptoms of food allergies are vomiting, diarrhea, wheezing and sometimes, even changes in behavior.

You can help your pet and alleviate his allergy woes by bathing and conditioning your dog regularly. Contrary to what most people will tell you, you can never bathe your dog too often. Water helps to relieve your dog’s skin and keeps it healthy. It also rinses off allergens from their body. Different kinds of shampoos are available to treat allergies, depending, of course, on your pet’s particular condition.

Food Allergies Found In Food

In this article we’re going to focus on one of the most annoying types of allergies, especially to people who love to eat.  

You go out to the local pizza parlor, order two slices with extra cheese, sit down at the booth with your pizza in one hand and coke in the other and chow down.  A few hours later after you’ve arrived back home just in time to watch your favorite TV show, suddenly your stomach feels like it’s about to erupt like a volcano.  You run like a madman to the bathroom just in time to experience what seems to be the complete emptying of your insides.  

Welcome to the world of food allergies and intolerances.  

In the case of the runs after eating a couple of slices of pizza most likely you’re lactose intolerant which is just one type of food allergy.  Technically, you can be allergic to just about any kind of food but there are some that seem to be more common that others.  

Before we go any further let’s define exactly what a food allergy is.  Food allergies can be broken down into 2 categories.  The first one is hypersensitivity.  This is an adverse reaction of the immune system itself and is unrelated to any actual physical effect of the food or food additive.  These reactions are caused by immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies.  

The second category is food intolerance.  This is actually caused by the food itself and is not a function of the immune system itself overreacting to the food or food additive.  The symptoms of an intolerance may be very similar to those of an actual immune symptom reaction but the causes are quite different.  

Of the two, actual immune system reactions are the more common, though it does appear that a trend to intolerances, such as lactose intolerance, is on the rise.  What actually happens with food allergies is that people with allergies produce IgE antibodies to specific epitopes in the food allergen.  These antibodies bind to IgE receptors on the mast cells of tissue that are on the skin, digestive tract and respiratory system.  The exposure of these antigens causes the release of histamines.  This ultimately results in mucus secretion and muscle contraction which then leads to a wide range of symptoms which can range from unpleasant to serious or even severe.  How severe?

Allergic reactions to food can be fatal almost immediately following the ingestion of food.  Probably one of the most prevalent and dangerous of these food allergies are people who are allergic to peanuts.  Just recently, as of this writing, a girl died simply from kissing someone who had recently eaten peanuts.  That is how dangerous these allergies can be.  

Less severe reactions to food allergies are oropharyngeal pruritus, angioedema, stridor, cough, dyspnea, wheezing, and dysphonia.  

Aside from peanuts, the most common foods that people are allergic to are tree nuts, and shellfish.  

Unfortunately the best way to avoid food allergies is to have a food allergy test done and then to avoid the foods that show positive on the test.

Being Prepared For Food Allergies

It’s rare that you hear of someone dying from food allergies, but when it happens, it usually reaches national news. Why? Because food is something we eat every day – several times a day – and everyone should be aware of the dangers of food allergies. Some foods such as peanuts contain very strong allergens that are in the food and released into the air as well. That’s why someone with severe food allergies must be extremely careful where and how they dine out.

Food Allergy Deaths

There are approximately 150 deaths related to food allergies in the United States each year. Food allergies are responsible for more deaths than insect bites as well as reactions to medicines.

Some food allergy deaths could have been prevented if proper medical attention was given when the allergic reaction occurred. Unfortunately, someone who is dining out or eating at home alone can have an allergic reaction without anyone around who knows the cause. With severe reactions, the person may not be able to speak or move at all. When the paramedics arrive, they do not know how to treat the patient.

Non-deadly allergies can still cause unpleasant symptoms such as cramps, light-headedness, itching and rash, hives, headaches, swelling lips, tingling mouth, shortness of breath and wheezing. Even these symptoms can seem urgent when they’re really not, so emergency personnel might attend to someone with these symptoms as well.

Keeping in Touch with Your Food Allergies

Prevention is always best with food allergies, especially dangerous ones. When dining out, ask the waiter if the food you’re about to order contains the ingredients that might cause an allergic reaction. Also, check food labels and labels on drinks and condiments while grocery shopping to be sure it’s safe before eating. Keep a list of the foods you’re allergic to with you in your wallet or purse as a reminder when dining out.

If you’ve already experienced a severe food allergy attack, ask your physician about a self-injecting epinephrine to keep with you for emergencies. This could save your life!

