Top Tips to Deal with Allergies

How to deal with Allergies?

There is a good chance that you know someone who has a running nose , cough or watery eyes nearly every time you see him or her. Quite likely it’s an allergy rather than a common cold that’s causing their problem. A large number of people with allergies tend to ignore their problem, and just keep trying to get along with life. But allergies can have a serious adverse effect on a person’s quality of life. Imagine the discomfort and embarrassment of having a running nose at every important meeting! Another important aspect is that sometimes allergies can be life threatening as well. Take for example, a life threatening asthma attack. Allergic: yes. Potentially deadly: Yes.

To address these issues and many others, we discuss what’s an allergy, and how you can go about preventing and treating it.

Let’s get started.

What is an allergy?

Allergy is a reaction of your immune system to something which is harmless for another person. Anyone can have an allergy to anything at any time. This means that even though you have been using a product, say a cosmetic or a drug, for years, there is no guarantee that you will not develop an allergy to it one fine day.  So it helps to be a little careful.

My parents had an allergy. Will I have one too?

Allergies are in fact commonly carried in families. So if your parents are allergic to something, your chances of developing an allergy are greater than a person whose parents don’t have such issues. In fact, such children commonly develop asthma in their childhood. They also battle several other allergies all along.

What are the common allergens?

Allergens are substances that we are allergic to. Simply put, these substances are commonly found in the environment and are harmless for most people. However, for some people, they trigger an exaggerated immune response. So these people would have symptoms like a cough, cold, difficulty breathing, watery eyes etc.

So what are the common allergens? Although the list is exhaustive, the most commonly implicated things are listed below:

1. Pollen
2. Dust and dust mites
3. Food like peanuts, soya, nuts, milk, shellfish and wheat
4. Insect stings
5. Animal dander
6. Mold
7. Medications
8. Latex

How do I know if I have an allergy?

There are several ways of finding out whether you have an allergy or not. The symptoms of an allergy are typical. The most common ones are:

1. Respiratory allergies would most commonly cause cough, cold, difficulty breathing, watering of eyes
2. Skin allergies can cause a rash, swelling, itching
3. Food allergies can cause diarrhea, bloating, failure to gain weight ( especially in children). It can also cause reddening of the skin, hives, itchy skin, swollen lips or eyelids, tightness of the throat, wheezing, difficulty breathing and coughing.

Although, the diagnosis of allergies is mainly clinical, there are some tests that we can run to find out what is it that you are allergic to.

Skin testing is a common way of testing for allergies. The skin is exposed to small amounts of different substances. The elicited reaction is then measured over a period of time. This helps us pick up what are you exactly allergic.

Other tests involve testing the blood for IgE antibodies specific for some substances. These antibodies are commonly elevated during allergies. This test helps us pinpoint the cause of allergy.

Food allergies can also be detected by skin tests. Another method is the elimination test, where you eliminate the suspected offending agent from your diet. But you should be wary of the psychological factors which may make you feel better when you eliminate this food.

A useful way of identifying what you are allergic to is maintaining a symptom diary. In this, you record the days when you have the symptoms. Also, carefully note the changes in the environment or the food that you have taken (or maybe even a particular sleeping position, where your exposure may be more). Making a thorough assessment of the changes can really help you avoid your triggers and thus those frustrating symptoms.

How do I treat my allergy?

Although there are several ways of treating your allergy, the exact treatment would depend on how severe the symptoms are. The following checklist should give you a rough idea on how to manage these things

1. If you have a problem in breathing, have severe rashes, joint pain, abdominal pain or severe itching, you’re probably having a very severe form of an allergy. This situation is called an anaphylactic attack and is a medical emergency. This can occur with food allergies as well. You need to go the emergency immediately and get a shot of adrenaline. Otherwise, this can prove fatal.
2. If you have been suffering from allergy symptoms such as a cold and cough off and on, then steam inhalation anti-histaminics like cetrizine and diphenhydramine can help. Minor food allergies would also respond to this medication.  Prevention is key here and it’s important that you identify what you’re allergic to. If your symptoms are not satisfactorily controlled with these drugs, your doctor may put you on some newer medications such as leukotriene inhibitors. If you have issues like problems in breathing and a constant cough, you may need steroid inhalers or low dose oral steroids as well. Please speak with your physician about this.
3. Antibiotics are not required to treat allergies. They are only required if you have some yellow, foul smelling phlegm with your cough or chest pain or you are seriously ill. Inappropriate use of antibiotics makes you resistant to these drugs. So the next time round, when you actually need these drugs, they wouldn’t work for you.
4. Most children with food allergies will outgrow their allergies. However, it may be necessary to test them before you give them that food.

Overall, the key to managing an allergy is identifying a trigger and staying away from it. For people with known and severe allergies, it may be a good idea to carry a shot of adrenaline. Also, wear a tag of what you’re allergic to so that the treating physician knows what he’s dealing with!

Have a safe, allergy free life!