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The Early Signs Of Pregnancy

Posted by Blood Tests | Posted in Blood Testing, Blood Tests | Posted on 14-03-2011

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Signs of pregnancy differ from women to women. Some women may experience early signs of pregnancy within days of conceiving while other might experience the signs much later. There is nothing wrong with experiencing early signs of pregnancy right away or later.

The most common early sign of pregnancy is missing the menstrual period. This is when most women go for a pregnancy test to determine whether they have conceived or not. However, many women bleed while they are pregnant and this bleeding is generally lighter and for a shorter duration than the normal periods.

Another early sign of pregnancy is the implantation bleeding. This happens when the embryo implants itself on the uterine wall after fertilization has taken place. Implantation bleeding is generally pink in color and it’s not bleeding per se. It is spotting and is accompanied by cramps.

Some women complain of frequent urination and this occurs even before they miss their periods. Ordinarily frequent urination happens because of the changes in hormone levels. Many women also check their body temperature to determine whether they are pregnant. An increase in body temperature is an early sign of pregnancy.

If you experience one or all of the sign listed above, it is time to do a pregnancy test. You can either do the test at home or visit a doctor. Even if your home pregnancy test is negative and you are still having the early signs of pregnancy, make sure you visit a gynecologist to be on the safer side.

Early Pregnancy Tests – Make certain to put An End To Speculations

Posted by Blood Tests | Posted in Blood Testing, Blood Tests | Posted on 13-03-2011

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An early pregnancy test is basically done to determine whether a woman is pregnant or not. And that can be determined in many different ways. Starting with a simple Home Testing Kit, for which a wide variety and selection of different pregnancy test kits are available in the market today. A trip to the neighborhood drug store would indeed determine that. The efficacy of a Home Testing kit is subject to certain conditions, and one has to follow the instructions in the manual very carefully for accurate results.

Pregnancy is determined by the substantial increase of the HCG or Human chorionic gonadotropin hormone in the blood and urine. Ovulation normally takes place between the 10th to the 18th day in a normal menstrual cycle of 28-32 days. If fertilization has taken place, and a woman has missed her period even after 32 days, then she should determine whether she is pregnant or not and she could resort to the fastest and easiest, simple over-the-counter Home Pregnancy Test Kits to confirm the same.

The Steps Involved In Using Home Pregnancy Kits:

o  The test can be done anytime, but the best time to do the test would be early in the morning because the first morning urine contains the highest concentration of the HCG hormone and thus Pregnancy detection is a lot more accurate.

o  Be certain to use a clean, unused, disposable plastic cup to collect the urine and then place the dipstick in the urine with the Result Windows facing away from you.

o  The result is generally determined within 2-3 minutes of having placed the dipstick in the urine.

o  The Dipstick usually contains two windows, a Circular Test Window and a Triangular Control Window.

o  For a positive result, two purple color bands (either both color bands are dark or one is dark and the other is light but it is still positive) should appear in both the windows. If it is a negative result, there will be only one purple color band in the Triangular Control Window. If it is an invalid result, there will be no purple color band in the Triangular Control Window, which could be because the test was performed incorrectly, or the Dipstick was beyond the two-year expiration date or it was contaminated.

Different Methods/Ways To Determine Pregnancy

o  After the initial determination of pregnancy with the home pregnancy kit, a visit to the Doctor is mandatory. Even if one is not able to determine Pregnancy, the Primary Care Physician or a Gynecologist can perform some simple blood and urine tests to determine the same.

o  Once the pregnancy has progressed past the first 6-8 weeks then an Ultrasound can be performed to determine the EDD, (Expected Date of Delivery) viability and growth of the fetus in the womb.

No matter what be the means or method, be it the early pregnancy test kits, or a blood/urine test, a complete and detailed check-up and regular follow-ups is necessary for delivering a healthy child. It is the wholesome responsibility of the mother to do the same, as it’s not a very simple and easy process. These tests will definitely help in quelling any fears or apprehensions one has and will eventually help in delivering a normal and healthy child.

An early pregnancy test is the only sure way to confirm the fact that you are expecting. Early pregnancy symptoms indicate towards the fact that you are on your way to become a mother. However, these symptoms are not confirmatory and you should take a pregnancy test at a lab or with a pregnancy test kit. Pregnancy Articles provides free articles on pregnancy testing, use of early pregnancy test kits and other details related to pregnancy.

