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An allergy is an immune response or reaction to
substances that are usually not harmful. What causes seasonal
allergies?The correct answer is an immune system reaction. Your immune
system normally protects your body against harmful bacteria and viruses.
If you have seasonal allergies, this system reacts strongly to harmless
pollens. Seasonal allergies are also sometimes called hay fever.What are
common seasonal allergy symptoms?The correct answer is all of the above.
When you come in contact with an allergy trigger, your body releases the
chemical histamine. This causes allergy symptoms. Other symptoms include
cough, sore throat, puffy eyes, tiredness, and headache. Tell your
doctor if you notice allergy symptoms.What else can cause allergy
symptoms in some people?The correct answer is A, B, and C. These
triggers create symptoms that affect the nose. It's not always easy to
know what is causing allergy symptoms. If you start sneezing and your
nose runs, write down what you were doing when symptoms started.
Learning what causes your symptoms can help you avoid allergy
triggers.Your doctor can do tests to find out what causes your
allergies.The correct answer is true. Your doctor can test you to see
what causes an allergic reaction. The most common is a skin prick test.
A small amount of a possible allergy trigger is placed on your skin.
Then the skin is gently pricked to allow it to go under the skin.
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If you have swelling or redness, you are allergic.What can you do to
avoid allergy triggers?The correct answer is A, B, and C. To reduce
allergy triggers in your home, install furnace filters or other air
filters. Use a dehumidifier to dry the air in your house and prevent
mold. If you have pets, don't let them in your bedroom or on furniture.
Pay attention to pollen levels in your area, and avoid going outside
when levels are high.What produces the pollen that causes allergies?The
correct answer is all of the above. If you get seasonal allergies, work
with your doctor to find out what you are allergic to. Pollen levels are
highest on cool, damp, rainy days.The correct answer is false. More
pollen is in the air on hot, dry, windy days. The amount of pollen in
the air can affect whether hay fever symptoms develop. Check for pollen
count in your area in the news or online. Stay indoors in air
conditioning if possible when counts are high. Which can treat
allergies?The correct answer is all of the above. Common medicines
include antihistamines, corticosteroids, and decongestants. Treatments
are available over-the-counter and by prescription. Your doctor will
recommend a medicine based on what you are allergic to and how severe
your allergies are.Allergy shots can treat severe seasonal allergies.The
correct answer is true. Your doctor may recommend shots if you can't
avoid allergy triggers and your symptoms are hard to control. You will
get regular shots of the substance that causes the reaction. Allergy
shots help your body adjust and stop reacting to the allergy trigger.
Ask your doctor if this therapy is right for you.
Causes
Allergies are very common. Both genes and environment play a role. If
both your parents have allergies, there is a good chance that you have
them, too.
The immune system normally protects the body against harmful substances,
such as bacteria and viruses. It also reacts to foreign substances
called allergens. These are usually harmless and in most people do not
cause a problem.
In a person with allergies, the immune response is oversensitive. When
it recognizes an allergen, the immune system launches a response.
Chemicals such as histamines are released. These chemicals cause allergy
symptoms.
Common allergens include:
Drugs
Dust
Food
Insect venom
Mold
Pet and other animal dander
Pollen
Some people have allergy-like reactions to hot or cold temperatures,
sunlight, or other environmental triggers. Sometimes, friction (rubbing
or roughly stroking the skin) will cause symptoms.
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Allergies may make certain medical conditions, such as sinus problems,
eczema, and asthma, worse.
Symptoms
The part of the body the allergen touches affects what symptoms you
develop. For example:
Allergens that you breathe in often cause a stuffy nose, itchy nose and
throat, mucus, cough, and wheezing.
Allergens that touch the eyes may cause itchy, watery, red, swollen
eyes.
Eating something you are allergic to can cause nausea, vomiting,
abdominal pain, cramping, diarrhea, or a severe, life-threatening
reaction.
Allergens that touch the skin can cause a skin rash, hives, itching,
blisters, or skin peeling.
Drug allergies usually involve the whole body and can lead to a variety
of symptoms.
Treatment
Severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis) need to be treated with a
medicine called epinephrine. It can be life-saving when given right
away. If you use epinephrine, call 911 and go straight to the hospital.
The best way to reduce symptoms is to avoid what causes your allergies.
This is especially important for food and drug allergies.
There are several types of medications to prevent and treat allergies.
Which medicine your doctor recommends depends on the type and severity
of your symptoms, your age, and overall health.
Illnesses that are caused by allergies (such as asthma, hay fever, and
eczema) may need other treatments.
Medications that can be used to treat allergies include:
ANTIHISTAMINES
Antihistamines are available over-the-counter and by prescription. They
are available in many forms, including:
Capsules and pills
Eye drops
Injection
Liquid
Nasal spray
CORTICOSTEROIDS
These are anti-inflammatory medications. They are available in many
forms, including:
Creams and ointment for the skin
Eye drops
Nasal spray
Lung inhaler
Persons with severe allergic symptoms may be prescribed corticosteroid
pills or injections for short periods.
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DECONGESTANTS
Decongestants help relieve a stuffy nose. Do not use decongestant nasal
spray for more than several days because they can cause a rebound effect
and make the congestion worse. Decongestants in pill form do not cause
this problem. People with high blood pressure, heart problems, or
prostate enlargement should use decongestants with caution.
OTHER MEDICINES
Leukotriene inhibitors are medicines that block the substances that
trigger allergies. Person with asthma and indoor and outdoor allergies
may be prescribed these medicines.
ALLERGY SHOTS
Allergy shots (immunotherapy) are sometimes recommended if you cannot
avoid the allergen and your symptoms are hard to control. Allergy shots
keep your body from over-reacting to the allergen. You will get regular
injections of the allergen. Each dose is slightly larger than the last
dose until a maximum dose is reached. These shots do not work for
everybody and you will have to visit the doctor often.
SUBLINGUAL IMMUNOTHERAPY TREATMENT (SLIT)
Instead of shots, medicine put under the tongue may help for grass and
ragweed allergies.
Prevention
Breastfeeding can help prevent or decrease allergies when you feed
babies this way only for 4 to 6 months. However, changing a mother's
diet during pregnancy or while breastfeeding does not seem to help
prevent allergies.
For most children, changing the diet or using special formulas does not
seem to prevent allergies. If a parent, brother, sister, or other family
member has a history of eczema and allergies, discuss feeding with your
child's doctor.
There is also evidence that being exposed to certain allergens (such as
dust mites and cat dander) in the first year of life may prevent some
allergies. This is called the "hygiene hypothesis." It came from the
observation that infants on farms tend to have fewer allergies than
those who grow up in more sterile environments. However, older children
do not seem to benefit.
Once allergies have developed, treating the allergies and carefully
avoiding allergy triggers can prevent reactions in the future.
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