Help Medical Emergency Workers do their Jobs

Another way to be prepared is to have all your medical emergency information with you in one place along with your identification. Keep this information in your purse or wallet so emergency workers will know how to diagnose and treat you when they arrive.

Special wallets are now available called Medical Alert Wallets that have all your medical information and allergy details inside. Emergency workers easily recognize these because each Medical Alert Wallet has a “Medic Alert” symbol and a free Medical Information Card with each wallet. They come in nylon, vinyl, and leather. Several styles are available such as bi-fold, tri-fold and neck wallets. Families can use these for every member of the family so everyone will be protected if a food allergy reaction or any other medical emergency occurs.

With a little preparation and a Medic Alert Wallet, you’ll have peace of mind when dining out or eating at a friend’s house. Food allergies do not have to control your life!

Junk food starts allergies: Western high-fat diets are blamed for surge in illnesses

Junk food starts allergies: Western high-fat diets are blamed for surge in illnesses
Scientists have found evidence that ‘industrialised’ Western diets high in red meat, sugar and fat lowered the numbers of healthy bacteria in our guts.

Read more on Daily Mail

Living Happily With Food Allergies

Living with a food allergy can be a daunting experience. Many people have a food allergy which ranges from mild to severe. There are people who experience a light red rash after eating something they are allergic to while others can face death if they even touch the food that causes their allergy.

A very common type of food allergy is to eggs. Many children develop this food allergy when they are infants. The parents have to be conscious of each and everything the child consumes. This means reading all the labels of the foods that you serve the child and informing the child care provider and school of the allergy. Egg substitute can be used when baking cakes or breads so the child doesn’t feel left out.

A food allergy to eggs is usually outgrown. The child may experience the symptoms for several years and once they have matured the parent in consultation with a physician can reintroduce egg products into the child’s diet.

Another food allergy that is common in infants is an allergy to wheat. This again, is an allergy that children tend to outgrow but until that time every product they consume has to be checked to see if it contains wheat. The obvious offenders are things like bread and muffin but there can be wheat in other products including breakfast cereals and even some types of candy.

A food allergy that can be very severe is an allergy to peanuts. When a child or an adult has a peanut allergy there is a chance that they can go into food anaphylaxis and die. Although peanut allergies are one of the most common types of food allergy there are still people dying each year from unintended exposure to peanuts.

It’s vitally important for parents to warn their child about the dangers of peanuts if they do have this particular type of food allergy. The child might not be old enough to fully grasp the consequences but as they mature it’s very important to constantly remind them that they can become very ill if they eat anything that has peanuts in it.

Many schools now have a no peanut policy. They have enforced this because of the children that suffer from a peanut food allergy. Children are not permitted to bring certain food items to school including peanut butter sandwiches or chocolate bars that contain peanuts. Although some parents complain about this restriction it should be viewed as more of a life saving measure.

When a person grows up with a food allergy they quickly become aware of what foods they can and cannot eat. Part of this stems from the repeated reminders of the parents but it also comes from the child and later adult’s desire to remain healthy.

If someone in your home does suffer from a food allergy it’s wise to keep that food out of the home completely. One of the reasons is obvious and that’s the person with the allergy will be safer without the offending item in their presence. Another good reason to refrain from purchasing the product is that the person with the allergy won’t feel left out if no one in their family is consuming the thing they cannot have. Think of it as a wonderful way to support them.

