Latest news with #allergy
News.com.au
16 hours ago
- Health
- News.com.au
Itching, swelling and burning after sex may be signs of a common allergy
Itchy genitalia, a burning sensation, and feeling breathless are all considered normal after sex. But for a growing number of women, these symptoms could be a sign of seminal plasma hypersensitivity (SPH) — an allergy to semen. While it's considered a rare allergy, it's also underdiagnosed. Michael Carroll, associate professor in reproductive science at Manchester Metropolitan University, explained it isn't triggered by sperm cells, but the fluid that carried the sperm. 'First documented in 1967, when a woman was hospitalised after a 'violent allergic reaction' to sex, SPH is now recognised as a type 1 hypersensitivity, the same category as hay fever, peanut allergy and cat dander,' he said, according to The Sun. Writing for The Conversation, Associate Professor Carroll said symptoms of SPH can range from mild to severe. While some women experience local reactions, such as burning, itching, redness and swelling of the vulva or vagina, others develop full-body symptoms such ashives, wheezing, and even anaphylaxis. He added: 'Until 1977, SPH was thought to affect fewer than 100 women globally. 'But a study led by allergist Jonathan Bernstein found among women reporting post-coital symptoms, nearly 12 per cent could be classified as having probable SPH. 'I conducted a small, unpublished survey in 2013 and found a similar 12 per cent rate. The true figure may be higher still. 'Many cases go unreported, misdiagnosed, or dismissed as STIs, yeast infections, or general 'sensitivity'. 'One revealing clue: symptoms disappear when condoms are used.' The main allergen, according to Carroll, is prostate-specific antigen — a protein produced by cells in the prostate gland. And cross-reactivity is a possibility, for example, f5, a protein found in dog dander, is structurally similar to PSA. So a woman allergic to dogs may also be allergic to semen too. Also, woman may not be the only ones affected, said Carroll. It's possible some men be allergic to their own semen too. A paper published in American Journal of Case Reports described a 22-year-old was consumed by sneezing, watery eyes, stomach cramps, muscle pain and deep fatigue in the hours after climaxing. The condition is known as post-orgasmic illness syndrome (POIS). While SPH doesn't cause infertility directly, it can complicate conception. Carroll said: 'Avoiding the allergen – usually the most effective treatment for allergies – isn't feasible for couples trying to conceive. Treatments include prophylactic antihistamines (antihistamine medications taken in advance of anticipated exposure to an allergen, or before allergy symptoms are expected to appear to prevent or reduce the severity of allergic reactions), anti-inflammatories and desensitisation using diluted seminal plasma. In more severe cases, couples may choose IVF with washed sperm, bypassing the allergic trigger altogether.
The Sun
2 days ago
- Health
- The Sun
Mum reveals STINGING herself with nettles banishes hay fever symptoms ‘in minutes' – would you try it?
A MUM claims deliberately stinging herself with nettles "cures" her hay fever - relieving her symptoms in as little as 10 minutes. Rebecca Pullin says she has suffered from a pollen allergy for the last decade and every summer has to put up with irritated eyes, a sore throat and drowsiness. 4 But when her mum Beverly Stickley, 68, suggested she tried stinging herself with a nettle after seeing a post about it online, the mum-of-two decided to give it a go. On a dog walk in April this year, the 38-year-old proceeded to rub the plant on her arm, which caused itchy bumps to develop on her skin. At first Rebecca says she thought nothing of it, but after repeating the "natural" remedy four days in a row she claims it had relieved her hay fever symptoms. The dog walker says whenever she wakes up and feels lethargic, she now stings herself with a nettle - sometimes every day - and claims her pollen allergy symptoms disappear in as little as 10 minutes. Hay fever symptoms are caused by immune system reacting to pollen to produce histamine and other chemicals in the body. As stinging nettles contain histamine, some people believe the plant has anti-histamine and anti-inflammatory properties. Rebecca is now sharing her treatment method in the hopes of helping other people suffering with hay fever this year. Rebecca, from Bath in Somerset, said: ""Hay fever affects me quite a lot as I'm a dog walker and feel lethargic and lack motivation. "This is usually when I know I've got hay fever because I'm not like this normally. "I get really drowsy. It always affects my eyes and they sting. hayfever recommendations from a boots pharmacist "I don't get a runny nose but I got headaches and a sore throat. "I just feel like I'm poorly and exhausted. As soon as I sting myself on a stinging nettle I feel fine. "[In April this year], I got out of my van to do a group walk with my dogs and saw some nettles and decided to sting myself. "I did this for three or four days to see if it worked to begin with and didn't think anything of it. After four days I felt so much better. 