Life with allergies can be challenging. To make the best plan possible and understand what triggers your symptoms, it’s crucial to identify their source and create an action plan.
Food allergies often emerge during childhood or puberty and become less severe with time; others remain permanent. Their causes lie within the immune system and any substance which triggers an allergic response can trigger symptoms.
Avoiding Triggers
Allergies may be caused by airborne particles like pollen, dust mites and animal dander; other triggers include chemicals that irritate skin irritation such as poison ivy and oak; foods, medications or latex. Understanding what your particular triggers are can help your allergist create an effective treatment plan to alleviate symptoms.
Some allergens can be avoided through lifestyle modifications and medication, with allergy testing or immunotherapy providing additional help if other treatments do not prove successful.
An active lifestyle is always key when living with chronic conditions, but especially important when living with allergies. Exercise, eating right and avoiding tobacco are all proven strategies for alleviating allergy symptoms. Also make sure that faster-acting emergency allergy medication is always on hand and wear a medical ID bracelet listing your allergies; make sure friends and family know what steps should be taken in an emergency such as calling 911 and using pre-dosed epinephrine auto-injector if the reaction becomes severe.
Medication
If allergies cause you to sneeze, have itchy eyes, or sinus congestion, medication can provide much-needed relief. OTC and prescription allergy remedies include antihistamines, decongestants, steroid nasal sprays and combination drugs; while immunotherapy injections or tablets under the tongue can build tolerance to allergens and lower your reactions.
Allergies arise when our immune systems overreact to harmless substances like pollen, pet dander or certain foods – typically pollen or food allergens such as pollen – producing antibodies against them that release chemicals which irritate skin, nose throat or digestive tract tissues.
Antihistamines work to block histamine, alleviating allergy symptoms. Common over-the-counter antihistamines include cetirizine (Allergy-D, Zyrtec), fexofenadine (Allegra), levocetirizine (Xyzal) and loratadine (Clarinex), which may make you sleepy; thus it’s wise to not drive or perform activities requiring alertness while taking these medicines. Your doctor can also prescribe stronger antihistamines or steroids pills, liquids or nasal sprays; these may take several days or weeks before becoming effective, possibly leading to side effects such as dry mouth, dizziness or dizziness.
Immunotherapy
Not knowing why certain substances cause us discomfort is difficult to comprehend; however, allergies occur when our immune systems mistakenly identify harmless things like pollen, pet dander and certain foods as dangerous invaders and create antibodies called IgE to counter the allergens that cause our symptoms of sneezing, runny nose and itchy eyes.
Immunotherapy works by gradually desensitizing the body to specific allergens. Patients receive injections containing small doses of each allergen during its build-up phase; gradually increasing its strength over time until hypersensitivity levels decrease significantly.
Immunotherapy treatments may also be administered sublingually (sublingual immunotherapy, or SLIT), or via an implantable port in the chest or abdomen (epidermal immunotherapy, EPIT). Before beginning either form of immunotherapy treatment, doctors advise patients to ensure any other medical issues — like uncontrolled high blood pressure or asthma — have been addressed first. It’s also possible for reactions at injection sites; typically within 30 minutes post injection and treated at your physician’s office.
Monitoring Pollen Counts
No matter if your symptoms stem from seasonal hay fever or ongoing sensitivities to specific plants, knowing the pollen count is crucial for managing allergies effectively. Pollen counts measure how much pollen there is in the air; they can be monitored using either an app or website like National Allergy Bureau that provide daily pollen counts or local news and weather sites with regular updates of pollen counts.
Pollen is released from grass, trees, mold and weeds and dispersed via wind into an entire region, often resulting in itchy eyes, runny noses and congestion symptoms. High pollen counts often contribute to more itchy eyes, runny noses and congestion issues in those exposed.
When pollen counts are high, you should limit your time outdoors. Showering after being outside will help wash away any pollen that clings to your hair or skin and shut windows; rainy or windless days tend to have lower pollen counts; rain- or windless day activities might also be better planned since pollen levels tend to drop then. The ZYRTEC AllergyCast App* offers allergy forecasts with insights beyond simply counting pollen counts; instead showing you how your symptoms might influence daily activities
Changing Clothes When You Get Home
Nowadays, with growing concerns over germs and dirt, many feel compelled to change into clean clothes prior to sitting or lying on their sofa/bed. Is that really necessary?
Your clothing collects bacteria, fungi, dead skin cells, pollen and pollution from its environment such as vehicle emissions, industrial emissions or natural sources like dust or tree pollen – potentially leading to allergies and respiratory conditions in you or irritating existing conditions.
No matter if you don’t have an allergy to any specific thing, your slow body can push viruses and airborne pathogens from clothing onto the floor, spreading infection throughout your home. Therefore it is a good idea to have somewhere you can store clothes when entering, like a hamper near the doorway; that way when you arrive home you can immediately take action to remove these from yourself as soon as you enter.
Clothing should also be changed regularly if you work in public settings, like hospitals, or have anyone in your household who may be immunocompromised and more susceptible to pathogens than usual. Furthermore, switching your outside-to-inside clothes before sitting down on furniture should you be treating open wounds or burns.
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