Allergies occur when your immune system overreacts to substances that would normally not produce any negative reaction in most individuals. Allergies are common and both genetic and environmental factors play a part in creating them.
Allergies can cause symptoms like sneezing, runny nose and itchy eyes that can last year-round or just temporarily.
Identify Your Triggers
Allergies arise when our immune systems overreact to normally harmless stimuli such as pollen, mold spores, house dust, pet dander and latex that enter through inhalation or ingestion – such as pollen, mold spores, house dust, pet dander or latex particles inhalation; or food, medication and insect stings from bees and wasps being eaten up as allergens by us humans.
Your immune system misreads food allergy triggers as dangerous substances and produces antibodies against them, activating mast cells to release chemicals such as histamines, leukotrienes and cytokines that cause symptoms like congestion, itching, swelling and vomiting.
As with outdoor allergies, such as grass, tree pollen, weeds and dust mites; mold spores; cat and dog dander and certain chemicals – knowing which triggers are present can help you minimize their effects and avoid an allergic response.
Make a detailed allergy symptom diary to help identify your triggers. Record when symptoms arise, what seems to make them worse or better and your activities at that time – over time patterns should emerge which help pinpoint potential triggers. Or use an app like Zyrtec(r) AllergyCast(r)* which tracks symptoms to track them more precisely – using this tool’s data, you and your physician can develop an action plan together for managing allergy symptoms more effectively.
Learn How to Manage Your Symptoms
Allergies can cause a range of symptoms, spanning from mild to severe. Seasonal allergens like pollen or pet dander can trigger runny nose, itchy eyes and sneezing; food allergies may disrupt digestive systems causing stomach cramps or rashes or even anaphylaxis, an potentially life-threatening reaction.
Allergens have the potential to affect our sleep, work or school performance and overall quality of life in numerous ways. Chronic sinusitis, for instance, causes nasal congestion, facial pain and pressure resulting in lost focus or decreased productivity – while asthma symptoms may flare up when exposed to allergens like animal dander or pollen and require emergency care or inhalers to bring relief.
If you suffer from allergies, taking steps to manage and reduce symptoms is possible. Your doctor can suggest strategies for decreasing exposure to allergens by changing your routine or keeping allergy medication handy. Washing hair or face before sleeping may help remove pollen or other particles from your skin and body; changing into clean clothing as soon as you arrive home from being outdoors could also help. Vacuuming regularly and clearing away pet dander/fur from furniture are other effective measures which may reduce symptoms.
Talk to Your Healthcare Provider
Healthcare providers can test for allergies through skin prick testing and blood testing, and prescribe antihistamines and steroid nose sprays as necessary to control allergy symptoms. If you’ve had serious allergy attacks in the past, such as anaphylaxis attacks, your physician may give you a prescription for an epinephrine auto-injector as additional protection.
Allergies arise when your immune system overreacts to something that should not be harmful, like tree pollen, pet dander or mold spores. Your body then produces antibodies which produce allergic symptoms like sneezing, runny nose or itchy eyes.
If you suffer from seasonal allergies, consulting a physician is key in managing symptoms by determining which allergens cause them. They will also teach how to minimize exposure and optimize medication regimen.
Be sure to inform your physician immediately if you experience allergy symptoms with fever as this could be a telltale sign of cold or flu virus infection. People with allergies often go through what Penn Allergy/Immunology Fellowship Program Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine Priya Patel, MD refers to as the “atopic march,” where symptoms gradually progress from eczema (eczema) through food allergies, allergic rhinitis and finally asthma.
Seek Treatment
An estimated 50 million Americans suffer from allergies caused by pollen, mold spores, pet dander, food or milk. Allergic reactions occur when your immune system overreacts in order to protect you against perceived or actual invaders – resulting in symptoms like runny nose, itchy eyes and sneezing. It’s important to seek treatment as soon as possible in order to enjoy a more comfortable life if this applies to you.
Allergies can have an enormous effect on one’s mental health, due to the constant discomfort they cause and limitations they impose. Allergies can lead to fatigue and disrupted sleep patterns; make concentration difficult; and make feeling energetic more challenging. Frequent allergy flare-ups can dramatically diminish school and work performance for both children and adults, especially during allergy season. Due to this risk, many must limit outdoor activities during peak allergy season as well as avoid certain foods in order to prevent allergic reactions; which in turn creates feelings of isolation or stress for many individuals. Treatment options for severe allergies may include oral medications, injection immunotherapy (immunotherapy) or sublingual immunotherapy (allergen tablets placed under the tongue). Understanding your triggers and learning how to manage symptoms will allow for a more comfortable lifestyle with allergies.
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