Allergy

Allergy is a response of a hypersensitive immune system after it comes in contact with seemingly harmless substances.

Our immune system produces antibodies in response to the foreign substances known as antigens and provides protection against them. When the immune system becomes hypersensitive, it starts recognizing the harmless agents as threats and produces a mild to moderate inflammatory response.

Allergy is a reaction that occurs whenever your body comes in contact with the allergen. Allergens are the agents that can induce an allergic reaction in a body and they are harmless. 

Allergens can be of many types, few of them are listed below:

• Environmental allergens such as pollens, dust mites and insects
• Food allergy
• Medicines

It is an overreaction of our immune system when comes into contact with the allergen. The response can be mild to severe or life-threatening too. The types of allergies are listed below:

• Skin allergies such as eczema, atopic dermatitis and hives
• Medication allergies
• Allergic rhinitis, asthma
• Anaphylaxis is the most critical condition that results in the abrupt fall in blood pressure and breathing difficulties

Causes of allergy:

The risk factors are:

• Genetic past
• Sex
• Age
• The environmental factors are seasonal changes, dust, pollen grains, and pollution. 
• Heavy use of antibiotics like penicillin
• Exposure to smoke 
• Various diseases

The allergens and a person’s response to those allergens can also vary:

Airborne allergens:

• Cigarette smoke
• Animal hair and dander
• Mold spores
• Solvents
• Remains of house mites
• Pollens
• Dust of the house
• Microbes etc.

Allergic foods:

• Wheat
• Soy
• Cow’s milk
• Egg
• Cashew
• Peanut
• Fish etc.

Drug allergies

• Tetanus vaccine
• Flu vaccines
• Gamma globulin
• antibiotic drugs

Insect and other arthropods as allergens:

• Mosquitoes
• Bees 
• Wasps, hornets
• Fleas

Allergens causing Contact dermatitis:

• Nickel alloys
• Latex
• Poison ivy, oak, sumac

Signs and Symptoms of allergy: 

There are various signs caused by various allergens:

• Headache
• Breathing problems
• Red, watery, itchy eyes with burning sensation
• Itchy nose, mouth, throat, skin, or any other area
• Wheezing
• Running nose
• Coughing 
• Hives (skin wheals)
• Skin rashes
• Stomach cramps
• Vomiting, nausea
• Red eyes, conjunctivitis

Adverse effects of the problem:

Allergies as such are not a big issue as they can be easily controlled with prescription drugs and OTC corticosteroids, but one should not take an anaphylactic attack lightly as it may cause many serious and life-threatening problems.

Preventive measures: 

It is better to have knowledge of the triggering factors like foods, insects, medicines, and climatic changes. It is better to prevent the condition by staying away as much as you can.

Do keep an eye on the triggering symptoms and take medicines on time to avoid any outbursts of the condition.

If you have a previous history of life-threatening conditions, then always carry emergency medicine and always wear a medical alert or necklace so that people are aware of the emergency condition. 

Common Anti Allergy medicines:

The common anti-allergy medicines are available online, from where you can buy your medications very easily. The common anti-allergy drugs are:

• Allegra
• Kenocort injection
• Seroflo Inhaler
• Flixonase nasal spray
• Nasacort Aqua nasal
• Azelastine hydrochloride
• Alerid etc.

Myths and facts:

Myth: pet allergy is from their fur only

Fact: No, many people do not know that those who have pet allergies are allergic to their fur, skin, urine, and saliva.

Myth: many adults are allergic to milk

Fact: milk allergies are common in infants, but adults may become free from allergies as they age. You should not mistake lactose intolerance signs like bloating, nausea, and gas as allergy symptoms.

Diagnosis of allergy:

The proper diagnosis of the problem is done by an expert. The health care expert starts with the history of the symptoms as it is an important tool for the determination of the types of allergy. Various allergy tests done are as follows:

• Blood tests are done to evaluate the IgE levels in the blood.
• Food Allergy testing is done to suspect the allergic factors
• Reaction to the physical stimulus

Treatment for allergy:

There is no treatment for the cause, but symptomatic relief and prevention of the situation can be well achieved with prescription allergy pills.

The undesirable symptoms can be well eased with prescription allergy pills. The allergy medicines aim to decrease the inflammation of the affected tissues. It is always advised to stay away from the triggering factors that cause allergies.

Various anti-allergy drugs can relieve the signs and decrease the response of the immune system. There are multiple allergy medications that are prescribed by the doctors after evaluating your symptoms and help in overcoming the condition:

• Diphenhydramine, Chlorpheniramine, and Brompheniramine are a few prescription allergy pills. Fexofenadine, Cetirizine and Loratadine are few other antihistamines options.
• Nasal corticosteroid sprays Fluticasone, Mometasone, and Triamcinolone are employed in allergic rhinitis
• Decongestants such as Cromolyn sodium given in hay fever
• Leukotriene modifiers such as Montelukast helps to control asthma

Buy these anti-allergy drugs online from various reputed pharmacies. In some cases, when these medicines fail to respond then immunotherapy is done for a few years to treat the allergic condition. In critical conditions, generally, an epinephrine shot is administered that reduces symptoms until you get emergency treatment

Steps to improve the health:

Follow the tips given below and stay away from allergies:

• Limit your exposure to allergens
• Do not come too close to pets and other furry animals
• Always wear protective gear when entering into trigger environments 
• Always wash hands after coming in contact with animals
• Pay attention to pollen counts. Prefer indoors as the pollen count is less inside. Avoid early morning outings and prefer late afternoons 
• Avoid smoke exposure during pregnancy and during postnatal period while lactating
• Do not eat, drink, smoke, handle contact lenses, use cosmetics in work areas and wash your hands before engaging in any of these activities
• Always keep the house clean
• Stay away from stressful situations

Important things to know:

• Various minor allergic reactions can be safely treated at home with several OTC drugs 
• Anaphylaxis should be dealt properly as it is a life-threatening problem