4 4 "I tend to rub my arm on the stem and then when I've done this a few times I've stung myself quite a lot. "Now when I feel tired, I sting myself and within 10 minutes I feel different. The stinging nettles help to relieve my hay fever symptoms. "There will be weeks where I feel like I have to do it every day and I'll sting myself to get through the day but then there are times when I haven't stung myself for a couple of days." According to the Met Office, tree pollen occurs typically from late March to mid-May, which is then followed by grass pollen until July and weed pollen occurs from the end of June to September. Hay fever first aid kit Analyse your symptoms and find the best medication kit for you... Antihistamines Antihistamines (cetirizine or loratadine) work by blocking histamine in the body, which is released when the body detects something it thinks is harmful. Histamine causes blood vessels to expand and the skin to swell, but in people with hay fever, also causes an allergic reaction. That's the watering eyes, blocked nose, rashes and so on. Max Wiseberg, airborne allergens expert and creator of HayMax, says that many antihistamines are available on prescription, such as Telfast, which you can see your GP for or get through an online doctor, such as LloydsPharmacy. Telfast, and other prescription-only antihistamine tablets, work in the same way as over-the-counter antihistamines, but are stronger and intended to help with more severe symptoms. 'Get your prescription in advance of the season so you have your medication in time to start taking it at the right time,' he says. 'Some are best taken at least one month before the hay fever season starts." Nasal sprays A nasal spray can be effective in controlling congestion and stuffiness. Pharmacists can advise on nasal sprays (sodium cromoglicate, ipratropium bromide or decongestant), and eye drops, too. Nasal sprays can also help with other symptoms of hay fever 'because the medicine is targeted directly to the nose, which is where the vast majority of allergens enter the body', Max says. Independent pharmacist Rita Ghelani says: 'Try Xlear nasal spray, which contains xylitol, and has anti-bacterial properties and keeps the nasal lining moist. 'If symptoms are more severe, then try an anti-inflammatory nasal spray – sometimes referred to as a steroid nasal spray – which can take a few days to work. 'Start with one that contains beclomethasone, which is used twice a day, in the morning and at night.' Rita also advises cleaning the nose with a saline nasal spray before a steroid spray, saying: 'It will remove sticky mucus from the nasal passage, thus improving the effectiveness of the medication.' Eye drops If itchy eyes are your primary concern, Rita says: 'Try using sodium cromoglicate eye drops. "These make the eyes less sensitive to allergens such as pollen and reduce irritation. "They need to be used four times a day to keep the levels of the active ingredient high enough to be effective. "Keep using them even if symptoms improve. 'Using a good eye drop to lubricate the eyes may also help with dry eyes during the summer months.' This means hay fever is prevalent in the UK during the spring and summer months and with this year's warm, dry weather, it is expected to be worse than normal. Rebecca says she doesn't like taking antihistamine tablets as her hay fever already makes her lethargic and claims these tablets make her tiredness worse. Rebecca said: "I won't take antihistamines as I suffered from drowsiness [as one of my symptoms] and taking these just seemed to make it worse. "I don't know if stinging myself will completely cure hay fever but it definitely at the beginning I had to sting myself a lot more than I did now. "I recommend other hay fever sufferers to try this remedy. "I'd say the irritation from the sting and the feeling of being stung is much better than suffering from hay fever. "When I first stung myself I was aware of the sting but now I don't even feel it. "Also, I noticed the first time I got stung the tingling sensation lasted longer than it does now and goes in a matter of minutes. "I thought if the video could even just help one person, that would be great." It goes without saying that you shouldn't try this if you're allergic to nettle stings. Nettle stings can be itchy and you may feel a stinging or burning sensation. This will usually settle down within a few minutes or a few days and you can often treat them yourself. It may cause a raised red patches on the skin. St John's Ambulance recommends you was the affected area with soap and water and avoid scratching it. If the irritation is severe, cooling the skin with a damp cloth, ice pack, or bag of frozen veggies may help soothe it. In very rare cases, people may have a severe allergic reaction to a nettle sting. Seek immediate medical help if that happens. What other natural remedies do doctors recommend for hayfever? IF you don't want to take antihistamines to keep hayfever symptoms at bay, there are a number of tried and tested natural remedies you can give a go instead. Here's some of the ones doctors recommend: Saltwater nasal sprays Sprays containing Ectoin can both relieve symptoms and prevent them too, expert consultant adult and paediatric allergist and immunologist Professor Adam Fox explained. Steam inhalation Another natural remedy, which is also safe to use during pregnancy as well, is steam inhalation. This solution has been used for centuries to help ease nasal congestion, and is as helpful at reducing hayfever symptoms as it is for sinusitis or a head cold. Wear sunglasses Investing in a good pair of wrap around sunglasses can be vital if you struggle with hayfever, as they can help reduce the amount of pollen that gets into, and irritates, the eyes. Clean pollen away before bed It's also important to ensure you're not taking pollen from the day to bed with you. Make sure you wash your hair and clean your face and eyelashes before bed to stop allergens rubbing onto your pillow and exacerbating symptoms.
