Sun allergies can be a dangerous reaction to the sun especially when many people who suffer from sun allergies don't even know they have it. Sun allergies can resemble sunburn. This is why many people don't even realize that they are allergic to sunlight. This is commonly called photosensitivity. There are some things to look for, though.

If you are outside for only a few minutes and already notice redness to exposed parts of your body, you want to be careful when outdoors. Try to cover up these parts of the body by wearing loose, light fitting clothing, a hat and staying in the shade. Some of the more common places are the hands, forearms, legs and back of the neck. The rashes could be itchy or burning and last for a few days. It can go away by itself, or you may need to see a doctor.

Treatments for sun allergies range from oral beta-carotene to topical creams. Some more severe cases can include blisters or hives over the body. You should be especially careful if you develop these symptoms on parts of the body that were clothed, like your chest and back. A doctor may perform some more serious tests such as a biopsy or blood test to rule out any other problems.

There are also medications and lotions that can make the skin more susceptible to sun allergies. Read the label of all products to be safe. There is a difference between sunburn and sun allergies. Sunburns occur when the body's protective skin pigment can't protect the skin well enough from ultraviolet light. When you have an allergy to sunlight, your body's immune system reacts against it. This is what causes the breakout on your skin. To avoid sun allergies, just a follow a few simple tips:

• Don't go outside during peak sunlight hours (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.). Your body will have a quicker reaction at this time of day.
• Don't deliberately sunbathe, even in tanning beds. Those with sun allergies won't be happy with the results.
• Apply sunscreen 20 minutes before going outdoors. Apply it every two hours, after swimming and working out.
• Dress properly. Wear light clothing, wide-brimmed hats and sunglasses.

Remember, even if you do not suffer from sun allergies, you should always be safe while outdoors. You can get skin cancer and wrinkles from over exposure to the sun. Wear sunscreen and don't stay outside during peak sunlight hours longer than you have to.

Tattoo allergies – an uncommon but real problem

Tattoos are becoming a popular trend these days. Anyone can have a tattoo, even the most unlikely of people. However, with the onset of the tattoo craze, a problem has emerged -- tattoo allergies. The ink in the artwork contains ingredients that cause the tattoo allergies. The most common allergen is found in red and yellow ink. The problem with tattoo ink is that it is unregulated. Almost anything can be used to create the pigments that make up the ink.

Some of the more common ingredients include nickel, mercury (although less and less), cobalt and cadmium. Signs of the allergy include itchiness around and on the tattoo, raised bumps, redness, irritation or hives. Worse case scenarios include pussing and oozing around the tattoo and sores. When this occurs, the person has to see a doctor immediately. Usually, a steroid will be given at the site of the problem that will eliminate the allergy.

Just because you get a tattoo and do not have a reaction a week later does not mean you are in the clear. Tattoo allergies sometimes do not show up right away. There have been cases where the allergy did not show up until years later. Usually, there is something that triggered the reaction to take place such as another tattoo (creating more exposure), change in weather or even a sickness.

The treatment at this point is the same. If the allergy is severe, the ink can be removed by a doctor using a laser. If the allergy is not that bad where you just suffer from occasional itching or swelling, over the counter anti-inflammatory and anti-histamine creams should do the trick. If you ever noticed that during the summer months, your tattoo gets itchy or a little red, this could be due to a tattoo allergy.

Most people who do have this moderate reaction tend to just deal with the problem. Unfortunately, there is no way of knowing you are going to have tattoo allergies. There are no tests that can be done beforehand. You can't have a small piece of skin that is out of the way tested because of the length of time some tattoo allergies take to appear.

The only time people find out they have a tattoo allergy is after the tattoo is already on their body. Take careful consideration on what the tattoo artist tells you about cleaning your tattoo. This prevents any immediate reactions your body may have and also an easier way to watch for signs of an allergic reaction. Keep in mind tattoo allergies are rare, so don't shy away from them if you really want to get one.

Reactions to allergies may be nothing to sneeze at

Most doctors and researchers are still quite confused as to why certain things cause allergies in some people. Many a times some people react to certain things triggering off a series of reactions in their bodies while the same things may not have any effect on others .

It is often difficult to pinpoint the exact reason why someone is having an allergy to a particular thing while the same thing may have no reaction on another person. With allergies it is difficult to find out what exactly is causing them and dealing with these symptoms can be really tough. An allergy can be anything from a sneeze to a running nose, or even an anaphylactic shock which can even lead to death.

Doctors are of the opinion that when immunity is down in a person it means that they are prone to allergies. The immune system in a person when it perceives that an alien object is harmful to the body, it gets ready to fight off the intruder and so begins to produce a number of symptoms like hives or rashes on the skin, running nose, watering eyes and sneezing .

The moment the alien object leaves the body the symptoms of allergy which the person had also subsides but there are also times when they can take more time to subside. Many a time allergies are a disadvantage to many people. For example, people who are allergic to hair will find that they cannot have a pet dog or cat as the hair from the animal's body can trigger off a series of chain reactions in their body.

Excerpted from the book How To Win Your War Against Allergies by Wings Of Success.

This excerpt has been edited and condensed for clarity.

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