Living with allergies can drastically change every aspect of life. Sneezing during pollen season, itchy eyes caused by pets and chronic fatigue can all pose challenges that must be met head on in order to be managed successfully.
Allergies can restrict outdoor activities, impair school and work performance and limit social interactions due to food allergy restrictions – potentially leading to stress, anxiety and depression.
Know Your Triggers
Allergies can make life very challenging. Their itchy eyes, runny nose and nasal congestion symptoms can interfere with daily activities such as work or social gatherings – especially during peak allergy season when trees, grasses and weeds release pollen into the atmosphere. Food allergies may restrict diet or prevent you from trying new food options – while symptoms may even interfere with school or work performance and require sick days for management of symptoms.
Allergies occur when your immune system overreacts to harmless substances that normally wouldn’t trigger an allergic response. Allergens include pollen, molds, dust mites, animal dander and certain medications as well as insect stings or poison ivy stings – as well as some foods. Allergies often run in families but individual reactions vary.
Your body’s immune response to allergens involves producing antibodies as markers that attach themselves to them, activating mast cells that release proinflammatory chemicals like histamine, cytokine, and leukotrienes – leading to allergy symptoms. Recognizing allergy triggers allows you to take steps to either avoid or reduce exposure. If allergy symptoms persist despite making lifestyle adjustments, contact your physician about treatment options. OTC antihistamines, decongestants and nasal sprays may provide temporary relief. Your healthcare provider may recommend allergy testing (skin or blood tests) or allergen immunotherapy, a treatment which involves injecting small doses of allergens at regular intervals into your system to desensitize it over time.
Change Your Clothes
No matter if it’s just for an afternoon stroll or cuddling up with your friend’s pup, allergens like pollen can cling to clothing and cause reactions at home. By changing into fresh attire when returning home from your adventure, less allergen will transfer onto couches or beds; changing in a garage or clothesline area might even prevent pollen from blowing into bedrooms! For added protection, showering immediately after being outdoors helps remove allergens lingering on hair as well.
Maintaining separate laundry piles can also help minimize allergen exposure. When washing, be sure to sort according to fabric type and color for cross-contamination prevention and wash at higher temperatures to eliminate allergens. Hypoallergenic materials made of natural fibers may be effective against allergies to certain fabrics and dyes.
If you notice new allergy symptoms, make an appointment with your physician as soon as possible. Antihistamines and decongestants are effective ways of relieving sneezing, itchy eyes/noses/throats, runny/stuffy throats as well as helping prevent sinus infections – both common problems among those living with allergies3. New allergies may develop at any time so don’t ignore symptoms if they appear.
Keep Your Home Clean
Allergies result from an abnormal response by the immune system to normally harmless substances called allergens, prompting release of chemicals which produce symptoms like itchy eyes, watery nose or runny nose. Preventive measures may help alleviate allergy symptoms – examples include wearing a mask when mowing lawn, staying indoors on days with high pollen or mold spore counts or cleaning home regularly to reduce dust mites and allergens in your home; taking over-the-counter allergy medication like antihistamines which block histamine releases to help relieve sneezing, watery eyes or itchy skin symptoms and help improve breathing capacity as well.
One of the easiest and most effective ways to keep your home clean when living with allergies is implementing daily rules. These simple tasks, such as sweeping or wiping down countertops each day, can help eliminate dust, pollen and pet dander that trigger allergic reactions. Furthermore, washing sheets and pillowcases regularly, using an air purifier in the home and stocking up on essential allergy medicines will all further decrease allergy triggers in your environment.
See Your Healthcare Provider
Allergies are a chronic ailment affecting over 50 million Americans. To get an accurate diagnosis and create a long-term treatment plan, it is vital that they visit a healthcare professional for diagnosis. Allergies can significantly hinder daily activities and decrease quality of life – for instance nasal congestion from untreated allergies can lead to chronic sinusitis while allergies can also trigger or worsen asthma attacks leading to the need for emergency care and increased usage of inhalers.
Allergy symptoms such as itchy eyes, runny nose and sneezing are caused by an immune system overreaction to substances the body recognizes as harmful such as pet dander or pollen. When confronted by these allergens, such as pet dander or pollen, antibodies called immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies are produced to combat them resulting in itchy eyes, runny nose and itchy skin.
Allergies may be common, but there are ways to manage them and find relief from symptoms. Over-the-counter allergy medicines may offer relief; but if your symptoms continue or need more assistance managing them, scheduling an appointment with your healthcare provider (an allergist is a doctor specializing in diagnosing and treating allergic conditions and related immune system disorders. Our doctor locator can assist in finding one near you).
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