While many of our clients and customers are already familiar with what allergies and asthma entail, during the winter months it is easy to confuse your allergy symptoms with those of the common cold. But the truth is if you go too long without treatment for your allergies, they can often get worse and unbearable for sufferers -especially if you end up with a cold of flu on top of your allergy symptoms during the frigid winter months.
With this in mind, we figured that before the holidays get into full swing, it would be best to offer up some quick descriptions of a few of the most common forms of allergies across America, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA).
Before we get into the breakdown, though, it is important that you know that overall allergies are diseases of the immune system that create an overreaction by the body to environmental or edible substances known as "allergens". These allergens can cause itchiness, sneezing, wheezing and coughing, and while some are just annoying inconveniences, others can – in some cases – be fatal.
Today, we are offering a broad overview on some of the most common types of allergies, but over the coming weeks, we plan to go more in depth on each of these branches of allergies and asthma:
Allergic Rhinitis: Also known as "hay fever," this is a common one, especially during the late summer and early fall seasons. It is usually characterized by sneezing, nasal stuffiness and itching of the roof of your mouth and inside of your ears.
Allergic Asthma: This is essentially what it sounds like – asthma triggered by allergies. It usually entails a constriction or obstruction of the airway, coughing, wheezing, tightness in your chest and fatigue. This type of asthma is almost always treatable with the appropriate medication.
Anaphylaxis: Anaphylaxis is always a medical emergency and is generally life-threatening. It is the most severe form of allergic reaction and causes a restriction of the airways which makes it hard to breathe. According to the AAFA, "Symptoms include a sense of impending doom; generalized warmth or flush; tingling of palms, soles of feet or lips; light-headedness; bloating and chest tightness. These can progress into seizures, cardiac arrhythmia, shock and respiratory distress. Possible causes can be medications, vaccines, food, latex, and insect stings and bites."
Food Allergy: This is the most prevalent type of allergy among young children. While it is often outgrown over time, it is one of the scariest as it tends to be the hardest to avoid – especially in a school or community setting. Symptoms of a food allergy tend to be itching and swelling of the tongue or lips, nausea and vomiting, tightness of the chest, anaphylaxis and hoarseness.
Drug Allergy: Drug allergies are capable of causing anaphylaxis, but they are characterized by allergic responses from the body impacting the organs or tissues of your body. The scary part about a drug allergy is that even those individuals who do not present a life-threatening symptom from the start may develop one over time.
Latex Allergy: Latex is included in many rubber products, as well as balloons, and is also the cause for some allergic reactions. The primary symptoms associated with a latex allergy are hand dermatitis, eczema and urticaria, respiratory difficulties and sneezing.
The only surefire way to avoid these types of allergies is by investing in the best allergy control products and tools for your symptoms and consulting with a medical professionals about what you can do to alleviate your symptoms.
Be sure to stay tuned to this blog for the rest of the most common allergies in America and the best ways to alleviate your symptoms. For more information on how we can help, visit Allergy Be Gone today!
