The Cause And Treatment Options For Seasonal Allergies
If your allergies have been worsening over the last few months or years, it might be a good idea to visit an allergy specialist. Allergy specialists are trained to find the cause of allergies and the best treatment for them. One of the big questions you might have about your allergies is what is causing them. This is the main question your allergy doctor will want to answer, because the answer to this question will help him or her know how to treat the problem.
The Main Cause Of Allergies
Allergies are common with the seasons. In other words, the allergy symptoms you have might come and go. During some parts of the year, you might not have any symptoms at all. During other seasons, you might barely be able to survive because the symptoms are so severe. Allergies like this are considered seasonal allergies, and most people believe that pollen is the root cause of these.
While pollen is part of the problem, pollen in the air is not really the reason you experience allergy symptoms. The real reason relates to your body's immune system. When your body detects pollen in the air and breathes it in, your immune system senses the pollen as an enemy and begins fighting it. This is when you will start experiencing allergy symptoms, such as a runny nose, watery eyes, and sneezing.
Each season when your body detects this particular type of pollen, your body will react in the same way. This primarily occurs because your body builds a defense against the pollen, and this defense is not necessary.
How Histamines Fit Into This Problem
When your body is defending itself against pollen with antibodies that fight the pollen, your body will release chemicals called histamines. Histamines are what actually cause you to develop allergy symptoms. If your body was not fighting so hard against something it did not need to fight against, your body would not create histamines, and you most likely would not experience allergy symptoms.
Ways To Treat Seasonal Allergies
Once you understand why you are experiencing seasonal allergies, you may also understand the reason doctors will recommend taking antihistamines. Antihistamine medications are designed to remove the histamines your body produces. If you are taking this type of medication, it should help reduce or eliminate your allergy symptoms.
Experts believe that you may need to switch from one type of antihistamine to another after a while though. This is likely because your body might get used to the one you take, and this might prevent it from actually working. If you switch to a different type every month or so, you might have better results from the antihistamine medication.
Doctors also believe that antihistamines may only help for people with minor allergy problems, which is why many doctors now prescribe nasal steroids for treating allergies. A nasal steroid is typically administered in the form of a spray. Nasal steroids tend to have more effective results for major allergy issues.
Nasal steroids are capable of blocking the histamines that cause the symptoms, but they can also help build the immune system in ways that may help prevent further allergy problems.
If you do not want to take medication for your seasonal allergies, you might want to talk to your doctor about natural treatment options. There are numerous natural treatment remedies you could try, including drinking apple cider vinegar each day.
Finding relief from the allergies you have could help you feel better and have a more productive and satisfying life. If you would like to learn more about this, contact an allergy specialist today.
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