[toc]Since most allergies are caused by elements such as pollen in the air or house dust, most people feel discouraged thinking there is not much they can do to avoid the discomfort and suffering of themselves as well as their little ones.
But there are many things that you can do with the plethora of preventive strategies at your fingertips. There is also ample medication for you to beat allergic reactions in quick time, with the abundance of over-the-counter as well as prescription drugs. Here are a few steps you can take to win the battle against allergies during every attack.
5 Various Allergies Treatments
Prevention And Immunotherapy
The first thing you can do is to launch a preemptive strike. You should reduce your exposure to allergens to a minimum, and also use the tips offered by experts to reduce the exposure of children to agents that cause allergies. Make a strategy with the trusted physician to attack the symptoms of allergies before they attack you and your children.
Consider the possibility of using immunotherapy or allergy shots as a long-term method to reduce your sensitivity to allergens. With immunotherapy, you can accustom the immune system to deal effectively with allergies.
Antihistamines
When antibodies are produced by the reaction to an allergen, the affected tissues induce them to produce chemical called histamine which causes inflammation (for example, allergic rhinitis in the nose, which produces fluids and mucus). Therefore the most common treatment for this type of allergies is achieved by blocking histamine with specific chemicals called antihistamines.
These do not prevent the allergic reaction but combats inflammation and the appearance of other symptoms such as production of liquid, itching, congestion, etc. Some antihistamines have side effects, such as drowsiness. Many of these medicines are available without a prescription.
Anti Inflammatories
As allergies often cause an inflammatory reaction in the tissues, especially of the mucous membranes (eyes, nose, throat, airways), it is also common to treat them with anti-inflammatories. Again, these drugs do not eliminate or prevent the allergic reaction but mitigate the effect of the symptoms it produces.
Some anti-inflammatory drugs can be purchased without a prescription, but a number of new anti-inflammatory drugs have to be purchased with a prescription. In the case of inflammation of the airways, specifically the inflammation of the bronchi, bronchodilators are commonly used. They facilitate the passage of air through the breathing tubes and thus improve breathing during an allergy attack.
Steroids And Corticosteroids
Steroids and corticosteroids are also used in the treatment of allergies and asthma. These drugs mimic compounds that occur naturally in the body, or in the cerebral cortex in the adrenal glands, and work as inflammatory hormone-like natural steroids.
These can only be purchased with a prescription and must be administered under close medical supervision, especially in the case of children. There are a number of steroid nasal sprays too which need to be used on a regular basis to treat conditions such as allergic rhinitis.
Epinephrine In Extreme Allergic Reactions
In some severe allergic reactions such as anaphylaxis, it is possible that the inflammation caused by allergy is such that it completely blocks the air passages (trachea, bronchi) and causes an acute choking situation which can become deadly. Although infrequent, they should be treated as cases of extreme emergency.
In such situations the patient is required to be taken immediately to the nearest emergency room. It is possible that in the emergency room the patient receives a treatment of the compound known as epinephrine, the synthetic equivalent of the body’s natural hormone adrenaline.
Conclusion
Allergies are commonplace and therefore there are a lot of ways to treat them. Although there is no dearth of anti-allergic medication in the drugstores, most doctors would agree that prevention is the best cure when it comes to allergies.
