Bronchitis and Its Effects

Infant Allergies

Bronchitis is a very common respiratory disease. It can accompany flu or cold and it occurs in people of all ages. Smokers and people with weak immune system are very exposed to developing chronic bronchitis and in some cases asthmatic bronchitis. Smoking is considered to be a serious factor of risk in the development of bronchitis and it can lead to complications such as pneumonia.

Infant Allergies

Bronchitis is mostly caused by viruses, in which case the illness clears on itself within days, without medical treatment. However, if the illness is caused by bacteria, medical treatment with antibiotics is required for overcoming bronchitis completely. Bronchitis can be either acute or chronic. The acute form of the illness generates intense symptoms, but if it caused by viruses, it usually clears up quickly. Acute bronchitis is very common in people of all ages and rarely requires medical treatment. Chronic bronchitis generates milder symptoms, which can aggravate in time. This form of illness is persistent and has a recidivating character. Chronic bronchitis needs continuous treatment until the illness is completely overcome, otherwise the symptoms will quickly reoccur. This form of bronchitis involves bacterial infection and needs specific, long-term medical treatment with antibiotics. Chronic bronchitis has a very high incidence in smokers and people with weak immune system.

Infant Allergies

Bronchitis generates symptoms such as cough, excess production of mucus, shortness of breath, chest pain, soreness and discomfort, wheezing, headache and fever. The presence of fever can point to bacterial infections and possible complications. Bronchitis is difficult to diagnose, considering the fact that its symptoms are also common to many other respiratory conditions (asthma, sinusitis). However, careful physical examinations and laboratory analyses can reveal the presence of bronchitis in most patients. Bronchitis is one of the most common respiratory illnesses among chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD). Despite its high incidence in people with respiratory conditions, bronchitis is often misdiagnosed. A clinical examination of patients with bronchitis is sometimes insufficient in revealing the actual cause of illness. Bronchitis is often misdiagnosed and confused with asthma, sinusitis or allergies.

Infant Allergies

If bronchitis isn't caused by bacterial infections, the aim of medical treatments is to unblock the obstructed airways of the respiratory tract. Bronchitis causes inflammation of the mucous membrane, bronchial tubes and other organs and tissues involved in the process of breathing. When these fragile respiratory organs become inflamed and irritated, they produce excess mucus, in an attempt to protect themselves from external agents (dust particles, irritants). This excess of mucus clogs the airways and obstructs the access of air to the lungs, causing difficulty breathing, wheezing and cough. Medical treatments often include inhaled medicines which help unblock the airways of the respiratory tract. Such medicines are called bronchodilators and are mostly used in chronic bronchitis and asthmatic bronchitis.

Bronchitis needs appropriate treatment in order to be fully overcome. If you experience difficulty breathing or persistent cough, it is advised to seek medical help. Left untreated, bronchitis can aggravate and lead to serious complications.

Bronchitis and Its Effects

Infant Allergies

What Is The Best Humidifier For Baby

Infant Allergies

Buying a good quality humidifier for your baby is important especially if your baby is prone to allergies and cold and flu. According to statistics babies suffer from cold and flu as well as upper respiratory infections at least six to eight times a year. This is when a humidifier for baby comes in handy.

Infant Allergies

Humidifiers increase the moisture content in the air which in turn helps alleviate congestion and any other symptoms that are related to respiratory tract infections. However, you will need to decide which humidifier will best suit your baby's needs such as a cool or warm mist humidifier. The best humidifier for your baby will also depend on the climate condition you are living in.

Infant Allergies

For instance if you live in a hot climate a humidifier that produces cool mist is far safer, and virtually maintenance free and will keep the room cool as opposed to a warm mist humidifier. However, if you live in a cold climate then a warm mist humidifier for baby would be a better option as it will also keep the room warm.

Infant Allergies

When it comes to energy usage, humidifiers do not take up a large amount of energy. One can now also obtain humidifiers that will humidify the whole house should the entire family suffer from allergies. Allergies inevitably cause chest infections and asthma. A cool mist humidifier for instance produces less dust, and the water does not heat up, which means there is less risk of someone burning themselves.

However, a humidifier for baby that is cool mist does breed mold and bacteria if not maintained and cleaned properly. The warm mist humidifier on the other hand does not require filters, and does not collect bacteria or mold, as the heat kills germs. These types of humidifiers do not disperse minerals into the air which makes them cost effective to run.

