Allergies

What are allergies?

Allergies are triggered by your immune system reacting to something in your environment that’s normally harmless. While your immune system plays a protective role against disease-causing viruses, bacteria, and fungi, it can also react in a similar way to harmless airborne substances you breathe, foods you eat, and materials you touch. This leads to symptoms like:

• Trouble breathing
• Nasal congestion
• Red and swollen eyes
• Hives
• Swelling
• Nausea
• Fatigue

Severe allergies can cause an even more intense reaction called anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis is life-threatening, so you need to prepare yourself at all times in case it happens.

Anaphylaxis leads to intense breathing problems, lightheadedness or fainting, and loss of consciousness. In the event this happens, you must seek medical care immediately, even if you can manage the initial symptoms on your own.

What are some of the most common allergies?

You can be allergic to foods you eat, objects you touch, or things you breathe in without knowing. Among the most common allergens, substances that cause allergic reactions, are:

• Pollen
• Pet dander
• Dust mites
• Cockroaches
• Insect stings
• Plant resins
• Wheat
• Nuts
• Dairy products
• Shellfish
• Eggs
• Latex
• Nickel

It’s not always easy to immediately identify what causes an allergic reaction. If you have symptoms similar to allergies but aren’t sure what causes them, the Temecula Medical Group team offers allergy testing using blood and skin tests.

How can I manage my allergies?

Managing allergies helps you go about life with fewer troublesome allergy symptoms. If you have severe allergies, your treatment also involves as-needed medication to use in the case of an anaphylaxis incident.

Depending on the allergies you have and how severe they are, managing them can involve:

Avoiding the allergen

While not always easy or even possible, you can prevent allergy symptoms by avoiding your allergen. For example, if you’re allergic to a food, excluding it from your diet might be all you need to do to prevent a reaction.

Taking medication

Some medications like corticosteroids and antihistamines prevent reactions even if you’re in contact with your allergen every day.

Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy involves injections with tiny amounts of your allergen over time. They build up your tolerance to the allergen to eventually prevent allergy symptoms altogether.

Epinephrine

Epinephrine comes in the form of a shot that you use in the event of an anaphylactic emergency. After your shot helps open your airways, you should still seek medical care right away.

To learn more about allergies and how to effectively manage them, call the Temecula Medical Group today or book an appointment online.