Thursday, January 10, 2008

Allergy Treatment Guide - Know Your Options

People face some type of allergy to all sorts of things, this may include environmental allergens, odors, fumes, food, and cigarette smoke just to name a few. Allergy treatment and testing is required when symptoms become uncomfortable and occur on a daily basis. With food allergies and small children, the process of elimination is the best way to determine which food is causing the allergic reaction. Allergy testing methods such as skin testing and blood testing are helpful, but some people may respond better to one than the other. Blood testing is particularly helpful in detecting food allergies, but if you know you?re allergic to a certain food, wouldn?t you just not eat it?

Environmental allergies are a little trickier amongst the different types of allergies. There are a number of possible triggers like weeds, trees, pollens, grasses, dust, dust mites, molds, pet dander, chemical fumes, and cigarette smoke that are all popular offenders. Skin allergy testing is a popular method that is used to diagnose different types of allergies that are severe enough to warrant this approach. Allergy treatment can then be prescribed based on the level of reaction to certain irritants. Seeking assistance from a specialist is not required for everyone with allergies. You can find quite a number of over-the-counter medications that are effective in treating symptoms, but for cases where medications don?t work one would need to consult a professional. There are a number of times where allergies are present with other conditions such as eczema and asthma, and should be assessed in conjunction to allergy treatment as they all go simultaneously. As a result of treating allergies, related conditions will either resolve themselves or lessen considerably as allergy treatment progresses.

Prescribed allergy treatment usually consists of immunotherapy which is also known as allergy shots, that expose allergy sufferers to little amounts of the offending allergens in gradually increased doses that over time reduces symptoms. Make sure that substance that triggers severe allergic reactions, for example certain foods like (shellfish, eggs and peanuts) and bee stings is avoided completely. One must remember that avoidance is the only allergy treatment in this case, aside from using an Epi-Pen and/or Benadryl in cases wherein an accidental exposure may take place. People who are afflicted with allergies should try different allergy treatments and combinations in order to experience any significant relief.

Over a period of time allergies decreases and may in due course disappear thus requiring a lesser amount of allergy treatment. There are a number of resources online you can look into about allergy treatments like www.allergies.about.com, www.medicinenet.com, or www.drgreene.com where you will find a world of information about allergy treatments right at your fingertips.

John Wellington provides readers with up-to-date commentaries, articles, and reviews for health, fitness, and other related information.

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