What Is The Best Humidifier For Baby

Infant Allergies

How to Treat Baby Eczema - 4 Things You Should Avoid When Treating Baby Eczema

Infant Allergies

There's always a lot of people suggesting, offering advice, regarding treating baby eczema. Some of these well meaning advice can cause more confusion for the parents. However, from time to time, you have to know what you need to not do, what you should keep away from.

Infant Allergies

This short article can help you with what you need to avoid when treating your baby's eczema.. It can help not by telling you what you should do. It may help by instructing you on five things you will want to avoid if you really want to avoid when treating your baby's eczema.

Infant Allergies

Here then, are the 5 things you'll want to avoid:

Infant Allergies

1. Avoid allergens that cause irritation

There are particular reasons not to do this. The main one is these allergens, if not identify, can cause irritation to the baby skin and thus, causing the baby to scratch.. Instead of using irritants such as soap and bubble bath for your baby, why not choose something which is made of natural ingredients, such as palm oil. The same goes for choosing clothing for your baby. Avoid synthetic fabric and use only cotton which won't irritate the baby's skin..

2. Avoid chemical based lotions and creams.

The reasoning behind this is that a lot of these creams and lotions consists of mild steroids which may cause long term side effects if your baby uses it for a long time.. Alternatively, you could use a moisturizing lotions and creams which uses only organic and natural ingredients. Shea butter is one good alternative for moisturizing your baby's skin..

3. Avoid environmental triggers.

It is important to avoid your baby to come into contact with environmental trigger such as air pollution, pollen, dust mite, pet dander and air borne allergens. These are often overlooked as they are not obvious. Dust mites, for example, are responsible for a lot of child eczema cases, and they can't be seen with our naked eye.. And what you ought to be doing instead is making sure your home is free of all these possible eczema triggers. Invest in an air filter and humidifier for your home..

4. Avoid Over Elimination of Diet.

The key reason why this is a blunder is doctors tend to recommend allergy tests when a baby is diagnosed with eczema. And most of the results of these test is false positives resulting parents eliminate certain food groups in their baby's diet. Over doing this will cause the baby to deprived of certain nutrients which are essential for their formative years.. Instead you really ought to use your due diligence when it comes to elimination of diet.

Should you carefully avoid these 5 common errors and accept the suggestions offered for alternatives instead, your odds of success and your rewards received are going to be significantly better than they otherwise would.

How to Treat Baby Eczema - 4 Things You Should Avoid When Treating Baby Eczema

Infant Allergies

Best For Sinus Disease - Baby Shampoo and Pulsatile Irrigation

Infant Allergies

Thirty seven million persons have sinus disease. This is despite the trained sinus specialists and excellent drugs. Therefore, it is time to get down to fixing this problem. Fortunately, the doctors at Univ of Pennsylvania have come up with a solution. It's Baby Shampoo.

Infant Allergies

This is the one that advertises "No Tears." These doctors were looking for a way to dislodge biofilm from the sinuses. They looked at baby shampoo. First, they figured if it was safe for the eyes, it was bound to be safe for the nose. Then they tested the shampoo with saline and found that at a certain concentration it didn't bother the normal movement of nasal cilia. Then they found that a one percent solution was safe for the nose and its cilia.

Infant Allergies

Baby shampoo is a type of "detergent" that disrupts the walls that bacteria erect called biofilm. In biofilm, certain bacteria get together and erect enclosures around themselves. Think of this as a cellophane cover. With biofilm, the bacteria are protected from the defender white cells of your body. This wall also defends the bacteria from antibiotics. The shell is sticky which makes it difficult to remove. Just as the baby shampoo lifts sticky stuff from the scalp, it does this for biofilm in the nose.

Infant Allergies

In the nose, you have a system whereby millions of tiny hairs called nasal cilia move a blanket of mucus out of the nose. Normally inhaled dust particles and bacteria are trapped in this blanket so they can't get to the lungs. Once they are trapped, the movement of the cilia acts like oars and moves the mucus out of the nose down the throat to the stomach where the stomach acid disposes of these invaders. Persons who have chronic sinus disease fail to have cilia moving rapidly enough to move the blanket. Instead of pulsing at the normal 14 pulses per second, they move too slowly. In such instances the bacteria remain in place and multiply and then you end with a sinus infection.

To properly move bacteria out of the nose and sinuses you need:

a. normal moving nasal cilia
b. mucus that is liquid enough to flow
c. a clear passageway for the mucus to travel to the throat.

