Asthma and Allergies: News and Views
Articles on asthma and allergies: causes, symptoms and treatments


March 18, 2010

Sharp Air Purifier Review – Plasmacluster Ion Technology Efficacy

Filed under: Allergies - 18 Mar 2010

Deceptively tiny is the little dynamo that powers the potentially far-reaching Plasmacluster Ion technology. Our Sharp air purifier review zeroes in on the enriched high concentration Plasmacluster Ion generator. Measuring only 57mm by 28.5mm by 15.5mm, the little gadget produces the critical reactive agents.

Synopsis of Plasmacluster Ion Technology

Plasma is generated when negative and positive voltages are directed at the discharge electrodes in the Plasmacluster Ion generator. Plasma is recognized as the 4th state of matter after liquid, gas, solid. A partly ionized gas-like state, it contains free electrons that are not bound to a molecule or atom. The disintegration of naturally occurring water molecules in the plasma lead to the formation of negative oxygen ions and positive hydrogen ions. Separately, water molecules in the air cluster around the oxygen and hydrogen ions, resulting in the distinctively stable Plasmacluster Ions being created. Ultra reactive and extremely unstable hydroxyl radicals are created as soon as Plasmacluster Ions come into contact with any pathogens. With such volatile characteristics, the hydroxyl radicals rapidly bond with hydrogen atoms that are constituent parts of pathogen surface membrane. The result; a disabled pathogen and a harmless by-product, water. Simply perfect! But is it real?

Plasmacluster Ion – Fact or Science Fiction?

A reliable Sharp air purifier review brush away the inevitable question – are Plasmacluster Ions science fiction or scientific fact? As with many other products emerging from the field of nanotechnology, Plasmacluster Ions are invisible to the naked eye. And the individual air purifier user has no means to verify its authenticity. Accordingly, individuals can only depend on the findings of tests conducted with Plasmacluster Ions. This is done in 2 ways, in the laboratory (efficacy test) and in the real world (efficiency test).

Anticipating these valid consumer concerns is testimony of the long track record of successes by Sharp. In this regard, Sharp has developed the art of academic marketing. In association with leading academic institutions, Sharp puts its claims for Plasmacluster Ions to the test by scientists. Scientific data produced by academia becomes the basis for introducing new products by Sharp. The definition of effectiveness has been fine-tuned into efficacy and efficiency. The years between 2000 and July 2009 has seen Sharp focusing on efficacy testing. Efficiency testing in conjunction with corporate end users of Plasmacluster Ion technology is the current focus.

Plasmacluster Ion – Certification at Molecular Levels

Digging deeper for this Sharp air purifier review, we are convinced that Sharp believes that science will give them the lead; hence the focus on efficacy and efficiency testing. On 17 November 2004, Sharp announced the results of studies by Professor Gerhard Artmann of the Department of Cell Biophysics and Bioengineering, University of Applied Sciences, Germany. Cellular engineering expert Professor Artmann used an electron microscope to demonstrate that Plasmacluster Ions destroyed at least 60 types of proteins on the cell membranes of bacteria and viruses.

Another significant finding was that Plasmacluster Ions do not penetrate the pathogen cell membrane to impact the cell DNA. That Plasmacluster Ions technology destroys pathogens without the need to impact their DNA is claimed as an advantage over other air purification technologies that work only with DNA annihilation. The risk of cancer from interference with DNA, possibly arising from the use of other air purification technologies, is alluded to with this claim.

Plasmacluster Ion – Efficacy Testing

This current Sharp air purifier review spotlights the efficacy tests on pathogens conducted by various organizations on behalf of Sharp. Conducted over the years from September 2000 to July 2009, the tests have proven that Plasmacluster Ions are effective in removing 28 kinds of harmful airborne microorganisms. Of the virulent pathogens, the most significant are the lethal SARS virus, the deadly H5N1 avian flu virus, a variant of the potentially fatal H1N1 virus which re-appeared in Mexico in 2009 and MRSA, the resistant bacterium that causes devastating infections in hospitalized patients.

The coxsackie virus which causes the common cold and the polio virus are also inactivated by Plasmacluster Ions. Also destroyed are bacteria like enterococcus, staphylococcus, white staphylococcus, micrococcus, serrata bacterium, sarcina, bacillus subtilis, escherichia coli, candida and pseudomonas. Allergens, mites, pollen, are effectively inactivated together with alternaria, stachybotrys, aspergillus, penicillium, cladosporium and mucor.

