Allergies part 2 avoidance, diagnosis and treatment

Avoidance

Avoiding the allergen is a life-saving necessity in some cases of food allergies,because unlike allergies to airborne particles that can be treated with shots or medications, you can only treat food allergies by avoiding the allergen entirely.
Avoidance can help protect people against non-food or chemical allergens, too. and maybe enough to prevent allergy symptoms and patients don't need to take medicines for it and here are some tips to avoid airborne allergies:
-Keep family pets out of certain rooms.
-Don't hang heavy drapes, and get rid of other items that allow dust to accumulate.
-Clean regularly the living space.
-Use special covers to seal pillows if you're allergic to dust mites.
-If you're allergic to pollen, keep windows closed when pollen season's and change your clothes after being outdoors.
-Avoid damp areas and if you have mold allergy keep bathrooms and other mold-prone areas clean and dry.

How Do WE Diagnose and Treat Allergies?

If your doctor suspects you might have an allergy, he might refer you to an allergist, a person who specializes in allergy treatment, for further testing.The specialist will ask you questions both about your own allergy symptoms and about whether any family members have allergies.
The allergist will also do tests to confirm an allergy which will depend on the type of allergy a person has and may include a skin test or blood test.

Medications

Although medications can control the allergy symptoms , they are not a cure and can't make the tendency to have allergic reactions go away.Your doctor can help you to identify those medications that work for you.
Epinephrine is a type of medication that some severely allergic people will need to have on hand ,it's a fast-acting medicine that can help stop an anaphylactic reaction.It comes in an easy-to-carry container that looks like a pen by prescription only.
Allergen immunotherapy or what is known as allergic shots work by the injection of small amounts of an allergen,so your body can gradually develop antibodies and undergo other immune system changes. It is only recommended for specific allergies like pollen or pet dander or insect allergies.Although many may find the idea of allergy shots scary, shots can be highly effective and it doesn't take long to get used to them.Some times it's found that the longer a person receives allergy shots, the more they help the body build up antibodies that fight the allergies.

Dealing With Allergies

First and foremost, try to avoid things you're allergic to and learn how to read food labels to make sure you're not consuming even tiny amounts of allergens.For environmental allergies, keep your house clean of dust and pet dander and watch the weather for those days when pollen is high.Also switch to perfume-free and dye-free detergents, cosmetics, and beauty products which can be called hypoallergenic .
If u take medications be sure to follow the directions carefully and that your regular doctor is aware of anything an allergist gives you.
Finally, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) report that more than 50 million Americans are affected by allergic diseases so you are not alone at all and that doctors and scientists are working all the time to better understand allergies,and to improve treatment methods.