5 Most Efficient Ways of Allergy Treatment

• Effective allergy treatment not only makes you more comfortable but can prevent deadly complications as well
• Immunotherapy is very effective except for many food allergies
• Allergen avoidance is the best method of preventing symptoms but this is not always possible

Allergy treatment can be important or even lifesaving if you suffer from allergies. Because allergy symptoms can range from mild all the way up to life threatening conditions including anaphylactic shock, the type and severity of your allergy will determine what the best treatment methods for your specific case are. If you have severe allergies that become dangerous more aggressive treatment methods will need to be used if you come into contact with the allergen. If you only suffer from mild hay fever, you will have many more options for treatment because if the allergy treatment does not work you may be uncomfortable but the consequences will not be severe and possibly cause death.

1. Anti-histamines

Anti-histamines can be a very effective allergy treatment for many allergy types. If you are allergic to animal hair, dust mites, pollen, mold, and many other allergens, taking an anti-histamine such as Benedryl can cause your allergy symptoms to stop. Anti-histamines work by preventing substances called histamines which cause an allergic reaction from attaching to the cells of your body and causing irritation. This irritation is what causes allergy symptoms to start in the first place. Taking these medications at the first sign of allergy symptoms can help lessen the length an severity of the symptoms.

2. Allergen Avoidance

Allergen avoidance is the safest way to prevent and treat your allergies, and most of the time this treatment works well. The problem is that exposure to some allergens, such as nuts and insect stings, are almost impossible to control one hundred percent of the time. You can not avoid getting stung by a bee sometimes, or no one would ever get stung. With food allergies, especially nuts and seafood, the worry is that a very small amount can be in food and unknowingly consumed, which could cause a severe allergic reaction such as anaphylactic shock.

3. Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy, also commonly called allergy shots, can be a very effective and efficient allergy treatment for many allergy types. Unfortunately food allergies are normally not effectively treated in this way because the treatment does not seem to lessen food allergies like it does other allergy types. In this treatment you are exposed to small but increasingly larger amounts of the allergen in an effort to desensitize you to the substance. After a year of immunotherapy treatment, you may find that your allergies are very slight, or completely gone altogether. The dosage increase is slowly done over a period of weeks or months, with higher exposures two or three times a week.

4. Epinephrine In An Auto Inject Pen Device

One of the most efficient treatments for severe allergies that can become deadly quickly is a self injected dose of epinephrine. This drug speeds up your systems and prevents them from slowing or stopping. When a severe allergic reaction occurs, you may only have a few minutes to get treatment or you can die. A auto injectable epinephrine device will allow you to treat yourself immediately if you start to experience symptoms. This device should always be kept on you for emergencies. If an allergic reaction occurs, you must press the pen against your thigh so that it can inject the drug into your system, preventing anaphylactic shock.

5. Steroids For Inflammation

For some allergies, the allergy treatment that is most effective are steroids. Not the muscle building kind, but the kind that fights inflammation and helps speed up the healing process. Skin allergies and allergic reactions can be treated with a hydrocortisone cream. If the allergic skin reaction is very severe, you may need to take this medication in a pill form to effectively eliminate all of the symptoms. These medications will stop the itching associated with the histamines, plus soothe and cool the skin when the ointment is used. There are creams available without a prescription, but for bad reactions you may require a prescription strength cream or pill from your physician.

The information supplied in this article is not to be considered as medical advice and is for educational purposes only.