A friend once said to us, “I’m allergic to him. When he walks into the office, I leave. If there’s someone I can’t tolerate, it’s him.” The woman used the word “allergic” to mean that she doesn’t like this person. But to say that you’re allergic to a person does not qualify it as an allergy the way we understand it.
If a person’s perfume or after shave makes us sneeze, then we say we are allergic to his perfume or after shave, but we’re not allergic to him as a person. Allergies are a physical – not psychological - reaction to something. The only way it becomes a psychological reaction is when we know that every time spring comes around and we have an adverse react to pollen, the dread of facing spring becomes so acute and stressful that it becomes both a physical and psychological reaction to pollen.
We're not too concerned about psychological reactions – these belong to a different domain. We shall focus on those allergies that cause a physical reaction, or that cause our immune system to react to a harmless substance which it considers harmful.
Allergies: Types
• Food allergies – these are probably the most common. If you pick up a product and the label says “may contain traces of nuts,” you would not buy the product if you are allergic to peanuts. Others are allergic to dairy products or to certain spices. If you have a food intolerance or are allergic to certain types of food, eliminate them from your diet. Depending on the severity of the reaction, food allergies can be fatal.
• Environmental allergies – some people are allergic to specific substances that are in the environment: cigarette smoke, pollen (can cause hay fever or sinusitis), dust, mold, mildew, grass, ragweed and others.
• Pet allergies – some people are allergic to pet dander or pet hair.
• Drug allergies – these allergies can be triggered by any drug that is taken orally or topically (on the skin). Before your doctor prescribes a drug for your health condition, he will usually ask you if you have had any adverse reaction to medications you took in the past. Some symptoms of a drug allergy include itching, rashes, hives, difficulty in breathing, nausea and swelling.
There may be other types of allergies, but the ones above are the most common.
One out of five Americans suffers from an allergy.
Allergies: Take Full Control!
If you suspect you have an allergy and it’s causing you a great deal of discomfort, ask your doctor about allergy tests. If he recommends a test that you’re not familiar with, ask him questions: the specific purpose of the test, how quickly you’ll know the results, and whether or not it is really an allergy test or a test used to diagnose other health conditions.
The next step is to monitor your allergies: make a note of when they occurred, the degree of your reaction (mild, moderate, or severe), possible causes, and a description of your symptoms. By keeping a record, you can give your doctor an accurate description, which will allow him to correctly diagnose your allergy.
An increasing number of people are veering towards complementary medicine for allergies because they are afraid of the side effects of certain prescription drugs. Before you decide on a complementary or natural treatment for your allergy, speak to your doctor.
Among some of the complementary or natural treatments for allergies are acupuncture, herbal remedies, dietary supplements, Yoga, meditation, visualization, homeopathic remedies and biofeedback.
Alexander Todd is a health writer for EarthTurns, an online company that sells natural dietary supplements made in the USA. http://www.earthturns.com