Tips To Pass Continental Airline’s Pre Employment Screening

Posted by Blood Tests | Posted in Biometric Testing, Blood Tests | Posted on 13-03-2011

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Continental Airlines, in building its aviation business empire, has recognized that its greatest single asset is its workforce and in order to ensure that its workforce mirrors the lifestyle, experience and culture of its customer base it uses a system of pre employment screening

Excellent employment opportunities have been offered so that everybody who qualifies can build careers and professional integrity using the company’s advanced training and learning programs. To embark on this exciting road leading to a clear and successful career path, you need to undergo rigorous Continental Airlines pre-employment screening in order to determine whether or not you qualify for their offered aviation career programs.

As, by its very nature, a career in aviation is customer driven and service related, those that seek such a path must be capable of multi-tasking and be able to cater to the needs of customers who sometimes can be very demanding. Part of the screening process includes various tests to measure a person’s ability to fulfill these needs and to gauge the prospective employee’s capacity to provide an impeccable standard of service to the customer.

You need to have the right skills, attitude, discipline, and qualifications to land the job of your choice. For example, you should be efficient and have good judgment to be an effective flight attendant. You need to have excellent communication skills to face and handle diverse customer base to provide the level of service integrity with which the company takes marketing leverage among its competitors.

The initial levels of Continental Airlines pre employment screening involves a thorough background check and commences with the candidate submitting their qualifications in the form of an up to date resume that can be in either the functional or reverse chronological order format and a covering letter that would include a clearly stated objective that would indicate to the company your potential for your targeted position.

The company needs to make sure that they invest in the best-fitting person for the job so you ought to state your work experience to so that they can guage disciplines and skills you have acquired for the desired position. Your educational background as well as earned technical skills must also be included with supplemental documents to prove your qualifications.

Should the candidate’s initial application prove successful, then they will be invited by the company to take part in the next stage of the pre employment screening process.

You need to complete the required medical tests, especially drug tests and background checks to determine whether you are physically and morally fit to become part of this prestigious airline company. Employment is contingent to satisfactory background analysis, drug test, and other necessary medical test results.

The company’s commitment to maintain the highest levels of professionalism and customer service and very high expectations for it’s employees means that the pre employment screening is a very tough process to complete. To get through it the candidate needs to self motivated and driven.

Looking For Info About Colon Cancer Symptoms?

Posted by Blood Tests | Posted in Blood Testing, Blood Tests | Posted on 13-03-2011

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It isn’t necessary for a person who is suffering from colon cancer to experience the symptoms in the initial stages of the disease. Indeed, even when the colon cancer symptoms appear, they generally vary according to the size of the cancer and its location in the large intestine.

Therefore, it’d be a good idea to get the regular screenings done than to depend upon the few warning symptoms that may alert you for colon cancer. However, it is not even harmful to know these symptoms that indicate the presence of colon cancer, though at a later stage.

Constipation may be a symptom of colon cancer. The tumor in rectum or at the bottom of colon can become an obstacle for waste to get through the colon that causes constipation.

Another symptom for this cancer is thin stool. Once the stool has undergone its slushy stage, it starts to take shape. Additionally, the shape of the stool when it is excreted from the body can provide clues about its movement inside the body. For example, thin stool suggests that the waste has been squeezed on its way by some obstacle. In case of colon or colorectal cancer, this obstacle is tumor at the bottom of colon.

Further, at times even a tumor can lead to bowel obstruction. This is basically a blockage in your colon that restricts the passage of solid, liquid and sometimes even gases. This may cause severe and painful abdominal cramps especially when the flow of blood to colon is restricted.

You may also find some blood in your stool. Unexplained or effortless loss of weight might also be noticed as another symptom that suggests the presence of colon cancer. Vomiting, nausea, lethargy, bloating and gas and a feeling of fullness are a few other symptoms that can be added to the list. However, these symptoms might not necessarily indicate colon cancer and can be due to other health conditions as well.

Though you might stay alert for these colon cancer symptoms, but it is necessary to rememberthat at times these symptoms might not appear in patients at all. So, anyone over the age of 50 years is advised to get regular colonoscopy screenings done. Also, people who have a high risk for this condition might even get themselves checked in the early stages of their life.

An Overview of Home Pregnancy Tests

Posted by Blood Tests | Posted in Blood Testing, Blood Tests | Posted on 12-03-2011

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If you are wondering whether or not you might be pregnant, you may be on the verge of heading off to the drug store to make the purchase of a home pregnancy test. For a lot of women in the 21st century, the home pregnancy test has become the most important tool through which they ultimate determine whether or not they are pregnant. If you are considering the purchase and use of a home pregnancy test, there are some facts and factors that you will want to keep in mind.