BreakingNews.ie
3 days ago
- Health
- BreakingNews.ie
Cork father of three (56) died after wasp stings, inquest hears
A 56-year-old father of three died at his home in Macroom, Co Cork, last year after he received five or six wasp stings as he picked up hedge clippings to the rear of his property, an inquest has heard. Michael (Mick) Sheehan, who was originally from Ballinlough in Cork city, was pronounced dead at 2:16pm on November 5th, 2024, at his home in Glen Tanar, Carriganine in Macroom. Advertisement His wife Carmel Sheehan told an inquest at Macroom Court on Wednesday that at around noon on that day her husband was on the phone in his study. Shortly afterwards he told her that he was going out to two help men who were cutting the hedge at his property. After a short period he came in to their home and stated that he was 'after getting stung by a wasp.' Mrs Sheehan said that her husband wasn't showing any ill effects at this point. There was no obvious cause for concern. Mrs Sheehan realised that there wasn't any over the counter allergy medication in the family medicine cabinet. Advertisement She then decided to make the short journey one mile down the road to the local chemist to pick up the allergy medication Zirtek. When Mrs Sheehan returned to the property she found her husband 'face down on the kitchen floor.' She ran out the back to the two men who were working in the garden. She said they all rushed in to the house. 'I (then) saw John (the gardener) trying to get Mick to respond. He was sitting Mick up and slapping his face.' Mrs Sheehan called an ambulance. The emergency services were alerted and the Irish Community Air Ambulance from Rathcoole landed in the nearby golf club. Advertisement Mrs Sheehan said that when she knew the air ambulance was coming she rushed down to try to show the medics the shortcut to her house. When she arrived back to the house first responder told her that if she had prayers to say it was probably the appropriate time to start them. Mrs Sheehan said that sometime after 2pm Consultant in Emergency Medicine, Dr Jason van der Velde informed her that her husband had passed away. A local priest was contacted and prayers were said in the kitchen before the deceased was brought to the morgue at Cork University Hospital for a postmortem examination. Advertisement Mrs Sheehan told Coroner Frank O'Connell that her husband was 'absolutely fine' when she left to the go to the chemist. She made it to and from the local pharmacy in a handful of minutes. She said that before she left her husband was understandably a little 'agitated.' However, there was nothing to suggest what would later occur. Mrs Sheehan said her husband had no history of allergies. A statement was read in to evidence from gardener John White. Mr White said that when he and the other gardener went in to the house they found Mick Sheehan lying on his side in the kitchen. They commenced CPR. Mr White stated that a female first responder took over CPR upon her arrival and a defibrillator was also used by medics at the scene. Advertisement Meanwhile, Garda Don Coomey gave evidence of going to the Sheehan home after he was informed of the death of the retired tax consultant. He noted that was a small number of wasps in a nest out the back of the property. Assistant State Pathologist, Dr Margaret Bolster, gave evidence on behalf of another pathologist who had carried out the postmortem on the deceased. She said that Mr Sheehan suffered around five to six wasp stings on his head, back and arms. She said that very high levels of tryptase were recorded. Elevated levels of tryptase can be a marker for severe anaphylactic reactions, including those triggered by insect stings. Dr Bolster told members of the family that Mr Sheehan suffered a swelling of the larynx which obstructed his breathing causing him to 'collapse very suddenly.' Dr Bolster stated that Mr Sheehan had suffered a massive allergic reaction. She told the family that she didn't think that 'anything could have been done' to change the outcome. Mr O'Connell recorded a verdict of accidental death. He said it was 'most unfortunate' that Mr Sheehan died when he was 'innocently picking up hedge clippings.' The Coroner said that he met the late Mr Sheehan about a decade ago in a work capacity and found him to be a 'pleasure to deal with.' He offered his condolences to the Sheehan family on the loss of a much loved father and husband. He described Mr Sheehan as a 'noted expert' in the tax field. Ireland HR firm Deel admits it instructed 'discreet' surve... Read More Inspector Mary Skehan also offered her heartfelt condolences to Carmel Sheehan, the couple's adult chidren Conor, Katie and Aine and the extended Sheehan family. Mr Sheehan retired a year prior to his death. He was remembered by colleagues as a 'thorough gentleman' with a 'quick wit.' He was also a devoted family man. Speaking after the inquest, members of the Sheehan family urged the public to be aware of possible side effects of insect stings. They said that people who know that they have an allergic reaction to wasp or bee stings should consider investing in EpiPens. Anaphylaxis UK says that for the majority of people an insect sting is uncomfortable but not dangerous. Tragically, for some, a bee or wasp sting can be serious and lead to potentially life-threatening anaphylaxis.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
