Disease.co.uk

Introduction / Overview
Your immune system protects your body from anything it perceives as a threat. Sometimes it mistakenly identifies a substance as a danger when it is not, and that is what happens when allergies develop. Allergies are the body’s abnormal response to normal substances, such as foods, medications, insect stings or airborne substances, such as pollen and dust mites.

Symptoms & Diagnosis
Symptoms of allergies can range from something as minor as a rash and sniffles to a anaphylactic shock, which can result in death. If you are allergic to pollen, for instance, the symptoms can be a runny nose, sneezing and watery eyes. However, an insect sting could cause your body to swell from head to toe. You could also develop hives, wheezing, shortness of breath, or fall into a coma and die from anaphylactic shock. Usually, allergies affect your breathing, digestive process (vomiting) and cause skin conditions, such as  an allergy rash or hives.

If you are having a bad allergic reaction, call an ambulance immediately. Some people carry a small epinephrine kit to give themselves an injection in the case of a severe allergy attack. See a doctor or allergist if you do not know the cause of your allergy. Very often diagnosis involves allergy testing, such as a skin or blood test.

Known Causes
There are thousands of substances which can cause an allergy. Food is one of the largest groups as people can have a wheat allergy, nut allergy, or an allergy to shellfish, milk, gluten, and hundreds of other foods. Your allergic reaction could be caused by a skin allergy, a bee sting, medications, latex, hay and other pollens, or you could have a dog allergy.

Treatments / Procedures
If you have allergies, treatment can be as simple as avoiding the substance or object to which you are allergic. Medications are available for allergy relief, whether you have seasonal allergies or more specific ones. Often, drugs like antihistamines and corticosteroids reduce symptoms, while immunotherapy–a series of allergy shots, may alleviate the allergy entirely.

Prevention / Vaccination
The number one prevention tip is: if you know what triggers your allergies, stay away from it. For example, if you are allergic to shellfish, don’t eat them. If you are allergic to pollen, stay inside and turn on the air conditioning. Carry an allergy epinephrine kit with you at all times, especially when you are outdoors. If you are diagnosed with a specific allergy, it is very important to wear a medic alert bracelet or carry a medical ID card identifying your allergy, medications, and who to call in case of emergency.

Prognosis / Management
You can manage your allergies with medications but there are also a few things you can do at home to help. If you are very congested or have a nasal allergy, you can wash out your nose with saline. They make little nasal pots designed for this very purpose. You can wash pet bedding frequently and use a vacuum with a HEPA filter which will pick up small particles.

Alternative Treatments & Products
There are herbal remedies for many allergy symptoms but no scientific results proving they work. See out an herbalist for advice as many herbs can make allergies worse. Some people turn to such treatments as acupuncture or probiotics as well.

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