The first thing that you ought to appreciate when it comes to home pregnancy tests is that there are a variety of different products on the market today. Generally speaking, these home pregnancy tests rely on the same “system” to ascertain if a woman is pregnant. However, these tests have varying ways of displaying or conveying this information to a user of the test product itself.

What home pregnancy tests technically are doing is working to detect the presence of a certain type of hormone in your system, human chorionic gondotropin or hCG for short. hCG is a hormone created by the placenta and it can be detected in the urine or blood and is present when a woman is pregnant. If this hormone is detected by a home pregnancy test, the test will indicate that a woman is pregnant.

In this day and age home pregnancy tests have become extremely accurate. In fact, the typical home pregnancy test proves to provide accurate results virtually 99% of the time. (Some tests do prove more accurate than others; however, the vast majority of home pregnancy tests are not far off this mark.)

There generally are two ways in which a home pregnancy test can be used. First, there are tests in which you dip the test stick or strip into your urine. Second, there are tests in which you urinate directly on the test stick itself.

You need to carefully read all instructions accompanying the test, Generally, a home pregnancy test takes about three minutes after it was exposed to urine until your results will be available. You really will want to “walk away” from the test stick or strip during this time period or it will seem like the longest three minutes of your life.

Home pregnancy tests have different mechanisms through which test results are provided. Some use symbols such as a + and – sign. Still other tests actually specify the words “pregnant” and “not pregnant.” Other tests utilize a color scheme.

Home pregnancy tests that are available today are relatively inexpensive. There can be some price differences but they are not normally that significant. Again, typical home pregnancy tests have about the same accuracy rate as one another.

If you get a positive result from a home pregnancy test, you will want to make an appointment with your doctor as soon as possible. Your doctor will confirm your test results. At that juncture, your doctor will begin planning with your course or prenatal care and related matters. Prenatal care is a critical element to ensuring that you have a smooth pregnancy, that you remain healthy and that you give birth to a healthy baby when all is said and done.

Cranberry Juice – The Natural Diuretic

Posted by Blood Tests | Posted in Biometric Testing, Blood Tests | Posted on 12-03-2011

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Drug tests are done to find out whether a person has abused illicit drugs or not. Drug tests are increasingly becoming compulsory at many work places, for college admissions, and in sports. This has led to drug abusers to find out the ways to pass a drug test. Using cranberry juice is one of the common methods used by the drug abusers to pass the urine drug test. Information is given below on the method followed by the drug abusers to pass a drug test.

Cranberry Juice – The Natural Diuretic:

Cranberry Juice is treated as a natural diuretic, which can be consumed at home. Having cranberry juice on the day of the test temporarily dilutes the urine. This will temporarily strip out THC from the urine. High quality cranberry juice is also consumed to balance the pH level of the urine and increase frequency of urination. Cranberry juice is praised for its ability to aid in maintaining natural kidney functioning.

Using Cranberry Juice to Pass the Drug Test:

Drug abusers drink a few glasses of cranberry juice before going to work on the day of the test. They ensure the urine in the bladder is as watered down as possible. Drug abusers begin by drinking a gallon or more of water and drink a couple of glasses of cranberry juice in between. The cranberry juice will ensure to urinate frequently.

If the company has a history of having tests on the work places instantly, drug abusers try to keep a bottle of cranberry juice with them always. They just drink it before the test, and possibly get a chance to urinate before the test to clean out the system with the aid of the juice.

How it Works:

Theory is to cause a “pH shift”, making the urine sample acidic – altering the chemistry of immunoassay tests. In reality – the body detoxifies the acid and dilutes to physiological pH. Between the frequent urination and the dilution of your urine with water, metabolites are unable to build up to a detectable level. For example, cranberry juice contains enough benzoic acid to produce a decidedly acidic urine specimen. Alterations of the urine pH outside the specified limits could result in a false-negative result.

This should help you to look for ways to prevent a potential drug addict from circumventing the test procedure.

Are Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Bleeding Linked?