'Do not eat': Aldi apologises to shoppers as food recalled due to health risks
Aldi has issued a recall and apologised to its customers as one of its products poses a potential health risk to shoppers. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has warned any Aldi customers who have purchased the affected food not to eat it. The supermarket chain is recalling its Inspired Cuisine Baby Potatoes with Herbs and Butter because it contains milk which is not mentioned on the label. The packaging error means the product is a possible health risk to anyone with an allergy or an intolerance to milk or milk constituents. Tuesday 24 June 2025 - Aldi recalls Inspired Cuisine Baby Potatoes with Herbs and Butter because of undeclared milk #FoodAllergy — Food Standards Agency (@foodgov) June 24, 2025 The affected potatoes come in packs of 385g and have use by dates up to and including July 1. A spokesman for the FSA said: 'Aldi is recalling the above product from customers and has been advised to contact the relevant allergy support organisations, which will tell their members about the recall. 'The company has also issued a point-of-sale notice to its customers. These notices explain to customers why the product is being recalled and tell them what to do if they have bought the product. 'If you have bought the above product and have an allergy or intolerance to milk or milk constituents, do not eat it. 'Instead return it to the store from where it was bought for a full refund. For more information, please visit or call customer services on 0800 042 0800.' Asda, Matalan and Amazon recalls as shoppers told 'stop using them immediately' FSA issues 'do not eat' warning over chocolate that may be a 'food safety risk' 'Do not eat' warning issued as 'unsafe to eat' sweets recalled An Aldi spokesman added: 'We apologise that this product did not meet our normal high standards and thank you for your co-operation.' If there is a problem with a food product that means it should not be sold, then it might be 'withdrawn' (taken off the shelves) or 'recalled' (when customers are asked to return the product). The FSA issues Product Withdrawal Information Notices and Product Recall Information Notices to let consumers and local authorities know about problems associated with food. In some cases, a 'Food Alert for Action' is issued. This provides local authorities with details of specific actions to be taken on behalf of consumers.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Check Your Freezer—FDA Announces Potentially Life-Threatening Recall of Popular Ice Cream
Summer is just around the corner and ice cream is the quintessential warm weather treat. But if you have a carton or two chilling in your freezer, you might want to check the label. Breyers recently issued a recall on 6,668 cases of ice cream due to "undeclared allergens and mislabeled product." According to the FDA, the voluntary recall was initiated on June 2 because Breyers Rocky Road, which contains the almonds, was packaged incorrectly. The ice cream was packaged in Breyers Chocolate Truffle tubs with Rocky Road lids, which may be a concern for anyone who purchased the product and has a nut allergy. While almonds are a tree nut, the Chocolate Truffle tubs offer misleading ingredient information. The tubs say "may contain tree nuts" while the lids say "contain almonds." The FDA classified the recall as a Class II, which is defined as "a situation in which use of, or exposure to, a violative product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences or where the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote." So how do you know if your ice cream is affected? Take a peek at the packaging of your Breyers ice cream tub. Affected products have the lot number: JUL1026GB3 and UPC code: 077567457288. In a statement to PEOPLE, Breyers says: "People with an almond allergy should not consume the product due to risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction. The safety and quality of our products is our top priority. For more information, consumers can visit or call 1-800-931-2826." You Might Also Like Can Apple Cider Vinegar Lead to Weight Loss? Bobbi Brown Shares Her Top Face-Transforming Makeup Tips for Women Over 50
