Allergy Relief Resource and Guide

Allergy shots are usually considered a last resort in the fight to manage your allergies. This tends to make them more mysterious than they really are. Treatment of allergies through immunotherapy has been around for quite some time. It can “cure” some sufferers of their allergies.
Here is what you need to know about allergy shots.

What horrible symptoms are you living with? Millions of people are affected by irritating symptoms that often accompany their allergies. These symptoms can include skin disorders, stomach upset, sinusitis and chronic ear infections. Most people have difficulty finding effective treatments. Typically many therapies particularly the over the counter ones only work for short periods of time. When these treatments fail an allergist usually comes into the picture. After testing they will probably recommend allergy shots, particularly if you suffer from pollen allergies. These shots contain a small amount of the substance to which one is allergic, whether it is dust, ragweed, or pollen. Though the effectiveness of this treatment of allergies is still being debated, many feel they have experienced positive results.

How do Allergy Shots Work?

After testing to determine what the person is allergic to a person receives allergy shots containing a dilution of that allergen. The body begins to produce antibodies to that particular allergen. This helps your body to fight the allergen. This is similar in approach to the vaccines that children receive to build their immunity to certain diseases.

The result of the shots is that the next time you come into contact with the allergen, these newly created antibodies can help to block the allergic reaction. This also helps reduce the severity of the symptoms. Relief builds up over time should last for a long time. The most common reason for receiving allergy shots is for pollen allergies such as hay fever or allergic rhinitis. Asthma may be improved in some people with the use of allergy shots and are particularly recommended for children over 5 that do not have severe asthma. T

Allergy shots are not recommended for everyone, as mentioned if someone suffers from severe asthma or any heart-related problems, then allergy shots are usually not recommended. Children who are under five years old are also not good candidates.. During pregnancy, this type of immunotherapy should not be started, as little is known what the effects on babies. Usually, the shots are administered about 2 times a week at the beginning. Then after six months, one can begin maintenance shots once a month.

Treating your allergies with allergy shots is an important decision. Try other strategies first and consult with both your primary care physician and your allergist. Allergy shots are not your only immunotherapy weapon when it comes to the treatment of allergies. Allergy drops are also making some headway here in the United States.

What allergy medicine is best used for the treatment of allergies? The reality is that it all depends on what you are allergic to. Allergy medicine can be confusing because there’s a great variety ranging from over the counter, to prescription and other treatments that are given in doctors offices.

An allergic reaction can be energy sapping. You may find yourself coughing, sneezing, having problems seeing, or worse yet puffing up or having your breathing passages swell up. Some people experience migraines(myself included) because of their allergies. Let’s not forget about the scary and dangerous reaction of anaphylactic shock. Bottom line is that every allergy is different and most medications can’t treat every allergy. The right allergy medicine can be found by talking to your doctor or allergist.

Step 1 is to Test!

When an allergist tests you for allergies, they have to test you for many different substances. There are so many things in our environment nowadays that unless they do this they will have a difficult time pin pointing your specific allergy. They usually inject you down the length of your spine, with several different substances, they can include dairy products,dander, grass and even dust. Your allergist is looking for is a certain type of reaction. A sure sign of allergic reaction is that your skin will become red and raised. Once the allergist sees the reaction they can then prescribe the proper allergy medicine.

Do You Need a Prescription?

The right allergy medicine is crucial to restoring a good quality of life. Some medicines only treat mild allergies and are typically over the counter medications like Benadryl. However if you are severely allergic to something like shell fish or eggs. You can blow up like a balloon or feel your throat starting to constrict every time you eat these. You may even have to be rushed to the emergency room. An over the counter allergy medicine won’t do anything for you then. You need to get a prescription as well as know enough to avoid whatever causes you these severe reactions.

Make sure you pick the right allergy medicine that works for you. You may find that some work better for you than others. Claritin for some reason does not help me but Benadryl does. Unfortunately it also makes me pretty sleepy. Don’t get discouraged from trying different ones and discussing the issue with your allergist. They may even recommend advanced treatments like allergy shots or allergy drops. Time is a precious commodity and if the right allergy medicine can help you enjoy every last minute then you should continue to look for the right one for you and your specific allergy.

Allergies can make life miserable. I know because some of my allergies cause migraines that practically stop me in my tracks. Many others are affected by other terrible symptoms that can severely affect the quality of their lives and their ability to work. Can any allergy treatment help us? The good news is yes but first we need to understand what the different types are and what allergy treatment may make more sense for you.