Organizations which worked with Sharp included the following:

- Ishikawa Health Service Association, Japan

- Kitasato Institute, Medical Center Hospital, Japan

- Kitasato Research Center of Environmental Sciences, Japan

- Graduate School of Advanced Sciences of Matter, Hiroshima University, Japan

- Shanghai Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, China

- Seoul University, Korea

- Asthma Society of Canada

- Harvard School of Public Health, USA

- CT&T, Aachen University of Applied Science, Germany

- University of Lübeck, Germany

- Retroscreen Virology, Ltd., London, UK

Osaka City University Medical School conducted the last reported efficacy test that validated the inhibitory properties of Plasmacluster Ions on allergic reactions caused by mite allergens (mite feces and dead mites).

Wrapping up our Sharp air purifier review in relation to efficacy testing, we note the importance of the GLP (Good Laboratory Practices), an OECD standard that lends weight to test results, status of the testing organizations. GLP status has to be renewed every 3 years. Absolutely valuable yet critics of air purification technologies and academic marketing choose to overlook this factor completely. Yet another critical factor that is worthy of mention is that surely the work of a GLP laboratory can be scientifically peer reviewed. The all-important scientific peer review, as we know, is the key missing piece in the puzzle of air purification technologies, including Plasmacluster Ion technology!

Do sign up to follow our continuing Sharp air purifier review.

March 16, 2010

Treatments For Children Food Allergies

Filed under: Allergies - 16 Mar 2010

Imagine parents Carl and Sophie Chuang’s surprise when they found out their 12-month-old daughter was allergic to breast milk. When she was just months old, outbreaks of eczema alerted the doctors that something was up. Later, it was discovered that their daughter was also allergic to raw eggs, cheese and nuts. “She developed rashes and was always scratching,” explains her father. “She can tolerate small amounts of some of these foods, but still, when she puts something in her mouth that she’s allergic to, she can tell and sometimes will throw up.” Children food allergies like this have been on the rise, increasing at least 18% in the last decade. While researchers aren’t sure what causes a food allergy in children, they’re looking at ways to detect this problem early and treat it.

Milk (12%), peanuts (9%), eggs (7%) and shrimp (5%) are the most common food allergies in children. In other cases, kids may be allergic to tree nuts, soy, fish and wheat. Food-related allergy symptoms run the gamut from a mild tingling sensation in the mouth, hives, diarrhea or stomach cramping to more serious vomiting, difficulty breathing and tongue swelling. The National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases states that fatal allergic reactions are extremely rare, with only about 100 deaths per year associated with a food-related emergency. Of all the foods, peanut allergies are probably the most dangerous.

Critics say the only reason why children food allergies have “gone up” in recent years is that the general public is more aware about the possibility of food allergies in kids. They also argue that more and more doctors are using unreliable blood tests, which work better to rule out a food allergy than to provide definitive proof of the allergy. In 2003, a report published in Pediatrics Magazine said that blood allergy tests were only half accurate. In 2007, researchers at the John Hopkins Children’s Center reported that blood allergy tests could both overestimate and underestimate the body’s immune response to an allergen.

Some doctors posit that their recommendations may have inadvertently played a role in children food allergies. The American Academy of Asthma Allergy and Immunology is currently re-evaluating guidelines recommending that eggs, peanuts and shellfish not be introduced to a child’s diet until age 2 or 3. Early exposure to peanuts has shown to decrease the peanut allergy risk in 10,000 British Children (The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunolgoy, 2008).

Jeremy Larson is a foremost expert in the natural acid reflux remedies. He has had extensive experience and conducted countless experiments in finding natural remedy for acid reflux. He is also a highly acclaimed writer in the medical field.

March 14, 2010

Do You Overreact To A Child Food Allergy?

Filed under: Allergies - 14 Mar 2010

It was once presumed that the only way to treat a child food allergy was to avoid any contact with that food for the rest of one’s life. For people who test positive for allergies to dairy, milk, chicken, pork, rice, oat, barley, eggs, beans and wheat, this diagnosis can seem like a death sentence. However, a new approach is being advocated in many allergy clinics across America. Some patients respond to a food challenge, which incrementally increases the patient’s dosage of the allergen until tolerance is achieved. “I thought it was pretty entertaining,” admits fifteen-year-old Alex Simko of Geneva, Illinois, who was able to eat eggs after 12 years of believing she had an egg allergy. Now she can finally eat donuts again!

What about food allergies in babies? When four week old Grayson Grebe got eczema on his cheeks, his mother began to worry. Two months later, he was diagnosed with every food allergy in the book, including wheat, dairy, egg, bean, oat, rice, barley, chicken, pork, corn and peanut. His mother stopped eating these foods, but her baby’s condition did not improve. By 10 months, the doctors had cut out fruits and vegetables and put Grayson on a special hypo-allergenic formula. His eczema was so severe he needed to wear special mittens, long-sleeved shirts and long pants to prevent him from scratching. Once treated at the National Jewish Health center that specializes in allergies and respiratory diseases, doctors gave Grayson food challenges — gradually exposing him to small doses of the foods he was supposedly allergic to. “We came home with 12 foods he could eat,” Amy Grebe recalls. “It’s made so much difference in our lives.”

