Monthly Archives: August 2021

Can You Beat Allergies?

If you have been struggling with allergies you are most likely asking, can you beat allergies? The answer is yes, you can do it. Besides visiting an allergist for some medication, there are plenty of other things you can do to beat allergies. Some of these things include:

Shut out the allergens

If you are allergic to pollen and other allergens that bring about seasonal allergies, work on keeping the allergens out of the house as possible. One of the most effective ways to go about it is to keep the windows and doors closed during allergy season to protect the indoor air from getting polluted.

Minimize going outside

Since you have locked the doors and windows, you don’t want to drag the allergens into the house, do you?

To ensure that this doesn’t happen, you should minimize going outside. In fact, you will be better off if you can avoid going outside altogether.

If you have to go outside, ensure that you do it when the pollen count isn’t too high, usually late in the afternoon. As a rule of thumb, avoid going outside when there is a lot of pollen, such as early in the morning or when strong winds are blowing.

Wash up

You have worked hard to keep the windows and doors closed, and you don’t want to reverse all of your efforts, do you? To avoid this, always wash up as soon as you come back from the outside.

Even before you step into the house, remove the coat, hat, and even the shoes that might be carrying some pollen. You should then go straight to the bathroom, take a shower, and put away the clothes you were wearing.

Stay ahead of the allergy symptoms.

Asthma and allergy foundation of America (AAFA) observes that the best way to beat allergy is always to stay ahead of it. You can do this by taking medications even before the allergy season strikes.

Allergy medications prevent the body from releasing histamine and other chemicals that make your life unbearable, so when you start your medications early enough, you don’t develop the symptoms meaning that you will have beaten the allergies.

There are plenty of medications you can use to beat the allergies, such as antihistamines and sprays. Most of the medications are available over the counter, but it’s always wise to consult your healthcare provider for the best advice.

Wear a mask

Most people have come to know about masks with the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic, but if you want to beat allergies, you have to wear the mask whether there is Covid or not.

The purpose of the mask is to protect you from inhaling the allergens.

For the best protection, go with N95 respirator masks that you can easily find from your local medical supply stores and drugstores.

Eat healthily

Allergies compromise your immune system, so if you want to beat the condition, you need to strengthen your body’s defense system.

One of the most effective ways is to eat healthy foods such as fresh vegetables, fruits, and nuts.

During the allergy season, stock up on tomatoes, oranges, apples, grapes, and other foods that will help you fight the annoying allergens.

Know your triggers

You can’t fight something you don’t know about, can you? So to have an easy time-fighting allergies, ensure that you know the allergens triggering your condition.

The best way to do it is to visit your allergy doctor Manassas VA, who will undertake a battery of tests and help you know what your body is allergic to. As a rule of thumb, stay away from these allergy-causing materials.

How To Make Allergies Go Away Fast

Allergies are annoying. You sneeze, have a runny nose, eyes water, so you want out of this condition as soon as possible. The cool thing is it’s possible to do it. To help out, here are tips on how to make allergies go away fast, as given by allergy specialist:

Stay away from the trigger.

Do you know what is bringing about the allergies? You should stay away from it. If your condition is due to exposure to pollen, stay away from it. You can do this by staying indoors and working from home.

If you love exercising, do it in the early mornings or late in the evening when there isn’t much pollen in the air.

If you have to go outside during the peak pollen hours, ensure that you put on a mask to don’t inhale the pollen. When you come back to the house, take caution not to bring the pollen into the house. One way to do this is to remove your coat at the door.

Remember that you might be hiding from the pollen, but they still find you in the house. To ensure that this doesn’t happen, take measures to ensure that no pollen gets into the house.

One of the things you can do is to invest in a HEPA air filter. This filter traps most airborne allergens such as dust, pollen, and pet dander, so it keeps off most pollen and other irritants.

If you have the means, invest in an air purifier. Besides the purifier getting rid of the pollen, it can also clean the finer air particles and fumes.

Other ways you can ensure that the pollen doesn’t get into the house and you reduce your exposure as much as possible include:

Shut the windows and run an air filter
Vacuum the house twice a week, especially when the pollen count is high
Wash your clothes as soon as you come back after being outdoors
Wash your pillowcases, blankets, and sheets in hot or warm water every week or two
Keep the windows shut and run an air filter

Get allergy medication

If you do the above and still the symptoms aren’t receding, try taking the allergy medications. Some of the medications you can take include:

Antihistamines

From their name, antihistamines work by blocking “histamine,” a chemical released by the immune system. There are many antihistamine brands in the market, and it’s up to you to choose the one that works for you.