Posted by Blood Tests | Posted in Blood Testing, Blood Tests | Posted on 12-03-2011

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Irritable Bowel Syndrome  is a chronic yet intermittent condition characterized by a mixture of symptoms believed to be due to a disorder of intestinal motor function. The main symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome are abdominal pain, bloating, and discomfort. However, symptoms may differ from person to person. It should be noted that irritable bowel syndrome and bleeding are not believed to be linked. A person reporting bleeding usually indicates some other problem related to the gastrointestinal tract.

The symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome differ from person to person. Some people report constipation, meaning hard, difficult-to-pass, or infrequent bowel movements. They can feel cramps when attempting to have a bowel movement. Either they can’t eliminate any stool or are able to eliminate only a small amount.

Some people with Irritable Bowel Syndrome report diarrhea, which are loose, watery stools. These people frequently feel an urgent need to have a bowel movement. There are also many other people which alternate between constipation and diarrhea.

For a number of sufferers the symptoms subside for few months and then return, while others report a constant worsening of symptoms over time.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) isn’t associated with bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract. Bleeding in GI tract can occur as the result of a number of different conditions, some of which could be severe or even life threatening.

However, most common reasons of bleeding in GI tract are related to conditions that can be cured or controlled. The cause of bleeding in the GI tract may not be serious, but finding the source of bleeding is very important.

The main organs of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract are the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, rectum, and anus. Bleeding may occur from one or more of these organs.

Sometimes bleeding occurs without the person noticing it. This kind of bleeding is known as occult or hidden bleeding. Bleeding from the esophagus may occur due to inflammation (esophagitis), enlarged veins (varices), tear (Mallory-Weiss syndrome), cancer or liver disease.

Ulcers, gastritis, and cancer are a few of the main causes of bleeding from stomach. In small intestine, duodenal ulcer and cancer might lead to bleeding. In the large intestine and rectum some of the main causes of bleeding are hemorrhoids, infections, inflammation (ulcerative colitis), colorectal polyps, and colorectal cancer.

To diagnose the bleeding in the GI tract, the site of the bleeding should be located.  To do this your doctor will normally go through your complete history and perform a physical examination. Your Doctor will probably ask questions about the symptoms such as changes in bowel habits, stool color (to black or red) and consistency, and the presence of pain or tenderness.

Although it can be a little embarrassing sharing these symptoms with your doctor, attempt to be a accurate in your descriptions as possible as the symptoms may tell the doctor which area of the GI tract is affected.

The doctor must test the stool for blood before offering a diagnosis because the intake foods such as red beets can give the stool the same appearance as bleeding from the digestive tract. A blood count helps to decide if the individual is anemic and also gives an idea of the extent of the bleeding.

Continue reading to discover natural methods to relieve Irritable Bowel Syndrome symptoms and sign up for our free newsletter.

The treatment of irritable bowel syndrome and bleeding symptoms involve different methods. Ordinarily injecting chemicals directly into a bleeding site through an endoscope can control active bleeding from the upper GI tract. Heat treatment and laser therapy can also be used in some cases. Once bleeding stops, medicines are prescribed to prevent recurrence of bleeding. If you notice blood in your stools you ought to make a doctor’s appointment immediately.

Steps to Take in Early Pregnancy After Tubal Reversal – Do not Risk Your Tubes

Posted by Blood Tests | Posted in Blood Testing, Blood Tests | Posted on 11-03-2011

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The goal of having a tubal ligation reversal is usually to be given the ability to have another child. It stands to reason, then, that there will be certain protocols you should follow for a pregnancy after tubal reversal.

Once you start showing signs of being pregnant, you will want to have a pregnancy test done to check if you are. Well, that’s the first step in being sure. You can do it one of two ways but usually we all use the cheapest first that is purchasing a home pregnancy test at the store. This is a urine test. If it gives you a negative but you still show signs, wait a few days and then test again. Although home pregnancy tests are 97% accurate, they cannot tell if you are pregnant as early as a blood test.

A blood pregnancy test is usually administered by your doctor at his office or you can have it done at some clinics. This will most likely be your next step once you have a positive on your home test. The doctor will just want to verify it. Now the fun begins.

You will need to have your blood drawn twice a week to be tested for your HCG levels. HCG is the pregnancy hormone and it rises as your pregnancy continues. Once it has hit about 1500, you should’ve an ultrasound done to check for the gestational sac in the uterus. If it doesn’t show one, keep getting your HCG levels done every couple of days and try again when your HCG level hits 2500. It should be visible via ultrasound by then.

