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The Experts Say - Health &
Lifestyle |
Be in Control - Keep
Allergies At Bay
Article contributed by:
Raffles Medical Group
Now that you know that
you have an allergy,
what should you do next?
First and foremost,
avoid the things that
you are allergic to.
While that sounds like
common sense, trying to
put it into practice in
your everyday life is
not always realistic.
Our experts share some
practical steps that you
could take to keep your
allergies at bay.
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Did you know?
If your sneeze was a car, it would get a speeding ticket as particles fly out of your nose at 100mph when you sneeze.
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Allergy-proof your home
Does the frequency of
your sneezing increase
when you are in an
air-conditioned room?
“As you may be sensitive
to the cold temperature
or even the dust or
moulds from the air-con
vents, try to avoid
sleeping in an
air-conditioned room to
help alleviate your
symptoms,” says Dr Bina
Kurup, Consultant
Family Physician at
Raffles Medical.
As dust and dust mites
are often common
culprits of allergies,
minimising exposure to
them could be helpful.
This can be done through
the following measures:
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Vacuuming the room
and wet-wiping
surfaces regularly
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Avoiding carpets and
heavy drapes
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Changing feather
pillows to the foam
variety
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Washing bedclothes
twice weekly
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Using dust-proof
cover over mattress
and pillows
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In addition,
allergy-proof the
different parts of your
home with these simple
steps from
Dr Stephen Lee,
Specialist in ENT
Surgery of Raffles ENT
Centre.
Living Room
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If you are allergic
to animal dander,
you should avoid
having pets at home.
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Look out for old
mouldy shoes as they
could give rise to
fungus allergic
disease.
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Store newspapers and
old books properly
so that they do not
end up collecting
dust.
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Bedroom
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Every six to 12
months, sun the
mattress and
beddings. This
will help control
dust and dust mite
allergies.
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Avoid stuffed toys,
as their fur tends
to collect dust.
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Get your
air-condition
serviced at regular
intervals thrice a
year.
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Fight food allergies
with knowledge and
information
If you have a food
allergy, you will have
to cautiously avoid any
food that could trigger
it. This means
that you need to be very
clear about every
ingredient that goes
into your food.
Senior
Dietitian at Raffles
Hospital, Ms Nehal
Kamdar, shares the
following tips with us.
Always read food labels
on manufactured foods
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Reading food labels
helps to identify
ingredients that you
are allergic to.
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Food labels are
required to list
clearly common food
allergens.
Read them carefully
to avoid these top
eight sources of
food allergens:
milk, eggs, peanuts,
tree nuts, fish,
shellfish, soy and
wheat.
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If you have asthma,
be sure to ask if
sulfites have been
added to foods when
dining in
restaurants.
When shopping for
foods, check labels
for the terms
"sodium bisulfite",
"potassium bisulfite",
"sodium sulfite",
"sulfur dioxide" and
"potassium
metabisulfite".
Avoid buying food
that contains these
ingredients.
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Make your needs known to
others
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When eating out,
ensure that your
server is aware that
you cannot eat the
food that you are
allergic to, and
that you need to be
100 per cent certain
that the meal you
order does not
contain it.
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Be aware of the
possibility of
cross-contamination
between foods in the
kitchen. Your
server should make
sure that your meal
was not prepared on
surfaces or in pans
that contained the
food that you are
allergic to.
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TCM Remedies
Traditional Chinese
Medicine (TCM) has been
used to treat allergies
for hundreds of years.
Ms Miao Meng, TCM
physician at Raffles
Chinese Medicine Centre,
shares with us tips to
manage allergy symptoms.
Control your diet
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According to the
principles of TCM,
sweets, dairy
products and cold
foods tend to
increase mucus
buildup. This
put ice cream and
yogurt at the top of
the list of foods to
avoid during the
allergy season.
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You should eat more
foods that are
considered easily
digestible, such as
soups, salads,
vegetables and
boiled grains.
When your digestion
is efficient, there
will be less
tendency for mucus
to build up in your
body.
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Seek TCM treatment
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Both acupuncture and
Chinese herbal
medicine have been
shown to help people
with allergic
conditions such as
rhinitis, asthma and
eczema.
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Acupuncture
frequently relieves
allergy symptoms
immediately. For
example,
manipulation of
points around the
nose and large
intestine usually
relieves nasal
congestion and
sneezing as soon as
the needles are
inserted.
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Article contributed by:
Raffles Medical Group
Dated: July 2011
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Raffles
Medical
Group is
a leading
medical
group and
the largest
private
group
practice in
Singapore.
As a fully
integrated
healthcare
organisation,
the Group
owns and
operates a
network of
family
medicine
clinics, a
tertiary
care private
hospital,
insurance
services and
a consumer
healthcare
division.
Patients of
the Group
enjoy a
continuum of
care, from
having their
most basic
healthcare
needs met
through the
Group’s
islandwide
network of
Raffles
Medical
clinics, to
specialist
and tertiary
care at
Raffles
Hospital. |
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