Allergies Not Just For Children Anymore

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Allergies Not Just For Children Anymore

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=63598

What do all these people have in common - a 25-year-old man who

sneezes every spring when the trees bloom, a 14-year-old girl who

wheezes after petting a cat, a 3-year-old boy who gets a rash after

drinking milk, and a 30-year-old woman who gets dizzy after she is

stung by a wasp?

They all suffer from various forms of allergies.

Allergy is much more than just hay fever. It occurs when the body

develops an abnormal activation of the immune system - called IgE -

to what would otherwise be harmless substances, such as pollen,

animal dander, mold, food, medication or even insect stings. In

these people, their immune response overreacts by producing IgE to

these substances, causing the illnesses from which they suffer.

Although most often thought of as a child's disease, allergy can

affect people of all ages from infants to the elderly. There is

clearly a family predisposition, which implies a genetic basis.

Indeed, the risk for developing an allergic condition is up to 10

times higher in children whose parents are also allergic.

Environmental exposures are important as well. Urban dwellers are

more likely to have hay fever and/or asthma than those who live on a

farm. This may occur because of the decreased exposure to certain

types of environmental substances - called endotoxins - that comes

from animal waste found in abundance in rural locations, such as

farms with livestock

Other factors influence the risk for developing hay fever, asthma

and other allergic diseases. These include early exposure to table

food (during the first six months of life), living in areas of high

air pollution (especially ozone and diesel exhaust as seen in urban

areas), excessive use of antibiotics early in life and exposure to

tobacco smoke (especially for asthma).

The first line of defense is prevention. Keeping a child away from

second hand smoke (and not smoking as the child ages), controlling

air pollution exposure, limiting table food exposure in early

infancy (4-6 months of age) and careful use of antibiotics for what

may be viral colds instead of bacterial infections may all reduce

the risk for developing allergic diseases.

If an individual develops an allergic disease, what can be done?

Avoidance is the primary principle. This is particularly important

for those substances that can be controlled drugs, foods and animal

dander. For things such as pollen and mold, total avoidance is often

not possible, so minimizing exposures, such as controlling inside

air during pollen season and humidity to minimize indoor mold, can

be quite effective.

Some allergic conditions can be treated in many patients with over

the counter medications. This is particularly true for hay fever

(antihistamines, decongestants) and certain rashes (antihistamines,

steroid creams). However, sometimes the symptoms are so severe or

hang on so long that medical care should be sought.

Allergist-immunologists are physicians specially trained to care for

allergic diseases of all kinds hay fever, asthma, food allergy, drug

allergy, insect sting allergy as well as other conditions such as

sinus disease, hives and life threatening systemic reactions called

anaphylaxis, such as occurs after bee stings in sensitive people. A

visit to the allergist will include a thorough history, physical

exam, and, when needed, skin testing to define the specific allergic

sensitivity.

The allergist-immunologist will prescribe the correct medications to

control symptoms in patients with various allergies. This may

include nose sprays, inhalers, ointments and even specific pills or

capsules. All these medications are designed to reduce or eliminate

symptoms, as well as to maintain control of the condition.

In certain patients with respiratory allergies (hay fever, asthma),

allergy shots may be prescribed. These injections of small amounts

of material from the substances causing the allergies can decrease,

or sometimes even eliminate the patient's sensitivity.

University of Mississippi Medical Center

2500 North State St.

, MS 39216-4505

United States

http://www.umc.edu/