6 Most Common Food Allergies – Are You Avoiding These Foods?

Food allergies are slowly beginning to get the recognition they deserve as being a big contributing factor to many chronic health symptoms. But few actually understand how involved these food allergies really are. While most people on lookout for the most common food allergies that produce an oftentimes life threatening reactions, there is a whole other world of food allergies that attack much slower and can do a large amount of damage over longer periods of time. And while the fast acting and severe food allergy reactions are easily identified, the slower and oftentimes delayed food allergies are much more difficult to pinpoint. Immediate Food Allergies vs. Delayed Food Allergies Immediate allergies are those reactions that are typically associated with a severe anaphylactic reaction from IgE immune antibodies. These are the reactions your doctor typically tests for using a skin-prick test while observing any reactions you develop within 15 to 30 minutes following the test. While these IgE allergies are important to know and understand, they only affect between 2% to 4% of the population. The vast majority and most common food allergies are oftentimes less severe delayed food allergies. These types of food allergies are a result of many different immune reactions including IgG and IgM antibodies as well as other immune complexes such as Hatpens, Lectins, and Amines. These immune reactions can appear anywhere between 30 minutes to 72 hours after a food has been ingested. But more importantly, these delayed reactions affect more than 15% to 25% of the population. These delayed food allergies are most often associated with less severe but often puzzling symptoms such as seasonal allergies, ADD, ADHD, asthma, eczema, GERD, IBS, Fibromyalgia, Ulcerative Colitis, Crohn’s Disease, and migraines, and just to name a few. 6 Most Common Food Allergies 1. Wheat Wheat and Wheat Gluten top the list as one of the most common food allergies. It continues to be an extremely problematic food for many people. In fact, some studies have shown that gluten is a problem for more than 50% of the population. But the majority of these people don’t even know it. 2. Dairy Dairy is another one of the most common food allergies. While most people are aware of lactose intolerance, less are aware of the high incidence of milk protein allergies to one or both, casein or whey. 3. Soy Soy protein allergy is another one that is often associated with an underlying wheat allergy. Studies continue to show that there is little to no benefit to soy. In fact there are many qualities of soy that can lead to health issues. 4. Egg Egg allergy typically affects children more often than adults but is still one of the most common food allergies found. More often than not, this allergy is related more with the protein found in the egg white as opposed to the egg yolk itself. 5. Nuts Although unrelated both peanuts (legume) and tree nuts are problematic foods. Peanut allergies are typically much more severe and related to IgE immune reactions. 6. Corn Corn is one of the most common food allergies that is rising rapidly. This particular issue is more associated with the fact that corn is found in almost everything you eat. This is because it is a cheap filler used in almost every processed food (including McDonald’s Milkshakes). Even the meat you eat is primarily corn since corn has become the feed of choice for fattening cattle, chickens, and other animals. What To Do About Food Allergies? The answer to this question really depends on the source of the food allergy itself. For those reactions that are truly genetic then avoidance is the best way to deal with them. But many of these most common food allergies are the result of or worsened by leaky gut. So healing the gut should be a definite priority. Rotation diets for food allergies can be another very effective way to reduce or eliminate food allergies and are becoming much more common these days. But regardless, when immune reactions occur due to food allergies, inflammation occurs which results in damage to both the gut lining and commonly in other areas of the body. This is one of the main mechanisms that perpetuates the leaky gut process. This is why the Leaky Gut Cure is designed specifically to determine whether or not you suffer from any of these most common food allergies as well as any other foods while effectively reducing or eliminating your immune reactions to them.

Information on Eczema ? Top 3 Causes of Food Allergies

The causes of eczema are usually challenging to uncover. It could be any number of reasons. One of the common reasons is food intolerance.

This is where, as a result of eating a certain food, you break out in a rash or suffer an itchy fit.

Other reactions include difficulty in swallowing, or the swelling of the face, eyes or tongue. Nausea and dizziness is also quite common.

Food intolerance or allergies can be brought about for differing reasons. Listed below however are the common reasons for food allergies associated with what or the way you eat food.

Information on Eczema – Causes of Food Allergies #1:

The first cause of food intolerance associated with the what you eat or the way you eat is eating too much of the same food too often.

There are over 195,000 different edible plant foods on this planet. But most people tend to eat fewer than twenty such foods. In fact, the average person eats the same ten food types of food every single day.

What this does is predispose you to having an altered immune reactivity to these foods. And the nutrients you derive from these foods is limited.

Information on Eczema – Causes of Food Allergies #2:

The next cause of food intolerance associated with what you eat or the way you eat is eating too many foods that contain additives, preservatives colouring agents and flavour enhancers.

The number of food additives added to packaged foods in ever growing. These substances increase the risk of your immune system reacting against them.

Most of these substances are contained in foods that have been processed, cooked or prepared. Even certain breads contain these substances.

The number of additives, preservatives, colouring agents and flavour enhancers needs to be dramatically reduced.

The final cause of food intolerance associated with what you eat or the way you eat is eating your food too quickly.

When food is eaten too fast it lands in the stomach only partially digested. The stomach acids and digestive enzymes cannot digest these foods correctly and some of the food is absorbed through the intestinal lining setting up immune reaction.

This can lead to the development of food intolerance and increased toxin.

Food should be slowly and thoroughly chewed before swallowing to avoid this.

Eczema Diet ? Recognise Food Allergies

I discovered recently that there are several main reasons why people develop food allergies.