About a week after the gestational sac can be seen, the yolk sac should be visible by ultrasound as well. Yes, that’s another ultrasound. Perhaps you are wondering why all this concern, testing and ultrasounds. The point is to be sure you have the embryo implanted in your uterus.

Having the reversal surgery increases your ectopic pregnancy after tubal reversal risk by about 10%. While it does not seem like a large increase, I am sure you will agree you want to do everything you can to make sure it does not happen to you. If not caught in time, an ectopic pregnancy may mean losing a fallopian tube as the doctors take measures to safeguard your health. It’s much better to catch this possibility while it is still early enough to use something like Methotrexate to terminate the ectopic pregnancy and save your tube for future attempts at making a baby.

Hopefully you will also be submitting a Pregnancy Report to your tubal reversal doctor. This will allow him to collect vital data about his own success rates. Not only that, it allows you to maintain contact with your surgeon and let him know what is going on.

If you find that the tubal reversal doctor you are considering does not require a pregnancy report or allow you to continue to ask questions and to follow up with you after the surgery, perhaps you have been considering the wrong doctor. Take a look at Dr. Berger of Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center. Not only does he follow up, he even provides a message board for support and will answer your questions following your surgery as well as before. Using his pregnancy after tubal reversal protocols, you will have the best chance at safeguarding your investment and seeing that precious little face one day and celebrating with the other women at the message board. Sandra Wilson is the author of this article.

How Not To Be certain to get Over A Break Up

Posted by Blood Tests | Posted in Biometric Testing, Blood Tests | Posted on 11-03-2011

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Steps To Be certain to take If You DON’T Want To Be certain to get Over A Break Up

1. Admit Fault. If you are reading this, you probably didn’t initiate the break up. You will fillet your history, every word, every gesture, every bad haircut, every sex act, every scene that could have possibly led to why he or she left you. Guess what? It wasn’t your fault. You didn’t do anything but be your own special beautiful self. It is the ex’s fault. The ex is the one who needs the therapy, not you.

2. Resort to alcohol or drugs to make you feel better. You will only depress your system more, and possibly face jail time or REHAB. This will only result in more depression, more money spent on legal fees and therapy, and ultimately, you’ll blame yourself for it all when in actuality, it’s the ex’s fault that you became a crackhead. You wouldn’t have resorted to a DUI conviction or an overdose if he or she wasn’t the one who started it? So just stay clean and sober.

3. Buy those self help books. I read them all and what they did was make me wallow in it for longer than I needed to. Now I’ve got an Amazon.com bill that rivals my therapy bill and lemme tell ya: I may use a little extra cash right now. Just read this article. For free.

4. Speak to happily married friends about your break up. They have no idea how to relate to your problem. Sure, they have been dumped before, but that was years ago. And besides, you don’t want to be around their perfect house, kids, dog, and spouses while you cry at their perfect kitchen table. Find some desperately single friends to talk to about it. Chances are, they have been dumped recently also and know just how you feel RIGHT NOW. Married friends have to rely on memory and we all know how fast that goes as we age.

5. Sign on to ANY of those online dating sites. Crimeny. Those sites will just make you FEEL available when emotionally, you really aren’t. Plus, a lot of those weirdos (I’m just sayin’…) are probably recently dumped folk themselves, and have just as low self-esteem as you do. What you are looking for is someone with their ducks in a row. If you ask me, any site that matches me using a logarithm I have to pay for to conjure chemistry is questionable at best and will only add to your break up bill.

6. Eat more/Starve yourself. No. Remain the same healthy, beautiful person you were when the “hex” picked you up as a partner.

7. Listen to break up songs or songs about love. Somebody call 911 for you right now! Let me put it to you this way: you know that song (Nat King Cole’s version comes to mind) of “Our Love is Here to Stay”? Sample these lyrics: In time the Rockies may crumble, Gibraltar may tumble/They’re only made of clay/But our love is here to stay Lies. All of it. Look on GoogleMap. The Rockies are STILL THERE! Gibraltar is a big freaking rock. It ain’t going nowhere and still stands! However, his/her love took off, crumbled into the sea as if it was discarded material from a potter’s wheel! Where is this “love” now? This song is a LIE! Don’t listen to this one especially.

And as to the Bee Gees’ “How Can You Mend A Broken Heart?”, I say behavior modification methods work well. Make sure to put a rubber band around your wrist. Every time you think of your “hex,” snap it and cause yourself pain. You will quit thinking about him/her in no time and the only thing you’ll need to heal is your wrist! Don’t listen to that song, either.

