Neelima Reddy asked:


Itchiness, watery eyes, runny nose, sneezing, and redness are some of the common symptoms that majority of the people experiences as allergy symptoms.

The most effective way to fight against particular allergen is immunotherapy or allergy shot, but some people will get frightened to get allergy shot.

Allergy shots hold a little amount of substance that fights against the particular allergen. For example, if the person is allergic to pollen, a small amount of substance called pollen will be added to the shot.

A small amount will be given so that the body will get used to fight against the allergen and if the body comes in contact with that substance next time, body will be familiar with that.

Who are not eligible to take allergy shot?

Allergy shots are not safe for everyone. Although most of the people experienced positive results from these shots, they are not suitable for all. People who are suffering from asthma, heart attack, and respiratory problems, pregnant women, and children under age of five are not recommended to receive allergy shot.

Alternatively, certain individuals are experiencing some side effects such as:

• Feelings of shock when the shot is initially injected

• Lightheadedness

• Nausea

So, for these reasons, the patient should stay in the doctor’s office for at least fifteen to twenty minutes after receiving the shot.

Benefits of allergy shots:

• Allergy shots improve allergic rhinitis, hay fever, bee sting allergies, drug allergies, and eye allergies.

• In some cases, allergy shots improve asthma symptoms also. The most common reaction to allergy shot is swelling at the place where the shot is given.

The success of this immunotherapy varies from person to person depending on the severity of the person’s allergy and the number of substances the person is allergic to.

In addition to the traditional allergy shots, there are new approaches to immunotherapy procedures to treat allergies.

Oral immunotherapy works similar to the allergy shot. In this method, increasing doses of allergen will be given to slowly build up the patient’s tolerance. The only difference with oral immunotherapy from allergy shot is with oral immunotherapy extract of allergen is used as drops. In this method, generally the drops are placed under the tongue and then swallowed.

Intranasal immunotherapy method involves intranasal administration of grass and house dust mite allergen extracts, which reduces the nasal symptoms such as “nasal allergy”.

The side effect with intranasal immunotherapy is nasal irritation. When compared to the traditional allergy shots, intranasal immunotherapy has no long lasting benefits.

Rush immunotherapy involves quick build up to the maintenance dose of extract. In this method of treatment, during early phase increasing doses of allergen will be given every few hours rather than a few days. Since there is a great risk involved with this rush immunotherapy, this should be done in hospital under close supervision.

Some people will experience severe reaction to the allergy shot, which is called “anaphylaxis”. In case of bad reaction with this shot, physicians will do appropriate treatment to stop this reaction.

Since allergy shots are not good for everyone, talking to the physician before taking this shot is more advisable. Visit Allergy Symptoms

Mihail Fortomas asked:


Allergic rhinitis, more commonly known as “hay fever,” happens when you breathe in something you are allergic to. The inside of your nose becomes inflamed or swollen.

When this happens, the body’s immune system overreacts to specific particles such as plant pollens, molds, dust mites, animal hair, industrial chemicals, tobacco smoke, foods, medicines, and even insect venom.

Allergic rhinitis affects 40 million people in the United States and is an extremely common condition, affecting approximately 20% of the population. While allergic rhinitis is not a life-threatening condition, complications can occur and the condition can impair one’s quality of life leading to a number of indirect costs. Recently, the total direct and indirect cost of allergic rhinitis was estimated at around $5 billion annually.

What are the symptoms of allergic rhinitis?

Signs of allergic rhinitis are similar to signs of a common cold. But, unlike symptoms for the common cold, allergic rhinitis can last for more than 8-10 days. Symptoms include: -stuffy or runny nose -sneezing -itchy or watery nose -itchy or watery eyes -coughing (caused by clear mucus running down the back of the throat) -feeling of a ‘permanent cold’ that never goes away -headaches and earache -constant sore throats and postnasal drip -sleep disturbances and snoring -loss of taste and smell -poor concentration

Children who have allergic rhinitis might have dark circles under their eyes known as Allergic shiners” (related to nasal congestion). They may also use either the palm or the back of their hand to push their nose up as they try to stop the itching (called the “allergic salute”).

What causes allergic rhinitis?

