Sneezing during pollen season or having itchy eyes around pets might seem like minor inconveniences to those without allergies, but untreated allergies can have severe health repercussions.
Learn to decrease allergy symptoms year-round, room by room. Keep a diary to track down triggers. And be prepared with emergency epinephrine auto-injectors in case of serious allergic reactions such as anaphylaxis.
What Causes Allergies?
Allergies occur when your immune system overreacts to substances that should normally be harmless, like peanuts, eggs or pollen. Once exposed to allergens such as these substances – known as allergens – your immune system releases antibodies which attach themselves to mast cell chemicals that swell up affected areas by histamine release from mast cells; additional chemicals, including leukotrienes and cytokines from mast cells trigger symptoms like runny noses or itchy, watery eyes.
These symptoms typically present as mild but can quickly escalate into life-threatening anaphylaxis in response to bee bites, certain foods, medications, insect stings or latex materials or asthma attacks.
Genetics and the environment both contribute to allergy development. If both your parents have allergies, the chances of you developing them increase dramatically; alternatively you could get them from living in a household with pets, cleaning products, paint fumes or perfumes. Doctors use skin prick tests or blood (IgE) tests to help identify triggers; antihistamines, decongestants and nasal sprays may help treat allergic reactions while emergency epinephrine auto-injectors such as EpiPen, Adrenaclick or Auvi-Q) could be prescribed in case of emergencies.
Symptoms
Allergies affect the nose, eyes, lungs, throat and skin in various degrees; from mild to severe reactions. When an allergen enters the body, immune system cells attack it with histamine-releasing cells which release chemicals which lead to symptoms such as runny noses, itchy, watery eyes, sneezing fits, itchy or scratchy throats, hives or difficulty breathing. An anaphylactic reaction requires immediate hospital treatment and may come from foods, medications, insect bites or latex materials.
Most allergies are seasonal; however, some can occur year-round and be mild to life-threatening. Allergies can lead to missed school or work days as well as reduce quality of life significantly.
Recording allergy symptoms, including when they surface and what seems to help or make them worse, can help pinpoint their source. If over-the-counter remedies don’t seem to help or cause side effects like drowsiness, consult an allergist immediately. Penn Medicine offers allergy testing services, which involves scratching the skin with small amounts of potential allergens to assess how they respond. If necessary, medications like antihistamines, nasal sprays and decongestants may be prescribed to relieve symptoms, while allergy shots may also be an option. In severe allergic reactions or asthma cases, steroids or bronchodilators may also be prescribed; for these severe reactions it’s also important to avoid known triggers like pollen levels being high, dust mites or pet dander as much as possible.
Diagnosis
Diagnoseing allergies can be tricky when symptoms appear intermittently or are vague, which is why your doctor will ask about your symptoms, medical history and examination. They may even recommend allergy tests.
One of the most frequently administered allergy tests is a skin test, which involves applying small amounts of potential allergens directly onto your arm or back and seeing if your skin swells and turns red in response. Your physician will likely conduct several different tests at once; be sure to inform them if any medications could interfere with these assessments.
If the skin test proves ineffective or you are unable to tolerate it, your doctor may order an antibody blood test to measure how many antibodies your body is producing to combat allergens; this process is known as specific IgE blood testing or radioallergosorbent assay (RAST)/ImmunoCAP testing.
Oral food challenges are another effective way to test for food allergies. Your doctor will have you avoid certain foods for two to four weeks and then introduce them gradually one by one to see if your symptoms return. This should only be performed at an allergy specialist office and with their approval. Avoidance remains the cornerstone of managing allergies, while medicine such as pills or liquid, nasal sprays and eye drops may help calm the immune system and ease symptoms.
Treatment
Allergies can cause symptoms ranging from watery eyes, runny nose or sneezing to more serious issues like trouble breathing and anaphylaxis. A board-certified allergist can help identify your allergy triggers, create a treatment plan including avoidance strategies, medication options or immunotherapy (allergy shots).
Allergists can test for allergies using skin prick and blood tests. Skin prick tests involve scratching a small area on your skin, which allows an allergist to identify potential allergens that could be contributing to symptoms, while blood (IgE) tests measure IgE antibody levels against specific allergens.
Antihistamines are widely used to treat allergies. These come in the form of tablets, liquids, nasal sprays and eye drops – some available over-the-counter while others require a valid valid valid valid prescription from their healthcare providers; such as cetirizine (Allergy-D or Zyrtec) or fluticasone nasal spray (Flonase or ClariSpray). An epinephrine injector may come in handy in case of severe allergic reactions; always have one with you at all times and ensure all family and friends know how to use it effectively.
Untreated allergies can result in sinusitis, leading to drainage and pain. They may also trigger ear infections which affect hearing and speech development; fatigue and brain fog are a common complaint in those living with allergies, making concentration more challenging; eventually chronic allergies can even contribute to anxiety and depression due to their constant discomfort and lifestyle restrictions.
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