Since there seems to be no specific cause for allergies, there are many myths surrounding the topic. Here are the common myths:
Children always outgrow their allergies
While most children outgrow food allergies such as eggs, milk, soy and wheat, there are some who don’t outgrow them. There are some food allergies such as tree nut and peanut that very few children outgrow. According to allergic doctors, allergic rhinitis (itchy eyes, sneezing, itchy nose and postnasal drainage) is carried on throughout life. If your child has had the symptoms before, he/she will carry them for life unless you desensitize them by visiting an allergy doctor who will administer shots.
Whenever you have allergy symptoms you should take antihistamines
While allergy pills give you an immediate relief, you shouldn’t rely on them whenever you have allergic symptoms. Sometimes the problem can be more complex than you think. The best way of going about it is visiting your local allergist who will undertake tests on you and recommend the best medications. The doctor may give you medications that might heal the condition permanently.
Fewer childhood infections mean more allergies
This idea was proposed in 1989. It proposed that children that get ill less often tend to have more allergies when they grow up. While exposure to microbes during the early stages of life is critical to the development of the immune system, there is no evidence that shows that you develop more allergies if you don’t get sick more often when you are a child.
Excessive cleanliness causes allergy
There is a theory that suggests that one gets allergy due to a weak immune system. There is another theory that states that living in extremely clean environments results to a weak immune system. While cleaning a house gets rid of dirt and debris, it doesn’t get rid of micro-organisms. Since you are always in contact with microbes, your immune system is always alert. There are microbes in food, pets, and even on our bodies. If you are one of the people who believe that your clean environment is the reason you are having allergic infections, it’s a lie. To treat the condition you should visit an allergy clinic and the doctors will give you the best medication.
Conclusion
These are the allergy myths that you should know about. Whether you have a food allergy or any other allergy, you shouldn’t treat it by yourself—contact a professional doctor.