Medications: The two major groups of medication for treating allergies are antihistamines and decongestants. Antihistamines help relieve sneezing, itching and runny nose. They work best if you take them routinely during the allergy season rather than waiting until you feel miserable. Decongestants, on the other hand, work by drying up nasal passages after the fact, and are used on an as needed basis for short periods of time only.

Allergy shots: Allergen immunotherapy works like a vaccine. Your body responds to the injected amounts of a particular allergen, given in gradually increasing doses, by developing an immunity or tolerance to the allergen(s). As a result of these immune changes, immunotherapy can lead to decreased, minimal or no allergy symptoms when you are exposed to the allergen(s) included in the allergy vaccine. There generally are two phases to immunotherapy: a build-up phase and a maintenance phase.

While allergy shots go more to the cause than antihistamines and decongestants, the process is not inexpensive and the effectiveness of this treatment option is different for each person, and some people may fail to respond at all.

Allergy Prevention

The preventive treatment of allergies is dependent on the type of allergic disease in question. Often, allergy testing can aid in the treatment of allergies through allergen avoidance.

Eat smart: Almost anyone may have undiagnosed food allergies that affect their health. Eat smart by minimizing exposure to the most common food allergens -wheat, corn, and dairy.

Breathe Smart: Indoor allergens may include dust mite droppings, animal dander, cockroach droppings, indoor molds, tobacco smoke, aerosols, paint, perfumes, smog, and cleaning products or other strong odors or fumes. If the allergens are not eliminated, constant exposure may lead to chronic health problems. Purchase an effective cleaner/ionizer to scrub the air in your house — and clean it frequently.

Other remedies may include doing a colon cleansing or a liver detox.

Whatever allergy remedy you choose, always consult your physician before considering any advice you get on the internet.

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What are Allergies?
An allergy is a reaction by your immune system against usually harmless (allergenic) substances. A person without allergies would have no reaction to such substances, but when a person who is allergic encounters the allergen, the body reacts by releasing chemicals which cause allergy symptoms.

How do Allergies Start?
An allergic person can create allergic antibodies against a variety of allergens, including pollens, molds, animal danders, dust mites, foods, venoms and medications. This occurs through sensitization, where a person’s immune system is exposed to enough of the allergen to make the body produce allergic antibodies to that substance.

With later exposures, that same allergen binds to its corresponding antibodies on allergic cells, and the body reacts with symptoms of allergies. Allergic symptoms can vary with the type of allergen and medium of exposure (airborne pollen exposure may cause different symptoms than eating a food to which you are allergic).

When and Why do People Develop Allergies?
It is still not known why some people develop allergies and some don’t. Allergies appear to be hereditary, and family members may share allergies to specific foods or medications. The allergic response that was once meant to protect the body against parasitic infections, now seems to be an abnormal response to non-infectious factors. Although, allergies can occur at any time during our lives, they occur most frequently in children and young adults. The appropriate allergy remedy we choose will of course be dependent upon the many factors such as age, nature of the allergy, general health, weight, etc.

How Did You Develop Allergies?

Share your experience. Did you develop it early during your youth? later in life? What do you think might have cause it?

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