Allergies arise when an allergen — usually benign to most — gets inside the body and triggers an immune response from it, producing antibodies which attack it.
These allergies may cause symptoms like sneezing, watery eyes and itching or more serious reactions like anaphylaxis; you can reduce them by avoiding allergy triggers, practicing good hygiene and taking appropriate medication.
Know Your Triggers
Allergies occur when your immune system overreacts to substances that don’t bother most people, like pollen or pet dander (tiny flakes of skin from animals with fur or feathers). Breathing these allergens triggers chemicals in your body which lead to symptoms like sneezing, itching and swelling; mild allergies may result in mild symptoms while more serious reactions called anaphylaxis can even prove life-threatening.
Allergens that can be inhaled, also known as inhalant allergies, include grass and tree pollen, dust mites, mold spores and cockroaches. Seasonal effects or year-round may occur depending on where you live and its climate conditions.
Antihistamines, corticosteroids and allergy shots (allergen immunotherapy) may provide relief to allergy sufferers who cannot completely avoid exposure. By decreasing your immune system’s reaction against allergy triggers, such treatments may reduce symptoms.
Keep a diary to help identify allergy triggers. This may help identify common triggers, like certain foods or medications, as well as what helps relieve your symptoms. For instance, if you are allergic to pollen, stay indoors during windy days when pollen counts are highest and clean regularly to remove allergenic materials like dust and dander from the home – using an air filter might also help block outdoor allergens from coming inside!
Avoid Your Triggers
When it comes to allergies, certain substances overstimulate your immune system and trigger it into reacting against typically harmless objects or substances – often leading to symptoms like sneezing, watery eyes or itchy skin. One effective strategy for alleviating the severity of allergy symptoms is identifying your allergy triggers and avoiding them altogether.
Environmental allergies are typically manageable with minimal effort, starting by finding out exactly which substances you’re sensitive to – something our experienced allergist Dr. Vasif Kalfa can assist with through an allergy test. Knowing your triggers allows for a tailored plan of life.
No matter if it is pollen, pet dander, mold spores or dust mites, keeping windows closed during peak times of the day and using an air filter is one way to minimize exposure. Vacuuming and dusting regularly also can help. Finally, using hypoallergenic bedding as well as laundering pillows regularly may also help remove allergens from entering your home.
Food allergies can be difficult to manage, but it is vitally important that only safe foods are consumed. Always read labels carefully and ask questions at restaurants when dining out; in addition, purchasing an ID bracelet with your food allergies on it makes it easier for people to assist you during an emergency situation.
Manage Your Symptoms
From seasonal allergies to itchy eyes around pets, allergies can have a wide-ranging effect on daily life – and can even have serious repercussions for some individuals. Chronic allergies may even have serious repercussions for health as well.
Allergies occur when our immune systems overreact to normally innocuous substances, leading to an exaggerated reaction that produces histamines, leukotrienes and cytokines as part of an overreaction response which causes unpleasant (and in some cases life-threatening) symptoms.
If you suffer from environmental allergies, over-the-counter medication such as antihistamines and nasal sprays may help alleviate symptoms such as sneezing, runny nose and itchy eyes. These drugs work by blocking certain receptors in order to ease allergy symptoms; if they don’t do the trick however, seek advice from healthcare provider immediately.
People living with food allergies face unique difficulties. If you believe you may have an allergy to something specific, consult with your physician about an elimination diet – cutting certain foods out for two or four weeks to see if symptoms improve; once this period is up, reintroducing these items back into the diet to see if it triggers allergies or not.
If you suffer from severe allergies, consulting a physician may require carrying an epinephrine auto-injector with you at all times in case of an adverse reaction. Other treatment options for long-term relief, including immunotherapy may also be provided by your provider. To manage allergies properly and identify them to others around you, wear a medical alert bracelet to inform them about them.
Talk to Your Healthcare Provider
Your doctor is an invaluable source of information when it comes to allergies. Be sure to ask about symptoms, duration, what makes them worse or better and whether or not they affect you year-round.
Inform your physician of any other health problems you’re experiencing as well as medications you take – both over-the-counter and prescription. This information will allow them to better determine if your symptoms are due to allergies or something else such as colds or deviated septae.
If you have experienced a severe allergic reaction, speak to your physician to assess what happened and discuss what steps may be necessary to avoid another episode. They may suggest allergy testing or allergy shots.
Most adults develop multiple allergies as they age. This phenomenon, dubbed the “atopic march,” usually begins early on with skin conditions like eczema or other forms of inflammation and then progresses through food allergies, allergic rhinitis (including seasonal allergies) and finally asthma.
If your child has food allergies, speak to their physician about how best to raise them safely through preschool/daycare settings, school/college/work settings and beyond. FARE offers resources and tips on managing food allergies safely at all stages of life – dining out socializing traveling! – as well as joining our FARE Patient Registry which collects stories that drive research that changes lives!
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