Allergies 101 - all you need to know.
As a child, during the summer we played outside from dusk
until dinner was announce and boy, you had better high-tail it for home when you
heard the clanging of the bell. Now a
days, you never see kids outside riding bikes or playing ball in the empty lot or
for that matter, adults. Our parents
were always on the front porch or working on outdoor projects.
Are allergies to blame? It is reported that more than 50 million people suffer from pollen and mold.
Why so many people?
Allergies are the result of your immune system thinking the
harmless proteins found in mold and pollen are the bad guys. While the immune system’s job is to track down
and defend our bodies from harmful substances, it gets a little mixed up where
pollen is concerned. When the immune
system is triggered by outside allergens, it releases antibodies which move
through the blood. These antibodies tell
our cells to release chemicals into the bloodstream, including histamine. Histamine is what causes your worst allergy symptoms
such as a runny nose and sneezing.
Scientist are still trying to work out why some of us react
this way to allergens and why some of us don’t. But whatever the reason, allergies are on the rise.
What triggers common allergies?
Not the pollen. It is
one or more of the proteins in the pollen.
Just like when people say that they are allergic to cats, that’s not
really true. What is setting off your sneezing
and swollen eyes is the protein in the cat’s saliva. When the cat cleans its fur it transfer the
protein to its hair and dander. It is
the same thing for the proteins found in molds and dust mites.
Are there other things I could be allergic too?
Absolutely, the list is endless from latex to leather to perfumes to cleaning chemicals.
If you think you have allergies your best course of action
is to get tested by a doctor.
And the doctor will find a cure?
No, there is no cure for allergies. But…there are ways to help alleviate your
symptoms.
Here is another idea for you. Instead of trotting down to
your local drug store for over the counter medicines or an allergy shot from your
doctor, stay home and simply put allergy drops under your tongue!
Sublingual Immunotherapy is a big phrase that simply means:“Sublingual”
– Drops under the tongue
“Immunotherapy” – Uses the body’s natural abilities to
stimulate or restore a healthy immune system response to fight infection and
disease, similar to the way allergy shots work.
It used to be that allergy shots were the best available
treatments for hay fever, other allergies, and asthma, but they’re literally a
pain to get! Not to mention the cost and inconvenience of traveling to to and from your health care clinic.
A fairly recent review published in the Journal of the
American Medical Association says allergy drops are fairly effective in
reducing asthma symptoms. The evidence was even stronger in studies with
children.
The studies concluded drops were effective in reducing
stuffy noses and itchy eyes of seasonal allergies, with 9 out of 36 studies
showing a greater than 40 percent improvement.
Congratulations, you have just graduated from Allergies 101. Now, go outside and play!
Congratulations, you have just graduated from Allergies 101. Now, go outside and play!
