Monthly Archives: January 2017

Everything You Should Know About Ocular Allergies

Also referred to as allergic conjunctivitis, ocular allergies are among the most common allergy types. They occur when an allergic substance irritates the conjunctiva, a delicate membrane that covers the eye from the inside. The eye is susceptible to such irritants due to its open exposure. Some of the irritants or triggers of ocular allergy are classified as follows:

Outdoor allergens. They include pollens from weeds, grass, and trees.
Irritants such as cigarette smoke, diesel exhaust, and perfume.
Indoor allergens including pet dander, mold, and dust mites.

Pathophysiology of the condition

When you get into contact with the irritant, the eye reacts immunologically. The immune system is activated releasing antibodies, also known as immunoglobulins. These are chemical mediators of the human cells. Antibodies travel to the cells where they prime the release of chemicals causing an allergic reaction. Allergic reactions result to serious sequel and a variety of signs and symptoms.

Signs and symptoms of ocular conjunctivitis

Severe itching
Redness
Burning sensation at the conjunctiva
Clear, watery eye discharge
Temporary eye blurredness
Puffy eyes

Diagnosis of eye allergy

Diagnosis of eye allergy is relatively old fashioned and has no frills. Unlike other serious conditions, no expensive accouterments, no high powered kits, biomarkers or tear samplings are required for confirmation. Clear observation of the signs and symptoms can be used to confirm the condition. However, slit lamp examination may be requested by your allergy doctor to rule out other causes and differential diagnosis such as corneal injury.

Treatment and management

There are many ways in which you can treat the condition. Some of these ways include:

Avoiding ocular allergens is the mainstay management option for this condition. You can avoid this by keeping windows closed during high pollen periods, wearing glasses when outdoors, using mite-proof bedding covers and washing of hands after petting any animal.

You can control the signs and symptoms of the condition using over-the-counter or nonprescription medications. Artificial tears, decongestant ocular drops, and oral antihistamines are some of the products you can use. For serious reactions, consider consulting an allergist for prescription medications. Treatment regimens prescribed by the professional may include allergy shots or immunotherapy, non-sedating oral antihistamines, and eye drops.

Identifying the allergy season is of immense importance. Before panicking about what is happening to your eyes, peruse the guide above which may come in handy for home management of ocular allergy.

Allergy Doctor: Tips On How To Get Rid Of Indoor Allergy

Most people are concerned with pollen and other outdoor allergy triggers that they lose focus of the allergy triggers that they live with. This results to the people spending a lot of money in the allergy clinic. If you suffer from allergies, you should take measures to get rid of the allergens as soon as possible. To help you out, here are tips recommended by allergy experts on how to get rid of indoor allergens in the different rooms of your house:

Getting rid of bedroom allergies

The bedroom is said to be the home of allergies. The most common causes of allergy in the bedroom are dust mites. These are microscopic insects that feed on human skin flakes. They like living in the beddings and soft furnishings but you can find them in almost any area of your house. To get rid of the mites you should put hypoallergenic casings on your bed, pillows, box springs, mattresses and other areas. Regular washing of the beddings has also been found to be highly effective in getting rid of the mites. To allow clean air in the bedroom, you should install a HEPA air filter. While it won’t kill the allergens, it allows clean air in the house thus giving your house a fresh smell.

Getting rid of kitchen allergies

The most common triggers of allergy in the kitchen are cockroaches. The allergens in cockroaches are found in the saliva and feces of the cockroaches. If you are allergic to them you should call a pest control company to get rid of them. Other things you should do include: blocking the cracks and crevices, putting way the pet dishes, keeping food containers covered, and taking the garbage out regularly.

It’s also common for mold from moisture to accumulate in the kitchen. If you are allergic to the mold, allergy experts recommend that you avoid living in the basement. When you notice mold you should get rid of it as soon as possible. You should clean the surfaces thoroughly with water, detergent, and bleach. It’s also common for mold to grow in the refrigerator drip pans. If your fridge has the pans you should regularly pull them out and scrub them down.

