Sneezing is not always the symptom of a cold.

Sometimes, it is an allergic reaction to something in the air. Health experts estimate that 35 million Americans suffer from upper respiratory tract symptoms that are allergic reactions to airborne allergens. Pollen allergy, commonly called hay fever, is one of the most common chronic diseases in the United States. Worldwide, airborne allergens cause the most problems for people with allergies. The respiratory symptoms of asthma, which affect approximately 11 million Americans, are often provoked by airborne allergens.
Overall, allergic diseases are among the major causes of illness and disability in the United States, affecting as many as 40 to 50 million Americans.
What is an allergy?
An allergy is a specific reaction of the body's immune system to a normally harmless substance, one that does not bother most people. People who have allergies often are sensitive to more than one substance. Types of allergens that cause allergic reactions include:
Pollens
House dust mites
Mold spores
Food
Latex rubber
Insect venom
Medicines
Why are some people allergic?
Scientists think that some people inherit a tendency to be allergic from one or both parents. This means they are more likely to have allergies. They probably, however, do not inherit a tendency to be allergic to any specific allergen. Children are more likely to develop allergies if one or both parents have allergies. In addition, exposure to allergens at times when the body's defenses are lowered or weakened, such as after a viral infection or during pregnancy, seems to contribute to developing allergies.
What is an allergic reaction?
Normally, the immune system functions as the body's defense against invading germs such as bacteria and viruses. In most allergic reactions, however, the immune system is responding to a false alarm. When an allergic person first comes into contact with an allergen, the immune system treats the allergen as an invader and gets ready to attack.
The immune system does this by generating large amounts of a type of antibody called immunoglobulin E, or IgE. Each IgE antibody is specific for one particular substance. In the case of pollen allergy, each antibody is specific for one type of pollen. For example, the immune system may produce one type of antibody to react against oak pollen and another against ragweed pollen.
The IgE molecules are special because IgE is the only type of antibody that attaches tightly to the body's mast cells, which are tissue cells, and to basophils, which are blood cells. When the allergen next encounters its specific IgE, it attaches to the antibody like a key fitting into a lock. This action signals the cell to which the IgE is attached to release (and, in some cases, to produce) powerful chemicals like histamine, which cause inflammation. These chemicals act on tissues in various parts of the body, such as the respiratory system, and cause the symptoms of allergy.
Symptoms
The signs and symptoms of airborne allergies are familiar to many:
Sneezing, often with a runny or clogged nose
Coughing and postnasal drip
Itching eyes, nose, and throat
Watering eyes
Conjunctivitis
"Allergic shiners" (dark circles under the eyes caused by increased blood flow near the sinuses)
"Allergic salute" (in a child, persistent upward rubbing of the nose that causes a crease mark on the nose)
In people who are not allergic, the mucus in the nasal passages simply moves foreign particles to the throat, where they are swallowed or coughed out. But something different happens in a person who is sensitive to airborne allergens.
In sensitive people, as soon as the allergen lands on the lining inside the nose, a chain reaction occurs that leads the mast cells in these tissues to release histamine and other chemicals. The powerful chemicals contract certain cells that line some small blood vessels in the nose. This allows fluids to escape, which causes the nasal passages to swell-resulting in nasal congestion. Histamine also can cause sneezing, itching, irritation, and excess mucus production, which can result in allergic rhinitis.
Some people with allergy develop asthma, which can be a very serious condition. The symptoms of asthma include:
Coughing
Wheezing
Shortness of breath
The shortness of breath is due to a narrowing of the airways in the lungs and to excess mucus production and inflammation. Asthma can be disabling and sometimes fatal. If wheezing and shortness of breath accompany allergy symptoms, it is a signal that the airways also have become involved.
Diagnosis
People with allergy symptoms-such as the runny nose of allergic rhinitis-may at first suspect they have a cold, but the "cold" lingers on. Testing for allergies is the best way to find out if a person is allergic.
Skin Tests
Allergists (doctors who specialize in allergic diseases) use skin tests to determine whether a person has IgE antibodies in the skin that react to a specific allergen. The allergist will use weakened extracts from allergens such as dust mites, pollens, or molds commonly found in the local area. The extract of each kind of allergen is injected under a person's skin or is applied to a tiny scratch or puncture made on the arm or back.
Skin tests are one way of measuring the level of IgE antibody in a person. With a positive reaction, a small, raised, reddened area, called a wheal (hive), with a surrounding flush, called a flare, will appear at the test site. The size of the wheal can give the doctor an important diagnostic clue, but a positive reaction does not prove that a particular allergen is the cause of symptoms. Although such a reaction indicates that IgE antibody to a specific allergen is present, respiratory symptoms do not necessarily result.
Blood Tests
Skin testing is the most sensitive and least costly way to identify allergies. People with widespread skin conditions like eczema, however, should not be tested using this method.
There are other diagnostic tests that use a blood sample to detect levels of IgE antibody to a particular allergen. One such blood test is called the radioallergosorbent test (RAST), which can be performed when eczema is present or if a person has taken medicines that interfere with skin testing.