If you suffer with eczema, it is more than likely that you have an allergy to either foods, creams, household substances or chemicals.

You will know if you suffer from an allergy because when you come into contact with that food, cream, substance or chemical you suffer an allergic reaction.

The most common allergic reactions include

- difficulty in swallowing

- swelling of the face, eyes, and tongue

- breaking out in a rash

- developing an itchy fit

Eczema Diet – Recognise Food Allergies #1

If you have suffered any of the above reactions it might be due to excessive eating of additives.

The number of new colourings, flavour enhancers, additives and preservatives is ever increasing. These substances bring about the risk of the immune system reacting against them.

A large number of these substances are found in pre-packaged foods including some bread.

It is important that you reduce the number of substances you take in on a daily basis.

Read the labels on your packaged foods and aim to dramatically reduce your consumption of additives.

Eczema Diet – Recognise Food Allergies #2

If you have suffered any of the above reactions it might have been because of your intestinal ecology.

Your intestinal lining is coated and contains over 400 species of micro-organism or intestinal flora, both good and bad.

In fact the bacteria in your colon can weigh in the region of 3lbs!

This bacteria is very important as is acts as the front line for immune defence.

When there is good bacteria balance, nutrient absorption is improved and the elimination of unwanted matter and toxin is improved.

It is important that you rebalance your bacteria if you are suffering an imbalance.

Eczema Diet – Recognise Food Allergies #3

If you have suffered any of the above reactions it might be because you eat too quickly.

When your food is wolfed down, it does not get broken down correctly.

The stomach acids and digestive enzymes cannot digest the food correctly. Any proteins that are still intact get absorbed through the intestinal lining setting up for an immune reaction. This can eventually lead to the development of food intolerance.

Eat your food slowly and chew as many times as you can.

Food Allergies In Childhood

A major study conducted in the United Kingdom and reported in the Archives of Disease in Childhood, examined children suffering from vomiting, diarrhoea, colic, abdominal pain, eczema and urticaria (hives). It found that 40 per cent were sensitive to cow’s milk, with the remainder being affected by a widerange of other intolerances.

Food allergies can commence during the first six months of life. If children are introduced too early to cow’s milk, cereals, orange juice and other substances, such as those contained in manufactured baby food, there is a great danger that they may become intolerant to those foods, and will remain so, for the rest of their lives. This paints a bleak scenario for the child. It will mean that throughout childhood, he will be encouraged by well-meaning parents to eat foods which are semi-poisonous to him. As a result, the child will develop chronic medical symptoms. In some fortunate cases, the symptom or symptoms may be easily linked to a specific food. For example, the child may react quickly, after eating an orange or drinking a glass of milk, with a hay fever attack or vomiting. More often than not, however, the child will exhibit a continuous range of symptoms such as irritability, lethargy, respiratory infections and catarrh, to name but a few.

The well-meaning parents then proceed to consult doctors and specialists throughout the early life of the child. In time, they may be advised to remove a food from the child’s diet to see if there is an improvement. Sometimes there is and the problem is solved luckily for the child. However, often it is not so simple. The child, having been exposed to several foreign substances too early in his development, may have developed more than one allergy. The removal of one food may not cause the symptoms to go away, as this allergy is masked by the others. This results in the child being allowed to recommence eating a food, which, amongst others, is making him ill. Eventually, the child is classified, by doctors and parents alike, as ‘prone’ or ‘delicate’ and his activities are restricted accordingly.

The problem is further complicated by the child appearing to ‘grow out’ of the symptoms at some future stage in his development. There could be several reasons for this. Firstly, as the child gets older and stronger his system becomes more robust and, for a while, may overcome the allergenic poisoning being done to him. However, it may be just a matter of time before other illness or injury may overstress the immune system, causing it to break down again. Secondly, he may, through a change of diet and habits simply stop eating the offending food. This can happen when the child has become old enough to assert himself. If addiction to the allergen has not set in, he may be in a position to reject instinctively the food as being bad for him. This rejection would be strengthened in his subconscious by the resultant immediate improvement in health.

Parents should take note of a child’s constant rejection of a known allergy-causing food. This is often the first sign that the child has some sensitivity to it. The child, after being forced to eat the food for a while, will most likely overcome his instinctive aversion and, instead, develop an addiction to it. Whilst the parents may think that their child is finally co-operating, he has in actual fact, become ‘hooked’ and a masked addiction/allergy process, with a range of perplexing symptoms, has begun.

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