If your allergies include runny noses, sneezing and itchy eyes year-round without seasonal changes, they could be indoor allergies triggered by dust mites, cockroach parts, mold, pet dander or other common household allergens.
If the immune system detects a protein found in an allergen, it may overreact and produce antibodies to fight it – leading to symptoms like sneezing.
Indoor Allergens
Indoor allergens like dust mites, mold spores and pet dander often trigger home allergies, with symptoms including nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing, itchy eyes and asthma becoming year-round issues. Colder temperatures tend to make symptoms worse; as people spend more time indoors they increase exposure to allergens while furnaces and air conditioners can stir up pollutants further aggravate symptoms of an indoor allergy attack.
Studies have demonstrated the link between house dust mites, fungi, domestic animals such as pets and domesticated cockroaches (cockroaches aren’t), plants and indoor allergies – specifically carpeting, upholstery and mattresses that contain these allergens – and asthma attacks or rhinitis symptoms.
Skin testing is used to identify what indoor allergens a person is allergic to. It involves using a small needle to inject extracts of common indoor allergens like tree pollen or pet dander into your skin and watch for any reaction like red welts to appear.
Allergy medications can provide temporary relief from indoor allergies. Over-the-counter decongestants and antihistamines may reduce stuffy nose and sneezing while oral corticosteroid sprays help control inflammation in nasal passages. If these do not provide enough relief, an allergist may prescribe more potent medication like steroids or Allergy Shots immunotherapy; this gradually increases tolerance levels toward allergy triggers for lasting relief.
Outdoor Allergens
Allergies to outdoor allergens such as pollen, mold spores, tree, grass and weed pollen can significantly lower quality of life by inducing symptoms such as sneezing, runny nose, watery eyes or itchy eyes; wheezing and shortness of breath may also occur.
Outdoor allergies tend to occur seasonally, due to their association with plant reproductive cycles. They tend to worsen during spring and summer seasons but symptoms may persist all year long in some people.
Your immune system recognizes allergens as potentially harmful substances and overreacts by producing immunoglobulin E antibodies to fight them off, traveling through cells to release chemicals which lead to allergic symptoms like sneezing, runny/itchy nose, stuffy or watery nose, hives or itching in your mouth throat and eyes.
Allergy medications, such as antihistamines, may help relieve allergy symptoms. An allergist may also suggest immunotherapy (allergy shots), which involves regular injections with gradually increased doses that train your immune system to become resistant to specific allergens over time, helping minimize symptoms and enhance quality of life. At UPMC Central Pennsylvania we can perform skin testing, blood testing and other diagnostic procedures to identify your allergens and recommend suitable treatment solutions for you.
Medications
Allergies can lead to sinus congestion (i.e. itchy nose and eyes, runny nose, sneezing, itchy throat or ears, post-nasal drip), scratchy or wheezy voices and post-nasal drip. Allergies may also result in deviated septums, nasal polyps and an increase in the size of adenoid glands lining sinuses (adenoid hypertrophy).
All these symptoms are the result of a person’s immune system responding to an allergen, or harmless substances that trigger an excessively strong reaction in response to them. Indoor allergies typically trigger this reaction all year round and may include pet dander, dust mites, cockroach parts and mold being triggers.
Mild indoor allergies may often be treated successfully through home modifications, appropriate cleaning practices and medication such as antihistamines, decongestants, inhaled nasal steroids or leukotriene modifiers. If allergies persist or worsen further, however, it is advisable to contact an allergy specialist.
Allergy testing can identify your indoor allergen triggers and offer you with a customized treatment plan to reduce symptoms. Testing options include skin testing which exposes small amounts of suspected allergens to test the patient’s skin to identify possible triggers; blood tests measuring immunoglobulin E antibodies can be used to help identify allergens which cause symptoms; immunotherapy or “allergy shots” may be recommended to desensitize people to said allergens and reduce allergic responses.
Allergy Shots
Allergy shots (subcutaneous immunotherapy, or SCIT) are an effective, long-term way of relieving allergy symptoms. By administering small doses of allergens under your arm and gradually building immunity to them over time. Your healthcare provider may first administer skin or blood tests to identify which allergens trigger your symptoms before giving a test shot of each suspected allergen; if it causes swelling or redness on the skin during injection then that substance likely presents as allergenic and should be avoided.
Once the correct allergens have been identified, allergy shots will begin being administered weekly and gradually over several months your body will build up its tolerance to it, until reaching what’s known as a maintenance dose. Subsequently you may begin receiving shots every two weeks at first and gradually progress toward having monthly check-ups for several years.
Allergy shots can be administered safely and effectively if administered properly; however, serious adverse reactions such as anaphylaxis may arise and must be managed accordingly. You will be closely monitored during the shot process in an office that provides emergency epinephrine auto-injectors in case an allergic reaction develops; usually within several hours post injection you’ll experience itching and redness at the injection site that usually subsides soon afterwards; other less common yet more severe side effects include sneezing, nasal congestion or even hives if present.
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