Care Advice For Eye Allergy
What Causes An Allergy
An overly sensitive immune system is what causes allergies. Your immune system is supposed to protect your body against illnesses and viruses, but, unfortunately, if your immune system is extremely sensitive, it will negatively respond to allergens like pollen, pet dander, and dust mites.
Your body reacts to these allergies by increasing the production of mucus, which then causes sneezing, nasal swelling, itchiness in your nose and eyes, and other types of symptoms. Your symptoms can also change as you get older.
People with allergies react to their allergens in ways that vary for each individual. Allergic reactions can also vary from one season to another or from one allergen to another.
Find Out What The Pollen Level Is In Your Area
Knowing the pollen count can help you plan an attack for allergy symptoms. How can you find out? Just turn on your favorite weather report. Many reports include the pollen count in your area. Or, go online to Pollen.com.
Taking a trip? The pollen count may be higher where youre headed. Check the count at your destination and take along medications just in case.
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Allergy Drops With Advanced Ent & Allergy
Advanced ENT & Allergy Center was one of the first providers of sublingual immunotherapy in Colorado. Since 2004, we have treated thousands of patients with this easy, convenient therapy. Heres how it works:
Reason #: Botched Diagnosis
Getting a correct diagnosis also plays a big role in keeping allergy symptoms at bay.
Patients often try to self-diagnose when it comes to things like allergies and sinus headaches, but they don’t always get it right. Maybe you’re sure it’s an allergy, and it’s not. Or maybe you think you’ve got a sinus infection, but you really have an allergy.
If your diagnosis is wrong, your treatment may be all wrong. For instance, if you actually have a tension headache, using an antihistamine won’t improve the situation, says Corinna Bowser, MD, an allergist in Narberth, Pa.
The fix: If you have allergic symptoms or suspect you have an allergy, consult a doctor to find out if it really is an allergy.
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Poor Indoor Air Quality
Many do not realize that the air quality in your home can greatly affect your health. Some indoor allergens include dust mites, pet dander, and mold. To reduce indoor allergens, it is important to clean your home often. If you have an HVAC system, dont forget to clean your air ducts to avoid allergens from circulating throughout your home. Avoid humidity in your home as it attracts insects and mold thrives in this type of environment. For those households with someone allergic to dust mites, we recommend investing in special mattress and pillow protectors to act as a shield against dust mites. We also recommend washing bedding frequently.
Stick With Your Medications
A huge source of misunderstanding surrounding allergy medications is the time that they take to work. This is specifically true about the time frame that nasal steroids take to work. Many people think that a nasal steroid should work within thirty minutes of using one.
In reality, nasal steroids work best over more extended periods. Instead of quickly reducing the inflammation in your nasal passages, they help your nasal passages become less sensitive to your allergens for up to two months.
Even if you feel your allergy medication isnt doing anything, you must give it the appropriate amount of time to see if it will work for you. Patience will allow you to understand precisely how to treat your allergies. Be sure to ask your doctor how long it takes for any given medication to work so that you can adequately assess every medication prescribed for you.
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How Do You Get Over Pet Allergies
Currently, allergy shots are the only potential cure for pet allergies. All other methods help to mask the symptoms. Simply getting over pet allergies would be akin to getting over cancer or getting over diabetes. While some people seem to outgrow their allergies, most people do not lose their allergies and need to plan accordingly.
Reasons Your Allergies Aren’t Improving
Hounded by allergies? Find out what the problem might be.
Got allergies that don’t seem to get better, no matter what you do? Check these four common reasons why allergies don’t improve — and what to do about it. Tightening up in these four areas may go a long way toward reducing allergy symptoms of all kinds.
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Reason #: Medication Mistakes
One of the biggest mistakes people make with their allergy medicine is simply forgetting to take it. To prevent this common problem, Zitt simplifies medication therapy when possible and has his patients link the time they take it to another activity to help them remember. For instance, he tells the patient to take a nighttime dose before brushing their teeth and put a morning medication by their alarm clock.
Taking medicine properly is another challenge. And even little mistakes can make a difference.
For example, the most potent medications used for nasal allergies are intranasal steroid sprays, Zitt says. If used incorrectly or sprayed at the wrong angle, however, they can be rendered ineffective. The same goes for inhalers, which have to be activated and used properly.
