Tag: allergy

Allergys Favorite Symptoms

If allergies had a top ten list of their favorite
symptoms what would be on it? Would they prefer life
threatening or just really annoying?

The most common symptoms, that may or may not be on
their favorites list:

Breathing problems.

This one should be fun for an allergy. It really gets
the persons attention. Nothing like the lack of oxygen
to center a persons attention on the allergy.

Burning, watery or itchy eyes.

This symptom falls into the really annoying category.
It could cause additional problems if you cant see
where youre going.

Red, swollen eyes, also called Conjunctivitis.

Certainly annoying, but most people can deal with this
one.

Coughing.

This one gets old real quick. And a constant cough
quickly becomes painful.

Diarrhea.

This one might start out in the annoying category, but
left unchecked could switch to the life threatening
section very quickly.

Headache.

Depending on the severity of the headache, this one
might be tolerable.

Hives.

This symptom is not only annoying and uncomfortable
(possibly painful) it draws the attention of strangers
on the street.

Itchy nose, mouth, throat or skin.

Another in the category of really annoying. An itch
that cant be soothed is one of the most annoying
things there is.

Runny nose.

Yeah, this one could cause problems with other people.
No one likes to hear someone constantly sniffing or
blowing their nose. Makes people wonder what germs
youre spreading around.

Skin rashes.

Possibly ugly to look at, but tolerable

What Is An Allergy?

Theres a lot of talk about allergies. But just what
is an allergy and what causes them? Why do some people
have them while others dont? And why are people with
one allergy more inclined to have many?

The immune system is set up to protect our bodies from
harmful, foreign substances. Like viruses and bacteria
(dirt and germs). Sometimes the immune system doesnt
develop properly or is just oversensitive and doesnt
react right.

In these cases, it reacts to things that arent
harmful and dont usually cause people any problems.
These things are called allergens. The term allergens
is just an easier way to say things that cause
allergies.

When the oversensitive or improperly developed immune
system sees these allergens, it sends out chemicals
like histamine. Its the histamines that cause the
symptoms that are common with allergies.

Symptoms like itching, watery eyes, runny nose,
swelling, hives or rashes. Different people have
different symptoms, but the causes are the same.

The symptoms that are displayed depend on the part of
the body the allergen comes in contact with. Allergens
that are breathed in, like pollen or dust cause
coughing or wheezing, stuffy or runny noses and an
itchy nose and throat.

Plant allergies usually come in contact with the skin,
so they cause rashes.

Food allergies usually result in nausea, vomiting,
stomach pains or in severe cases, life threatening
reactions. Drug allergies tend to involve the entire
body, so they have a variety of symptoms.

This entry was posted on Friday, March 14th, 200

The Coming Of Spring

Spring is just around the corner. And with it comes
all the lovely pollen. Lots of people have no problem
with spring. They welcome it with open arms.

But for thousands of people, spring means runny noses,
itchy eyes and congested breathing. These people
suffer from an allergy. Probably the most common
allergy, affecting the most people is the allergy to
pollen.

Spring brings new growth and with this new growth,
plants have the urge to produce fruit or seeds.

Basically, pollen is created by the male plant parts
and taken to the female plant parts. While some plants
depend on insects to do their pollinating, many use
the wind.

The pollen grains are carried by the wind to other
plants to keep the species alive and flourishing.

Most people are just annoyed by the collection of
pollen on their automobiles, porch, patio and
everything else that sits around outside. But for the
people allergic to pollen, their problems are more
than annoying.

The most common symptoms of an allergy to pollen can
be seen every where. Runny noses, itchy watery eyes,
sneezing and coughing are yearly evidence that spring
is in the air.

The pollen irritates the areas that come into contact
with air. That means eyes, nose, throat and lungs. As
the pollen blows on the wind, it causes problems that
turn the joy and beauty of spring into anything from a
nuisance to a nightmare for the thousands that suffer
from this allergy.

Heres A Test To Fail

To diagnose an allergy, the first thing your doctor
does is talk with you. Hell discuss your symptoms,
any medications youre currently taking, and your
personal and family history. A physical examination is
also necessary.

The next step is the tests. There are 3 types of
tests. The skin test, patch test or blood test.

The skin test is the most common test used. Its
generally the most accurate and certainly the least
expensive. With the skin test, a small amount of an
allergen is put on your skin and then the spot is
pricked or scratched with a needle. You can also have
a little bit of the allergen injected into the outer
layer of your skin.

If you have an allergy to the substance that was used,
youll have swelling, redness and itching in the
tested spot within 20 minutes.

The patch test is used to diagnose contact dermatitis.
A small amount of allergen is put on your skin and
covered with a bandage. Your doctor will check the
spot in 48 hours to see if youve developed a rash.

The third type of test is the blood test. This may be
used if you have a skin condition or if youre taking
some type of medication that might interfere with a
skin test.

A blood sample is taken and sent to a laboratory.
There they add allergens to the sample and measure the
amount of antibodies that are produced to attack it.