What are allergies?

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.

Abnormal response: Allergies are abnormal responses to things usually found in nature such as pollens, dust and mold. The body may produce ige, a specific immune protein, which can cause an allergy to a particular substance also called an allergen.

Allergies/Intoleranc: More and more I am learning that allergies can easily be eliminated or well controlled by healing our gut. With all our consumption of processed foods, our gut becomes damaged and "sick" resulting in a leaky gut which allows undigested products to cross into our blood which our body sees as "allergens" mounting a response against it. A good probiotic can help this. You would be suprised!

Antihistamines: You can try over the counter antihistamines such as Claritin or zyrtec or Benadryl (diphenhydramine) for relief. You may wish to have an allergy panel performed to see what things you are allergic to, as decreasing your exposure to them is part of the treatment plan. Sometimes just by changing carpeting or putting covers on pillows or mattress or decreasing exposure to things, you don't even need medications.

Claritin (loratadine): Otc antihistamines like claritin, zyrtec, allegra, or Benadryl (diphenhydramine) should help.

Broad Answer: This is a very broad question and the answer will depend upon what you mean by "allergies". If you suspect you have allergy you should see your pcp for guidance. If that is not helpful or their suggestions are not providing relief then consider seeing a board certified allergist for their opinion.

Identify the causes: Allergy is becoming much more common in usa. The severity of your symptoms will direct the treatment. Sometimes over the counter antihistamines and nasal saline are sufficient. If your symptoms are severe or recur frequently then allergy testing may be beneficial. Environmental modification is also an essential part of treatment.

Allergies: Depends how bad they are, you can take over the counter antihistamines and if they don't provide with relief, you need to start with your primary doctor for more prescription medications, such as nasal sprays and if these don't help, you need to see an allergist and they can advise you what else to do.

Allergies: IF it is just seasonal allergies one can take sceveral meds that are over the counter. These include claritin, (loratadine) allegra and even flonase. Take claritin, (loratadine) etc for the symptoms and use Floanse for lang term control the sinuses.

It depends: It would depend on what kind of allergy you are referring to. For example, allergy to pollen, foods, dust mites etc. etc. There is a lot of information on allergies on Health Tap. Search under allergy and check Checklists.

If too many symptoms: Hay fever (allergies) is usually due to pollens that are in the air. Some people are allergic to molds and other substances. One can wear a mask when working outdoors or when hiking. Avoid playing outdoors when the pollen or smog levels are high. Medicines such as Claritin, Zyrtec, Flonase, and Zaditor can be helpful. Allergy shots after skin tests are another option, if needed.

To what ?: A person can have allergies to what they inhale. what they eat, what touches their skin or what bites them. The primary effort is to avoid the triggers. The rest depends on what area of allergy you are talking about. You get the most focused response on this site when you provide background info before your question. You are welcome to start over.

Maybe. Maybe not.: One's primary care doctor can evaluate. Many things can cause a cough. Allergies is one of them, as well as infections (viral is quite common). Asthma, non-allergic rhinitis, big tonsils, laryngospasm, anxiety, stomach reflux, esophagus problems, etc..., are some of the other causes. If a cause is not found at the first visit, a patient can keep a diary of symptoms and return for follow-up visits.

RX as GERD/LPR: GERD is a factor in 40 percent of people who have a chronic cough.Of course, in some cases, chronic cough may be caused or made worse by acid reflux. 2 possible mechanisms to explain this occurrence. First suggest Reflexive action from stomach acid, Second from LPR, known as laryngeal pharyngeal reflux, may lead to the development of a cough as a protective mech. against Reflux. Read Comments