Like our previous discussion, allergic rhinitis is caused by substances that trigger allergies, called allergens. These allergens are found both indoors and outdoors. When allergic rhinitis is caused by common outdoor allergens, like mold or trees, grass and weed pollens, it is often referred to as seasonal allergies, or “hay fever.”

Allergic rhinitis may also be triggered by allergens found in your house like animal dander (tiny skin flakes and saliva), indoor mold, and cockroach or house dust mite droppings.

If you experience symptoms during spring, you may be allergic to tree pollens which we will discuss in detail further on.

To know for certain what causes your symptoms, an allergist or immunologist can perform skin tests to determine what you are allergic to.

What are my choices or treatment?

Over-the-counter antihistamines and nose sprays can help at first, but they can have a number of unpleasant side effects. These antihistamines can make you feel tired and drowsy while nasal sprays can make your stuffiness worse.

Doctor-prescribed nose sprays and antihistamines are different types of medication and are very helpful for controlling long-term symptoms. Some are safe for young children and all are safe for adults.

Consultation with an allergist will determine the medicine and treatment that is right for you.

Can I do anything to avoid getting allergic rhinitis? As prevention is worth a pound of cure, there are some things you can do in your house that might make your symptoms better if not avoid them altogether:

For those who have rhinitis, it may be best not to have pets. But if it cannot be helped, make sure to wash your pet (especially if hairy and furry) once a week. Keeping them out of the bedroom and off the furniture will help as well.

Put pillows and mattresses in sealed plastic covers that keep out dust mites, and wash sheets in hot water weekly. Washing machines at the local Laundromat will have hot enough water to kill the dust mites.

Keep windows closed. If possible, get an air conditioner and run a dehumidifier, so that there will not be so many pollens and molds getting in the house.

What are allergy shots?

For some patients, allergy shots, also known as immunotherapy, are very helpful, and safe. Allergy shots help how your body handles allergens by injecting into your body small amounts of the substances causing your allergy. Over the period of the therapy, your body will learn to accept the allergen without overreacting to it (which is the reason for the allergic reactions).

Your doctor may talk to you about allergy shots if your allergy symptoms are very bad and if they happen for most of the year. You can also consider this if you are constantly around the allergens (such as pollens and dust mites) and if in spite medicines, you are still symptomatic.

John Hilaire asked:

There are a number of allergens that can cause seasonal allergic rhinitis. Most of these identified allergens are airborne, such as the pollen that is blown about from trees, plants and grasses. Another type of airborne allergen, mold spores, is the seasonal culprit of mold allergies.

This type of allergy is generally found from spring to early fall, with a peak in the late summer months, although other types of mold can cause symptoms nearly year-round. The allergens that cause mold allergies are generally found in humid climates, and moist areas like rotted logs and compost piles.

They can also be found indoors in damp basements or closets, or even lurking in your shower stall. Fresh food storage areas are also a popular hangout for mold spores, as well as house plants and certain pieces of furniture.

Why do Mold Allergies Occur?

If you suffer from a mold allergy, your immune system has incorrectly identified mold spores as a substance that is harmful to your body. The response of your immune system is to produce antibodies called immunoglobulin that will create chemicals that will ward off these potentially damaging substances. The result is symptoms like sneezing, wheezing, watery eyes and itching. In the case of a mold allergy, the mold spores are airborne and inhaled into the body through the respiratory tract.

This is why nasal congestion and coughs are common complaints of mold allergy sufferers. The incidence of symptoms from a mold allergy will be dependent on the abundance of the allergen and the ability of the air currents to spread the spores. These factors can be affected by changes in weather patterns throughout the day, making mold counts somewhat ineffective in determining the severity of the allergen exposure.

Treating Mold Allergies

Because mold allergies are airborne, they will most often result in the symptoms of rhinitis, which will include nasal congestion, watery eyes and coughing. The best treatment for rhinitis is generally an over-the-counter antihistamine, decongestant or nasal spray to treat the inflammation and congestion. If over-the-counter medications are not effective in treating your mold allergy symptoms, it is a good idea to see your doctor for possible prescription relief for your mold allergy.

There are a number of medicines that your doctor can recommend to treat your mold allergies through the use of prescription antihistamines and steroidal nasal sprays that will reduce the inflammation in your sinus passages. Allergies to molds and other airborne allergens can cause seasonal or even year-round rhinitis, depending on which allergens affect you. The good news is that there are many options in treating these allergies to allow you more symptom-free days and a higher quality of life.

