The Nature Of Allergies

Allergies can affect a person in various ways. These can be in the form of hayfever or allergic rhinitis, allergic asthma, food allergies or drug allergies just to name a few. Allergies can elicit reactions, which range from the annoying and itchy skin redness to the fatal anaphylactic shock usually caused by drug or food allergies.

One of the most common allergies is hayfever. It is estimated that almost 1 in every 5 Americans has this form of allergy. Hayfever is often aggravated by molds, pollen, dander or bits of animal skin and household dust.

Food allergies commonly affect children than adults. However, children often outgrow their food allergies by the time they reach the age of 3. The most common food offenders are nuts, milk and eggs. It is observed that peanuts and seafood deliver the strongest and sometimes worst and fatal reactions. Unfortunately, most people rarely outgrow their peanut and seafood allergies. Other allergies that can result into fatal reactions include allergies to penicillin and insect stings.

Most often allergies can be handled effectively by home remedies. However, if you experience the worst form, it is always wise to consult your doctor. He will be able to prescribe some medications to curb the reactions like antihistamines and steroid nasal sprays. Some alternative treatments like herbs, acupuncture and homeopathy are found to be effective by some individuals.

Here are some of the signs and symptoms of the different forms of allergies:

A person suffering from hayfever may experience itchy or runny eyes accompanied by frequent sneezing with runny or stuffy nose. The back of the throat and hard palate or roof of the mouth may also feel itchy.

Sneezing, coughing and wheezing are common to people with allergic asthma. There are even cases when those affected with this form of allergy may find difficulty in breathing.

A person with food allergies will often experience an upset stomach and itchy, red and bumpy skin outbreaks whenever offending foods are consumed. Drug allergies on the other hand often show bumpy, red and itchy skin similar with food allergies. Sometimes, drug allergies exhibit flu like symptoms like low fever, headache and joint pain.

There are different approaches to follow in order to prevent allergic reactions depending on the offending substance.

If you are allergic to pollen, it will be helpful if you stay indoors during the days when the pollen count is high. It is also advisable to avoid smoking or smoky places and areas with dusts and insects sprays.

If you have hayfever, try over the counter antihistamines. It is also wise to keep track which among the antihistamine medications work best for you. Always check with your doctor if you are taking prescription drugs because these might cause some unwanted reactions when mixed together with over the counter antihistamines.

Finally, if your allergies are due to insect stings or if you have severe reactions to some food, ask your doctor for an emergency kit that contains antihistamine and epinephrine shot. Always carry this kit with you because this might just save your life.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Allergies

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