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Is Salt an Allergy Trigger? Researchers Discover Connection With Neurodermatitis

As the Technical University of Munich found out in a study, salt influences our immune system and thus promotes allergies. The assumption is obvious, especially in the case of neurodermatitis patients.

Misregulation of T cells leads to allergic reactions

Many people are plagued by allergies, in industrialized countries almost every third person. Neurodermatitis in particular is widespread, every tenth child suffers from it. What originally triggered such allergies was previously unknown. A research team from the Technical University of Munich led by Professor Christina Zielinski has now come to new conclusions in a study. When examining cell cultures, it was found that salt leads to the formation of so-called Th2 cells.

These cells are a subset of T cells, also called T helper cells. They are part of the immune system and play an important role in immune disorders. They are therefore part of the body’s defense against infections, for example. However, these cells can also develop malfunctions. Then they turn against parts of their own body or the environment. If such a malfunction occurs in Th2 cells, it can trigger allergic inflammation of the skin, such as neurodermatitis. Certain messenger substances are released in the process. Until now, it was not known what triggers such a dysregulation of Th2 cells.

More Th2 cells from saline

Salt is essential for humans and animals. Table salt, scientifically sodium chloride, is found in the body in the form of sodium and chloride ions. As Christina Zielinski’s team at the Institute of Virology has now discovered, table salt can influence human T cells in such a way that they increasingly release the messenger substances that trigger allergic reactions.

These T cells are not supposed to cause allergies, but exposure to salt can reprogram them into Th2 cells, which are potential causes of allergic reactions. This influence of the salt on the cells is declining. This means that the cells are reprogrammed when they are exposed to less high levels of salt. “Signals from the ions from the salt thus play a role in the formation and control of Th2 cells,” says Christina Zielinski in a statement from the university.

Eczema patients have more salt in their skin

As a dermatological specialist, Christina Zielinski also examined the effects on neurodermatitis patients. With her research team, she examined whether the diseased skin areas of those affected by neurodermatitis have higher salt levels. However, such measurements are difficult. “Measuring sodium concentrations within the tissue is complicated,” says Julia Matthias, the study’s first author. “While one can measure the soluble salt in the blood using standard clinical methods, for the skin we enlisted the help of colleagues from nuclear chemistry and physics reliant.” The skin samples examined at the TUM and the University of Mainz showed that the sodium value in the diseased skin areas was up to 30 times higher than in healthy ones.

Salt level of the skin is conducive to bacteria

With regard to neurodermatitis, the researchers were able to explain another phenomenon. Neurodermatitis sufferers often have a strong accumulation of the bacterium “Staphylococcus aureus” on their skin. “The elevated sodium levels in affected skin go well with another characteristic of neurodermatitis,” says Christina Zielinski. Because the presence of the bacteria has been known for a long time. The bacterium multiplies in salty conditions. Salt, on the other hand, is harmful to other bacteria on the skin.

According to Christina Zielinski, if you combine the findings of the new study with those already known, you come to the conclusion that there could be a connection between salt and the occurrence of neurodermatitis.

However, the professor limits the assumption, since it has not yet been possible to prove how the salt gets into the skin in large quantities. “We also don’t know whether a low-salt or high-salt diet can influence the development or course of neurodermatitis or other allergic diseases,” she says. The dermatologist and her team want to find out these and other open questions in future studies.

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Home Remedies for Pollen Allergy in Case of Pollen Count

Many natural home remedies against pollen count and pollen allergy will help you to alleviate the problems caused by pollen count. The pollen count may be pretty to look at for some, but for allergy sufferers, it only means suffering and risks. It is almost impossible to avoid and now its season extends almost all year round and is no longer “just” from March to September.

The problem pollen count and pollen allergy

One in five or around 15 million people in Germany suffer from side effects from pollen, making hay fever the most common allergy in the country. The tiny grains that makeup pollen are the seeds of numerous plants that are propelled through the air to reach the female recipient organs. Since most pollen doesn’t reach its destination, plants produce it in huge quantities.

Causes of pollen allergy

If you suffer from a pollen allergy, your body fights the harmless pollen proteins because it mistakenly sees them as a danger. The immune system, therefore, reacts with inflammation, which is triggered, among other things, by the inflammatory messenger’s leukotrienes and histamine. But there can be various reasons why the immune system overreacts in such away. First, some people are more prone to allergic reactions than others, and responsiveness can also be inherited.

If both parents are allergic or even have the same allergy(s), the probability that the child will also develop an allergy is 40 to 80%. If you pay attention to a very high level of hygiene in childhood, the immune system is undertaxed and does not develop sufficiently. Then there is a so-called hygiene hypothesis, which only rarely occurs in people who have had contact with many people in childhood and have romped in the sand, in the earth, or similar.

In addition, irritants in the ambient air affect the airways and their correct formation. If parents smoke around their children or even during pregnancy, this significantly increases the risk of hay fever, asthma, or other allergies. Researchers also suspect that the increasing number of allergy sufferers is due to climate change. It not only extends the pollen season and pollen count, but the warmer temperatures also bring new plant species to Germany, some of which can be highly allergenic.

1) Nasal lavage with saline solution

The simplest and probably the oldest household remedy that you can use to flush out the pollen, disinfect your nasal mucosa and strengthen you against pollen is nasal rinsing, which is made from half a liter of lukewarm water and two teaspoons of table salt. Simply mix the two ingredients together and sniff the solution.

2) steam bath with saline solution

The steam bath with a saline solution can also help. It relieves itching by moisturizing the nasal mucosa. To do this, dissolve about two teaspoons of table salt in your steam bath and inhale for about 10 minutes.