Cilia can move too slowly for many reasons. Smog and diesel fumes slow cilia. Solvents and certain industrial fumes slow cilia. Certain bacteria are experts at producing toxins that knock out cilia action. Some patients have a condition called Empty Nose Syndrome. Here, too much nasal tissue called turbinates has been removed so that the number of cilia are too small to move mucus out of the nose. Laser can damage cilia too.

Some patients have PONSIS - postoperative nasal/sinus infection syndrome. After nasal/sinus surgery the nasal cilia are stunned and don't resume normal cilia movement for a while. During the time that the cilia don't move well, an infection can take place. A common cause of poor cilia function is reinfection of the nose and sinuses by irrigating with contaminated pots and bottles. Because these devices have backflow, contamination can be a cause of reinfection.

The sooner cilia return to normal speed the better. Cilia movement is best improved with pulsatile nasal saline irrigation. Here, a nasal tip attached to the pulsating source, is placed in one nostril and as the pulsating saline stream flows along the nose, the cilia are moved back and forth, like wave action, and then they fall into rhythm with that action. The idea is to use the correct rate of speed, in "harmony" to the cilia. It is like when soldiers march in step over a wooden bridge. At a certain rate of marching the bridge will vibrate and shake.

Mucus can thicken, and when thick, that liquid is too heavy to be moved by the cilia even with a normal rate of pulsation. In the condition, Cystic Fibrosis, the mucus gets to be too thick and therefore there are frequent infections

If you have had a nasal injury, you may have an anatomical blockage to mucus flow. For example, a deviated septum may block good drainage.

By adding baby shampoo to a saline solution, and using pulsatile irrigation, we get these advantages.

a. The "detergent" action lifts up and gets rid of biofilm.
b. The "detergent" action clears away thick mucus to allow the cilia to move the mucus blanket.
c. At the correct rate of pulsation this pulse action "harmonizes" the cilia to return the cilia to normal speed.
d. In many cases of chronic sinus disease, the normal sinus opening may be blocked due to accumulation of thick mucus. Actually, once the sinus is unblocked, that allows infected material to flow out of the sinus cavity and clean air to get in. The combination of shampoo and pulsation is best here for clearing the sinus blockage.
e. You do want the saline solution to fill the sinus cavity in order to displace the infected contents. The combination of regular flow, detergent action, and pulsation action acts to fill sinus cavities and displace infected contents.

A significant factor for healing is the actual removal of bacteria, lowering the the bacterial count whether in biofilm or other form. Once the number of bacteria is reduced, you have a best chance of the natural healing elements of the body to get rid of the bacteria that may be left behind. This avoids the use of excessive antibiotics that may cause a stomach upset. When a person heals naturally, his/her body is better prepared for other infections.

The exact concentration of baby shampoo must be strictly adhered to. The pulsatile irrigator provides a special 500 ml basin that is plainly marked. Simply add one teaspoon of salt or enhanced salt and fill the basin to the 500 ml mark. Now add one teaspoon of baby shampoo. That makes a 1% solution. This is the concentration that has been tested and found that it works for biofilm and doesn't harm the nasal cilia. I have my patients irrigate the full 500 ml. You simply insert the nasal adapter attached to the pulsatile irrigator device in the right nostril, lean into the sink so you see the drain. Turn on the device. The solution enters right nasal chamber, bathes the right side, then exits out the left nostril into the sink. Change sides about every 30 seconds. Insert the nasal tip into the left nostril, lean well into the sink, and the solution will exit the right nostril.

Pulsatile irrigation with shampoo is continued daily, usually twice a day, until symptoms clear indicating that the cilia are functioning again. There is no advantage to continuing to irrigate then; once the cilia are normal they can defend the body without outside help.

Adding baby shampoo is fine for getting rid of a sinus infection. For other uses of pulsatile irrigation, adding the baby shampoo is not advantageous. For example in allergy, pulsatile irrigation is used to avoid medications. The irrigation removes the pollen that causes the allergy and the IgE from the nose that reacts to the pollen to cause the symptoms. If you are using this irrigation for allergy, you don't need the shampoo. Similarly, if you are using pulsatile irrigation to prevent the common cold by removing the ICAM-1 that the cold virus enters the body through, there is no advantage to using the shampoo.