Conclusion

These are some of the ways of getting rid of indoor allergies. You should note that allergy can sometimes result to complications. When you show the symptoms you shouldn’t ignore them—you should visit your allergy doctor and have the condition checked.

What You Should Know About The Sinus Disease

The sinus disease or sinusitis is the inflammation of the lining of the sinus cavities. The cavities are usually filled with air but due to lack of proper drainage, they get filled with mucous. The condition is brought about by the allergy to cold, smoke, pollutants and dust. Experts have also shown that viral and bacterial infections also cause the condition.

Symptoms of sinusitis

The symptoms of the condition vary from one person to the other but there are some symptoms that are more common than others. The most common symptoms are:

Pain: You will feel pain due to the inflammation and swelling of the sinuses. You can feel the pain on either side of your nose, in your forehead, between your eyes or in your upper jaws and teeth. In most cases, the pain often results in a headache.

Sinus discharge: As mentioned, mucous fills up in your cavities due to the infection. Due to this, you might feel the need to blow your nose in order to clear the sinuses. In some cases, the discharge bypasses the nose and flows down the throat. Mucus in the throat triggers an itch that might cause you to cough when lying down. It’s also common for it to make your voice sound hoarse.

Congestion: As the sinuses get inflamed they restrict air flow through the nose. This not only affects how well you breathe, it also affects your tasting capabilities. It’s also common for your sound to be stuffy.

When to see an allergy doctor

Studies show that many people with sinusitis don’t visit health centers for treatment. Most of them sit back and wait for the symptoms to go away on their own. Others rush to the nearest drug store and buy medications that fix the problem. While most of the symptoms go away on their own, sometimes they don’t. If you have been having a fever or sinus problem for weeks, you should visit an allergy doctor as it could be a sign of an underlying problem.

Treatment options for sinus disease

If you are having sinusitis there are many ways in which you can treat it. One of the most effective ways is using nasal decongestant sprays such as oxymetazoline and phenylephrine. You can also use steroid nasal sprays such as mometasone and fluticasone. If you don’t want to go to an allergy clinic there are over-the-counter medications such as Claritin, Allegra, and Sudafed that you can take.

Allergy Clinic: 4 Myths About Spring Allergies

Spring allergies are one of the popular seasonal allergies many people suffer from. Due to their popularity, they attract plenty of confusing myths. The most common myths include:

Everyone suffers from seasonal allergies

This is a lie. According to experts, only 1 in every 5 people suffers from these types of allergies. This means that there very many people that don’t have allergies and have never suffered from them. If you don’t have the allergy it doesn’t mean that you can’t develop them. Since the body comes across many things, you might get into contact with a product that your body can’t stand. Due to this, allergy experts report that just because you haven’t developed the condition yet and you didn’t suffer from it as a child you are safe—you can develop the condition as an adult.

Honey will help in relieving the condition

There is a common misconception that if you regularly eat honey the allergy symptoms will go away after some time. The general argument is that honey contains pollen and when you expose your body to the pollen, it will develop tolerance over time. While this might sound like a valid argument, it isn’t true. The allergies come about as a reaction to pollen from trees, weeds, and grasses. This pollen is light and stays airborne for a long time. While the honey contains pollen, the pollen is usually from flowers. According to allergy doctors, this pollen is heavy and rarely causes allergy. Due to this, you can’t relieve the allergies by taking honey.

Flowers cause spring allergies

Just as you can’t relieve the allergy symptoms by taking honey made from flower pollen, you can’t develop the symptoms from the flower pollen. As mentioned above, the flower pollen is heavy and often falls to the ground. According to allergy professionals, the allergies are brought by pollen coming from trees, weeds, and grasses. This pollen is light and stays airborne.

You should take the allergy medications only when symptoms kick in

Many people are to the notion that you should only consider fixing something once it has broken. This shouldn’t be the case with allergies. If you know that you suffer from the seasonal condition, you shouldn’t wait for the symptoms to show. Before the season begins, you should visit your local allergy clinic and ask the allergist to prescribe the medications you should take. As rule of thumb take the medication before the allergy season begins.