If you suffer from constant sneezing, itchy eyes, or congestion, you may be dealing with environmental allergies. At Texas Family Healthcare, we specialize in identifying and treating allergies through customized care, helping you find long-term relief so you can breathe, sleep, and live more comfortably.
Allergies
What is an Allergy?
An allergy is an overreaction of the immune system to a harmless substance—such as dust, pollen, pet dander, or mold. The body mistakes these allergens for harmful invaders and launches an immune response, releasing chemicals that cause inflammation and the familiar symptoms of an allergic reaction.
Allergy Symptoms
The list of symptoms caused by allergies is longer than you might think. Primary signs of allergies include:
- Runny or congested nose
- Sneezing
- Watery and itchy eyes
- Asthma
- Frequent ear infections
- Sinus headaches
- Nasal polyps
- Conjunctivitis (eye irritation)
- Muscle/joint pain
- Skin rashes and eczema
- Mental problems such as confusion, slow thinking, depression and forgetfulness
- Respiratory effects including endless colds, chronic cough, recurrent bronchitis
Allergy Triggers
Animal Dander (Year-round)
Contrary to popular belief, it’s not animal fur that causes allergies; it’s a protein in their saliva. When animals lick themselves, the protein attaches to the fur and that’s when it becomes the problem. Then animals shed and their fur sticks in carpeting, upholstery, etc. where it can stay for months.
The same protein found in saliva is also present in animals’ urine. Therefore, gerbils, hamsters and other small caged animals could cause problems for allergy-prone individuals.
Pets aren’t the only problem. Cockroaches, common to tropical areas, also contribute large allergen particles to the space around us. Proteins in their saliva and feces become airborne easily and circulate through the air without your knowledge.
Mold and Mildew (Year-round, Especially Bad in Rainy Seasons)
Simply put, mold is bad. So bad that exposure sometimes seriously affects non-allergic people. Mold reproduces when airborne spores land on wet surfaces, so any room with moisture is vulnerable; especially those that don’t dry thoroughly (like bathrooms counters, showers and bathtubs, and refrigerator drip trays). Also, plumbing leaks could cause major problems to your home and your health if they’re not fixed immediately.
Dust Mites (Year-round)
These microscopic creatures can create big allergy problems. As they float through the air or reproduce in carpeting, upholstery and bedding, the protein in their droppings pollute the environment and cause perennial problems for a many allergy sufferers. Vacuuming, dusting with a damp cloth, and washing sheets regularly can help but, unfortunately, dust mites are hard to completely avoid.
Pollens (Seasonal)
Have you ever rolled in the grass and then started itching? It’s allergies. The worst offenders are Bermuda, Johnson, Kentucky bluegrass, Orchard, Sweet vernal, and Timothy grasses. When lawn mowers cut them, the pollen starts flying. Keep in mind that pollen can stow away on your clothes and on your pets, so vacuum and shower frequently.
Tree pollen is another big troublemaker, and these varieties are especially to blame: sycamore, hickory, walnut, pecan, poplar, cottonwood, box elder, red maple, silver maple, willow, ash, date palm and Phoenix palm trees. Some people have cross-reactions to alder, beech, birch, oak, juniper, and cedar families as well. Removing these trees from your garden may be of little help to allergies; tree pollen can travel up to 50 miles on a strong wind.
Weeds are not only the bane of existence to gardeners, but also allergy sufferers, as they are regular pollen factories. Ragweed is the worst offender, as one plant can release 1 million grains of pollen each day. Other troublemakers are sagebrush, redroot, pigweed, lamb’s quarters, Russian thistle (tumbleweed) and English plantain.
Allergy Treatment Options
There are three options for battling allergies:
Avoidance:
This is always the first course of action…avoid things that make you allergic. This approach is not always practical or desirable. For instance, you may be able to remove offending plants from your home but pollen can travel up to 50 miles, so you are always vulnerable to trees, flowers and weeds from your neighborhood and city. Animals that cause allergies may be taken away but their dander can remain in a home for up to six months; if you visit a home with pets, their hair stays when they’re not present.
Additionally, even thorough efforts to clear your home of allergens can fall short against relentless household dust, cockroaches or hidden mold. Therefore, avoidance is a major challenge and it can significantly impact your quality of life (especially if you like the animals, trees and flowers that cause your allergies).
Immunotherapy:
Immunotherapy is a natural allergy remedy. It’s a process that desensitizes your body to allergens by introducing them to your body, via serum, in small doses. As treatment progresses, the amount of these allergens (also known as antigens) in the serum increases so your immune system learns to tolerate and then ignore them, making you a much happier person during allergy season!
There are two types of immunotherapy: shots and sublingual (under the tongue) drops. Both are effective.
Allergy Drops:
Allergy Drops have been popular throughout the world for over 60 years. In the comfort of your home, you simply place a few drops of serum (the same serum used in allergy shots) under your tongue every day. You only need to visit your healthcare provider every 12 weeks for a refill and a quick follow-up. By your first follow-up, you’ll likely notice a marked improvement. Within a few months you should realize a significant reduction in the need for allergy medications. And, in four years, if you are like most patients you will experience complete remission of your environmental allergies.
Allergy Shots:
Allergy shots have been used successfully to treat allergies in the U.S. for decades. Healthcare providers administer the shots in their offices on a regular basis, often weekly or bi-weekly. Health insurance policies usually cover some many of the out-of-pocket costs associated with allergy shots.
Medication:
The goal of virtually all prescription and over-the-counter allergy medications is to stop allergy symptoms temporarily. They do nothing to relieve the CAUSE of your allergies, which is why your misery returns every time you encounter allergens your body doesn’t like.
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