The fix: Take all medicines exactly as directed. Some must be taken daily or they aren’t effective. Others should be used regularly when exposure to an allergen becomes chronic, like visiting a relative with a cat, and allergy shots must be received as scheduled.
If cost keeps you from taking your medicine promptly, talk with your doctor about it. Samples, lower-cost medications, and sticking with the drugs covered by your insurance may help.
How Can I Tell If Im Allergic To The Plants In My Yard
If you are tested for allergies, we will tell you the specific trees and other plants you are allergic to. If you aren’t sure what types of trees and plants are in your yard, there are several free, excellent plant identification apps that you can download to your smartphone. These include PlantSnap, LeafSnap or iNaturalist.
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Can Allergies Go Away Over Time
November 11, 2021 Written by: Michael Menachof Categories: Allergy
Dr. Menachof, MD, has specialized in conditions around the head, throat, ear, nose, neck and face for over 20 years, and was the first to bring sublingual allergy drops to Colorado in 2005. He has been recognized as a Fellow by multiple academies, named one of Americas Top Facial Plastic Surgeons continually since 2003 and is featured in multiple national publications.
Wondering if you can outgrow your allergies? Learn more about how allergies work and if symptoms can go away or lessen over time.
Most people develop allergies in infancy or childhood. Allergy symptoms may vary from season to season. Or you may notice that your friends dog gives you a sneeze attack, while your own has never bothered you!
Allergic responses can change for better or for worse. And while specialists dont know exactly why, its possible for new allergies to emerge and old ones to disappear, even into adulthood.
Eating Foods That Can Be Bad For You
Foods and things you eat can also have an adverse effect on your immune system and this goes mostly unnoticed if you dont know that you are allergic to said food. Try to see what types of foods you eat and then pay special attention when you feel sick after consuming some particular type of food. This will give you a good guide to work with on what types of food you are allergic to. You need to look out for the things you eat because you can be allergic to any of them.
Stacey Jones, BA, MS Neha Pathak, MD
You have an allergy treatment plan and you stick to it but your symptoms arenât getting any better. It may be time to see a doctor if your over-the-counter medicines no longer do the trick. Or you may need a new strategy altogether.
These may be reasons why your allergies are worse. Think about how you can work with your doctor to get control of your symptoms.
New allergens are to blame. Allergens are things in the environment that make your immune system overreact. They cause symptoms like sneezing, a stuffy or runny nose, congestion, and itchy eyes, nose, or throat.
There are many kinds of tree, grass, and weed pollens, and you may be allergic to more than one of them. Notice when and where symptoms strike. Are you indoors or out? Is it morning or evening? Are you at home or work? This can tell your doctor a lot.
To limit exposure to pollens or outdoor mold:
To keep allergens in check indoors:
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Do You Know The Signs Of A Cat Allergy
- Sneezing or a runny or stuffy nose
- Coughing, chest tightness, shortness of breath and wheezing
- Watery, red or itchy eyes
- Skin rash or hives
American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology
So, whats causing all those cat allergies?
For most people, their immune system is reacting to a protein called Fel d1. Its in the cats skin, tears, saliva, and urine.
Its also on the cats hair.
Pets can carry other allergens in their fur such as dust mites and pollen.
As to why some people get cat allergies and others dont, you can blame your genetics. Its more likely to happen if allergies or conditions like asthma run in your family.
Also, lack of exposure to cats at an early age may increase your risk for an immune system reaction later on when your older.
What Does Hypoallergenic Mean
“Hypo” means under or less than, so itâs a product thatâs less likely to trigger an allergic reaction.
Many things we use every day, like cleansers, soaps, deodorants, makeup, and even mouthwash, have ingredients that can trigger a skin allergy. When you expose your skin to these ingredients — most often fragrances and chemicals used as preservatives — you can get contact dermatitis. It starts as red areas that itch and swell. Some people get rashes or blisters.
If you see “hypoallergenic” on the label, it means the product doesnât have those things in it. But manufacturers donât have to prove that claim. There are no regulations or standards for them to follow.
Using hypoallergenic products makes a reaction less likely, but nothing can guarantee it will never irritate your skin or trigger an allergy. Test anything new before you use it, especially if you have had skin reactions before. Dab a little on your inner wrist or elbow and wait. You should know how it affects you within 24 hours.
