Allergic to everything!

There seems to be an epidemic of allergic reactions lately. Everywhere you look, there are more and more allergies appearing, and you see more and more advertisements for allergy medicines, antihistamines and decongestants on the TV and plastered on the internet. A trip to the local pharmacy will show shelf after shelf of allergy medicines, from pills for seasonal allergies, to creams for skin allergies, and all sorts of bogus herbal remedies. There are even types of food that have certain components taken out of them, like gluten free foods or peanut free foods. Almost every child nowadays needs allergy shots or has some type of allergy. Yet, many people do not realize that there is an underlying cause of these allergies and are always looking for the quick fix. Yes pills are easier, but is this really the best way to go?

It's only been discovered in recent times how complex allergies really are. Without getting too deep into the medical topic behind it, allergies are a body's overreaction to a substance that it deems as a threat. It's a mistake your body makes, as it thinks a harmless substance is really an intruder, so it attacks the "intruder". When your body fights this intruder, it can cause inflammation, which makes you feel all of the symptoms associated with the allergy.

There is more going on behind the scenes as well. For instance, even if you do not have a food allergy, eating certain types of food can make you more vulnerable to other types of allergies. Doctors did not know this until just a few years ago. In fact doctors are still learning more and more about this topic today. The current research show that a diet consisting largely of processed foods can make respiratory allergies worsen. The processed foods cause inflammation, which makes the body much more sensitive to allergens it normally would not be sensitive to at all. The short term fixes include things like drugs, air filters, and neti pots, but a better long term solution to fix the underling problem would be to simply eat better.

If you have severe allergies, you should always seek professional assistance from a doctor. Proper treatment for life threatening allergies is always a must. You may have to avoid certain foods no matter what, because they can send you into anaphylactic shock. If you combine proper diet with some of the methods of controlling symptoms, as listed above, and try to avoid the easy drug fixes, then you will have a much healthier life.