8 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Allergies

Allergies are among the most common medical conditions. They affect millions of people, making them sneeze, cough and experience a wide range of other symptoms that prevent them from enjoying life to the full. While some of them seek for medical attention, others choose to ignore these symptoms or to avoid the contact with the substances that trigger them. This article will reveal eight things you probably don’t know about allergies. Hopefully, you’ll use this information to keep your problems under control.

1. Allergies Can Kill You

If your body is extremely sensitive to a specific allergen, getting in contact with it may trigger a sever allergic reaction known as anaphylactic shock. This is a life threatening situation, so you should treat it as an emergency and seek for immediate medical help.

2. Frequent Exposure To Allergens May Worsen Your Condition

Some people believe that frequent contact with their allergens can help them become more resistant. Unfortunately, the situation is exactly the opposite; the more you expose yourself to these allergens, the more sensitive your immune system will become. Instead of getting rid of your allergy, you’ll have to put up with sever reactions, leading to the life-threatening anaphylactic shock described above.

3. Allergies Can Appear At Any Age

Don’t imagine that the fact that you haven’t suffered from allergies during your childhood will keep you safe until the end of your life. Allergies can appear at any age, as your body becomes more sensitive to certain substances in your environment. Frequent exposure to these substances will weaken your immune system, so you may end up with allergies at any point in your adult life.

4. Ignoring Your Symptoms Won’t Make Them Disappear

You can choose to ignore your running nose and your teary eyes. you can even ignore your breathing difficulties and your mild rashes. However, you won’t get any healthier by not seeking for proper treatment. Allergies are insidious and they weaken your body one step at a time, until you’ll have to see a doctor about your already severe symptoms.

The best thing to do if you get what you think to be ‘frequent colds’ is to ask your doctor to run some allergy tests on you. These tests are easy to perform and they can provide you with a list of the various foods or substances you may want to avoid, in order to stay symptoms-free for longer periods of time.

5. You Can Get Tested To Find Out Your Allergens

The so-called prick tests are fairly accurate and very easy to take. Just ask your doctor about them and you’ll find out everything you need to know. Then, take the tests to see what are the allergens you are the most sensitive to. If possible, try to avoid them. When it comes to various foods, you surely can switch to a diet that excludes them. However, if you are allergic to airborne substance such as dust and pollen, you’ll have to ask your doctor to teach you what to do to keep your symptoms to a minimum.

6. There Are Treatments

The main allergy treatments are symptomatic. This means that they only treat the symptoms rather than healing you. However, there are some desensitization procedures that appear to work very well on a wide category of patients. Your doctor can tell you more.

7. You Can Manage Your Allergies To Keep Tabs On Your Symptoms

Avoid contact with allergens as much as you can. If you are allergic to pollen, spend more time indoor during spring and fall.

8. There Are Other Medical Conditions That Generate Similar Symptoms

Make sure you don’t suffer from other medical conditions prior to seeking the help of an allergist.

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