Allergies are an overreaction of the immune system to usually harmless substances that trigger red, itchy eyes, runny nose or skin rashes.
Whenever your body encounters allergens such as cat dander or pollen, antibodies are produced that attack it like germs – but these same antibodies may trigger other cells to produce excessive mucus production and narrowing of airways that results in symptoms.
Know Your Triggers
Allergies occur when our immune systems encounter substances known as allergens, such as pollen, pet dander or dust mite allergens, that cause irritation of the immune system. Allergens can include substances inhaled such as pollen or pet dander from animals like pollen mites; foodstuffs like peanuts shellfish or wheat that we ingest; cosmetics dyes or latex may also trigger symptoms.
Symptoms of allergies range from itchy eyes and runny nose, hives and difficulty breathing to seasonal and food allergies that can even become life-threatening.
Understanding your allergy triggers is the key to living more comfortably with allergies, but finding them can be challenging. A diary may be useful in pinpointing their source – consider when and after eating certain foods your symptoms appear as possible indicators for which ones might be contributing factors.
Avoiding allergy triggers can reduce symptoms and avoid an adverse reaction, with help from healthcare professionals to identify them and plan how best to avoid them. They may prescribe medicines such as antihistamines, steroid nose sprays and eye drops which may also be purchased over-the-counter or prescribed by your provider; for severe allergies they may additionally prescribe an epinephrine injector should an allergic reaction occur.
Talk to Your Healthcare Provider
Allergies can negatively affect our daily lives in various ways. Pollen allergies may force you to remain indoors during peak seasons, hindering your ability to exercise, garden and socialize; food allergies may limit the type of foods you can eat out at restaurants and explore; and respiratory allergies can result in fatigue and reduced productivity for children.
When visiting your doctor, it’s essential to come prepared. Make a list of all of your symptoms and how they impact you; also include details about all medicines or supplements taken; this information will allow your healthcare provider to help manage allergies more effectively.
After discussing your symptoms with you, healthcare provider will conduct a physical exam to examine any related medical conditions or illnesses. They may ask about their duration as well as factors which worsen or improve them; additionally they may request you to keep a diary to help pinpoint triggers of symptoms.
If your symptoms are severe, your healthcare provider may suggest a food allergy test. This involves refraining from certain foods for two to four weeks before eating them again to see if your symptoms return. In certain instances, they may suggest additional procedures such as skin tests or oral allergy challenges.
Be Prepared
Allergies can be disconcerting and even potentially life-threatening, such as anaphylaxis and hives. If you suffer from severe allergies, speaking with an allergy specialist could help identify what triggers them as well as teach ways to manage them safely.
Allergies can affect many parts of the body, including the nose, throat, eyes, ears, stomach lining and skin. Allergic symptoms result from an overreaction from your immune system to something your body perceives as dangerous; antibodies made against allergens activate mast cells which release chemicals like histamines into your system to fight it – leading to runny noses, sneezing fits and itchy eyes as symptoms.
As allergic reactions can be fatal, it is vital to keep two epinephrine auto-injectors on hand at all times. Furthermore, it is also beneficial to educate friends, family, and coworkers about your allergies when social situations involve food service; this will give them an understanding of how best to react during a crisis and possibly help save your life during an emergency situation. Wearing a medical alert bracelet will alert others of your allergy status so they know when and who to call when an incident arises – making sure someone knows when an emergency strikes.
If your child has food allergies, it is crucial that they inform school staff of this fact and develop a plan for safe meals at school. Speak to teachers and nurses prior to starting the year about your allergy concerns as well as providing them with your child’s Allergy & Anaphylaxis Emergency Plan.
Take Care of Yourself
Self-care is key if you live with allergies, as their symptoms can leave you exhausted and feeling overburdened. Fatigue makes concentration more challenging and may contribute to feelings of anxiety or stress.
Allergies occur when your immune system overreacts to something non-harmful, like pollen or pet dander (skin cells from animals with fur or feathers). Your immune system misinterprets allergens as germs and releases proteins known as antibodies into the bloodstream to attack them – leading to runny noses, sneezing fits, itchy eyes and even rashes or hives as symptoms of allergy attacks.
A key way to mitigate allergy symptoms is controlling the environment by eliminating known triggers. If you’re sensitive to dust mites, for instance, use a mattress cover and regularly launder bedding. Filters should also help keep indoor air clean and humidifiers can provide relief for itchy eyes and nasal passages. Moisturizers or humidifiers may be applied as necessary – depending on which are more beneficial in alleviating itchy, dry eyes and nasal passages.
Allergies often run in families and can begin at any age. With age, some allergies may improve or go away entirely; others, however, remain part of life throughout adulthood. FARE offers resources to assist individuals managing food allergies safely at every stage of life: preschool and childcare settings through K-12 schools, college and beyond as well as entering the workforce or dating world.
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