Question 1

what are allergies?

Accepted Answer

See detail: Allergies are caused when a person makes an allergic antibody known as immunoglobulin e against a protein.  This protein can be a food, pollen, mold, or medication.  Allergic reactions can cause itching, swelling, redness in eyes, nasal passages, skin, GI tract, and in the lungs.

Question 2

what causes allergy?

Accepted Answer

Immune reaction: Your immune system normally makes igg antibodies that recognize foreign proteins.  In patients with allergy, the immune system switches to making a ige antibodies for certain proteins.  The ige antibodies act as a detector of the specific protein that they are made to react with and trigger the allergic response when they come in contact with that protein.

Question 3

can allergy be cured?

Accepted Answer

Controlled: Allergy can be controlled with avoidance of known sources of allergy (pets, pollen, etc), medication taken consistently, and perhaps allergy shots. However we are not able to "cure allergy" but these measures help restore a good quality of life.

Question 4

symptoms of allergies?

Accepted Answer

Allergy symptoms: Allergies can cause a large variety of symptoms: most common is hay fever (molds, dust, pollen) with watery runny nose, watery eyes & itching, nasal itch, sneezing, and congestion. Plant/tree/grass allergies can cause eczema, a skin rash, as can food allergies. Aerosolized allergens (pet dander, pollen, etc.) can cause asthma with chest tightness and wheezing.

Question 5

can allergy be treated?

Accepted Answer

Yes: The most important treatment for allergies is identification and avoidance as possible.  For environmental allergies, new generation antihistamines, nasal steroid sprays and allergy injections are current standard of care.  Food allergy treatment is avoidance and Epinephrine in case of an accidental exposure.  Research is being done on food oral desensitization, but not yet ready for "prime time".

Question 6

are allergies inherited?

Accepted Answer

Yes.: Yes, we do see allergies in families. Your risk of allergies increases if one parent has allergies, and is even higher if both parents suffer from allergies. Interestingly, we are seeing that exposure to allergens may also play a part in the development of allergies in children. Rural areas, with high levels of plant and animal allergens, actually have lower levels of allergic disease in kids.

Question 7

could i inherit an allergy?

Accepted Answer

Yes: The tendency to develop allergies does run in families although each family member can be affected differently.

Question 8

can i outgrow my allergies?

Accepted Answer

Yes: It is possible to outgrow any allergy, though some are more likely than others.

Question 9

how can i stop my allergies?

Accepted Answer

Avoid and treat: You can often lessen symptoms with avoidance and medications. To certain allergens you can greatly lessen sensitivity with specific allergen immunotherapy. You can lessen all ige mediated reactions with Omalizumab (xolair). As allergists we usually recommend various combinations of these depending on severity and duration of symptoms as well as comorbidities (other medical problems).

Question 10

do abnormal allergies exist?

Accepted Answer

Not sure.: Allergy seems pretty abnormal in and of itself.  Not sure what is an abnormal allergy.

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