 | What are Allergies?
Allergies occur when the immune system overreacts to otherwise harmless foreign substances, called allergens. When an allergen enters the body, the immune system signals special cells - "mast cells" to release a substance called histamine.
Histamine release causes tissue swelling, increased secretions, itching, and tightening of the muscles that surround the airways - the characteristic allergy symptoms. Respiratory allergens such as pollen, mold, dust mites and animal dander cause relatively mild symptoms, such as runny nose, sneezing, congestion, rashes and itching, watery eyes.
Allergens can also trigger wheezing, breathing problems and asthma in some people. In the most severe case, allergens such as bee stings, penicillin and certain foods can induce a life-threatening collapse known as anaphylactic shock.
What is the best treatment for Allergies?
Ideally, preventing exposure to allergens is the best treatment. In the case of hayfever, this may involve staying inside in the early morning and late afternoon, and keeping windows closed while at home or in the car. Unfortunately, prevention is not always possible, so another option is to consider the effective drug treatments available.You can treat allergies with: Allegra, Generic Clarinex, Generic Claritin, Generic Singulair, Generic Zyrtec. | |