Brenda Williams asked:

The medical term for hay fever is allergic rhinitis. It is very similar to asthma except for one important difference. If you have asthma, airborne particles cause an allergic reaction in your chest and lungs. If you have hay fever you experience this reaction in your eyes, nose, and throat.

The airborne irritant is called an allergen. When you are exposed to the allergen your body releases a chemical called histamine. This results in an inflammation in your sinuses, the fragile lining of your nasal passages, your eyelids and the surface layer of your eyes. Common allergens that trigger hay fever are dust mites, pollen, animal skin and hair, and feathers.

There are two types of hay fever, seasonal and perennial. If pollen is the only allergen that triggers your hay fever, you have seasonal allergic rhinitis, as pollen is not present in the air all year long. Your symptoms will only appear when you are in an area where plants produce pollen at the time of year when this happens. However if your hay fever is triggered by dust mites, animal hair or feathers, it would be perennial as these airborne particles are present year round. It is also possible to have both perennial and seasonal allergic rhinitis if more than one allergen triggers your symptoms. People with allergic rhinitis will start to sneeze, develop a runny nose and red watery eyes whenever they are exposed to the allergen that triggers their attacks. The eyes also itch and rubbing them makes it worse. Sometimes the skin itches and the throat becomes dry. Wheezing also occurs. An allergy attack will be most severe for fifteen to thirty minutes. Most people are aware when they are allergic to pollen. However, they may not know what other allergens they react to. If this is a problem, physicians can perform skin tests to identify the allergens that trigger the attacks.

Once you know the substances you are allergic to, try to minimize your exposure to these irritants or avoid them altogether. There are many over the counter preparations designed to help hay fever sufferers. The most common are antihistamines. These can both prevent and stop an attack however they may need to be used for several days. Antihistamines have certain side effects such as dryness in the nose and throat and drowsiness. A person taking antihistamines should exercise caution about driving or operating machinery until they know how the medicine affects them. If over the counter medications are not effective, there are prescription medications available from a physician. Antihistamines only relieve the symptoms of hay fever. They do not cure it. However, if you have had a skin test and your doctor has identified the substance that triggers your attacks, it is possible to cure the underlying cause. The doctor can administer a series of desensitizing injections. These actually contain the allergen and are given in increasingly stronger doses to stop reactions. While they have been successful with some patients, they do not work for everyone.

Tom alter asked:


Some people who inherit an allergy sensitive background develop certain allergies from time to time. These allergies may be due to many environmental factors and sometimes symptoms of asthma are also impersonated by them. Some common forms of these allergic reactions may be seasonal while others may be perennial in nature.

It is important to understand the differences between these and asthma so that they are never confused with asthma because their treatments as well the severity both differ from each other. Seasonal sneezing is called seasonal allergic rhinitis or hay fever in the common parlance. As against the name it is not caused because of hay but because of certain pollutants mainly certain kinds of pollen in the environment to which a person may be allergic.

In contrast to these people some others suffer with sneezing bouts, stuffy or running nose almost all the year round. These people suffer from perennial sneezing or perennial allergic rhinitis. When these people are exposed to cold wind, sunlight, dust and fumes the symptoms of the sneezing bouts precipitate.

In hay fever or seasonal allergic rhinitis the symptoms appear gradually or all of a sudden. This depends upon the degree of exposure to the offending allergen and also upon the degree to which the person may be allergic to them. When the symptoms appear gradually they are accompanied with mild sensation of itching and burning of the eyes and mild irritation in the nose or itching of the palate inside the mouth.

The symptoms usually appear in the early morning hours when the concentration of pollen grains is at its peak. The sneezing bouts are also accompanied with marked increase in the nasal congestion, throat congestion, running of the nose profusely and watery eyes. The nasal mucous membrane becomes highly sensitive with advancement of symptoms and any slight change in the nasal mucous membrane manifests in heavy bouts of sneezing.

These changes may be of very slight nature like appearance of a draft, strong odours, or even minute quantities of dust. In addition to these symptoms there may be appearance of other associated symptoms like general lethargy, loss of appetite, drowsiness and also pain in the body with slight rise in temperature.