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Shower In The Evening
While taking a shower in the morning can be a great way to wake yourself up, if you suffer from airborne allergies like pollen or dust, you’ll want to switch up your routine. Showering in the evening can help remove any pollen or allergens you’ve picked up during the day. This can also reduce your allergy symptoms since you won’t have these particles transferred to your pillow or bed at the end of the day.
How Is It Diagnosed
If you think you are allergic to ragweed pollen, see a board-certified allergist. They will ask you about your medical history, do a physical exam and allergy testing. They may do a skin prick test to confirm your allergy.
For prick/scratch testing, the doctor or nurse places a small drop containing ragweed pollen on your skin. They will then lightly prick or scratch your skin with a needle through the drop. If you are sensitive to ragweed, you will develop redness, swelling and itching at the test site within 15 minutes. Sometimes your doctor may take a blood test to see if you have the antibody to ragweed.
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How To Prepare For Spring Allergies Now
During the late winter, weather throughout Kentucky and Indiana change daily. Giving a signal that the seasonal allergy season is upon us. As temperatures reach above 50 degrees, plants begin to bloom and release pollen into the air. Those with seasonal spring allergies will usually start to see symptoms in early March and last through May. Its important to start preparing for allergies now before pollen reaches peak spring allergy levels.
Can You Outgrow An Allergy
The simple answer is yes there is evidence that people can and do outgrow allergies, particularly specific food allergies. However, more commonly adults will develop a new allergy in response to increased exposure to different environmental allergens.
Some experts believe that as a person is exposed to an allergen over time, that person can grow accustomed to it, reducing the immune systems sensitivity. This is similar to how vaccines help build immunity against a certain virus, or the way allergy immunotherapy works to decrease a persons allergic response to a specific allergen.
Consistent exposure to allergens could explain decreased or disappearing allergy symptoms, but theres no way to know if symptoms will disappear and resurface without the help of an allergy specialist.
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Is It An Allergy Or Covid
When COVID-19 and seasonal allergies are circulating at the same time, every sniffle can lead you to worry that you might have the virus. From the perspective of a parent, one of the biggest issues is when kids in school have allergy symptoms that are poorly controlled, and then the school system sends them home or says they need a physicians note, Dr. Leeds says.
The CDC has a Venn diagram that shows symptoms the two conditions have in common. These include congestion, cough, difficulty breathing, fatigue, runny nose, sore throat, and shortness of breath. But comparing the most common symptoms reveals clear differences. Seasonal allergies usually cause itchy or watery eyes and sneezing, while COVID-19 is characterized by fever and chills, muscle and body aches, new loss of taste and smell, nausea and vomiting, and diarrhea.
Because of COVID-19, people are afraid of you when youre sniffling, says Dr. Hsu. But it goes both waysa lot of people are sniffling and sneezing and coughing, and they are not getting tested for COVID-19, because they assume its allergies. And they are probably correct.
Often the distinction is clearpeople with allergies itch more, and they dont have the fatigue, malaise, and fever that comes with COVID-19. But anyone who is concerned should call their doctor, she says.
Get Your Spring Cleaning Started Early
Sweep out the winter cobwebs and get ahead on your spring cleaning. A deep spring clean includes dusting everything from the light fixtures to the bookcases, washing curtains, sweeping floors and rugs, even vacuuming furniture. This will remove any dust and pollen that has already made its way inside.
If you are out sprucing up the yard, wear a NIOSH 95 mask to reduce the inhalation of allergens. When you are done for the day, be sure to change your clothes and shower. Pollen can stick to your clothes and hair, making it easy to track pollen spores throughout your home.
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When Should I Start Taking Allergy Meds
Theres no point in waiting until youre miserable to take allergy meds. In fact, allergists recommend you start taking meds a couple of weeks before allergy season arrives, or, at the latest, take them the moment you notice symptoms, says Dr. Parikh. Taking them early can stop an immune system freak-out before it happens, lessening the severity of symptoms, she adds. Check out the National Allergy Map to figure out when to start taking meds based on where you live.
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As for which allergy meds to take, if youre seriously stuffed, start with steroid nasal sprays such as Flonase or Rhinocort, which reduce inflammation-induced stuffiness, says Dr. Keet. And if you’ve got itching, sneezing, and a runny nose too, look for non-sedating antihistamines such as Zyrtec, Xyzal, or Allegra, she adds.
Just remember: While OTC allergy meds suppress symptoms, they dont cure the problem, so they may be less effective if your allergies are worsening, notes Dr. Parikh.
