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Health Topics: Allergies
More than 50 million Americans, or one out of five, suffer from allergies. One out of every 11 visits to the doctor is for an allergic disease.
What is an allergy?
An allergy is an abnormal reaction to an ordinarily harmless substance. The substances may be inhaled, swallowed, or come into contact with the skin.
What are some of the substances which cause allergies?
Almost any substance can cause an allergic reaction. The most common ones are: foods, animal hair, pollen, dust mold, insect bites or stings, drugs, feathers, cosmetics, and smoke.
Who is affected by allergies?
Almost anyone can be allergic to certain substances. Many allergies begin in childhood. If the family has a history of allergies, the child has a greater chance of developing allergies. Often, a person who is allergic to one substance is also allergic to other substances. Emotions may aggravate, trigger, or cause allergic reactions.
Symptoms of Allergies:
- sneezing accompanied by a runny or clogged nose.
- coughing and postnasal drip.
- itchy eyes, nose, and a scratchy throat.
- dark circles under the eyes cause by increased blood flow near the sinuses.
- watery eyes
- conjuctivitis (red-rimmed, swollen eyes, and crusting of the eyelids)
What is an allergist?
An allergist/clinical immunologist is a physician with special training in the diagnosis and treatment of allergic and immunologic diseases. The allergist will conduct a personalized study of the patient, including information such as family history, evaluation of the home and school environments, allergy testing, laboratory tests, and history of illness. With this information, the allergist will be able to determine if the patient has allergies or not.
How allergies are diagnosed:
- skin testing - which shows an immediate reaction to allergens.
- blood testing - which looks for the IgE antibodies that actually cause the allergy.
Treatment
Treatment may require immunotherapy or more than one medication. Certain medications may be prescribed which help to relieve the symptoms of the allergy. These medications should be used according to the specific recommendation of your physician. The patient may want to ask their physician about all the new over-the-counter medications for treating allergies. When you know what substances you are allergic to, you should use environmental control measures. Eliminate and avoid the things that cause your allergic reactions.
If allergens persist despite medications and other environmental control measures, immunotherapy may be recommended. Immunotherapy is also called desensitization, or allergy shots. This form of therapy is used to treat patients who are sensitive to inhaled allergens.
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