Association With Food Allergies
Allergies to grass can predispose a person to oral allergy syndrome , which is caused by cross-reactivity between proteins in fresh fruits and vegetables and grass pollen.
Grass pollen allergy is associated with OAS to tomatoes, potatoes, melons, and oranges. The proteins in the fruits and vegetables that cause OAS can be easily broken down by cooking or processing the offending foods. That’s why symptoms dont usually occur with cooked or processed foods like tomato sauce.
If you eat a fresh tomato, however, you may experience itching, burning, or stinging in your mouth, throat, and tongue. The symptoms generally last only a few seconds or minutes, since the proteins that cause the symptoms are broken down quickly by saliva. However, while anaphylaxis from OAS is rare, it can occur.
Know Where To Go For Allergy Care: Carolina Asthma & Allergy Center
Allergies can begin in childhood, adulthood and anytime in between. If youre dealing with a new or persistent case of allergies, we encourage you to reach out to us at Carolina Asthma & Allergy. We serve patients throughout North and South Carolina and work with traditional allergy treatment methods as well as allergy shots and allergy drops.
Our board-certified doctors are experts in food allergies, asthma, insect bite allergies and other uncommon, yet often serious allergies that require specialized care. We even offer anaphylaxis prevention and treatment, immunotherapy care and treatments for the lungs, skin, throat, nose, ears, and eyes. To set up your appointment today, contact us today!
Do Allergies Ever Develop As An Adult
Allergies rarely develop as brand new cases as adults. That’s not to say it never happens, though. However, many adults experience symptoms afresh and wonder how and why.
Although you may have developed a fresh new case of allergies, there’s often a different explanation. Allergies seem to go through stages. Many people experience intense allergy symptoms as children and adolescents, only to find that their symptoms recede in young adulthood. Then later in life those allergies tend to roar back to life. In their 30s, a time when many become parents, allergy sufferers often suffer like they did as kids. Some speculate this has something to do with the colds kids bring home to Mom and Dad, since both colds and allergies influence the immune system.
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Other Tips For Allergy Sufferers:
Wear a mask when raking leaves, mowing or gardening. Raking leaves can stir agitating pollen and mold into the air, which causes allergy and asthma symptoms. People with weed, grass, or mold allergies should wear a NIOSH-rated N95 mask when raking leaves, mowing the lawn, or gardening.
Use a high-efficiency particulate air filter indoors. If you’re allergic to indoor allergens, indoor air filters may help reduce allergens inside your home and improve indoor air quality.
Track your allergy symptoms. Write down when and where you have symptoms. An allergist can help you develop a treatment plan, which can include both medication and avoidance techniques to help you manage and treat your allergies.
Skin tests can help identify what you’re allergic to. If you’re having trouble identifying what you’re allergic to, a skin test might help you assess your allergies. A quick test can see if you have reactions to different pollens, molds, dust, mites, cats, dogs, horses, feathers, etc.
How are the tests conducted? “We don’t use a needle. We don’t expect any blood. We just dip a little plastic prong in the allergen, then use it to lightly scratch the top surface of your skin. The worst part for most adults is really the itching because you can’t touch it for 15 minutes,” says Dr. Nguyen.
What Creates Thunderstorm Asthma
The kind of catastrophic event that happened in November 2016, when epidemic thunderstorm asthma hit Melbourne and left thousands of people struggling to breathe, could also happen in Sydney given a similar mix of climatic conditions, says Professor Katelaris. Wind circulated pollen, there was a sudden drop in air pressure, big raindrops wet the pollen and this caused the grains to explode and release particles tiny enough to lodge in people’s airways. The Victorian storm also hit at 6pm, she points out, when a lot of people were outdoors.
The storm has upped the ante on prevention. Health experts such as professors Katelaris, O’Hehir and Douglass urge hay fever sufferers to see their GPs and develop a rhinitis and asthma action plan. You can also download pollen count phone apps or go online for thunderstorm asthma weather alerts at melbournepollen.com.au and sydneypollen.com.au
The main culprit behind seasonal hay fever in south-eastern Australia.Credit:Alamy
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Treatment And Defense Against Ragweed Allergies
The best defense is a good offense.
With proper weed control, you can get rid of the ragweed around your home. Remove any ragweed plants you find around your property and have your yard treated to kill weeds and control the pollen release near your home.
Also do not wait to contact your allergy specialist to plan your allergy treatments. Allergy immunotherapy treatment involves administering small doses of an allergen to get your body used to it and induce long-term tolerance of the allergen.
Know What To Do When Allergies Strike
Allergens can sneak into your life on your daily walk, a plate of food, or anywhere in between. You might be born with them or develop them years down the line. Knowing what to do when you or someone you know is having an allergy attack could be the difference between life and death.
When experiencing serious allergy symptoms, heading to your local Urgency Room could bring you relief faster than you thought possible. Our skilled and experienced emergency physicians and nurses are well trained to care for serious allergic reactions. At the UR, we treat the allergy symptoms. Treating and allergic reaction does not require any testing and we do not do allergy testing. Were dedicated to helping you return to your healthy self as soon as possible.