In some patients in addition to the above mentioned conditions the symptoms of bronchial asthma also develop side by side making the conditions worse. These symptoms either develop right from the start of the other symptoms or may develop later as the disease advances. The worse part is that once a person starts with these symptoms he may continue with the symptoms of asthma even after the sneezing attacks stop.

This condition can be very easily diagnosed with the study of the case history of the patient. The tests usually undertaken to identify the pollens are skin tests with extracts of the pollen and scratch or intracutaneous tests giving positive reactions to the pollens simultaneously with a confirmation of the same through consultation of the pollen calendar.

Once the offending pollen is identified the effect of it can be controlled efficiently by hypo sensitization tests. Treatment with antihistamine tablets generally proves to be every effective. But it is only a temporary resort. The allergen has to be properly identified and then treated accordingly with preventive measures and drug therapy if need be.

Taking preventive action to overcome seasonal sneezing attacks is very important. For this undue exposure in a particular season should be completely avoided. Outdoor activities like tending to the garden or farming should not be done. The windows of the rooms should be kept closed as far as possible to avoid exposure to the allergen. In extreme cases using air conditioning may be the only way out.

The patients of perennial sneezing or perennial allergic rhinitis have sneezing, running nose, blocked or stuffy nose and nasal discharge almost all the year round. These people many – a – times are found to be snoring at night and are in the habit of breathing through the mouth. They have discomfort in the ears because of blockage in the ear tubes that open in the throat.

These are called Eustachian tubes. When the irritation persists for a long time a person tends to rub the nose vigorously and repeatedly. This leads to development of a crease across the nose called the allergic crease. Some paranasal sinuses may also get blocked leading to accumulation of secretions.

When the ear, nose and throat get infected repeatedly there may be accompanying fever. Exposure to irritants like cold wind, sunlight, dust, fumes and smoke all lead to aggravation of the symptoms. These symptoms usually occur in the early morning hours and then the symptoms may continue throughout the day and even at night. The symptoms in severe cases may resemble symptoms of asthma accompanied with bronchial spasm and suffocation.

The condition is generally diagnosed after studying the family history of allergy. The lab test of eosinophil count is a must to come to concrete conclusions. Skin test of pollen and other allergens is necessary in case the eosinophil count is normal. Treatment with antihistamines helps very limited people. Nasal drops may provide temporary relief but they should be used very sparingly as they work on the principle of cauterization, that is burning o the mucous membrane of the nose so that the nasal passage becomes insensitive. Hyposensitization works efficiently and surgery may be used in very extreme cases only.

Kevin Pederson asked:


Hay fever has been given many different names such as allergic rhinitis, pollinosis or nasal allergies. You can contract hay fever due to certain air borne dust particles exposed in the environment. These dust particles can be pollen, dander which can cause allergic reaction. Hay fever problem mainly begins from surroundings by which anyone can be affected. Staying away, from any of the allergy triggering factors is the best solution. Even though in this condition you do not have any fever it is still called hay fever.

The common stimulants which cause this problem are from outdoors as well as indoors. Being surrounded by pollen or animal dander can cause these allergies. It can also be due to the substances found in your home like dust mites, cockroaches, fleas, presence of a pet and many more. Without proper care or treatment it can hinder your day to day life.

The symptoms for hay fever rank from mild to severe. If you are suffering from a mild condition you will face problems like runny and itchy nose, watery eyes, itching, and sneezing. Severe symptoms can last for more than a week. A sense of taste and smell is changed, congestion – causing pain, swelling of eyes which may turn blue due to allergic reaction. This kind of a condition usually develops in an early age and with the passage of time it may worsen.

This condition causes sleeplessness and fatigue which can badly affect you. The chronic condition can cause severe problems like asthma and sinusitis. You may start developing other problems like breathlessness, wheezing and coughing. It may also lead to ear infection due to the fever and pain.

Precautions:

There are no specific remedies which would help. You can follow some precautionary measures to remove the possibility of hay fever.

-Clean your surroundings -Do not allow pets inside your bedroom -Be away from dust -Clean the AC -Have a ventilated room -Do not be in a humid environment

Remedy

Essentials oils are great source to get rid of Hay fever. Oils like basil, eucalyptus blue gum, lavender or peppermint can be used. Two or three drops from any one of these oils on a handkerchief can get you relief.

Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautions while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.