8. Watch romantic comedies. You fill in the blank here. And if you still can’t figure out why you shouldn’t do it, buy stock in Kleenex ASAP. Those stocks will split in NO TIME with all that you’ll be using. You can sell ‘em and that will help pay off your Amazon.com/therapy bills.

9. Stalk your ex on social networking sites. If you find yourself doing this, buy more stock in Kleenex (or possibly Zoloft) and get that debt compensated off even faster!

10. Change. Okay, let’s face it. We do have to own some of our failings and defects. This is a great time to do inventory on what makes you a jerk or a nag. That old proverb “Don’t change, man, don’t you ever change” should be our mantra until we remember that we are pretty, awesome souls that some other jerk or nag couldn’t understand/appreciate. They are the ones at fault, remember, and if anyone should change, it is them.

11. Go back to the ex when he/she begs/emails/texts/drunk dials/what have you. And repeat this disaster AGAIN? You’d be better off purchasing a roll of ride tickets from your local carnie. I say this because the probability is high that you’ll be riding this same nightmare again, so stock up on those tickets and barf bags. Break ups don’t have a height requirement and most carnies can’t pass a drug test anyway (I’m just sayin’…), so I would not trust them with my body, let alone my heart.

12. Find another jerk/nag just like the ex. You know that roll of ride tickets I told you to buy for those stoned carnies? Be certain to get ready to cash more in. You have made it through this article so far; why not go the distance and step out of the break up ride line and get in the one that sells those awesome caramel apples? It will taste a lot better than going through this pucky again!

These are my steps for How NOT to get over a break up. Go ahead. Don’t take my advice. Don’t read this article. Spit on me. I don’t care. I’ve already felt every humiliation possible due to my break up.

Pollen Allergy and Food Sensitivity –  The Oral Allergy Syndrome and Food Intolerance

Posted by Blood Tests | Posted in Blood Testing, Blood Tests | Posted on 11-03-2011

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Oral allergy syndrome (OAS) is a well-recognized but little known condition. It is characterized by a burning sensation or mouth pain and swelling when you eat specific foods that cross react to pollens to which you are allergic. Interestingly, the specific foods causing this reaction are well established to cross react with certain trees, grass, or weed pollens, house dust mite or latex. There are common groups of foods that cluster with certain nasal allergies. For  instance, ragweed allergy commonly causes an oral or gut reaction after consuming melons or bananas but usually not other foods. Birch tree pollen is commonly associated with reactions to numerous foods as is latex allergy. The explanation for these reactions include similarities in protein structures as well as some chemicals in the foods.

Though this reaction is well documented in the allergy literature it’s not commonly recognized or diagnosed by most doctors including some allergy professionals and many stomach professionals. Various allergy web sites include lists of the common foods associated with certain pollens, dust mite or latex. However, a comprehensive list that is easy to peruse or interpret can be difficult to find. Additionally, the names of some pollens or the common links between a group of pollens and a group of foods can be confusing.

In its classic form OAS should be easy to recognize. After eating a food associated with a pollen to which you are allergic you experience near immediate burning sensation in your mouth or throat with or without swelling. However, it’s commonly recognized that frequently in medicine, symptoms do not occur in the “classic” or averagemanner in a specific person. Worded another way doctors are taught “patients do not read the textbooks”. Therefore, you could experience variations of the reaction such as throat swelling or tightening, burning when swallowing, a lump in the throat or a sense of swallowing difficulty but not make the connection to what you ate or what’s happening to you.

You or your doctor may misinterpret your symptoms. Frequently people just assume it happened because they were having a choking spell on food that was poorly chewed, swallowed too fast, or eaten or drank while too hot or cold. Commonly, it’s assumed that an esophageal (swallowing tube) disorder, especially acid reflux with a hiatal hernia is the cause. Acid reflux can cause an esophageal constriction called a stricture or ring that can result in a food sticking sensation, but this is usually associated with heartburn symptoms or food getting stuck which then prompts an upper endoscopy or scope exam. Other times, especially if occurring in an elderly person, a neurological condition like stroke or Parkinson’s disease is blamed. Many times doctors decide that your symptoms are due to a nervous reaction or neurosis that historically was called as globus hystericus. The hystericus portion of the term is usually dropped these days to the shorter term globus or globus sensation especially since it’s not proven it’s due to a psychiatric problem. However, globus may be the diagnosis arrived at if your complaint is that you feel a lump in your throat and an