Anaphylactic shock is one danger of this sort of child food allergy test. In rare cases, a child with a severe allergy may suffer low blood pressure, stop breathing, turn slightly blue, lose consciousness and suffer multiple organ failure. Even if a child has only suffered a mild reaction in the past, there is still a possibility the next reaction may be more severe. Unfortunately, there are no tests to determine whether a reaction to peanuts will be a mild tingle in the mouth, a moderate case of hives or anaphylactic shock. On the other hand, being in a clinical setting is much safer than discovering an allergy out in the real world, where medical equipment isn’t ready to administer treatment for food allergy emergencies.

More often than not, a child food allergy is little more than an overreaction. “I see it all the time. A family goes in for one thing and comes back with a laundry list of foods they are supposedly allergic to,” says Jodi Stokes, who runs a support group for allergic families in Charlotte, North Carolina. “I tell them to go to a board-certified allergist who knows how to interpret these tests.” Robert Wood, the director of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology at John Hopkins, believes that blood tests for kids with food allergies are being possibly overused and definitely misinterpreted. “A lot of these kids truly have food allergies, just not to all the foods that they are being told they have allergies to,” he explains. It’s easy to dismiss allergies on foods kids have been eating for years.

Jeremy Larson is a foremost expert in the natural cures for acid reflux field. His work has been extensively published in various online publications in the areas of acid reflux. For more information on the treatment, visit RemedyForAcidReflux.com.

March 12, 2010

Just how to Locate the Suitable Conditioning Membership

Filed under: Allergies - 12 Mar 2010

Gyms and centers regularly operate specials on their wellness and health and fitness membership fees. The timing will differ, but quite a few present excellent offers soon after the initial on the year, when lots of people are creating resolutions regarding bodyweight loss or enhancing health. If possible, select a time when the gym you need to join is providing an attractive well being and membership payment particular.Generally, a health and health and fitness membership phrase is for one 12 months, even though some consult for 3 yr commitments. Test to get a just one evening pass or trial health and conditioning membership ahead of you sign a prolonged phrase deal. This can permit you to really do the job out along at the gymnasium and along at the time of day time you may generally go to so it is possible to see for your self that you just will have the ability to have admittance towards equipment or lessons you choose.A trial health and fitness and fitness membership will also enable you to test your commitment to heading towards the health club. Some people turn into enthused using the notion and hint a agreement, then come across they just can not do the job it into their schedule or that the health and fitness center is as well crowded at the time they should go.Verify what amenities are covered beneath your health and physical fitness membership. For instance, if you need to provide the kids, is supervised care no cost or must you shell out an added fee? Does your membership cover all in the courses offered, or is there an extra charge when you wish to take, for example, a yoga class?

Numerous gyms present individual trainers who will work with you on an individual foundation and produce a nutrition and workout plan tailored for your wants. Even so, they are generally not included within your basic health and fitness and fitness membership. Prices are often much less than engaging a trainer on your personal, although.When you do not have enough time or desire to go to a fitness center to work out, there are a fantastic many household health and health products that provide you with exactly the same quality. Treadmills, stair climbers, stationary bikes, and elliptical equipment are available at reasonable rates. A lot of residence wellness and health and fitness equipment element similar durable construction as health and fitness center types.Before you start buying for the gear, think about where you will be intending to place the items. Some conditioning equipment, such as treadmills, involve plenty of floor space. Appear all over your residence to locate places exactly where you may location this sort of possessions to ensure that they may be very easily accessible for use but additionally out with the way the rest from the time. Look at whether or not you would like to position a home wellbeing and conditioning equipment in front of your television, for model, or in among the cooler rooms as part of your home.

Wonder how you can make more money from Forex Trading. Gbpbot review for your reference  For your reference

What a great read ! Here is the blog post on Forex Robots Review review I read Learn More

Naturally, when you have an empty space, you are able to arrange a complete home wellbeing and conditioning gym. In an normal size spare bedroom, it is possible to normally add a treadmill, workout bike, and pounds unit and nevertheless have plenty of room for yoga. You may need to consist of a stand for any stereo or television if you will need the distraction.In case you don’t have much place out there, look at compact home Forex Trading News health and fitness and health tools this kind of like a multi-purpose machine that may permit you to carry out a wide variety of physical exercises or even an over-the-door cable set up. Throughout the door models are commonly not adequate for heavy lifters, but operate nicely for newbies and many ladies.

Next Page »