Allergies

What are allergies?

Your body is a finely-tuned machine that has defenses in place to protect you from the myriad hazards that lurk in the outside world. From warding off harmful bacteria to fighting foreign invaders like viruses, your immune system works to keep you healthy.

With allergies, however, there’s a mixed signal, and your body mistakenly deems an allergen harmful and jumps into action to fight it off, leaving you with, at best, annoying symptoms, and, at worst, life-threatening reactions.

What are the most common allergies?

Doctors don’t understand why some people have allergies to certain substances while other people don’t, but they believe that genetics and their environment play a role. The most common allergies include:

• Food and drug allergies
  
• Dust and mold allergies
  
• Pet allergies
  
• Hay fever, or rhinitis
  
• Insect sting allergies
  
• Skin allergies

The most common form of allergies is hay fever, which tends to strike during springtime when pollen fills the air. That said, adults and children alike can develop allergies toward almost anything, from cats and dogs to particular foods, such as shellfish.

What are the symptoms of allergies?

Because of the broad nature of allergies, your immune system’s response can take on many forms, including:

• Itchy skin, rash, or eczema
  
• Itchy eyes, nose, and throat
  
• Nasal congestion, runny nose, and watery eyes
  
• Coughing, wheezing, or chest congestion
  
• Cramping, diarrhea, or vomiting after eating certain foods
  
• A severe response to an insect sting or bite

While many symptoms represent nothing more than a nuisance, in some cases allergic reactions can be severe and lead to anaphylactic shock, which can be life-threatening.

How are allergies diagnosed and treated?

The doctors at Express Family Clinic first work to identify the source of your allergies with thorough diagnostic testing, which includes:

• Skin tests, where your doctor injects a small amount of the allergen into your skin to gauge your body’s reaction
  
• Challenge tests for food or medication allergies, where you inhale a small amount of the allergen to determine your body’s response
  
• Blood tests

Once your doctor zeroes in on the problem, they work with you to overcomes your allergies through a combination of:

• Trigger avoidance
  
• Long-term and on-the-spot medications
  
• Environment fixes, such as filtration in the house
  
• Immunotherapies to build tolerance toward the allergen

To gain control over your allergies, call Express Family Clinic or book an appointment online.