Nasal sprays

Nasal sprays often work well with antihistamines, where they work together at bringing down the inflammation in your nose and sinuses.

Decongestants

These are meant to relieve stuffiness, and like the other medications, they come in different brands, and it’s up to you to choose the best one.

While decongestants are highly effective, you should note that they come with various side effects, such as increased heart rate, high blood pressure, insomnia, and irritability. Due to their many side effects, decongestants are ideal for use in the short term.

Try natural remedies

Don’t like the idea of taking medications? You can always try natural remedies. Some of the best remedies include:

Sinus rinses: From its name, this is where you rinse your sinus, and by so doing, you flush out gunk and allergens hence reducing swelling and easing the symptoms.

Acupuncture: With acupuncture, tiny needles are placed under your skin, which corrects the imbalances in the body.

Some doctors believe that acupuncture decreases inflammation, a major factor in an allergic response.

To be on the safe side, before you go for the method, talk to your allergy doctor Manassa VA and find out whether acupuncture will be valuable to you.

What Diseases Do Allergists Treat?

Have you been advised to see an allergist for your condition, and you are wondering what diseases do allergists treat? Well, they treat a myriad of conditions that include:

Hay fever

Also known as allergy rhinitis or sinus allergy, hay fever is a common allergic reaction that takes place in the nose and nasal passages. The common symptoms of the condition include: stuffy nose, sneezing, runny nose, and nose itching.

The condition goes by different names depending on the trigger and when it comes about. When pollens or outdoor molds trigger it during the spring, summer, or fall, it’s known as hay fever or seasonal allergy.

When the condition comes about due to exposure to house dust mites, indoor molds, pets, and other allergy triggers, it’s known as perennial allergic rhinitis.

Asthma and frequent cough

Asthma affects the airways in the lungs, making them inflamed and swollen. The inflammation increases the chances of the airways being bothered by allergens and other things such as stress, smoke, cold air, and exercise.

The airway muscle spasms block the airflow to the lungs bringing about difficulty in breathing, coughing, tight feeling in the chest, and wheezing. In some cases, the only symptom is a chronic cough at night after exercising or when laughing.

Eye allergies

Also known as allergic conjunctivitis, eye allergies lead to tearing, itching, redness, and burning. Eye allergies are caused by the same allergy triggers that cause allergic rhinitis and can lead to plenty of symptoms such as stuffy nose, sneezing, and sniffling.

Different allergy doctors treat eye allergies differently. Some treat them using medications, while others do it with immunotherapy.

Food allergies

These are self-explanatory. You develop allergic symptoms after consuming certain foods. Different people are allergic to different foods. Common allergic foods include: milk, eggs, peanuts, wheat, shellfish, and tree nuts.

Food allergy symptoms can be mild or severe depending on the toxicity levels. Common food allergy symptoms include: stomach cramps, vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, hives, indigestion, headaches, stuffy nose, runny nose, sneezing, and in severe cases, the food allergy can trigger anaphylaxis which is a severe and life-threatening condition.

When you visit an allergy doctor, the doctor will undertake a battery of tests to determine the food you are specifically allergic to. Of course, to avoid allergies in the future, you should stay away from allergy-causing foods.

Skin allergies

The common skin allergens are foods, animals, medicines, and chemicals. When these materials get on your skin, they cause eczema, contact dermatitis, and hives. Sometimes these reactions happen quickly, but in other cases, they take hours or even days to develop, such as in the case of poison ivy.

Sinus infections

Also known as sinusitis, sinus infections are common in people with allergies affecting the nose, such as allergic rhinitis. The constant stuffy and runny nose inflames the nasal passages, causing them to swell.

The common symptoms of this condition include: cough, thick discharge, and occasional pain in the forehead running around and in between the eyes or in the cheeks, upper jaw, and teeth.

Although most of the sinus infection symptoms are mild, sometimes people with asthma develop the condition, complicating the disease and making it more severe and deadly.

Anaphylaxis

This is a rare allergic reaction that affects different parts of the body at the same time, and if you don’t fix it early enough, it can be fatal. The condition can be triggered by different materials such as food, insect sting, medication, or latex in rubber products.

The worst symptoms of the condition affect the respiratory system or the cardiovascular system.

The most common systems include difficulty breathing, wheezing, nausea, hives, dizziness, stomach cramping, and many others. To prevent the condition from worsening, see an allergy specialist Manassas VA as soon as the symptoms come up.