FitSugar

Victoria's Secret Bras Causing Rashes?

FitSugar — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 11:00:00 -0800

Victoria's Secret is to bras what Kleenex is to tissues. This company is well-known for its amazing lingerie, but recently there have been many complaints from women who wear its bras. They say they've worn Angel Secret Embrace Bras and Very Sexy Extreme Me Push-Up bras, and experienced itchy rashes, hives, and permanent scarring. One woman, Roberta Ritter, filed a lawsuit against Victoria's Secret, and when her lawyers purchased the same bra and sent it to a lab for testing, they found it contained formaldehyde. Many companies add this chemical to fabrics to make them crease resistant. Although Victoria's Secret said it never used formaldehyde in its products, it may have been added in the manufacturing process. This chemical is most likely the cause of the allergic skin reaction experienced by Roberta and dozens of other women.

For more information, check out this video clip from Good Morning America, of Diane Sawyer talking to reporter Andrea Canning on the details.

I know finding the right bra can be traumatic, but shouldn't be scarring. Have you experienced anything like this?

Allergic to Exercise?

FitSugar — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 03:00:00 -0700

I've heard of allergies to nuts, or bees, or cats, but an allergy to exercise? Come on, that's just an excuse not to work out, right? Unfortunately there is such a thing as an allergy to exercise known as exercise-induced anaphylaxis (EIA). Although it's a pretty rare condition, it still exists for some unlucky few. A person with EIA may feel tired, itchy, or warm within the first few minutes of exercise, and then symptoms can quickly progress to swollen lips, eyes, and throat. Other symptoms can include hives, fainting, vomiting, and difficulty breathing. Sometimes symptoms don't show up for up to four hours after exercising.

Only 1,000 cases of exercise-induced anaphylaxis have been documented since the 70s, and of those cases only one resulted in death. There's also a less severe and more common exercise- triggered allergy that 10 to 20 percent of the population will experience sometime during their lives. To find out what it is, read more.

Cholinergic urticaria, is a common type of heat rash, that many people may experience when they work out that is reddish, and may cause a burning or itchy sensation. This type of skin reaction can also be caused by a combination of both exercise and these triggers: sun exposure, certain foods, certain medications, alcohol, menstruation, cold weather, or getting emotionally worked up. If you think you may have symptoms that are triggered by exercise, definitely make an appointment with your doctor.

Source

Sweet Inspiration: Hives For Lives

FitSugar — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 16:45:00 -0800

Some stories just inspire and motivate, and this is a sweet tale of two young girls, sisters in fact. After losing their grandfather to throat cancer, Molly and Carly Houlahan decided to raise funds to help fight cancer by raising bees and cultivating honey.

The girls, ages 13 and 15, took over their grandfather's hives and created Hives For Lives. The Houlahan girls harvest honey, sell it, and then donate all the profits to the American Cancer Society. They have raised over $22,000 to date and are recruiting Helper Bees from across the country to join them in raising bees and selling honey to donate to cancer research.

You can purchase their honey directly from the Hives for Lives online store or you can find their honey at Whole Foods stores in Princeton, NJ; Devon, PA; and Pittsburgh, PA.

A natural sweetener made by teenage sisters with proceeds going toward cancer research – I'm all in.

Hives

admin — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 17:52:29 -0700

HEALTH GUIDE REFERENCE FROM A.D.A.M

Definition

Hives are raised, often itchy, red welts on the surface of the skin. They are usually an allergic reaction to food or medicine.

Alternative Names

Urticaria

Causes, incidence, and risk factors

When you have an allergic reaction to a substance, histamine and other chemicals are released into your bloodstream, causing itching, swelling, and other symptoms. Hives are a common reaction, especially in people with other allergies like hay fever.

When swelling or welts occur around the face, especially the lips and eyes, it is called angioedema. Swelling from angioedema can also occur around your hands, feet, and throat.

Many substances can trigger hives:

Medications
Shellfish, fish, nuts, eggs, milk, and other foods
Pollen
Animal dander (especially cats)
Insect bites

Hives may also develop from:

Infections like mononucleosis or illness (including lupus, other autoimmune diseases, and leukemia)
Emotional stress
Extreme cold or sun exposure
Excessive perspiration

Symptoms

Itching
Swelling of the surface of the skin into red- or skin-colored welts (called wheals) with clearly defined edges

The welts may enlarge, spread, and join together to form larger areas of flat, raised skin. They can also change shape, disappear, and reappear within minutes or hours. The welts tend to start suddenly and resolve quickly. When you press the center of a red welt, it blanches (turns white).

Signs and tests

Your doctor can tell if you have hives by the appearance of your skin. If you have a history of an allergy, then the diagnosis is even more obvious. Occasionally, skin or blood tests are performed to confirm that this was an allergic reaction and to test for the substance that caused your allergic response.

Treatment

Treatment may not be needed if the hives are mild. They may disappear on their own. To reduce itching and swelling:

Avoid hot baths or showers.
Avoid irritating the area with tight-fitting clothing.
Apply calamine lotion.
Take antihistamines.

If your reaction is severe, especially if the swelling involves your throat, you may require an emergency shot of epinephrine (adrenaline) or steroids. Hives in the throat can obstruct your airway, making it difficult to breathe.

Expectations (prognosis)

Hives may be uncomfortable, but they generally are harmless and disappear on their own. In most cases, the exact cause of hives cannot be identified.

Complications

Anaphylaxis (airway is swollen, making breathing difficult)
Life-threatening airway obstruction, if swelling occurs in the throat

Calling your health care provider

Call 911 if you experience:

Tightness in your throat
Shortness of breath
Tongue or face swelling
Fainting
Wheezing

Call your health care provider if the hives are severe, uncomfortable, and do not respond to self-care.

Prevention

Avoid exposure to substances that give you allergic reactions.
Don't wear tight-fitting clothing and avoid hot baths or showers just after an episode of hives. These can both cause the hives to return.

References

Adkinson NF Jr. Middleton’s Allergy: Principles and Practice. 6th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Mosby; 2003.

Behrman RE. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 17th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: WB Saunders; 2004.

Habif TP. Clinical Dermatology. 4th ed. St. Louis, Mo: Mosby; 2004.

Review Date: 4/12/2007

Reviewed By: Kevin Berman, MD, PhD, Associate, Atlanta Center for Dermatologic Disease, Atlanta, GA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is an independent audit to verify that A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial policy, editorial process and privacy policy. A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics and subscribes to the principles of the Health on the Net Foundation (www.hon.ch).

A.D.A.M. Copyright

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. © 1997-2009 A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.

adam.com

Source Doc: 1_000845

Hives treatment

admin — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 18:51:46 -0700

Illustrations

Hives (urticaria) - close-up

Hives (urticaria) on the arm

Hives (urticaria) on the chest

Hives (urticaria) - close-up

Hives (urticaria) on the trunk

Hives treatment

HEALTH GUIDE REFERENCE FROM A.D.A.M

Alternative Names

Review Date: 4/28/2006

Reviewed By: Michael Lehrer, M.D., Department of Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

A.D.A.M. Copyright

adam.com

Source Doc: 2_2482