Allergies Articles

Monday, September 13, 2010

Allergy Relief - Know Your Allergy Then Bring Back Your Life

Allergies carry many different symptoms. They affect a very large number of people in the world and should always be treated serious. I try to give a very simple overview here.

Keep in mind there is no one simple set of reactions for any two people exposed. What would be a mere red irritated swelling of one persons hand for a day or two. Another person could have extreme swelling of the hand a complete loss of breathing and be hospitalized with what might appear as blood poisoning. Both people having being bitten by an ant.

How these facts gave me Allergy Relief I could live with.

What type Is your Allergy?

Hypersensitivity. In general terms an Allergy is a type of reaction that is mostly caused when a part of the body comes into direct or indirect contact with a foreign substance. This could be a direct contact form such as a chemical matter or air born matter by an inhaled chemical or substance. These are called allergens. It could the be said that an allergy is the way in which the immune system reacts to that contact. This would be considered a disorder of the immune system sometimes called a Atopy.

The disorder or allergy is simply the way a persons system treats these allergens differently than a normal or health immune system. The body generally over reacting to the exposure will have a chemical response causing the various symptoms. I will discuss this more in detail later when I discuss reactions.

Note: Some allergies can be a very serious medical condition. If you are around someone known to have a serious condition of an allergy know what there reaction could be and how to respond to it. More common allergies are simple and easily managed while some can be deadly.

Allergic Reaction what is happening in your body?

Reactions take on many different forms. Every type of allergy will affect people differently. This is due mostly to how sensitive the immune system is and the level of exposure. When the immune system is exposed to this allergen it can stimulate a chemical change in the body causing a release of what are called Histamines. These histamines are generally an over reaction to this exposure. The body then responds to that exposure in different ways. This is sometimes called a allergy attack. There are many different types of a reaction but I have listed the more common here.

Redness at affected area

Rash of the skin

Swollen or irritated eyes

Throat soreness

Glands swollen

Stomach pains or discomfort

Troubled breathing Fatigue

If a person is exposed to an air born allergen then the reaction could be internal. Lets say they are allergic to a pollen. They could have problems breathing a runny nose, cough, stomach pains, headache and even nausea. Some allergens can even be absorbed in to the blood stream and move though out the body organs. These being extreme cases. A food allergy would cause such an effect as it would be ingested causing possible internal and or external reactions. A person exposed to an external allergen may have a redness, swelling or irritated type feeling of the effected area as described above. Some of these exposures can be less sever that others in appearance. If two people have the same allergy type, no two people will show the exact same reaction. The reaction will depend on there individual immune system and how it processes the exposure.

Allergy Types do you know yours?

There are many specific and different types of allergies.When broken down I have found that there are four generally recognized categories described as Hypersensitivity that make up these classifications.

Immediate

This type is generally found to be a result of simple exposure to air born, inhaled or direct contact. It tends to have a very quick reaction to the source. It will show with a more common symptoms like heavy breathing, coughing, sneezing, swollen eyes, irritated skin and in some more rare cases allergic shock. This type of allergy is found to be most common.

Food Allergy

This type is not any more or less serious than the other type reactions however treatment and suffering can be prolonged because the allergen is working from with in the body and or blood system. This is caused when the source or allergen is commonly introduced into the person through a food or medication. This directly triggering a blood type reaction with the immune system. Symptoms migrate though the body quickly.

Cytotoxic

This is a type of allergy were the the immune system attacks is own cells the body produces histamines. Triggered from a deeper rooted cell reaction from this additional histamine and causing a chemical change in the blood system. Many studies are still separating this allergy from symptoms similar with other serious diseases. Research has show these allergies are some what rare. But can also be deadly if not recognized.

Cellular Immune

Allergies that react slower or you might say show there symptoms in a delayed timing. These are also a type of blood immune disorder. As with the above third type they would be considered more rare than a Immediate allergy. However again they are extremely serious and though cases are low these types of allergies can be deadly if not treated seriously.