If you are using pulsatile irrigation to restore sense of smell, adding the shampoo is best because that will aid the cilia being able to pulse the smell particles to the smell organs of the nose. Pulsatile irrigation is also used in Orthopedics to cleanse wounds, because it is 100x more effective than simple wash for biofilm removal. Now that so many bacteria have developed antibiotic resistance, this method of sinus treatment is a welcome method that anyone can use.

Caution: If you are using your pulsatile irrigator to deliver medication such as antibiotics directly to the sinuses -Gentamyicn, Amphotericin B, Cipro, or other-- do not add baby shampoo as it may affected the antibiotic potency.

Best For Sinus Disease - Baby Shampoo and Pulsatile Irrigation

Infant Allergies

Baby Bad Breath

Infant Allergies

Most babies have sweet smelling breath, but occasionally baby bad breath does occur. It can be a particular problem upon waking, after the baby has been asleep for a few hours - like morning breath in adults. During sleep, the mouth is typically relaxed and motionless, there is decreased saliva production, and bacteria that live in the mouth cavity have an opportunity to multiply undisturbed. Some of these bacteria can produce the unpleasant odor we associate with bad breath, and when they multiply to sufficient numbers, the odor becomes detectable.

Infant Allergies

If you think that "morning breath" is causing bad breath in baby, try treating it by cleansing the mouth before putting baby down for a nap. If baby is very young and has no teeth, encourage a water rinse to flush traces of formula or bits of food out of cracks and crevices. If baby has teeth, a gentle brushing and a rinse should help. Rinsing and brushing upon waking can be helpful too. (Fluoridated toothpastes should be used very sparingly in young children, and brushing should always be supervised even when your child is old enough to begin brushing on her own.) If these measures relieve the baby bad breath, you needn't do more.

Infant Allergies

However, if bad breath in baby persists after brushing and cleansing, there may be another problem. Does baby use a soother or habitually suck on some other object like a blanket or stuffed toy? An object that is continually put into the mouth gets coated with saliva and oral bacteria and can develop an unpleasant odor. Though the smell may not be offensive to your child, it can contribute to lingering bad odors in the vicinity of baby, and to baby bad breath. The simple solution is to wash or replace the offending item regularly. Eventually, your child will give up the sucking habit and the problem will disappear on its own.

Infant Allergies

Occasionally bad breath in baby has a more sinister cause. If your efforts to solve the problem are fruitless, you should consult your pediatrician or family doctor. The physician will check for signs of throat or sinus infection, infection somewhere in the mouth, tooth decay, or a foreign object lodged in a nasal passage. Sinus congestion can contribute to baby bad breath as well, by causing baby to breathe through the mouth: dry mouth is a cause of breath odor in both children and adults because saliva is naturally antibacterial and, in a healthy mouth, it keeps the population of odor causing bacteria at a minimum.

Once again, baby bad breath is relatively unusual: if simple measures don't solve the problem, your child should be seen by a medical professional to rule out more serious problems.

Baby Bad Breath

Infant Allergies

TEA for TWO, For BABY and YOU!

Infant Allergies

Baby Rooibos Tea is naturally good for your baby. It is an anti-allergic nutritional supplementary drink and is suitable for babies from birth. It can help relieve the following conditions:

Infant Allergies

Colic
Insomnia
Food Allergies
Stomach Cramps
Eczema

Infant Allergies

Rooibos Tea has been a trusted solution for the above conditions for the last three decades amongst South African mothers and more recently, mothers worldwide.

Infant Allergies

Rooibos Tea contains the soothing and relaxing flavonoid quercetin with anti-spasmodic properties and luteolin an anti-inflammatory antioxidant. Rooibos tea has a dramatic calming and soothing effect when added to allergic babies' bottles and promotes good sleeping patterns.
Furthermore, Rooibos has anti-allergic properties because it contains the unique flavonoid aspalathin, which only occurs in the Rooibos plant.

Scientists have found that Rooibos Tea has the following properties:

- Anti-allergic
- Anti-bacterial
- Anti-ageing
- Anti-spasmodic
- Anti-viral
- Anti-oxidant
- No caffeine
- Low tannin
- Rich in Minerals
- Anti-carcinogenic

Rooibos Baby Tea contains all the essential minerals and trace elements needed to give your baby the best start in life. Replace juice or water with Baby tea for a nutritional supplementary drink, you can even use Baby tea instead of water, when mixing baby's normal bottle-feed. The Tea does not replace baby's normal bottle or breastfeeding, but is a Nutritional, Anti-Allergic, Calming Supplementary drink. Because Rooibos Tea is low in tannin, it will not deplete baby's own natural iron reserves. Even better, no sweeteners are necessary. The Tea has a naturally sweet and fruity taste. The tea goes through strict pasteurisation and sterilisation processes to ensure it is up to baby's standards!

