If you have ever experienced allergies you know how uncomfortable these can be. Namely, allergic reactions of your body may affect your eyes, skin, throat, airways, ears, mouth and many other parts of your organism, resulting in itchiness, inflammation, rashes and other troubles which simply cannot be ignored, let alone endured without an adequate treatment.
What Are Allergies?
Interestingly enough, allergies are our body's reactions to something it perceives as harmful, even though this does not pose any actual threat to us. All these factors which may trigger allergic reactions within our organism are called allergens.
Once we get exposed to an allergen, our body starts defending itself against it, producing chemicals, predominantly consisting of histamine, triggering the allergic reactions which usually affect our throat, digestive system, respiratory system or skin.
Unfortunately, once you are allergic to something, you are not likely to overcome this, since, whenever you get exposed to that specific allergen again, the reactions are bound to repeat. You can only learn how to suppress the allergic reactions, fighting the symptoms, because you usually cannot fight the cause.
Treatment for Allergies and Allergic Reactions
Before you can take any steps against allergies, you need to know what you are allergic to. Thus, if you sneeze while around certain plants, you may be allergic to pollen. Find the trigger of your allergies and avoid it whenever possible. If you cannot find your allergen this way, focus on the things you eat, writing the eaten food down, observing the reactions, if any take place.
If this fails as well, you may need to be tested for allergies by a professional. Skin prick and scratch tests are performed in these cases.
Once you identify your allergen, remove it from your life. Clean your dwelling from it, make sure you do not expose yourself to situations where it is present and do whatever you can to avoid it. If you are allergic to certain foods, do not experiment with food you are not familiar with. Also, if you are allergic to animal hair, stay away from pets and face the fact that you will never have one.
Alternatively, keep your house clean at all times and use detergents and cosmetic substances which are proven not to trigger allergies.
Medications against Allergies
One of the best ways of dealing with allergies it to counter the production of histamine in your body. Antihistamines are medications which are used for these purposes. They usually relieve you off milder symptoms of allergic reactions. However, they are likely to be insufficient when it comes to more serious symptoms.
Antihistamines come in two generations. The second one is bound to have less side effects. Choose Claritin, Zyrtec, Allegra or Benadryl. If this fails, you may opt for allergen immunotherapy, where you will be exposed to allergen injections, forcing your body to accommodate and get used to them. Corticosteroids, and some experimental treatments may be helpful as well.
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