Medication, Allergen Avoidance, and Immunotherapy
"Environmental control to reduce exposure to
indoor and outdoor allergens is critical. It
can reduce asthma symptoms, the need for
medication, and the level of airway hyper
responsiveness."
-- The National Institute of Health
Substances that cause
allergic reactions are called allergens.
Allergies to airborne allergens - like house
dust mites,
mold,
pollen and
animal dander - affect over 50 million
people in the United States. Allergies can
develop at any age, and heredity plays a key
roll in who will develop it. An allergic
reaction is your body's response to an
allergen that many others can tolerate
without difficulty. People have varying
degrees of sensitivity to allergens. Allergy
sufferers who are highly sensitive will have
symptoms every time they are exposed to an
allergen. People who are only slightly
allergic require a higher concentration of
allergens to trigger symptoms. What many
people fail to recognize is that allergies
are treatable and symptoms are controllable.
Depending upon your situation, your
physician will recommend one or more of the
following treatments:
1.
MEDICATION:
Using pharmaceuticals to block the symptoms of
allergy. Although this does nothing
to eliminate the specific allergy causing
symptoms, it can be a necessary part of
treatment, especially in asthma or severe
nasal allergy.
2. ALLERGEN
AVOIDANCE:
Eliminating or decreasing your exposure to
the substances to which you are allergic.
The less of the allergy-causing substance
you breathe in, the more comfortable you
will be, and the less medication you will
require.
3.
IMMUNOTHERAPY (ALLERGY SHOTS):
Injecting
the actual substances to which you are
allergic, in order to build tolerance to
them. The allergist at first injects
very small amounts of the allergens, and
then very slowly and gradually increases the
dose over time, thereby decreasing your
degree of sensitivity.
Once your
physician determines the specific substances
that cause your symptoms, the most important
thing you can do is reduce your exposure to
those allergens as much as possible. In many
instances, exposure can be eliminated or
decreased to the point that no other
treatment is necessary. In other instances,
exposure can be decreased only partially,
making other types of treatment necessary.
Even in those instances, less treatment will
be required, and it will be more effective
if you have implemented allergen avoidance.
Breathing in
airborne allergens is a cumulative problem.
Think of an allergy attack as an overflowing
bucket of water. Each time you come in
contact with an allergen, it's as if a
little more water has been added to the
bucket. Eventually, the bucket overflows,
setting off an allergic reaction.
Successful
allergen avoidance does not necessarily mean
lowering exposure to zero. It does,
however, require implementing environmental
control measures to decrease exposure and
get the level of allergen in your
environment below your allergic threshold.
Practicing simple allergen avoidance and
following your physicians other
recommendations will help you keep your
bucket from overflowing, relieve your
allergic symptoms, and help you feel and
breathe better.
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