Allergies occur when your immune system overreacts to normally harmless substances like foods, pollen or pet dander – often as food allergens such as pollen. Your reaction could range from sneezing and runny nose to serious health risks like anaphylaxis.
Living with allergies is no easy feat. Constant discomfort and the need to manage symptoms can take its toll on one’s mood and quality of life.
Know Your Triggers
Allergies can be caused by airborne particles like pollen, dust mites, mold, animal dander and insect stings that come into contact with airways such as pollen, dust mites, mold, animal dander or insect stings. Allergic reactions are manifested differently; respiratory allergies often lead to runny nose, itchy, watery eyes and itchy or scratchy throat; skin-contact allergens can result in rash itching hives or even severe reactions that require medical intervention whereas allergy affecting digestive systems may result in abdominal pain cramping, cramping vomiting diarrhea requiring medical intervention – in some severe cases it requires emergency medical assistance!
Seasonal allergies refer to allergens that manifest themselves at specific times throughout each year, usually as pollen from trees, grasses and weeds releases pollen at various points throughout the year and peak during different parts of the country. Because symptoms often overlap between seasons it can be challenging to manage seasonal allergies effectively.
Food allergies can drastically limit outdoor activities during allergy seasons, making eating out at restaurants or attending social gatherings challenging. Frequent allergy flare-ups may interfere with school or work performance as well as sleep. If symptoms don’t improve with lifestyle changes alone, consulting with healthcare provider for allergy testing and treatment options should be explored further.
Stay Away From Triggers
An individual’s allergy triggers could include pollen, dust mites and animal dander in the air; nuts, milk, shellfish and eggs found in food; certain medications or insect stings from insects or latex itself. If you are uncertain which allergens are triggering your allergies, or how best to avoid them, speaking to your physician about receiving skin or blood tests to identify them and then take steps to eliminate them is key to successfully living allergy free.
Your allergist can provide medication options to assist in managing your symptoms, and immunotherapy (or allergy shots that teach the immune system not to react) may also be recommended as part of the solution.
Staying below your symptom threshold, which is the level of allergens that trigger symptoms in you, is vitally important. If you are allergic to multiple substances at once, all must be present simultaneously for symptoms to manifest themselves.
Locating and avoiding allergy triggers is the key to successfully managing allergies. Since allergens can change over time, working with an experienced allergist to create an individualized plan of care may be essential – including regular checkups, medication reminders, tips on recognizing allergens in unlikely places and how best to avoid them, plus always having your EpiPen(r) on you in case of emergencies.
Be Prepared
Allergies can cause a range of symptoms, from sneezing during pollen season to itchy eyes around pets. While the latter symptoms can be bothersome or embarrassing, they usually respond well to treatment and improve over time. Left untreated however, allergies can have serious health ramifications including respiratory symptoms, digestive problems and even potentially life-threatening allergic reactions.
Assuming you or someone close to you has food allergy can be stressful and anxiety-inducing; being prepared can reduce stress by being ready to deal with emergencies and steer clear of situations beyond your control, and also by informing others of your allergy.
If you have a food allergy, it’s essential that your family and friends learn how to prepare foods which are safe for you. Furthermore, inform caregivers such as babysitters or teachers of your allergy so they can stay safe when caring for you.
Prep yourself for social gatherings and other events by bringing your own food or notifying the host about any food allergy concerns you have. Be sure to bring an EpiPen, and have a plan in case an allergic reaction should arise.
See Your Healthcare Provider
Sneezing and runny nose associated with allergies are often seen as minor inconveniences by those unaffected. But left untreated, chronic allergy symptoms may become serious health concerns that require medical intervention to resolve.
Allergies occur when your immune system misinterprets substances like pollen or pet dander as foreign invaders and produces proteins called antibodies to attack it. Once an allergen is recognized by your immune system, they release proteins known as antibodies against it which lead to symptoms like itching, sneezing, watery eyes and rashes commonly associated with allergies.
If you suffer from seasonal or year-round allergies, consulting an allergist could be key in returning your life back to normal. They can identify the source of your symptoms and recommend treatments designed to alleviate them.
Your allergy doctor will review both your personal and family medical histories in order to make a proper diagnosis. They may ask about when, why and where your symptoms manifest themselves; also asking if these interfere with daily activities or make sleeping difficult at night. They can perform tests such as skin prick tests or blood analysis in order to establish exactly which allergens cause you issues – once they know which allergen is triggering symptoms it becomes much simpler for treatment to be administered efficiently and manage symptoms more easily.
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