| |
| 1. What is allergy? |
| 2. When does an allergy begin? |
| 3. What causes an abnormal response? |
| 4. Is there a name for these
offending substances? |
| 5. What kind of things are allergens? |
| 6. What are the most common
allergic symptoms? |
| 7. What is hay fever? |
| 8. What is asthma? |
| 9. What is eczema? |
| 10. Do all allergic responses
fall into one of these categories? |
| 11. Is an allergy really a
serious illness? |
| 12. Are allergies inherited? |
| 13. Are allergies common? |
| 14. At what age is a person
most likeley to develop an allergy? |
| 15. Can an allergy be outgrown? |
| 16. What causes a person to
develop an allergy? |
| 17. If I have an allergy, should
I be treated by an Allergist? |
| 18. Should an Otolaryngologist
treat my allergies? |
| 19. What is the first treatment
for allergies? |
| 20. What if the allergen can't
be eliminated? |
| 21. Then are drugs the answer? |
| 22. What about Cortisone? |
| 23. What about allergy shots? |
| 24. What do allergy shots involve? |
| 25. Is there a standard dosage
for everyone? |
| 26. How long will I have to
take shots? |
| 27. How successful is the treatment? |
 |
|
|
| 1. What is an allergy? |
| Allergy is a genetic condition causing the
body to respond to harmless substances in the environment as
though they were dangerous invaders. This response produces
symptoms that may be mild to life-threatening in susceptible
people. |
^Top |
|
|
| 2. When does an allergy
begin? |
| It occurs after a person with allergic tendencies
is repeatedly exposed to the substance in his/her environment
or his/her diet. |
^Top |
|
|
| 3. What causes an abnormal
response? |
| When the allergic person comes into contact
with the offending substance, his body's immune system rushes
to his rescue and begins to produce antibodies to fight off
the invader. These antibodies alter the way in which the body
reacts, and may produce allergic symptoms. |
^Top |
|
|
| 4. Is there a name for
these offending substances? |
| They are called allergens. |
^Top |
|
|
| 5. What kind of things
are allergens? |
| Anything to which a person becomes allergic
is an allergen. Certain substances, because of their physical
and chemical structure are more likely to become allergens than
others. Prime examples are ragweed and other pollens, and penicillin.
Others are dust, mold, spores, animal dander, feathers, cereal
grains, some air-borne chemical pollutants, drugs and insect
venoms. |
^Top |
|
|
| 6. What are the most
common allergic symptoms? |
| The most common allergic symptoms are hay
fever, asthma and eczema. |
^Top |
|
|
| 7. What is hay fever? |
| "Hay fever" was named because of
nasal symptoms developing during hay season, but most nasal
allergies are called "hay fever". In hay fever, the
lining of the nose becomes irritated, causing the sufferer to
sneeze and the nose to become stuffed-up or to run. Eyes may
itch or turn watery. Sometimes the ears feel blocked up. Hay
fever occurs most frequently during the spring, summer or fall
when trees, grasses and weeds produce pollen. One of the principal
offenders is the ragweed plant which produces the pollen from
late summer until frost. |
^Top |
|
|
| 8. What is asthma? |
| Asthma is a condition which affects breathing
and the lungs. The patient wheezes, coughs and is short of breath.
|
^Top |
|
|
| 9. What is eczema? |
| Eczema is an inflammation of the skin. It
can take the form of red patches, crusts and scales. The affected
area generally itches. The condition generally occurs from eating
certain foods. |
^Top |
|
|
| 10. Do all allergic
responses fall into one of these categories? |
| No. In addition to hay fever, asthma and
eczema, there can be a wide range of allergic reactions suffered
in all parts of the body. For example, headaches, hives, diarrhea
and stomach distress can be the result of allergy. |
^Top |
|
|
| 11. Is an allergy really
a serious illness? |
| An allergic reaction can be slight and annoying
or very serious. The inflamed lining of the nose of someone
who suffers from hay fever can become infected, making the symptoms
worse. Most dangerous of all is a sudden, heavy dose of an allergen,
especially one like a bee sting or drug injection. This can
trigger a generalized allergic reaction bringing on collapse,
shock or even death. |
^Top |
|
|
| 12. Are allergies inherited? |
| While specific allergies themselves are not
inherited, the tendency towards allergies is. The more allergic
one's family is, the more likely one is to develop allergies.
Though the trend to develop allergies may not appear in all
members of a family or even in every generation of a family,
the tendency is still there. |
^Top |
|
|
| 13. Are allergies common? |
| It is estimated that at least 20% of the
population is likely to develop some kind of allergy. |
^Top |
|
|
| 14. At what age is a
person most likeley to develop an allergy? |
| It is most common for allergies to begin
in childhood, but it is quite possible for allergic symptoms
to make their first appearance at any age. You're never too
old to develop an allergy. |
^Top |
|
|
| 15. Can an allergy be
outgrown? |
| No. It is common for people to change the
way their other allergic symptoms affect them, especially in
childhood. For example, a baby may develop colic or eczema or
have recurrent ear infection, but as it grows older, it may
develop other allergic symptoms such as hay fever, ear fluid
or asthma. Adults have many varied symptoms such as chronic
post nasal drainage, rashes, and stomach and intestinal problems.
