How to Prevent | Types | Treatment
What are Environmental Allergies and their Causes?
It is important to know these things so you will be able to avoid them, or at least know how to cope with them if you are prone to allergic reactions.
Allergies happen when our body’s immune system reacts to an allergen that normally does not cause any negative health effects.
A common example of such a substance is dust, mold, or pet dander which can trigger allergic reactions to the skin and air in the house.
If you have allergies, one of the common allergic reactions is:
- Watery or itchy eyes, nose
- Throat itchiness
- Coughing
- Wheezing
- Shortness of breath
If these irritant allergy symptoms appear during times of stress, exposure to allergens such as molds or dust can trigger the release of histamines which lead to allergic reactions.
In other words, exposure to irritants such as smoke, dust mites, or pets can result in airborne allergy symptoms.
To prevent airborne allergy symptoms from appearing, it would be best to stay as far as possible from these irritants.
In other words, avoid being around cigarette smoke, cooking with spices, or using household cleaning products that can cause allergic reactions.
If you cannot avoid being around these allergens or if you are exposed to them while doing your regular day-to-day activities, it would be best to seek medical attention so you can receive proper treatment for your allergic reactions.
How to Prevent Environmental Allergies
There are many ways to prevent allergies such as keeping the home environment clean, wearing face masks while doing household chores, controlling the pets and other animals that might have an allergic reaction to something.
How to prevent allergies in babies is a question asked by many parents who are planning to welcome their firstborn baby.
While it’s true that no specific allergen can cause your baby any harm, you need to be aware of what can make them sick.
This article will go into further detail about some of the allergies your baby might have and how to prevent them.
Some of the more common types of allergy in infants are as follows: Seasonal, respiratory, food, and medication effects.
Food allergies seem to be on the rise and can usually be identified by symptoms such as scratchy throat, coughing, wheezing, runny nose, or red eyes.
If any of the above symptoms occur, you should consider getting your newborn tested as food allergies seem to be a common problem.
There are several ways to prevent allergies in your baby, you just need to try and keep your home environment as clean as possible.
If you’re allergic to certain types of pollen, there are ways to filter the air and keep the pollen level low in your home.
You may need to change your pillows often to get rid of dust mites. Various herbal ingredients can be applied to carpets and mattresses to help kill dust mites.
Some babies with allergies have also shown improvement by following an elimination diet after being diagnosed by a doctor.
Types of Environmental Allergies and Their Symptoms
Many people have been misinformed by the term “allergy” and think that it is a disease when in reality it is just one of the types of allergies. In general, there are four main types of allergies:
Food allergies
Food allergies occur when the immune system reaction to specific proteins found in food. Food allergies generally range in severity from mild to severe symptoms such as hives, lip swelling, and severe, potentially life-threatening symptoms, which can involve shock and death.
Although many people have heard of a food allergy, few know what it is or how it affects the body. Oftentimes, the reaction is not serious but the person experiencing the allergy is highly sensitive to the substance causing the reaction. You must understand what foods are safe for you to eat and what aren’t.
Inhalant allergies
The most common allergen is insect bites and stings. Allergens are substances or proteins (protein molecules) that cause an allergic reaction that results in swelling, itchiness, and redness of the skin or mucous membranes.
The most commonly known allergic reactions are runny nose, itching, sneezing, coughing, wheezing, and burning eyes.
Allergic asthma is one of the more common types of inhalant allergies, with about 20% of the world’s population affected. Seasonal, allergy symptoms include the following:
- Congestion
- Watery
- Thick mucous
- Coughing
- Wheezing
- Hives
- Rashes
- Swelling
- Dermatitis
Latex allergies
There is currently no cure for Latex allergies. However, those who suffer from this condition must avoid certain products containing latex and also consider the use of a med-alert necklace.
Latex allergies are relatively rare. Less than 1% of the population in the United States is affected by latex allergies. People who are allergic to latex should avoid the following products:
- Baby bottle nipples
- Balloons
- Dishwashing gloves
- Rubber toys
- Hot water bottles
- Rubber bands
Pollen allergies
If you suffer from any pollen allergies it is highly recommended that you avoid the common flower shows during summer.
This article will explain what pollen allergies are and how you can best protect yourself against having to deal with this annoying problem during the pollen season.
Pollen allergies are caused by a combination of several types of pollen including; pollen from grass, trees, flowers, and even weeds such as crabgrass.
The good thing is there are several methods that you can use to help reduce or eliminate your exposure to these allergens during the pollen season.
Pollen allergies can be very annoying and they can also be very dangerous if not treated properly.
There are many more sub-types, but these are the four main ones. For instance, if you have an allergic reaction to one protein, you may have a peanut allergy.
This type of allergy has many different symptoms but can include a runny nose, itchy eyes, watery eyes, hives, and swelling of the face and/or throat.
If you have hay fever symptoms, then your likely allergic reaction is to airborne allergens such as pollens or molds.
Hay fever is usually the most common of the pollen allergy symptoms and can be seen as red itchy bumps on the forehead, face, lips, or around the nostrils.
The eyes can become very itchy as well. Hay fever itself is not a pollen allergen, but instead is reacting to a specific breed of pollen.
These types of allergies are very common in children, and can often be seen in older adults as well. Some of these allergies are seasonal, meaning that the symptoms will only appear during certain times of the year.
There is no specific cause for the allergic reaction, just the allergic reaction to something that the body needs to function normally.
Environmental Allergy Treatment Options for Adults and Children
The health care industry has been made aware of the allergy prevention and allergy treatment options available for adults and children who are affected by seasonal allergies.
These allergy treatment options include medications that can be taken to prevent an allergy from causing symptoms such as sneezing, a runny nose, watery eyes, or itchiness in the nose.
Medications that are used to treat allergies include steroid nasal sprays, antihistamines, and decongestants.
There are also allergy treatment options for children and adolescents that include the use of bronchodilators to reduce the inflammation in their airways caused by allergies.
Some allergy medications for adults and children include a combination of two or more of these medications to achieve greater results. Your doctor will be able to provide you with the details about these allergy treatment options.
When choosing the right allergy treatment options for your particular needs you should also consider the cost and side effects of the medication.
Some allergy medications are available at a discount or low-cost prices. Before taking any allergy medications, it is important to discuss the possible side effects of the medicine with your doctor.
Although there is no cure for allergies, there are many allergy treatment options available for those who suffer from allergic reactions.
Environmental allergy treatment options for adults and children include the use of dust mite mattress covers to keep bedding clean and free of allergens.
There are also allergy treatments options for asthmatics who suffer from severe asthmatic attacks brought on by allergies to the air they breathe.
In most cases, asthma can be controlled by using the right types of allergy medications. However, in some cases, especially those that do not respond well to traditional allergy medications, there are other allergy treatment options for asthmatics that may be necessary.