Source: National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases.

Depression and Nutrition, a daily diet dose.

Things to help you with depression and the blues. However, it's always best to consult a doctor if symptons of depression persists - this is for informational purposes only.

• Exercise. For more immediate, symptomatic treatment of depression, there is no better method than regular aerobic exercise. Numerous studies have demonstrated the efficacy of a daily workout for improving mood and boosting self confidence. I recommend thirty minutes of continuous activity, at least five days a week for best results.
• Check your meds. Make sure you are not taking any over-the-counter or prescription medications that contribute to depression. Avoid all antihistamines, tranquilizers, sleeping pills and narcotics if you have any tendency toward depression. You should also be cautious about the use of recreational drugs, notably alcohol, cocaine, amphetamines, downers, marijuana and ecstasy. These substances may provide a temporary sense of relief, but are likely to intensify depression to dangerous levels if used regularly.
• Cut caffeine. Addiction to coffee and other forms of caffeine often interferes with normal moods and can aggravate depression. Try acupuncture. This modality has proven itself to be very useful in treating several mood disorders, including depression.
• Seek professional help. Find a psychotherapist, mental health professional or grief counselor who can help you explore the elements contributing to your depression and facilitate recovery. Cognitive behavioral therapy can be especially helpful.
• Anti-depressant medications. Speak to your physician to determine if you are a candidate for anti-depressant medication.
Nutrition and Supplements
• B vitamins. The B vitamins, especially folic acid and vitamin B6, can be helpful in mild depression, and you should know that B vitamins can increase the efficacy of prescription anti-depressants.
• St. John's wort. St. John's wort is an herbal remedy that has long been used in Europe as a treatment for mood disorders. Standardized extracts have shown an effectiveness equaling Prozac in the treatment of mild to moderate forms of the disease. It should not be taken with anti-retroviral medications, birth control pills, or antidepressant medications, especially SSRIs like Prozac or Celexa. Try 300mg of an extract standardized to 0.3 percent hypericin, three times a day. It's full effect will be felt in about eight weeks.
• SAMe (S-adenosylmethionine). Has the adavantage of working more quickly than St John's wort. Use only the butanedisulfonate form in enteric-coated tablets, or in capsules. Try 400-1,600 mg a day on an empty stomach.
• Fish oil. Recent preliminary studies suggest that omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil may be helpful in maintaining a healthy mind. I think that reasonable doses of fish-oil supplements (1,000 - 2,000 mg per day) might be useful in addressing mild depression. Fish oil is an excellent source of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an essential fatty acid found in nerve and brain tissue.

In addition, follow a well-balanced diet and include an antioxidant multi-vitamin/mineral supplement to ensure you are meeting your nutritional needs for all the essential daily food groups and nutrients for a healthy mind and body.

Is St John's Wort effective for Depression

The effectiveness of using extracts of St. John’s wort for depression has been questioned in some studies, but a recent German analysis showed promising results.

In a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized study published in the March, 2006, issue of Pharmacopychiatry, 368 German men and women diagnosed with a moderate depressive episode received a once-daily dose of either 900 mg of a St. John’s wort extract known by the trade name Laif, or 20 mg of a Celexa, a popular pharmaceutical antidepressant, or a placebo. Result: the extract was found to be therapeutically equivalent to Celexa, and both were better than the placebo.

What’s interesting and promising about this study is that fewer people receiving the extract reported adverse effects. It’s also encouraging that there appears to be a once-daily botanical that is effective against mild depression, because once-daily supplement regimes tend to have better compliance.