You have probably experienced the upper respiratory or skin symptoms of an allergic reaction at some point in your life. In fact, an estimated 1 in 3 people suffer from allergies. Sometimes, your allergies can be so frequent and draining that you require allergy shots to help you get through your day. Although everything from food to insect bites can stimulate an allergic reaction, one of the most common causes of allergies are airborne particles.
First, it is important to understand why allergies occur. Essentially, an allergic reaction is solely the result of your immune system’s overreaction to a common, non-harmful item. The immune system is “plastic,” or easily adaptable. As you encounter pathogens, your immune system develops antibodies to recognize and attack these invaders. Sometimes, though, these antibodies can be targeted to regular things in your environment, such as dust. Then, every time you encounter dust, your antibodies attack.
When your immune system believes it is under attack, it releases many chemicals such as histamine into your body. Normally, these chemicals help you fight a true invader. However, if your body is not actually under attack, the histamine can cause the painful, irritating symptoms of an allergic reaction. Common airborne particles that can be mistaken for invaders include:
-Dust mites -Animal dander -Mold spores -Pollen -Air pollution
As your immune system overreacts to one of these substances, you can suffer from a debilitating allergic reaction. Normally, airborne allergens affect your upper respiratory system as this is where you are first exposed to the particles. You can develop symptoms such as:
-Runny nose -Red, itchy eyes -Watery eyes -Congestion -Sneezing -Scratchy throat -Itchy nose
Allergies can make you feel miserable. If your symptoms are frequent and severe, you may want to take allergy shots in order to help reduce your immune system’s response to airborne allergens. However, it can be difficult and costly to seek this medical care every two to four weeks. Thankfully, though, you can find a health insurance plan that fits your needs. To find the right health insurance plan for your needs, contact a California health insurance agent from Catherine Michaels Insurance Services today.
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Spring and summer allergy season is drawing to a close, but that doesn’t mean that there will be no more allergies until next year. What should allergy sufferers who are just entering their prime sneezing season be doing to prepare?
This problem is especially annoying for kids heading back to school. They may have been able to stay at home and inside during the summer, but during the school year, they’ll get behind if they stay home with allergies. On the other hand, going to school with allergies is distracting for classmates and frustrating for the allergy-sufferer.
Some of the allergens that are around in spring and summer are still around in the fall. Ragweed is a big one, and it starts pollinating in August and goes into fall, and the pollen can travel hundreds of miles and trigger the allergies of people who live far away from it. However, leftover summer allergens aren’t the only things there for the fall allergy sufferer. Mold is often an issue for allergy sufferers, and the piles of damp leaves creating little pockets of it is the perfect way to drive a mold-allergy person crazy. Dust mites, which seem like they would leave after summer humidity, sometimes get into the air when you turn on the furnace forthe first time after the summer.
School kids get to cope with the mold of a school that’s been vacant all summer (and the accompanying dust mites of the same situation), chalk dust and school lunch, and you have a recipe for hacking and wheezing all the way through to December.
Coping with fall allergies is similar to coping in other seasons – antihistamines, decongestants and allergy shots are all good options. However, you can also try the following to minimize allergic attacks:
Peak time for pollen is between 10 am and 3 pm. Avoid being outside during those hours as much as possible. Clean your ducts (or have them cleaned) before you turn your heater on for the first time in the fall. This will help to prevent allergic attacks from colonies of dust mites down the ducts. If you need to rake leaves, wear a mask. Raking is a great way to kick up mold spores, which can trigger allergic attacks. Use a HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filter to keep your air clean.
Look on the bright side. Winter gets rid of most pollen, and it will be just around the corner before you know it.
Generally, allergy shots are safe, with minimal side effects. There are no long-term complications associated with this form of therapy, but there is a small risk of allergic reactions immediately following the injection. These allergic reactions can be severe.
Typically, allergy shots may cause slight swelling or redness at the injection site. These reactions can occur immediately after the injection and/or can occur several hours later. This mild allergic reaction is usually harmless and goes away within 24 hours.
The shots may also cause symptoms similar to the allergy symptoms you experience: itchy, stuffy nose; itchy, watery eyes; sneezing. In very rare cases, these symptoms become very severe and are accompanied by other symptoms, including the following, difficulty breathing or wheezing, chest or throat tightness, rapid or irregular heart beat, dizziness or light-headedness, loss of consciousness and death.
This type of very severe allergic reaction is known as anaphylaxis. It is a very uncommon reaction to an allergy shot, but it is dangerous, even life threatening.
This is less likely to happen if you follow the schedule of shots recommended by your allergist and observe the technician administering the shot. Be sure you are receiving the correct dose of the correct extract. The dizziness, light-headedness, and loss of consciousness are due to dangerously low blood pressure, usually called “shock.” These symptoms occur when the brain is not receiving enough blood. Anaphylactic shock is a medical emergency.
Such severe reactions usually begin within 20-30 minutes after receiving the shots. For this reason, most allergists require that you wait in the office for 20-30 minutes after your shots to be monitored. If you should experience these symptoms at any time, tell the allergist or other medical professional right away.
If you have already left the allergist’s office, and are having a severe reaction, go directly to the nearest hospital emergency department. If you already have and Epi-pen, use it. If you have an antihistamine such as Benadryl, take it regardless, go to the nearest hospital emergency room or urgent care center as soon as possible. Do not attempt to drive yourself. If no one is available to drive you immediately, call 911 for emergency transport.
Immunotherapy does not treat symptoms; it treats the immune system, the source of all allergic reactions. Although the exact details of how allergy shots work is unknown, we do know the general way they affect the immune system.
An allergic reaction occurs when the body is exposed to an external substance (the antigen) that the immune system interprets as a foreign invader. In allergic individuals, the immune system then makes an unusual (allergic) response that harms the body.
Allergy shots desensitize you by turning down this immune response to the antigen. As a result of immunotherapy, the white blood cells no longer respond as strongly to the antigen, and less production of the immunoglobulin E antibody to this antigen occurs. So, when you are exposed to this antigen, less severe allergic reactions occur in affected areas like the eyes, nasal mucosal surfaces, and the bronchial airways.