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What are allergies?
An allergy is a response by your body to a substance that you have inhaled, swallowed, or touched. Your immune system recognizes this intruder and triggers a chain of reactions that cause symptoms such as sneezing, itchiness, runny nose, and nasal congestion (stuffy nose).
The real purpose of your immune system is to recognize harmful invaders, such as bacteria and viruses (which can cause infections), and to trigger a reaction to get rid of them. But in people with allergies, their immune system overreacts to ordinarily harmless substances called allergens.
Typical allergens include pet dander, pollen, dust and mold.
The term for nasal allergy symptoms is allergic rhinitis. The term rhinitis comes from the ancient Greek word rhinos for nose; the term it is means inflammation. There are two types of allergic rhinitis:
Seasonal allergic rhinitis - nasal allergies that change with the seasons due to pollen from plants.
Perennial rhinitis - year-round allergies, which are cause by substances such as dust mites, mold spores, feathers or pet dander.
By Michael A. Fowler, PA-C, MPAS
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Why do allergy testing?
This is the only way to tell what you are allergic to. The cheapest and quickest and most accurate is prick skin testing. It is painless and results are known in 15 - 20 minutes. You must be off antihistamines for
3 - 5 days to do this test. There is a small chance of allergic reactions to skin testing. Patients with severe reactions may be tested with blood testing.
Blood testing for allergy is much more expensive and requires drawing blood, you do not have to be off medications for this study and there is no risk of reaction to this type of testing. Many allergens will not be available for blood testing as compared to skin testing.
The test results are very important. Non-allergy patients will be on medications that are different from those used by allergy patients.
Allergy avoidance is very helpful for those with allergies, but testing is required to document the allergies. Allergy avoidance also reduces medication requirements and pharmacy costs.
By Dennis Robinson, M.D.
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What causes Atopic Dermatitis?
Atopic dermatitis, also called eczema, is a chronic, relapsing inflammation of the skin. The skin irritation produces intense itching, which occurs both during the day and at night. The rash of atopic dermatitis is worsened by scratching. Eighty-five percent of patients will present during the first five years of life, the earliest age being three months old. The nature of the rash varies with the age of the patient. In infants, the rash is mainly on the face, knees, and elbows. In older children and adults, the rash involves the creases of the elbows and knees, as well as the wrist, ankles, and face. A few patients will have hand irritation as the only problem.
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What causes Atopic Dermatitis?
No one knows what causes it, but the tendency to develop dry itchy skin with allergies is inherited. Many things can cause the skin to itch in patients with atopic dermatitis. Inhaled allergens like house dust, pollens, and animal dander are quite common. Allergens to eggs, wheat, soy, milk, peanuts, fish, and other foods are known factors, especially in young patients. Physical factors like changing in temperature and humidity are a problem. Winter is notorious for low humidity causing excessive drying of the skin. Excessive sweating, especially while exercising, can cause intense itching. Emotional stress can make atopic dermatitis worse.
Certain bacteria and viruses complicate atopic dermatitis.
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Do I have Pink Eye?
“My eyes are itching so bad I could claw them out.” This is a frequent complaint heard in an allergist office.
Acute or seasonal allergic conjunctivitis (allergic pink eye) comprises approximately half of all cases of allergic conjunctivitis. Acute conjunctivitis is usually recognized easily. Itching is always a prominent feature. Rubbing the eyes intensifies the symptoms. The illness is almost always bilateral. However, unilateral acute allergic conjunctivitis can occur secondary to manual contamination of the conjunctiva with allergens such as foods and animal dander. Ocular signs usually are minimal despite significant symptoms. In severe cases, the eye may be swollen shut. These symptoms of allergic conjunctivitis may be so severe as to interfere with the patient’s sleep and work.
Key Features of the Diagnosis of Allergic Eye Disease
- Pruritus (itch), which is usually intense
- Bilateral involvement, and
- Associated with atopic respiratory tract disease.
The absence of any of these is strong evidence against allergy as a cause of the condition.
Treatment
Effective symptomatic therapy for allergic conjunctivitis can usually be achieved.
Treating allergic conjunctivitis is the same as for other atopic illness:
avoidance, symptomatic relief, and immunotherapy, in that order. When allergic conjunctivitis is associated with respiratory allergic disease, the course of treatment is usually dictated by more debilitating respiratory disorder.
For more information, call the Allergy & Asthma Clinics of Georgia, 1-229-438-7100.
Be sure to visit us at our website www.allergyclinicsofga.com
By Michael A. Fowler, PA-C, MPAS
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What is Anaphylaxis?
Anaphylaxis is an extreme allergic emergency. It is a rapid, severe allergic response that occurs when a person is exposed to an allergen.
Symptoms can be dangerous.
Anaphylaxis is most commonly triggered by:
· Insects
· Foods
· Medication
· Latex
· In rare cases, exercise
· Sometimes, the cause is not known.
Anyone can experience anaphylaxis:
· There are 17.2 million people who have a known severe allergy to latex, insects and/or foods.
· Millions more have had reactions to medications.
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How do I know if I’m being affected by anaphylaxis?
Initial symptoms may include:
· Itchy skin, hives
· Swelling or flushing of the lips, throat, tongue, hands and feet
· Wheezing, shortness of breath, coughing, hoarseness
· Headache
· Nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps
· Sense of impending doom, loss of consciousness
The best way to prevent anaphylaxis is to avoid substances and situations that trigger severe allergic reactions. However, avoiding allergens completely – is impossible.
By Michael A. Fowler, PA-C
MPAS – Allergy and Asthma
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