3) Inhalation with fennel or dill oil

Inhaling fennel or dill oil helps against congestion and calms the bronchi. To do this, add 4 to 6 drops of the oil to your steam room and inhale the vapors alternately through your mouth and nose for about 10 minutes.

4) Inhalation with essential oils

Essential oils generally have an expectorant effect and thus make it easier to breathe deeply. For example, you can add several drops of peppermint or eucalyptus oil to your steam room.

5) Eyebright herb

A cloth with eyebright herbal decoction helps with swollen, watery, and inflamed eyes. To do this, pour half a liter of water over three teaspoons of eyebright herb and let the brew steep for about five minutes. Then soak a cloth with the cooled brew and place it on your closed eyelids for a quarter of an hour.

6) Damp rag

Placing a damp cloth on your eyes can greatly relieve itching. Simply dampen a cloth with cool water and place it over your eyes for several minutes. A damp cloth on the neck helps against headaches.

7) Cooling goggles

You can put cooling goggles or even ordinary cooling pads on your eyes to help reduce the swelling.

8) Showers

The pollen likes to get caught everywhere and especially in the hair. If you can take a shower, avoid breathing in the pollen at home, too.

9) Facial affusion for headaches

A cold facial affusion causes a cold shock, which stimulates the metabolism via the receptors and gets the circulation going. This relieves tension in the head and thus relieves headaches. To do this, hold a thick jet of water first on your forehead, then on your right half, and then on your left half of the face, and finish the face wash with circular movements around your whole face.

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What to Do if You Have a Dust Mite Allergy?

Many people suffer from dust mite allergies. The house dust mite symptoms are similar to a cold, which is why the allergy is usually discovered late. Find out everything about causes, diagnosis, and how you can effectively alleviate house dust mite allergy.

We come into contact with house dust mites every day. Because they are natural and harmless roommates on our mattresses, blankets, and pillows. But some people are allergic to the feces of the animals. This can result in annoying symptoms such as a runny nose, watery eyes, etc.

What is an allergy anyway?

The term “allergy” comes from ancient Greek and means something like “foreign reaction”, i.e. excessive defensive reactions to something foreign. The body of an allergy sufferer is therefore hypersensitive to substances that come from the environment. In short, an allergy is a malfunction of the body’s immune system. As the European Center for Allergy reports, around a third of 18-79-year-old Germans are diagnosed with an allergy in the course of their lives. Women are affected much more often (35.8 percent) than men (24.1 percent). Incidentally, the latest estimates point to 30 million people affected.

Cause of house dust mite allergy

House dust is the accumulation of hair, skin flakes, textile particles, etc. that are in your home. This dust can not only be found on the floor and in the corners, but also in pillows, blankets, and mattresses. People with a house dust mite allergy react allergically to mite proteins, which are mainly found in the feces. If we come into contact with it, our immune system triggers a reaction. Then more histamine is released, which is responsible for the symptoms that occur.

Diagnosis of allergy

If you show symptoms of house dust mite allergy, you should get a clear diagnosis and see a specialist. A trained allergist or a family doctor who specializes in allergology has various diagnostic methods that can be used to determine the trigger of an allergy. Sometimes a clear diagnosis proves to be difficult, but you can only counteract the allergy with a clear determination.

There are online allergy tests so you can get a preliminary diagnosis. Consequently, these are a useful first way to classify occurring symptoms. You can use an allergy questionnaire to check initial suspicions. This is a good basis for your visit to the doctor.

Alleviate house dust mite allergy

A lack of hygiene in the household is not a trigger for an increased occurrence of house mites, as is often wrongly assumed. Nevertheless, there are a few household tricks to alleviate dust mite allergy and its symptoms. Also, read our 5 tips against house dust mites to relieve your house dust mite allergy.

1) Reduce dust mites

All measures to reduce the allergen load in the household are of great importance and usually lead to a significant reduction in symptoms. As a result, we have an overview of the most important ones for you. For more information, read our article on Dust Mites and Dust Mite Control.

  • Regular and extensive ventilation throughout the house. Airing the room twice a day is recommended for allergen-free air. This reduces the humidity. The room temperature should not be too high either.
  • The use of air purifiers can filter pollutants such as mite droppings from the air. Thus, they ensure better breathing air at home.
  • Wear a special breathing mask when cleaning. The dust that is thrown up is very stressful for allergy sufferers, so the mask can be a good protective measure.
  • Daily vacuuming (with HEPA microfilters) is helpful and particularly effective. We also recommend damp mopping afterward.
  • Regular washing of bed linen and professional washing at least 60 degrees is also popular here. And at least once a year a mattress cleaning is recommended.
  • Use of encasings. These covers for mattresses and bed linen are dust mite-proof covers, the costs of which are even reimbursed by some health insurance companies.
  • Salt inhalers to relieve breathing difficulties or relieve asthmatic symptoms.
  • Dust collectors in the entire living environment should be reduced as much as possible. Because the less house dust, the less food for the house dust mites.

2) Relieve symptoms with medication

To relieve dust mite allergy symptoms, your doctor may prescribe you antihistamines. Consequently, these should prevent the release of histamine in the body. Or they ask about glucocorticoids (cortisone) in the form of a nasal spray to decongest the nasal mucosa. In addition, note our natural home remedies for colds, effective measures against headaches, and remedies for burning eyes.

3) Hyposensitization at the allergist

You can also have a hyposensitization carried out by the doctor. This is immunotherapy in which the treating medical staff (usual allergists) inject you with the allergens of the house dust mites. The concentration is gradually increased. Consequently, your body should get used to the allergens (triggers). It is therefore an effective method to no longer suffer from the allergy in the future. Also, note our home remedies for pollen allergy and pollen count.

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