Three things at the gym that could be causing your allergies

7th April 2021

Three things at the gym that could be causing your allergies

On April 12th, parts of the UK will finally reopen, including gyms. For some, this is fantastic news. From professional goals to personal ones like eating better and exercising more, people want to get out there and feel healthy again.

But along with staying safe and avoiding the coronavirus, you may have to be careful of your allergies too. Here are three things at your gym that could be causing, or worsening, your allergies.

Products/cosmetics

Gyms offer shower gel, hand sanitiser, and sometimes towels. The alcohol in the hand sanitiser, the detergent used to wash the towels, and unknown ingredients in the shower gel may not agree with your skin and cause reactions.

Irritants can cause inflamed, cracked, and painful skin. Avoiding what causes the reaction will usually make the skin clear up after a few days or weeks. But some people can suffer from contact dermatitis in the long-term and it can affect their quality of life. Some may need to seek medical advice. 

Chlorine

While not technically an allergy, the chlorine in the pool can cause irritant dermatitis and worsen eczema. Chlorine rash occurs from frequent swimming, so a quick dip here and there shouldn’t hurt, but may exacerbate pre-existing dermatitis. 

The immune system identifying chlorine as something similar to bacteria or a virus may cause this chlorine rash and lead to it trying to fight it off. Symptoms of chlorine rash include an itchy, red rash, scaling or crusting, and hives.

Cholinergic Urticaria (CU) – allergic to sweat

A reaction brought on by raised body temperature, CU is a type of hives that can range from a mild reaction to life-threatening. Although it’s not clear what causes the reaction, it may be an allergic reaction to sweat. 

The hives are itchy, tingly, warm, and sometimes feel like they’re burning. In severe cases, other symptoms can accompany the hives, like headaches, salivation, fainting, wheezing, and abdominal cramps, among others. Sometimes CU can cause anaphylaxis. 

If you’re experiencing hives after your spin class or if your eczema feels irritated after swimming a few laps, you may have an allergy. The only way to be certain and receive the right treatment is to book an allergy test with a professional doctor or allergist.

Allergies shouldn’t get in the way of your life. To book an allergy test, or to get expert advice on how to handle your allergies, get in touch with us now on 02031 433 449.

Will the lockdown have an effect on our allergies?

26th August 2020

Will the lockdown have an effect on our allergies?

The lockdown has been part of our lives for some months now. It’s eased up recently, but there are still restrictions on what you can do. And, depending on where you live, your lockdown might be more strict than somewhere else. Basically, life’s still a bit up in the air.

It makes you question how it affects our health. Are we doing less exercise, meaning we pile on the pounds? Or does the lack of traffic lead to less air pollution, meaning our lungs are breathing in cleaner air? It’s no doubt something researchers will be interested in for years to come.

Some are even looking at the lockdown’s effects on allergies. Over in Ireland, research is underway to see if it’s affecting our infants…

The study

Researchers from the department of paediatrics at Royal College of Surgeons Ireland (RCSI), along with some from Children’s Hospital at Temple Street in Dublin, will be looking into the effects of the lockdown on babies in relation to allergies.

Their thoughts centre around the lower rates of infections and improved air quality that have come from the lockdown. They are researching whether this makes developing allergies more or less common. The large-scale study will involve 1,000 babies born between March and May 2020.

Professor Jonathan Hourihane, Professor of pediatrics at RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences is leading the study. He says allergic diseases like eczema, asthma, hay fever, and food allergies have become more common in the last 30 years. And – according to the NHS – he isn’t wrong. He says recent events provide a “unique scientific opportunity” to examine the origins of allergies.

The immune system

Talking about this research, Professor Hourihane said: “After birth, a baby’s immune system soon focuses on all the new challenges that life outside the womb brings, including fighting off infections and responding to immunisations.”

“We want to see children playing on the floor, getting dirty and being exposed to lots of people in lots of environments. The outcome of this is usually a stronger immune system, linked to a healthy population of gut bacteria, called the microbiome.”

“Ireland’s Covid-19 lockdown appears to have reduced the amount of other viral infections, which typically circulate in the community.”

“We have seen less than half the usual number of attendances at paediatric emergency departments and rates of seasonal influenza and other late spring upper respiratory viruses seemed much lower than usual during this time.”

The babies taking part in the study will have a blood sample taken at the start. Then, one year later, another sample will be taken to test for COVID-19 antibodies. They’ll also look at stool samples to see the baby’s microbiome. And, of course, there will be an allergy test at one and two years old to test for any allergic conditions.

We’ll have to wait to find out what their results are, but they could change how we think about allergies. It will no doubt be one of many studies around the effects of the lockdown as we try to determine just how much we’ve changed.

If you have any allergy concerns, feel free to get in touch with one of our allergy specialists. We have the knowledge and expertise to help you through your worries. Call us on 02031 433 449 to find out more.

How to cope with your allergies during the lockdown

6th May 2020

How to cope with your allergies during the lockdown

The nation has been on lockdown for some time now and the nice weather has made it all the harder to stay indoors. Thankfully, the government has advised we can leave the house once a day for some exercise so you can get some fresh air and sun on your skin.

But for some, it’s a catch-22. Staying indoors for the lockdown can lower their mood, as it has for many, but outside might be just as bad for allergy sufferers. Some 13 million people suffer from hay fever in the UK, making it a miserable time indoors and out. But with these tips, you can go still enjoy the outdoors during the lockdown without driving your allergies too crazy.

Opening your windows

With the sun beating down on us day after day, you might be tempted to open your windows. It lets fresh air circulate through your home and sends in a nice breeze. If you suffer from hay fever, you can still do that, just be aware of what it might do.

Opening your windows gives pollen – or other allergens – a chance to get inside. Once there, it can stick to your clothes and furniture, meaning your allergies can kick in even when the window is closed. So if you do open them, use it sparingly.

The same goes for hanging your washing outside. Naturally dried clothes seem fresher, but they can have pollen on them. So you’ll have to weigh up the options and decide which you’d rather have.

Going outside

If you can’t resist the lure of a nice walk to stretch your legs and see some new scenery during the lockdown, then be careful. Similar to the above, you can bring pollen back inside with you. Consider buying some allergy medication beforehand, checking larger supermarkets who will be more likely to have them in stock now. Though if you have any concerns, check with a doctor before using them.

And if you have pets, the same goes for them. Dogs and cats can also bring pollen back with them, so give them a clean before letting them in the house and try to wash them at least once a week.

Keep on top of your cleaning

You could have your cake and eat it too; do the above and keep an allergen-free house. It just means you’ll have to clean more. Vacuum regularly to lift pollen from the carpets and wash more clothes to keep a healthy supply.

You might be cleaning more anyway, as you’ll be spending more times indoors than usual, thus making more of a mess. So you might be able to take care of two birds with one stone, as they say. And if you’re worried about hand sanitiser, which is still scarce in some places, just know that regular hand soap is more effective for dealing with pollen, making it perfectly fine to use if you haven’t left the house.

It’s a difficult time for many and allergies don’t make it easier. But if we work together, we can make it through this okay. If you have any health concerns about your allergy, always consult with a doctor before taking any drastic measures.

If your allergies are negatively affecting you, feel free to get in touch with us to talk about your worries. You can call us on 02031 433 449 or visit our website here.