Take your next step with a better understanding.

Allergies are in many cases over looked or there symptoms are dismissed as every day common colds. It is a fact that through out America over twenty percent of our population suffer from Hypersensitivity disorders simply called allergies. There are no cures for this disorder, however many new treatments and small life changes can make a difference in you health.

Find out more about things you can do to manage your sensitivity. Understanding your allergy is the start to getting the relief you are looking for. There are many living style and life changes that can help a person manage this disorder. So many that people tend to actually stray away from the truth.

By getting more information about your specific type of allergy and a better understanding you might find as with most that suffer from hypersensitivity that one simple change could keep your system in balance. So do not get rid of the dog or sell your vacuum cleaner yet. Get complete medical advice on your type of allergy. From there you can change or adjust and live a healthier more balanced life.

Friday, October 10, 2008

Suffering From Allergies - When Should You See a Medical Professional

An allergy is an ailment that is often not taken seriously. This is especially true when the symptoms one suffers from are not severe. People often forget that whether mild or severe, they affect oneýs health in the long run. Mild symptoms are generally ignored and people never feel that it is serious enough to consider taking medical advice. Home remedies are resorted to in such situations and there is good deal of optimism that these mild symptoms will gradually disappear. But even allergies that are not severe still persist in bothering the patient and do not go away till they are treated with home remedies or medically. Seeking advice from a medical professional has its benefits and negatives, which we would like to elaborate.

A doctor is a qualified medical professional who has studied the functioning of the human body and the ways to set right whatever goes wrong in it. The knowledge gained, is put to use while treating hundreds of patients. This adds to the expertise of the doctor as he gains in experience. Specialists in the field of allergies carry on research and make breakthroughs in the process of treatment, and thereby give the best solution to the patient. No amount of self-study or internet research can equal the expertise of a doctor, because as a layman one cannot understand medical nuances.

A whole range of medicines is available only with a prescription. These are called prescription drugs and sold at pharmacies only when a doctorýs prescription is provided. This then necessitates a visit to the doctor. Often, prescription drugs are needed only when the allergy is severe, but even in mild symptoms. It is comforting to have access to such drugs. Prescription drugs are crucial for those people who do not benefit from over-the-counter medicines, and also for people with food allergies who need immediate medication, which again the doctor must prescribe. These drugs are life savers for people with allergies like peanut allergy.

The onset of an allergy is often ignored till it becomes serious. Looking for a doctor at that time is not such a good idea as new patients are generally not taken in last minute. Successful and competent doctors have full schedules and their appointment diaries are filled days in advance. At such times reaching a doctor who is good, becomes difficult. A visit to the regular physician is simpler because it just means requesting for an appointment. Another issue to be borne in mind is that the doctor you decide to visit should accept your health insurance, or else the doctorýs consultancy charges become a major expense.

The two major drawbacks of seeking the advice of a medical professional include time and money. A visit to a doctor is a time consuming affair. It always means leaving work, spending time traveling to his clinic, and then waiting for your turn to see the doctor. When the symptoms are not severe, the patient feels that it is not necessary to invest so much time to see the doctor for a minor malady. Clinics do remain open sometimes on weekends or till late on specific evenings to make things easier for those who cannot get away from work during the day. If however, symptoms suddenly get severe, a hospital is the best place to go to.

The cost factor is another negative feature of visiting a doctor. A medical insurance generally covers doctorýs consultancy charges. But if the insurance cover is not adequate, the patient lands up paying a substantial amount as a joint payment and as a deductible. A trip to the doctor also should yield value for money. If the patient does not have insurance cover, then it is preferable to visit doctors whose fee is according to the income slab of the patient. This helps in saving money while also getting medical advice as he will be charged what he can afford. Most states also have medical assistance plans for the less fortunate segment. If the patient qualifies for these like Medicaid that is state run, it is beneficial.

Do allergy air purifiers actually reduce the amount of allergens in the air if you are allergic to grass and pollen?