What to do when you have allergies?

An allergic attack of suffocation or rhinitis, dermatitis or lacrimation - this is far from a complete list of allergy symptoms that can take a person by surprise anywhere in the world. Naturally, the question will immediately arise: - What to do with an allergy? How to help?

Firstly, any first aid depends on the severity of the patient's condition. In extremely severe cases, with rapidly increasing swelling and signs of suffocation, with increasing skin lesions (for example, the appearance of blisters), you should call an ambulance, and, if possible, take the victim to the nearest drugstore (pharmacy). Pharmacy workers have the necessary skills to provide assistance in emergency cases. It is imperative to interrupt the person's contact with the allergen as soon as possible. All these measures are applicable as first aid, but what to do if an allergy is a lifelong companion?

Determining the cause of allergies

Initially, it is necessary to very accurately determine what external irritants the body reacts to with an allergic reaction. The method of establishing a list (combination) of allergens is usually not complicated: a specialist conducts allergy tests with various substances and, by trial and error, establishes a complete list of allergenic substances. It should also be taken into account that with age, the number of allergens may change. After specifying the irritants, the next stage is the selection of agents that alleviate or completely stop the symptoms of allergy, or prevent it from developing. Only after a thorough diagnosis is it possible to prescribe and take any medications, especially those drugs that are designed for long-term use.

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Choosing an Allergy Remedy

Today, modern medicine has a lot of medications to help allergy sufferers. First-generation drugs, which caused immediate relief of symptoms in combination with drowsiness, limitations in work activity due to changes in reaction speed, and decreased effectiveness with long-term and constant use, are practically a thing of the past. Today, allergists have third-generation drugs in their arsenal, designed for constant and long-term use with virtually no side effects.

To relieve acute allergic conditions that develop without threatening the patient's life, despite some negative aspects, it is recommended to use first-generation drugs. They are characterized by a general non-specific action, a rapidly occurring clinical effect, short duration and reversibility of the reaction. In the acute phase, they can be used in the form of solutions (intravenous and intramuscular routes of administration). After the acute symptoms have been removed, it is necessary to proceed to the selection of second- and third-generation drugs that have a soft prolonged antihistamine effect, can be combined with antispasmodics to reduce the tone of smooth muscles (e.g., in bronchial asthma), with antibacterial and antimycotic (anti-fungal) drugs (e.g., in dermatitis). The use of drugs in the form of sprays and ointments minimizes their systemic effect on the body, which allows for a maximum reduction in possible side effects.

What to do if you have an allergy and medications are contraindicated?

However, what to do with allergies if for some reason it is undesirable for a person to take medications? In some cases, a laborious and painstaking process of desensitization of the body to allergens is used. This method consists of "training" the patient's body not to react to allergens as life-threatening substances. Specialists, as a rule, in a hospital setting introduce an allergen in homeopathic doses into the patient's body and monitor the reaction. From session to session, the amount of allergen introduced increases to the level of everyday doses. The use of this method causes incessant discussions among specialists, but one cannot deny the obvious positive effect of the method in the treatment of atopic dermatitis and asthma, seasonal rhinitis and hyperreactions to insect poisons.

Some patients successfully manage to overcome the symptoms of allergic manifestations with the help of folk (non-traditional) medicine. Due to the fact that manifestations of intolerance to some substances were described in ancient times, folk medicine has found some simple ways to combat the manifestations of the disease. However, the use of folk treatment experience should be started under the supervision of specialists, or at least in the presence of people ready to help in case of unforeseen complications.

So, if you are looking for an answer to the question of what to do with allergies, you should carefully analyze how many allergens surround us in everyday life and how quickly their number increases due to human activity. Starting from detergents in the kitchen, preservatives in food products and ending with shoe polish and synthetic fibers in fabrics. For a comprehensive approach to alleviating the condition of an allergy sufferer, it is necessary to minimize all possible contacts with allergens, paying special attention to substances entering the body. Stopping the action of the irritating (sensitizing) factor is the first and necessary condition before starting any treatment. In the presence of seasonal allergic manifestations, 2 weeks before the predicted onset of the disease, the allergy sufferer must undergo anti-allergic therapy. If the patient is prone to sudden allergic reactions, he should have a minimum set of medications recommended by the attending physician to relieve symptoms, as well as the so-called "address book" - a note indicating the full name, diagnosis, contact phone numbers of relatives and the attending physician.

In the modern world, the diagnosis of "allergy" is increasingly common, about 10-15% of the population of Europe suffers from various manifestations of allergies. However, to date, no remedy has been found to avoid the occurrence of an allergic reaction, and the problem of what to do with an allergy is often solved by avoiding allergens in combination with drugs that relieve the symptoms of the existing disease.