Your eyes itch, your nose is running, you're sneezing, and you're
covered in hives. It's allergy season again, and all you want to do is
curl up into a ball of misery.
There has to be something you can do to feel better. After all,
doctors seem to have a cure for everything, right? Not for allergies.
But there are ways to relieve allergy symptoms or avoid getting the
symptoms, even though you can't actually get rid of the allergies
themselves.
What Are Allergies?
Allergies are abnormal immune system reactions to things that are
typically harmless to most people. When you're allergic to something,
your immune system mistakenly believes that this substance is harmful to
your body. (Substances that cause allergic reactions, such as certain
foods, dust, plant pollen, or medicines, are known as
allergens.)
In an attempt to protect the body, the immune system produces
IgE antibodies
to that allergen. Those antibodies then cause certain cells in the body
to release chemicals into the bloodstream, one of which is
histamine (pronounced:
his-tuh-meen).
The histamine then acts on the eyes, nose, throat, lungs, skin, or
gastrointestinal tract and causes the symptoms of the allergic reaction.
Future exposure to that same allergen will trigger this antibody
response again. This means that every time you come into contact with
that allergen, you'll have an allergic reaction.
Allergic reactions can be mild, like a runny nose, or they can be severe, like difficulty breathing. An
asthma attack, for example, is often an allergic reaction to something that is breathed into the lungs by a person who is susceptible.
Some types of allergies produce multiple symptoms, and in rare cases,
an allergic reaction can become very severe — this severe reaction is
called
anaphylaxis (pronounced: an-uh-fuh-
lak-sis).
Signs of anaphylaxis include difficulty breathing, difficulty
swallowing, swelling of the lips, tongue, and throat or other parts of
the body, and dizziness or loss of consciousness.
Anaphylaxis usually occurs minutes after exposure to a triggering
substance, such as a peanut, but some reactions might be delayed by as
long as 4 hours. Luckily, anaphylactic reactions don't occur often and
can be treated successfully if proper medical procedures are followed.
Why Do People Get Allergies?
The tendency to develop allergies is often hereditary, which means it
can be passed down through your genes. (Thanks a lot, Mom and Dad!)
However, just because a parent or sibling has allergies doesn't mean you
will definitely get them, too. A person usually doesn't inherit a
particular allergy, just the likelihood of having allergies.
What Things Are People Are Allergic to?
Some of the most common allergens are:
Foods. Food allergies
are most common in infants and often go away as people get older.
Although some food allergies can be serious, many simply cause annoying
symptoms like an itchy rash, a stuffy nose, and
diarrhea.
The foods that people are most commonly allergic to are milk and other
dairy products, eggs, wheat, soy, peanuts and tree nuts, and seafood.
Insect bites and stings. The venom (poison) in
insect bites and stings can cause allergic reactions, and can be severe
and even cause an anaphylactic reaction in some people.
Airborne particles. Often called environmental
allergens, these are the most common allergens. Examples of airborne
particles that can cause allergies are dust mites (tiny bugs that live
in house dust); mold spores; animal dander (flakes of scaly, dried skin,
and dried saliva from your pets); and pollen from grass, ragweed, and
trees.
Medicines. Antibiotics — medications used to treat
infections — are the most common type of medicines that cause allergic
reactions. Many other medicines, including over-the-counter medications
(those you can buy without a prescription), also can cause allergic-type
reactions.
Chemicals. Some cosmetics or laundry detergents can
make people break out in an itchy rash (hives). Usually, this is because
someone has a reaction to the chemicals in these products. Dyes,
household cleaners, and pesticides used on lawns or plants also can
cause allergic reactions in some people.
How Do Doctors Diagnose and Treat Allergies?
If your family doctor suspects you might have an allergy, he or she
might refer you to an allergist (a doctor who specializes in allergy
treatment) for further testing. The allergist will ask you about your
own allergy symptoms (such as how often they occur and when) and about
whether any family members have allergies. The allergist also will
perform tests to confirm an allergy — these will depend on the type of
allergy someone has and may include a skin test or blood test.
The most complete way to avoid allergic reactions is to stay away from the substances that cause them (called
avoidance). Doctors can also treat some allergies using medications and allergy shots.
Avoidance
- Keep family pets out of certain rooms, like your bedroom, and bathe them if necessary.
- Remove carpets or rugs from your room (hard floor surfaces don't collect dust as much as carpets do).
- Don't hang heavy drapes and get rid of other items that allow dust to accumulate.
- Clean frequently (if your allergy is severe, you may be able to get someone else to do your dirty work!)
- Use special covers to seal pillows and mattresses if you're allergic to dust mites.
- If you're allergic to pollen, keep windows closed when pollen
season's at its peak, change your clothing after being outdoors — and
don't mow lawns.
- If you're allergic to mold, avoid damp areas, such as basements, and keep bathrooms and other mold-prone areas clean and dry.
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3:34 AM
Julia Rob
