Alternate Remedies for Allergy Sufferers

Allergies

Allergies are present in every country in the world and are one of the leading causes of discomfort for individuals. They range from mild allergies such as a reaction to plants and animals, to more serious allergies such as a reaction to certain foods or medications. There is a wide array of treatments available to people depending upon where they live, what they are allergic to, their age, demographic, and a variety of other criteria.

Allergies can be described as a simple disorder of the immune system that is often referred to as atopy. Generally, an allergic reaction occurs when something that is normally considered harmless, such as environmental substances known as allergens, cause adverse reactions. Reactions to allergens fall into one of three categories: acquired, predictable, and rapid. Allergy is defined as one of four forms of hypersensitivity and is called Type I, or immediate hypersensitivity. It occurs when white blood cells become excessively agitated and create an extremely inflammatory response. Some of the most common are the reactions of victims to bee and wasp stings, or simple hives, hay fever, food allergies, and asthma.

Allergy as a concept was not considered seriously until 1906 when the Viennese pediatrician Clemens von Pirquit noted that some of his patients seemed to display hypersensitivity to what he considered normal and innocuous items, such as dust and pollen. At that point in time anything that was caused by improper activation of the immune system was called an allergy, but it later became clear that there were certain disease mechanisms linked to immune system activation. In 1963 the four types of hypersensitivity were determined, with allergies being referred to as Type I.

How Do I Know if I’m Allergic?

Most allergens are airborne particles, such as pollen or dust. They can cause individuals to exhibit allergic responses when exposed to such particles. Inhaled allergens can lead to asthmatic symptoms, such as the narrowing of the airway and an increase in mucus production within the lungs, along with shortness of breath, coughing and wheezing. Hay fever (allergic rhinitis) causes irritation within the nose, sneezing and itching and reddening of the eyes. However, allergic reactions can also occur as a result of foods, medications, amongst other environmental stimuli.

What type of allergy you have will determine the type of allergic reaction. Typical food allergies include symptoms such as abdominal pain, bloating, vomiting, diarrhea, or hives, while the airborne allergens generally cause the aforementioned symptoms. Insect stings can create a number of allergic responses depending upon the person. A mild reaction would simply be a swelling of the skin in the immediate area, while a more serious reaction would include anaphylactic shock where the respiratory and circulatory systems are seriously affected. In extreme cases it can cause edema, hypotension, and even death. In addition, people can present with chemical reactions, also called contact dermatitis or eczema, as well as inflamed skin and rashes, as a result of physical contact with household cleaning supplies, latex, shampoos, soaps and other products.

The only way to diagnose if one is allergic to an item is if an adverse reaction is exhibited. Proper diagnosis requires testing by a medical professional, and can be performed in a variety of ways. The first is skin testing, which is also known as puncture testing or prick testing. During this test the doctor makes a series of tiny punctures or pricks in the skin of the patient with a small amount of suspected allergens or their extracts introduced into the sites. If the patient is allergic to the substance, the visible reaction will occur within 30 minutes, usually occurring as a slight reddening of the skin in mild reactions, but can occur as a full-blown hive in those who are sensitive to the allergen.

However, blood testing is an alternative method to determine the presence of allergies to specific substances, and this may be the preferred method for those who have experienced an acute reaction to an allergen.

Treatment

Modern medicine has developed a variety of treatments for helping people deal with allergies on a global scale, and there is rarely something that cannot be counteracted with a traditional allergic mediator. However, with modern medicine comes the simple fact that almost every medicine available on the market has some form of side effect. Still, these traditional methods usually involve either an antagonistic drug which blocks the action of the allergic mediator, or immunotherapy, during which a patient is desensitized with progressively larger doses of the allergen in question until they have developed immunity. But what about alternative methods?

Yoga, or specifically the breathing techniques used in yoga, has been put forward in recent years as an effective way to treat certain types of allergic reactions. Yoga breathing techniques can be used by individuals to help clear nasal passages and achieve temporary relief from seasonal issues. But perhaps one of the most common methods used, and one that has been used for centuries in other countries, especially in Asia, is acupuncture. Acupuncture is considered part of traditional Chinese medicine and is used in a wide variety of treatments for chronic problems, including hay fever and asthma. And while many studies on acupuncture as a treatment lack any type of quantifiable result, there is no doubt that for many people it does provide some positive benefit. In addition, there are certain types of herbal remedies and mushrooms that traditional Chinese medicine has shown can provide relief from allergy symptoms.

At the end of the day, it is up to the individual in question to determine whether they wish to pursue alternative means or to follow the advice of their allopathic doctor. Using alternative methods for mild allergies might be worth a try, but if you are having serious problems you should always contact a licensed physician for a consultation.

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