ROOIBOS TEA IS GOOD FOR MUM & DAD TOO!
Favoured by families worldwide, Rooibos Tea is highly regarded for its unique health benefits and has powerful rejuvenating and antioxidant properties.

Anti-oxidants help to reverse and prevent free radical damage to our bodies. The Rooibos plant contains a number of different flavonoids, which help to neutralise the effect of these free radicals. In combination with the tea's naturally high Vitamin C content (1,5mg/ml), they act as anti-oxidant compounds to protect your family against diseases like cancer.

The Japanese, who have studied Rooibos Tea extensively, and in particular its anti-ageing qualities, actually call Rooibos tea "Long Life Tea".

In 1968, Dr Annique Theron made the amazing discovery that Rooibos Tea not only alleviates allergies internally, but also externally. The Tea had such a calming and soothing effect on her own allergic baby daughter that she felt she wanted to share it with mothers all over the world. At that time, there was hardly any information available on the natural therapeutic properties of Rooibos Tea and Dr Theron set out to find out as much as she could about this remarkable plant through her own investigations. She strived to gain all the knowledge she could and to utilise the full potential of the plant's unique properties.

Dr Theron published a book: Allergies: an Amazing Discovery on the anti-allergic qualities of the Rooibos Plant.

Dr Theron received International Acclaim from the World Intellectual Property Organisation in 1997 and received the Woman Inventor of the Year Award for her discovery of the beneficial properties of the Rooibos Plant, Aspalathus linearis and for the application of her Patented Rooibos Extract in skin-and healthcare products.

Rooibos Tea is a healthy and nutritious drink for the whole family, from Baby to Grandma and Grandpa.

TEA for TWO, For BABY and YOU!

Infant Allergies

Baby Bloomers For Your Child

Infant Allergies

Children's clothes can be really tough to decide and choose from, especially if you're a parent for the first time. Parents need to learn about what type of clothing suits their children's skin and what type creates allergies and rashes. One must always buy clothes that suit their children because comfort always comes before fashion. With baby bloomers parents can be sure that their children would be secure and safe while at the same time look fashionable and chubby.

Infant Allergies

Children's clothing has evolved substantially over the years, previously it used to be the colors that separated the genders, but today there is a wide range of options for parents to choose from for their baby's clothes. Baby diapers too have evolved and come a long way over the years. Previously plain white cloth diapers were used to drape children but today there is a wide range of colored and designed baby bloomers perfect to augment your child's beauty. Long ago, mothers used to prevent their children from bending down and showing their diapers as it caused social embarrassment. But not anymore, with the beautiful bloomers, pretty, embroidered, ruffled and brightly colored, every mother wants to show off their children to the public. It is all like a big fashion statement as the babies show off their clothes even at their infant age.

Infant Allergies

Baby bloomers can be of different types; you can opt for beautiful colors and checks or even get them ruffled. They can also have additional embroidery done or ornaments and embellishments attached to them. They are no longer the plain white diapers that they used to be but instead they are the most beautiful of bloomers that every parent wants their children to wear. Besides, these bloomers are not just for toddlers but can also be gotten in one piece for infants and older children. With various flowers, or bows attached to them, baby bloomers are a cloth of envy for every proud parent to have their children wear and show off.

Infant Allergies

If you want to give your child that comfort while wearing the diapers then you must opt for baby bloomers, as they are both comfortable and stylish. Babies are too small to worry about fashion and being presentable but you must be careful enough to make the right choice. Bloomers are sure to make your child look extremely charming and chubby all the time. You can also buy pretty baby bloomer covers to protect your child's diapers and make them look decorative.

You can easily buy baby bloomers online as shopping online is the easiest, fastest and cheapest method to make the best buy. Several online stores sell bloomers of a wide variety so you can easily go through such websites and choose the ones that you best like for your child. The prices are also affordable and you would have no hassles in getting delivery of the bloomers in time. So get going and give your little baby the best bloomers that they deserve.

Baby Bloomers For Your Child

Infant Allergies