You dont have to suffer through your allergies alone. Get the care you need now and the tools you need to avoid future allergy attacks. The Urgency Room operates three convenient Minnesota locations in Eagan, Vadnais Heights, and Woodbury. Were open 365 days per year from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., including holidays. When minutes matter, especially during an allergy attack, get to The Urgency Room.
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How Do You Treat Allergies
Most allergy treatment involves prescription or over-the-counter antihistamines, which treat allergy symptoms. As mentioned, Epinephrine is also used to treat severe allergic reactions.
Other allergy treatments include various forms of immunotherapy, most commonly allergy shots and allergy drops. Both allergy shots and allergy drops expose the immune system to small amounts of one or more allergens at predetermined intervals. Allergen doses start small, then gradually increase. The goal of the treatment is to retrain the immune system to recognize the allergen as not dangerous, decreasing the frequency or severity of allergy symptoms.
Allergy shots and allergy drops are the only current treatment methods that reduce sensitivity to an allergen itself, instead of just treating the allergy symptoms. If youre interested in either option, speak to an experienced allergist.
Can You Die From Seasonal Allergies Like Pollen
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Is It A Cold Or Allergies How To Tell The Difference
Allergies and the common cold share some symptoms, and it could be difficult to discern which of the two is making you experience said symptoms. The only way to know for sure if you have allergies, a cold, or both, is to be tested, Neelds said.
“People do themselves a great disservice by just taking medicine for months and sometimes years on end. And they don’t know for sure,” he said.
“At some point, if you’re taking medicine, and you’re still not feeling good, you really need to go to a doctor.”
Andrew Clark is Facebook editor for IndyStar. Call him at 317-444-6484 or email him at andrew.clark@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter .
When Does Hay Fever Season Ramp Up
Grass pollen counts are performed daily from October 1 to December 31. In NSW, ryegrass pollens can be ready to waft in on a warm westerly as early as mid-September . Theres a peak in October and especially November and then it’s over by Christmas. Same in Victoria, where the main enemy is also ryegrass pollen.
More than 50 grains per cubic metre of air is deemed to be a high or extreme pollen count. In 2019, Melbourne had 27 such days, seven more than the average. And, after a year of drought and bushfires, Sydney had none .
But in Sydney , the hay fever season has a second act. January and February brings dustings of pollens from ubiquitous sub-tropical grasses such as Bermuda and Bahia . The season can extend to April in Brisbane as various subtropical species bloom.
While ryegrass is by far the biggest culprit in south-eastern Australia, there are a range of other plants that can set you off.
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What Should I Do To Make My Allergies Less Awful
If you’re unsure whether you actually have allergies, it’s probably a good idea to see a doctor before taking any new medications.
If you know you suffer from seasonal allergies, the first thing to do is try an over-the-counter antihistamine. By limiting the activity of histamine in your body, it can reduce itchiness, watery eyes, and a runny nose, though it probably won’t make you feel absolutely perfect.
This interactive tool from Iodine can help you find a good medication for your symptoms. Although early antihistamines had the side effect of drowsiness, more recent ones do not. Consumer Reports recommends generic versions of Claritin or Zyrtec , because they’re the exact same drug as the name brand versions and are generally much cheaper.
If you’re still suffering despite help from antihistamines, try limiting your exposure to pollen. Pollen season varies by location, and different plants release their pollen at different times, but trees generally pollinate in the spring and grasses in the summer. Pollen counts forecast the amount of pollen in the air for your area on a given day , so you can avoid spending time outside on particularly high-pollen days . The Mayo Clinic has a bunch of other tips for minimizing exposure.
What Causes A Person To Develop Allergies
Allergies can come in many shapes and sizes. While some people can enjoy beautiful weather, others avoid going outdoors at all costs. The same situation may occur for people watching others enjoy an endless variety of foods while they must be very selective. Those people who suffer from the incessant symptoms of food or environmental allergies may wonder, why?
Have you ever wondered what causes your stuffy nose and sneezing? Its not just a string of bad luck whether your allergy symptoms occur in direct result to the local pollen count, different types of food or your neighbors cat, there are certain responses from our immune system that lead to our level of reaction.
In this article, well explain exactly what causes a person to develop allergies, when this can happen, and whether allergic symptoms are worse in adulthood or childhood.
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How Common Is Insect Allergy
People who have insect allergies are often allergic to bee and wasp stings and poisonous ant bites. Cockroaches and dust mites may also cause nasal or skin allergy symptoms.
- Insect sting allergies affect 5 percent of the population.13
- At least 90-100 deaths occur each year in the United States due to insect sting anaphylaxis.14
References
American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology. . Allergy Facts.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. . 2018 National Health Interview Survey data. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Retrieved from
FoodSafety.gov. . Protect Yourself from Food Allergies. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Wood, R. A., Camargo, C. A., Lieberman, P., Sampson, H. A., Schwartz, L. B., Zitt, M., Collins, C., Tringale, M., Wilkinson, M., Boyle, J., & Simons, F. E. R. . Anaphylaxis in America: the prevalence and characteristics of anaphylaxis in the United States. The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 133, 461467.
