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ALLERGY TREATMENTS
Antihistamines and
Other Medications
Fortunately,
life-threatening allergic reactions are rare: most people have milder
symptoms that can be treated with antihistamines. An antihistamine blocks
the body's production of histamine. In doing so, an antihistamine can
relieve nasal congestion, sneezing, hives and gastrointestinal symptoms
associated with allergies. Antihistamines are available in tablet form,
either with or without a prescription, they are also available in syrup
form for children and as nasal sprays.
Antihistamine medication
isn't your only treatment option. Emergency bronchodilators can be used to
reduce symptoms once an allergy attack has started, and topical creams
sooth skin conditions caused by allergies. Consult your doctor for the
medications best suited to you.
Anaphylactic shock is a
severe allergic reaction that can kill if untreated. Upon contact with the
allergen, breathing become difficult, and blood pressure drops sharply.
Shock, loss of consciousness and even death can occur.
If you're at risk of
anaphylactic shock, you will probably be prescribed an adrenaline-based
medication called epinephrine. Epinephrine can be self-administered using
either a syringe or special injection "pen." Medical attention should be
given immediately, even if epinephrine has been used.
When the allergy is bad, any chilling can cause symptoms - drink only
warm liquids and avoid ice. Here it is very important to drink hot tea
before getting out of bed. This is because when the allergy is bad, the
regular body thermostat doesn't work well. Instead of warming up after
getting out of bed by circulation, the body coughs and sneezes as part of
the warming up mechanism. With allergy is important to avoid getting
chilled, especially in a movie, this will bring on symptoms. The plants
pollinate about 5 AM and 5PM, so it is important to sleep with the windows
shut to avoid the 5 AM pollen, and to drive in the late afternoon with the
car windows closed. When the allergy symptoms are severe you must avoid
spicy foods - hot mustard, hot peppers, etc.. This is because these spices
add to the histamine already in your body which makes the allergy
symptoms.
Today there are some excellent antihistamines available over the
counter. I would start with Chlortrimeton. This is available as a 4
milligram or 12mg long acting (12 hours) tablet. The problem is that
everyone reacts differently to these pills. Some people feel drowsy at a
small dose. There are other antihistamines that have less sedation for
most people such as Seldane or Claritin. On prescription, there are
several steroid nasal sprays, such as Vancenase or Flonase. If they work,
this is a preferred treatment because there aren't any systemic effects,
such as you might get with antihistamines. In 1996 we feel that allergy
can be reduced or avoided when there is a family history of allergy if the
child is nursed. All children should sleep in rooms with minimal dust. It
is important to follow the prescribed foods for infants. For example if
eggs are introduced at too early an age, an allergy to this food may
develop. Often if a child hates a certain food, he may do so because he is
allergic to it.
Be very careful of nose drops such as Afrin and Neosynephrine. All nose
drops can be addicting, the more you spray, the more constriction of the
nose, then there is rebound and the nose is more congested. Soon, instead
of every 12 hours, you have to use the drops every 6 then every four
hours! Then, the systemic effect of all that medicine takes over and the
person becomes nervous, jittery and sleep is difficult. This is called
Rhinitis Medicamentosum. Once this happens, the best treatment is a short
course of Prednisone combined with an antibiotic from your doctor. If you
have allergies, it is better to pay someone else to clean out grandma's
attic because the symptoms brought on from the dust will be extreme.
After exposure to an allergy trigger such as ragweed, just as you might
wash your hands to remove dirt, you can use pulsatile saline irrigation to
remove offending substances. If antihistamines are not satisfactory, try
antihistamine as a nasal spray: dissolve one 50 mg capsule of benadryl in
4 ounces of saline, or better yet, an enhanced nasal moisturizer solution,
3x a day. Or your doctor may recommend Singular as a spray for your
allergy: dissolve two 10 mg tablets in 4 ounces of an enhanced nasal
moisturizer solution. Spray nose thoroughly 3x a day.
Many years ago there was an excellent treatment for uncontrolled
allergy symptoms. They would put a person to complete bed rest and in an
allergy free environment for about a week to 10 days. This allowed the
patients natural cortisone to regenerate and he would be well. Today, we
give cortisone medication to do the same thing, but it is important to
remember that if the attack is severe, rest is the best medicine.
Allergy
What
is an allergy?
An allergy refers to an
abnormal reaction to certain substances called allergens. These allergens
may be inhaled, swallowed, or come in contact with the skin to trigger a
reaction from the body's immune system.
Food
Allergy Treatment
The key to the successful treatment of food allergies is avoidance.
Whenever possible, avoid coming into contact with the allergen. This is
easier said than done: restaurants and manufacturers of processed foods
often use foods in ways you'd never suspect.
Read all ingredients on every food label very carefully. Never assume that
the product doesn't contain the substance you're allergic to. A person
suffering from a peanut allergy, for instance, should look for peanuts in
all processed foods, not just ice cream, candy, and cereals. If you
have any doubts, don't buy the product.
Restaurants hold their own special dangers. Inform the staff of any
allergies you may have. Even so, kitchen contamination between your meal
and the allergen is always possible. If you're allergic to fish, avoid
restaurants that specialize in seafood: airborne particles of fish
proteins can trigger reactions. If you have a peanut allergy, remember
that many ethnic restaurants use peanuts on a regular basis. Even a minute
amount of the allergen can lead to anaphylactic shock if you have severe
allergies. Avoidance requires you to play it safe at all times.
Anaphylactic Shock and Epinephrine
Anaphylactic
shock is a severe allergic reaction that can kill if untreated. Upon
contact with the allergen, breathing become difficult, and blood pressure
drops sharply. Shock, loss of consciousness and even death can occur.
If you're at risk of anaphylactic shock, you will probably be prescribed
an adrenaline-based medication called epinephrine. Epinephrine can be
self-administered using either a syringe or special injection "pen."
Medical attention should be given immediately, even if epinephrine has
been used.
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Allergy Shots: Are They Effective?
Allergy shots administer minute amounts of
allergen to the body, allowing the body to develop a tolerance to the
allergen. Unfortunately, while allergy shots have proven somewhat
effective when treating insect bites, animal dander, pollens and dust
mites, they are not recommended for food allergies. The amount of food
that can trigger a severe reaction is so minute that even the tiny
amounts in allergy shots could prove harmful
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Anyone with life-threatening
allergies should consider wearing a medical alert bracelet or necklace
detailing what he or she is allergic to, and what steps to take in the
event of an emergency. If your doctor has prescribed epinephrine, carry
your medication with you at all times.
Antihistamines and Other Medications
Fortunately, life-threatening allergic reactions are rare: most people
have milder symptoms that can be treated with antihistamines. An
antihistamine blocks the body's production of histamine. In doing so, an
antihistamine can relieve nasal congestion, sneezing, hives and
gastrointestinal symptoms associated with allergies. Antihistamines are
available in tablet form, either with or without a prescription, they are
also available in syrup form for children and as nasal sprays.
Antihistamine medication isn't your only treatment option. Emergency
bronchodilators can be used to reduce symptoms once an allergy attack has
started, and topical creams sooth skin conditions caused
by allergies. Consult your doctor for the medications best suited to
you.
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