Living with allergies can be challenging, but it is possible. Allergies tend to trigger different responses in different people; therefore it is essential that you identify their triggers and create an action plan in order to stay safe and manageable.
Allergies occur when your immune system mistakes harmless particles like pollen or pet dander for harmful invaders and responds by producing proteins called antibodies to fight it off.
Know Your Allergens
Allergies occur when your immune system reacts negatively to an allergen – typically harmless substances like pollen or pet dander (skin cells from animals with fur or feathers). When exposed to allergens, however, your immune system produces proteins which bind with mast cells in your immune system and release chemicals called histamines; this causes symptoms like sneezing, runny nose, watery eyes and itching.
Allergy symptoms typically range from mild to severe and even life-threatening, and are most likely to appear during childhood or puberty; however, they can appear at any age. They tend to run in families; children with allergic parents are more likely to develop allergies themselves.
Avoiding food allergens entirely is the ideal way to protect against allergies, but that may not always be possible. Knowing your allergens, being prepared and learning how to read food labels are effective ways of helping you avoid reactions.
For information on managing food allergies, visit Kids with Food Allergies (KFA). Our Find an Allergist search tool allows you to locate an allergist nearby. If you need any additional support or have any queries about managing them, feel free to reach out – we are here for you! Your story helps fuel research that has an impactful ripple effect across lives; thank you for being part of FARE’s Allergy and Asthma Program and supporting FARE’s ongoing work! Your contribution provides vital support and helps maintain our ongoing efforts!
Stay Away From Triggers
Avoiding triggers means being aware of what you say and do. Also, having a plan for when triggers arise will help ensure you can be ready. For instance, if one person’s comments frequently set you off, make sure they understand your situation by communicating beforehand with them so they understand why this bothers you.
When trying to identify triggers, pay close attention to your emotions and thoughts. When experiencing strong reactions, identify what caused it and for how long. If they’re short-lived and easy to control, healthy coping mechanisms such as exercise, deep breathing or mindfulness meditation may help you remain calm while distancing yourself from negative self-talk.
Triggers may come in the form of memories, uncomfortable topics or someone’s actions or words – for instance if your partner criticises you in an argument, your reaction might include becoming defensive or even angry.
Once you begin healing your emotional triggers, they’ll become less significant in your life. Seeking guidance from a counselor or coach is often beneficial in exploring their source and processing any resulting feelings; for example if memories of childhood neglect trigger you, work on finding ways to express needs and desires more constructively.
Keep a Diary
Diaries are written daily records that serve to help individuals recognize patterns in their experiences and provide vital data to healthcare professionals. Diaries may be kept in paper format or may opt for electronic options like diary apps, symptom tracking software or the notes section of smartphones and tablets as their preferred medium.
Writing journal entries should only include factual data; opinions should not be included here or speculation made as this could undermine its usefulness for medical use. Also helpful would be including time stamps on each entry so trends may be identified and understood more readily.
Tracking your symptoms is key to managing allergies and finding solutions. Whether using paper notebooks or an app, make this part of your daily routine, be it before sleep or after breakfast, as this can help create a habitual response to allergies.
Noticing patterns or changes in your symptoms is key, but also keep track of other details like when and how long they last, any possible triggers that make them better or worse, medical alert bracelet or necklace wearer should note any relevant details, such as dosage taken and whether this helped or hindered symptoms.
Talk to Your Healthcare Provider
Allergies occur when your immune system overreacts to otherwise harmless substances that enter your body, such as pollen, bee stings or pet dander. When these substances come in contact with our immune systems they can initiate an inflammatory response resulting in symptoms like sneezing, itchy eyes and runny nose.
If your symptoms are severe or persisting, contact your healthcare provider immediately. They can conduct skin prick tests and blood work to help identify what allergens you’re sensitive to as well as provide allergy medication that will relieve the discomfort.
Consult with your physician regarding immunotherapy, an in-office treatment that gradually desensitizes your immune system to specific allergens over time, helping to prevent future allergies as well as lessening current ones. It could potentially prevent future allergies as well as reduce their severity.
Start taking your allergy medications early for seasonal allergies to optimize effectiveness and decrease symptoms later in spring and summer. Starting sooner will also make for simpler dosing schedules!
Chronic allergies can have devastating health repercussions if left untreated, including fatigue and lack of energy, poor sleep quality, depression or even ear infections for children and cardiovascular strain in adults. FARE offers resources for managing food allergies across life’s stages–preschools/daycare settings/K-12 schools/colleges/universities and workplace environments.
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