| 1. What is an 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? |
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| 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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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4. Is
there a name for these offending substances? |
| They are called allergens. |
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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. |
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6. What
are the most common allergic symptoms? |
| The most common allergic symptoms are
hay fever, asthma and eczema. |
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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. |
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8. What
is asthma? |
| Asthma is a condition which affects breathing
and the lungs. The patient wheezes, coughs and is short of
breath. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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13.
Are allergies common? |
| It is estimated that at least 20% of the
population is likely to develop some kind of allergy. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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24.
What do allergy shots involve? |
| The patient is given small doses of his
allergens by injection on a regular basis, usually weekly. |
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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. |
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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. |
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27.
How successful is the treatment? |
| Over 80% of the patients who receive regular
shots experience significant improvement or complete relief
of their symptoms. |
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