Allergies are an increasing challenge in this country, leading to economic and health costs that impact everyone involved. There are various steps you can take to manage allergies effectively such as taking antihistamines and maintaining a clean home environment.
Indoor allergens such as pet dander, dust mites, mold and chemicals found in household products can trigger symptoms including watery eyes, runny nose, itching and coughing.
Medications
No need to head outdoors when you want to feel miserable. Allergies to pet dander, dust mite droppings, cockroaches, mold spores and mold spores can make life uncomfortable year round and are more difficult to avoid than outdoor allergens which shift with each season – they could also be more severe indoor allergies than those found outdoors.
Allergy medicines may help relieve symptoms. Antihistamines block histamine, the hormone responsible for allergic swelling and irritation. Examples include cetirizine (Zyrtec Allergy), loratadine (Claritin, Claritin), and fexofenadine (Allegra Allergy). Nasal corticosteroids like fluticasone propionate (Flonase Allergy Relief) and budesonide (Rhinocort Allergy 24 Hour) relieve nasal stuffiness while decreasing inflammation as well as asthma symptoms. Leukotriene modifiers like montelukast (Singulair) work to treat both conditions simultaneously.
If your allergies do not respond to over-the-counter medicine, consider consulting a specialist. Allergy specialists offer skin testing or blood tests to identify allergenic substances, then prescribe allergy shots containing small doses of allergens to strengthen immunity over time, or sublingual immunotherapy injections to boost sublingual immunotherapy treatment for seasonal allergies; or allergen immunotherapy that involves weekly injections with increasing doses over three to six months followed by maintenance treatment for five years.
Allergy shots
Immunotherapy or allergy shots provide long-term solutions to avoid allergic rhinitis (hay fever) and asthma from returning. Immunotherapy works by familiarizing your body with allergens so it no longer reacts when exposed. While results can take time to achieve, immunotherapy offers effective relief to people whose symptoms cannot be well controlled with medication or those looking for ways to avoid long-term medication use.
Shots consist of a salt solution containing small amounts of an allergen. You should inject this under your skin, usually in your arm. Your doctor starts out slowly increasing dose, often giving one or two allergy injections per week for about seven months during an initial build-up phase; after which point they may become needed every other week or monthly.
Whenever experiencing symptoms during or following your injections such as difficulty breathing, swelling, hives or loss of consciousness it’s critical that emergency medical assistance be sought immediately as this is potentially life-threatening anaphylaxis – so speak to your allergist about what warning signs to look out for and when seeking emergency treatment.
Allergy shots are generally considered safe for most adults, though you should anticipate possible side effects, including reddening and swelling at the injection site. You should bring along an auto-injector such as EpiPen or Auvi-Q on allergy shot days just in case there is an extreme reaction.
Allergy immunotherapy
Immunotherapy is the only long-term treatment capable of altering your body’s immune response to allergens. It’s particularly useful in treating allergies to indoor allergens like dust mites and pet dander as well as insect stings – as well as to foods such as milk and eggs – while helping prevent asthma flare-ups while decreasing medication usage.
Immunotherapy involves having your allergist or immunologist administer injections of purified allergen extracts directly beneath the skin – typically in arms – on an ongoing basis until an effective maintenance dose has been reached, with small doses being injected each week until an optimal regimen has been established based on allergy tests.
Allergy shots often provide lasting relief of symptoms for many patients. But immunotherapy treatment could continue over a longer time.
At this point, your allergist will carefully monitor you for signs of an adverse reaction. Common side effects are itching and red spots at the injection site; however if any severe side effects such as difficulty breathing, tightness in throat or hives occur it is imperative that emergency medical assistance be sought immediately.
Sublingual immunotherapy, also known as allergy drops, is another form of immunotherapy that’s relatively new and doesn’t yet have FDA approval; however, studies have demonstrated its efficacy against seasonal and indoor allergens like pollen, ragweed, tree pollens as well as bee and wasp stings.
Cleaning
Sneezing, watery eyes and runny nose symptoms associated with spring, summer and fall outdoor allergies – such as tree pollen, grass/weed pollen, mold spores and pet dander — often can continue year-round, when dust mites, cockroach droppings or other indoor allergens trigger allergic rhinitis or asthma attacks – making their effects just as disruptive and uncomfortable.
Allergy medications may help relieve indoor allergies, but avoiding exposure to allergens is the most effective way to minimize or even eliminate symptoms. A dermatologist who specializes in allergies may suggest a skin test as a means of diagnosing allergy triggers; during this procedure, extracts of potential allergens are prickled onto your skin in small doses to detect whether there is any reaction; any positive test result signifies you may be sensitive to them and should avoid them.
Clean your home to reduce allergen build-up. Vacuum and sweep floors regularly; remove carpeting; use a dehumidifier in damp areas (basements, bathrooms and kitchens); wash linens regularly using an anti-allergen detergent; use wood flooring over wall-to-wall carpeting in bedrooms where possible and keep pets outside where their dander cannot spread as easily; consider purchasing an air cleaner that has a HEPA filter filter to reduce allergen exposure in indoor spaces; opt for wall-to-wall carpeting instead.
Comments are closed