Older patients still have a tendency to have allergic symptoms,
although they may become less noticeable with maturity. |
^Top |
|
|
| 16. What causes a person
to develop an allergy? |
| There is no standard way for an allergy to
begin, and the onset may be sudden or gradual. For a person
to become allergic to a substance, he/she must be exposed to
it more than once, and generally that exposure is quite frequent.
Often, symptoms develop after an unusual stress to the immune
system, such as following a severe viral infection. |
^Top |
|
|
| 17. If I have an allergy,
should I be treated by an Allergist? |
| Because allergies can produce such a wide
range of symptoms, there are a number of doctors, both specialtists
and general practitioners, in addition to allergists, who may
be qualified to treat the allergic patient. For example, a skin
allergy can be effectively treated by a dermatologist (a doctor
who specialize in treating skin diseases) and an infantile cow's
milk allergy may be treated by the child's own pediatrician.
An internist who is concerned with lung disease may also be
involved with allergies that affect the lungs. An allergist
may be any physician trained in the diagnosis and treatment
of allergies. There are general allergists who treat allergies
throughout the body and specialty allergists, such as otolaryngologists
(ear, nose and throat specialists), who specialize in a specific
part of the body. |
^Top |
|
|
| 18. Should an Otolaryngologist
treat my allergies? |
| An otolaryngologist is a doctor specializing
in the treatment of ear, nose and throat diseases. Half of the
problems he/she encounters are probably due, either directly
or indirectly, to allergy. Chronic nasal congestion and post
nasal drip, seasonal or constant, is often allergic and may
be complicated by chronic sinus and middle ear disease. Hearing
loss, dizziness, headaches, weeping ear canals, and chronic
sore throats may be due to allergy. The otolaryngologist who
does his/her own allergy treatment is able to follow the patient's
progress with specialized examinations and nose and throat medical
and surgical treatment, such as polyp removal, placement of
middle ear ventilating tubes, straightening of the nasal septum,
and treatment of sinus infections. An otolaryngologist not providing
allergy care may refer you to a colleague for such care. |
^Top |
|
|
| 19. What is the first
treatment for allergies? |
| First of all, a careful history of the allergic
person is taken. The most basic treatment, once an allergen
has been identified, is to eliminate it. This may mean giving
away a pet, avoiding certain jewelry and cosmetics, deleting
specific foods from the diet, and alerting physicians about
drug allergies. |
^Top |
|
|
| 20. What if the allergen
can't be eliminated? |
| In the case of an allergen in the environment,
such as dust, pollen, and mold, a thorough house cleaning, along
with other careful preventive measures, will cut down on the
exposure. However, if the allergen is seasonal pollen, moving
may not be the solution since there might be tree or weed pollens
in the new location which could bring about the development
of another, equally distressful allergic reaction. |
^Top |
|
|
| 21. Then are drugs the
answer? |
| Drug treatment has long been a cornerstone
of allergy treatment. Antihistamines and/or decongestants (for
the nose) and bronchodilators (for asthma) counteract the symptoms
caused by the main chemical released by the body's immune system
in an allergy attack. There are other drugs, both pills and
nasal sprays, which can prevent the release of these inflammatory
chemicals or suppress the immune reactions themselves. |
^Top |
|
|
| 22. What about Cortisone? |
| Steroids of the cortisone family can suppress
allergic reactions, but often there is the risk that the patient
may develop significant side effects. Newer steroid nose sprays
will often relieve allergies and not cause the side effects. |
^Top |
|
|
| 23. What about allergy
shots? |
| Injections (immunotherapy) have been a satisfactory
treatment for many inhaled allergens (that is, pollens, dust,
molds and animal dander) and for bee stings. Before immunotherapy
is begun, allergy tests are done in order to determine the offending
allergens. |
^Top |
|
|
| 24. What do allergy
shots involve? |
| The patient is given small doses of his allergens
by injection on a regular basis, usually weekly. |
^Top |
|
|
| 25. Is there a standard
dosage for everyone? |
| No. The appropriate allergens and their doses
must be determined individually for each patient. Skin testing
(placing a minute amount of the allergen under the skin) and
the RAST (blood test for specific allergies) are both widely
used for this purpose. Both detect the substances to which a
person is allergic, as well as the degree of sensitivity, which
helps determine the initial treatment dose. |
^Top |
|
|
| 26. How long will I
have to take shots? |
| The injections can bring significant relief
within a few months, but may require longer. They are usually
continued for 2 to 3 years. In some cases, unfortunately, it
may be necessary to continue the treatment indefinitely. |
^Top |
|
|
| 27. How successful is
the treatment? |
| Over 80% of the patients who receive regular
shots experience significant improvement or complete relief
of their symptoms. |
^Top |