Not all people have the same allergies. Some are affected by one allergen like pollen but may not be affected by mold. Some may have a terrible reaction to dust mites but have no problem being exposed to the smell of a recently mowed lawn. Airborne allergies are not the same as food allergies. You get the picture, given the many allergens out there today allergy treatments don’t work the same on every allergy and may not work the same from person to person.

The first step is to identify what your allergen is. The best way to find this out is by working with an allergist. They can put you through a battery of tests that may include scratch tests, elimination diets and blood tests. This will help them narrow down the possible allergens. You can be a big help by identify trends and patterns that surround your allergic reactions. Do you start to sneeze or get a stuffy nose when your neighbor mows the lawn? Do you only get your symptoms at night, when you are sleeping(or trying to sleep)? Do you get a headache after you have breakfast every day?

Answering these types of questions and working with an allergist will help you identify the source of your allergy and can therefore lead to recommendations regarding what allergy treatment is right for you.

Allergy Treatment Types

• Basic
• Medications
• Advanced

Basic treatment of your allergy once you identify what it is is to avoid it. If you know your neighbor mows the lawn every Saturday morning close the windows or better yet go grocery shopping or something. Forced hot air exacerbates my allergy to dust mites so my husband and I decided not to buy a house with that type of heating system. These things may seem simple but they help. Unfortunately some things you can’t avoid which leads us to allergy treatments to manage the symptoms that we do get.

Medications are aimed at relieving the allergy symptoms so that you can function day to day. This probably the most common allergy treatment people use today since so many medications are available over the counter. These medications include antihistamines, decongestants, bronchodilators, and corticosteroids. Allergy medications are usually available in a variety of forms, including pills, nasal sprays, eye drops and topical creams. Epinephrine is used to treat the severe allergic reaction called anaphylactic shock. This reaction is life threatening and involves difficulty breathing due to swelling of the breathing passages.

Advanced treatments are also available that not only attempt to relieve the allergic symptoms but to cure them as well. These usually include allergy shots or allergy drops. These are forms of immunotherapy that seek to make you immune to the affects of your allergy but exposing you to that allergy in certain doses over a certain period of time.

An allergist can discuss which allergy treatment is right for you. Now you know that you do have options. You don’t have to live with the discomfort of allergies. Take the step to visit an allergist today.

Allergies in children are a big concern for today’s parent. As mentioned in the previous article my 2 young children are experiencing allergy symptoms and I want to make sure to do what is best for keeping them comfortable and safe. My initial concerns with my children came up pretty early particularly with my son who developed asthma as a baby.

If you send your child to preschool odds are you get exposed to germs that cause anything from colds to major diseases so sometimes it is hard to tell whether your child has allergies or is experiencing the latest bug at daycare. Being sick and allergies in children are two different things and should be handled differently. To get to the truth you need to to watch and pay attention to your child to determine patterns in their reactions. Sometimes it feels like you are on an episode of CSI but it is important to look for clues to what your child is allergic to. For instance, if they are always sneezing when they come in from outside, or if they constantly get headaches at the daily and at the same time, it may be time to discuss the issue further with your pediatrician.

Allergies in children can be different than allergies in adult. That is why if is good to consult with your pediatrician first. They can help you decide whether it is time to see an allergist. If the pediatrician agrees then its time to get your child tested for allergies. An allergist will test your child for allergies and will then determine what they are allergic to. This is the ammunition you need, as a parent, to help your child manage their allergies.

The symptoms of allergies in children vary. Some children have food allergies like milk and get severe headaches or stomach aches. Food allergies in children are so common nowadays that daycare, preschools and even summer camps have strict rules about bringing something as innocent as peanut butter to school, the allergic reaction can be that severe. Other children are allergic to pets and can’t stop sneezing when they are around. Then, there are some allergies in children that are caused by something as common as the dust in your house. Only an allergist will be able to tell you for sure if your child has allergies.

Paying attention to your child is the key to controlling their allergies. Allergies in children are very common and you don’t want them to suffer silently since they don’t know enough to help themselves. You can help them learn to eliminate whatever causes them discomfort and teach them to look out for whatever triggers their symptoms, so that they can learn to make better choices on their own. Adopting the right lifestyle to manage their allergies is the key to living a normal, comfortable life. If symptoms become unmanageable then it may be time for more aggressive treatments with the guidance of your allergist.