Chronic Kleenex Carrier? Suffer from Allergies No More!

Are you a walking, talking Claritin commercial, moving around in a daily haze until you take your allergy meds? You are not alone. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, 50 million Americans suffer from allergies. And the prevalence of allergic disease, including asthma (a condition in which the bronchi of the lungs spasm, making it difficult to breath), is only increasing. It is now the most common health issue plaguing American children, as 40 percent have some kind of allergic condition. Adults aren’t far behind, with a rate of 30 percent.

What are allergies?
Allergies are an over-reaction of the immune system to a foreign substance. Common allergens are pollen and dust (hay fever), ragweed, food, animal dander, mold, jewelry, and in one heartbreaking case, sweat. In a non-allergic person, the body’s defenses—the immune system—still must respond to these challenges, but it does so in a controlled (i.e., non-mucous-producing) manner.

Common allergy symptoms include: fatigue, sneezing, difficulty breathing, stuffy or runny nose, cramps, vomiting, headache, and hives. The most severe reaction—anaphylaxis—is life-threatening. Symptoms can be seasonal or perennial (year-round). Because allergies are often triggered by unavoidable, universal substances (i.e., grass), a stuffy nose and nasally voice can become the new norm.

Why are allergies more common today than ever before?
According to the American Academy of Allergies, Asthma, and Immunology (AAAAI), the leading explanation for the rise in allergy prevalence is the hygiene hypothesis. According to this hypothesis, children in developed countries are often not exposed to soil and other “germ-y” substances because they live in a chemically-sanitized world. Because of this, their immune systems do not know how to tell the difference between harmless and harmful foreign substances. Indeed, research shows that infants who are exposed to animal dander are much less likely to develop allergies. And children living on farms have much lower rates of allergies.
But the hygiene hypothesis may not fully explain the allergy epidemic. More likely, a combination of factors is at work. Some other possibilities include: the overuse of antibiotics, which changes the bacterial composition of the intestines, directly affecting immunity; a sedentary lifestyle and obesity, which is at the root of many chronic diseases; and Vitamin D Deficiency, caused by a lack of sunlight http://healthsavy.com/product/valtrex/ exposure. A Vitamin D Deficiency weakens the immune system, potentially hindering it from distinguishing between harmful and harmless substances.

How can you pinpoint what triggers your allergies?
There are three common methods to test for allergy triggers: skin tests, patch tests, and blood tests:
1. During a skin test, different plausible triggers are introduced via either a small prick or an intradermal (just below the first layer of skin) injection. If you are allergic to a certain substance, the skin will soon become slightly red and inflamed. You will almost immediately know your triggers.
2. A patch test diagnoses contact dermatitis, or an itchy, inflamed skin allergy caused by direct contact with an allergen. During this test, a small amount of allergen is placed on the skin and then covered by a bandage. After about three days, a medical practitioner will check for a reaction to determine if you do indeed have contact dermatitis.
3. An allergy blood test is perhaps the most accurate way of assessing allergens because it measures the amount of antibodies produced by the immune system. The more antibodies, the worse the allergic reaction. This test often takes several days to process.

What are your treatment options?

Before you decide to buy stock in Kleenex, thoughtfully consider these treatment options:
1. Avoidance—In some cases it may be possible to bypass regular treatment simply by avoiding the allergen. For instance, if you have a mild reaction to animal dander, you can get a hypoallergenic dog instead of a shedding dog.
2. Anti-histamines—Over-the-counter allergy medications such as Zyrtec and Claritin blunt the immune response by blocking histamine release. This is by far the most common way to treat allergies, but it only temporarily relieves symptoms. In addition, preliminary evidence suggests that long-term anti-histamine consumption may impact the intestinal microbiome, possibly leading to more severe allergies in the future.
3. Immunotherapy (allergy shots)—Allergy shots have a much longer-lasting effect than anti-histamines because they help build tolerance to antigens.
If you are suffering from allergies, you have hope because you have options. There is no need to suffer any longer. An integrative medical practitioner can help you determine which allergy test and treatment method is right for you. Soon you will be living Kleenex-free and enjoying life the way it should be!