Allergies affect more than twenty percent of the adults and children in the United States, which means that millions of people are affected each year. Allergies can affect people at different times of life, and during different seasons, depending on the source of the reaction. There are a number of different culprits that can cause an allergic reaction in people, including pollen, dust mites, mold and foods. If you think that you are suffering from allergies, you should make an appointment with your doctor to find out what you are allergic to and what your best options in treatment plans are.
Allergies are generally inherited, which means that if one or both of your parents suffer, you stand a good chance of having them also. The allergen can vary however, so you cannot assume that because your mother is allergic to dust, you will be also. You may instead develop a reaction to pollen or mold. The genetic link is simply in whether or not you are prone to developing an allergy. Another possible reason for developing a reaction to a particular substance is exposure to that substance when your immune system has been weakened. For example, many people can develop a reaction after a viral infection or during pregnancy.
What is an Allergy?
Allergies occur as a result of your body’s immune system reacting incorrectly to some sort of foreign substance. Your immune system will see pollen or mold as a harmful substance to your body and react accordingly. The end result can be sneezing, watery eyes, itching, hives, and even trouble breathing during more severe reactions. For many, the reaction will be mild and require little or no medical intervention. During an extreme allergic reaction, called anaphylaxis, you may initially feel itching which will quickly progress to swelling, pain and vomiting. Anaphylaxis is a potentially life-threatening condition that requires immediate medical assistance.
Most allergies can be managed with the help of your doctor, by using antihistamines, decongestants and nasal sprays. There are also lifestyle modifications that you can make to help reduce your exposure to your allergen, such as keeping pets out of the home or maintaining a dust-free environment. If your allergies begin to get in the way of your daily life, your doctor may also recommend immunotherapy, also known as allergy shots, to “cure” your allergies and help you to have symptom-free days. The good news with allergies is that there are many options for managing them effectively. If you suspect that you are suffering from some type of reaction to a particular substance, talk to your doctor today about your choices in allergy treatment.
When you have indoor allergies to dust, mold and pet dander, you come into contact with allergy irritants all year round. This contact can be the highest in your bedroom, where you come to rest and rejuvenate, but may end up worsening allergy symptoms. The high levels of allergens found in your bedroom can affect your health, and the path to a healthier night0s sleep is through reducing your exposure to allergens and therefore preventing allergy symptoms. While steps should be taken throughout the home to reduce allergens, start in the bedroom as you spend the most time here. When you take these allergy relief steps, you0ll be on your way to a healthier home and a healthier night0s sleep.
Step 1: Cover Your Pillow and Mattress in Dust Mite-Proof Allergy Encasings
Over 1 million dust mites can live in a single bed. These dust mites love the dark, warm and humid environment found in any bedding, such as your pillows, mattress, box spring, comforter, blankets or linens. You are allergic to dust mite allergens, which are the dust mites0 dead bodies and fecal particles. You can protect yourself from the large source of […]
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While allergies may often be irritating a Cornell University study found that allergies may actually be doing the body good by protecting it against certain types of cancers.The study included a reexamination of approximately 650 studies from the previous 50 years. The team found that, “inverse allergy-cancer associations are far more common with cancers of organ systems that come in direct contact with matter from the external environment — the mouth and throat, colon and rectum, skin, cervix, pancreas and glial brain cells.” Additionally, the study found that, “only allergies associated with tissues that are directly exposed to environmental assaults had inverse relationships to cancer.”According to scientists, the relationship between cancer and allergies has always been suspect, but now with the new study the link between the two becomes more conclusive. Allergy symptoms may be providing signs and defenses to expel cancer-causing substances from entering the body. Researchers from Cornell believe that further research is needed to better understand the new link between allergies as anti-cancer defenses.What are Allergies?The National Library of Medicine (NLM) reports that allergies, which are also referred to as hypersensitivity, occur as a reaction of the body0s immune system to particles or substances that bother the […]
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