Allergic reactions are an overreaction of the immune system to usually innocuous substances, including airborne allergens like pollen, pet dander and mold; food allergens including peanuts, tree nuts, milk eggs and wheat; insect stings; as well as certain medicines (notably penicillin).
An allergy tends to run in families; however, triggers or aggravating factors may contribute to its manifestation. Thankfully, there are ways to minimize reactions and enhance quality of life.
Know Your Triggers
Knowledge of your allergy triggers is key to taking steps to avoid them. Allergies can be caused by many things, including pollen, dust mites, pet dander, mold spores and insect stings; food or medicines may also trigger them; symptoms can range from mild to severe and include itchy nose, runny eyes and itchy skin hives; some people can react to multiple triggers while others will only react to one of them.
Allergies can wreak havoc on our everyday lives, from creating fatigue and brain fog to interrupting sleep patterns and diminishing productivity at work or school. Luckily, there are ways you can manage your allergies so you can lead an normal existence.
Allergies can be caused by airborne particles like pollen, which causes itchy eyes and runny nose. Household dust contains particles including pet dander and mold spores; other common triggers include household cleaners, some foods, medications and household chemicals and cleaners. If you don’t know the cause of your allergies, discuss allergy testing with a doctor as they can provide recommendations and treatment plans tailored specifically to each case. Keep a diary to document symptoms as they affect you; additionally always carry an emergency bee sting kit just in case.
Change Your Clothes When You Get Home
If you suffer from seasonal allergies, be sure to change out of your outdoor clothes as soon as you come home from being outside in order to prevent pollen, dirt and allergens from being introduced into the living environment and intensify or prolong symptoms. Doing this could potentially lessen both severity and duration.
Clothing changes should be performed regularly if you work in healthcare environments where pathogens and infectious particles may be prevalent, as well as spending extended time outside or with sick individuals; or if someone in your family has open wounds or medical concerns such as immunocompromised immune systems.
Your clothing can become an incubator of dead skin cells, bacteria, viruses and pollen. Imagine all these contaminants covering your bedsheets after sleeping without changing at the end of each day.
Stay Away From Your Triggers
As someone living with allergies, it is crucial to avoid triggers in order to alleviate or at least reduce allergy symptoms such as runny noses, itchy eyes, sneezing fits, rashes or breathing issues related to asthma.
Allergies occur when your immune system responds overreactively to normally harmless particles such as pollen or pet dander, prompting it to launch an attack against it and cause inflammation – leading to antibodies being created against these allergens and leading to symptoms like sneezing, itching or wheezing in response.
Your environment and allergen exposure can be managed effectively by keeping surfaces clean, vacuuming regularly, using HEPA filters in your home and laundering bedding weekly in hot water. In addition, take steps to protect both yourself and the environment by not smoking or overindulging in alcohol, both of which can exacerbate allergies.
Emergency plans should also include carrying an EpiPen(r) for food allergies or wearing an ID bracelet that lists your symptoms and treatments. Furthermore, finding people you trust such as babysitters or family members familiar with your allergies so they can help protect you in an emergency. Adopting healthy lifestyle habits such as eating well and sleeping enough may also help ease allergy symptoms.
Be Prepared
Before any outing, research menus in advance to make sure a restaurant can accommodate your allergy. Also read ingredient statements of non-food products, like lotions and soaps to confirm they don’t contain your allergen. Finally, keep epinephrine auto-injectors such as EpiPen(r) with you at all times – seconds count during an allergic reaction, so the sooner treatment begins the better it works!
If your child has a food allergy and plays at friends’ houses, make sure all parents know about it and are familiar with your emergency plan. Also encourage role-playing practice with an adult so your child feels comfortable responding when someone offers them food or drinks they cannot have.
Fatigue and brain fog may accompany allergies, making it hard to focus or remain motivated. If these symptoms continue, it is recommended to consult a mental health professional; trained therapists can address concerns related to social interactions, anxieties or depression caused by allergy triggers; they can also offer ways to manage them using various tools and techniques.
Comments are closed