I am 26 year old. I faced urticaria for 4-5months. A red swelling starts from pin-tip size and swells to a large area and gradually disappears. Sometimes severe itching is also there. It becomes unbearable when it’s on the face, especially the eyes and lips. Again it has occurred and I am still suffering from it. Some doctors suggested allergy test because of allergic reactions to certain foods. There has been no major change in my diet and eating habits.
Chronic Urticaria is a very difficult condition to investigate and treat. There are a number of ways it can present itself, as you have already experienced. The condition is often interrupted by periods of relief from the condition. No part of the body is exempt from the lesions. Around the eyes and mouth it can cause a massive swelling, referred to as angio edema. It is very difficult to pinpoint the cause although a number of factors may trigger an attack. These include diet, alcohol, viral infections, antibiotics, overheating, friction and perhaps even stress. They can precipitate an attack without being the primary cause.
The most important factor in the management is accepting the chronic nature of this condition since it can take from a few days to a few years to recover completely. Try to avoid the precipitating factors like over heating with hot baths, pressure from tight clothes, food with additives, and natural salicylates present in beer, wine and fruits. Also avoid alcohol and drugs like aspirin and painkillers. Cooling and soothing lotions like Calamine are helpful to ease the itching. Antihistamines are the mainstay of treatment and must be used continuously to get relief.

My 6-year-old son is generally healthy but when he has a cold, it gets so bad that he can barely breathe. Gasping for breath also occurs when he has a crying fit. Is this a sign of asthmatic or allergic tendency?
It looks like asthma. Show your child to a local doctor soon after an attack to ascertain the cause. In a typical asthma attack, the child has difficulty taking in air as well as expelling it. His breathing is faster than usual. When he breathes in, he has to sometimes take the help of his neck muscles to send air into the lungs. The gap between the two collarbones tends to dip during inhalation. While exhaling, the child makes a musical hissing sound termed as ‘wheezing’. The ‘breathing out time’ is more prolonged than usual.
A child with allergic tendency is more prone to asthma. The severity can vary from one child to another. For instance in some children it may present itself just with recurrent cough which responds dramatically to drugs used for asthma. I suggest that you see a pediatrician in case the child gets a breathing problem again.

I dread the winter season because I always come down with a severe case of allergic cold. I don’t know whether it’s the chill in the air or the woollens I wear that causes the sneezing fits.
Winter brings about several changes in the atmospheric patterns. The “inversion effect” increases pollution creating smog, a blanket of fog and smoke, particulate matter, diesel particles, nitrogen dioxide (N02), etc. This noxious mixture can irritate and cause swelling of the delicate lining of the nose and sinuses, resulting in allergic cold and its symptoms. Steam inhalations, salt water gargling and sipping honey with hot water, all help to soothe the throat. Drinking extra fluids helps thin phlegm, making it easier to get rid of it. The liquorice honey, used as a lozenge, is very effective in easing a sore throat. Time tested ayurvedic preparations like herbal leaves help in reducing the congestion. Regular Yogasana or meditation improves breathing techniques and thereby aids in ventilation of sinuses and preventing infections. Fruits, vegetables and green salads provide antioxidants to counter the effect of pollution. If your seasonal rhinitis is a regular affair it would be a good idea to start preparing for it before winter sets in.