Jerschow, E., Lin, R. Y., Scaperotti, M. M., & McGinn, A. P. . Fatal anaphylaxis in the United States 1999-2010: temporal patterns and demographic associations. The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 134, 1318-1328.e7.
Allergy Research
Is It Allergies Or A Cold
When youre allergies flare up, you may be quick to assume its a cold, which is a logical assumption, since they present similar symptoms.
A lot of the symptoms are almost identical: very bad nasal congestion, coughing, wheezing, watery noes and eyes, says Parikh. But generally colds shouldnt last you more than a week 3-5 days on average whereas allergy symptoms can last weeks to months at a time.
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What Can Happen If You Leave Your Allergies Untreated
Were all aware of what allergies are. We know the signs, the symptoms, the methods to treat them. If youre one of the unlucky few , its likely the cause is food, insect stings, medication, or pollen, to name the most common.
We also know that in the worst of circumstances they can lead to anaphylaxis. This can spiral into serious problems like an inability to breathe or cardiac arrest. The number of people admitted to hospital as a result of anaphylaxis increased by 615% from 1992 to 2012, with almost 20 people dying from it per year in the UK alone. If this can happen when youre on top of your allergy, what could possibly happen if you put off treating it?
How Do Adult Onset Allergies Develop
If youre predisposed to a certain type of allergy, but youve never been around that allergen before, it can seem like your symptoms have materialized out of nowhere. Say, for instance, you never had pets growing up. Youre allergic to pet dander, but youd never know it. Then, your roommate decides to get a dog, and your allergies start going crazy.
So yes, even though it may seem like you just woke up with allergies one day, theres usually a medical explanation for why its happened. Unfortunately, that explanation can be difficult to pinpoint, especially when youre simply becoming aware of an allergy you may have had for some time.
In other cases, allergies do develop on their own. You may notice changes suddenly, or monitor a gradual shift in your reaction to a specific substance. Adult onset allergies typically develop differently in different people.
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Is Rain Good For Allergies
Some seasonal allergy sufferers celebrate the rain because it relieves their symptoms, while others dread it. Why the difference in attitude? It’s because depending on your allergy, rain can either be a good sign or a bad sign.
Let’s start with the good things about rain for allergies. Some pollens scatter and collect on outdoor surfaces, accumulating over time. When steady or heavy rains come, they wash away this accumulation of pollen, and that is good news if those types of pollen give you sneezing fits. What’s more, the moisture in the air can weigh down pollens, sending them down to the ground. With enough rainwater, the pollen then flushes down the drain and away from your sinuses.
Of course there’s bad news, too. Sometimes when it rainsespecially during sudden downpoursthe airborne pollens clump together on their way down, then crash apart when they hit the ground, scattering everywhere, and perhaps eventually through your nostrils. There are other problems as well. After enough rain has poured, mold starts to grow, aggravating anyone with mold spore allergies. You may be able to escape somewhat if you reduce the humidity inside your home, which discourages mold. Grasses thrive after the rain too, so grass pollen allergies can also intensify soon after rainfall.
Lab Results Hint At Possibilities
Even as researchers grapple with limited field data, they continue to produce compelling results in climate-controlled chambers that predict future effects on allergenic species. In her research at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Kristina Stinson, an assistant professor of environmental conservation, grows ragweed in greenhouses containing CO2 at levels ranging from 360 ppmjust under the current ambient concentrationto 720 ppm. Stinson says higher CO2 levels could force evolutionary changes in ragweed. A study she published in 2011 showed that genotypes that are suppressed at current CO2 levels devoted more resources to reproduction as CO2 levels rose. In other words, she says, more genotypes overall were flowering. Stinson says that while she didnt measure pollen output directly, we do note that more vigorous flowering and higher pollen production are usually correlated.
Warming is expected to increase with increasing distance from the equator. One multiyear study in North America found that pollen seasons lengthened incrementally with increasing northern latitudeby up to 4 weekswhile decreasing slightly in the southernmost monitoring location.
Source: U.S. EPA, based on data from Ziska et al. ,
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How To Handle Anaphylactic Shock
More severe allergy attacks will not abate with home remedies, and its essential that you quickly recognize more serious symptoms, like abdominal cramps and breathing problems. What should you do in the case of anaphylaxis or anaphylactic shock?
If you are alone, immediately call 911. Anaphylactic shock happens quickly, and your throat could swell and cut off your supply of oxygen within minutes, causing permanent and serious damage. If you know you are at risk for severe allergic reactions, always carry an Epinephrine pen, or two, with you at all times. Epinephrine quickly reduces and reverses anaphylactic symptoms as its comprised of adrenaline. You can never predict when a bee will sting you or a food youre allergic to wind up on your plate, so take the appropriate steps to protect yourself. You should also make your close friends and family aware of your allergy, so that they can also be on the lookout for severe symptoms and be ready to take the appropriate steps if youre unable to.
