Living With Allergy

Millions of people in the U.S. suffer from allergy symptoms such as hay fever and sinus problems. If you have allergies, your body has too much immunity. Almost anything we touch, swallow or inhale may cause an allergic response.

Substances that produce allergies are called allergens and there are literally hundreds of them. If you have hay fever, it affects your nose and sinuses; and if you have food allergies, you have allergies in your stomach, intestines or digestive tract.

Here are some common symptoms and allergies to look for.

Most common allergens:
Grasses (including mowing your lawn).
Pollen from trees (Birch and oak trees produce potent pollens).
Weeds
House dust
Mold spores
Certain foods and drugs. If you have an allergy, stay away from peanuts. They can cause a bad reaction leading into anaphylaxis. This is a condition where your throat swells up and breathing is constricted and can even lead to death. If you have a reaction from peanuts, be careful to watch out for hidden peanuts in ice creams, cakes or other foods; and do not cook in peanut oil.
Animal hairs from you pet such as cat, dog, bird, etc.
Certain dyes and cosmetics; household chemicals.

Symptoms:

Attacks of sneezing and nasal stuffiness.
Shortness of breath with wheezing.
Hives and itching of skin.

Allergies may also be the cause of vomiting and diarrhea, bad headaches, abdominal cramps, and the breakout of swollen areas and severe rashes.

If left untreated, allergy or hay fever may develop into a more serious condition such as asthma and sinusitis. Asthma (allergy in your lungs) when not treated can cause lingering disability and can even develop into a more serious respiratory condition.

Most common allergies:
Hay fever — (allergic rhinitis) is caused by ragweed. Each ragweed cluster releases an immense amount of pollen in the air, which can travel for hundreds of miles.
Bronchial asthma.
Eczema.
Hives.
Contact dermatitis such as poison ivy.
Migraine headaches.
In infants and small children — certain foods they eat or milk they drink and substances used to care for their bodies such as lotions, powders, soaps, shampoos, etc.

People with allergies tend to keep them for life. They do not go away, but most people seem to have more of a problem when the plants are waking up from their winter sleep and many people can’t go near a fresh mowed lawn.

If you think you have an allergy, it is always best to let your physician check it out. He will prescribe the proper prescription drugs or recommend that you see a specialist in the field. Also, today we have a bit of an advantage by listening to the pollen forecasting on our local news channel. By seeing the doctor, taking the proper prescriptions and knowing what to avoid, we can live a healthy lifestyle, even if we do have allergies.