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Take an active role in your family's health and fight those annoying allergies.
Sneezing, runny nose, watery eyes, and headaches..is it the flu, a cold or allergies?
An allergy is your body's immune reaction to certain plants, animals, foods, insect bites
or other things. When your immune system reacts to one of these allergens, to the point
that you get symptoms, you are allergic to it.
Your immune system protects you from diseases by fighting germs like bacteria and viruses,
but when you have allergies, it overreacts and tries to "fight" ordinary things like grass
pollen or certain foods when you come into contact with them. This causes the sneezing,
itching, and other reactions that you get with allergies.
Does Everyone Have Allergies?
No. Most allergies are inherited, which means they are passed on to children by their parents.
People inherit a tendency to be allergic, although not to any specific allergen. When one
parent is allergic, their child has a 50% chance of having allergies. That risk jumps to 75%
if both parents have allergies.
What Happens During an Allergic Reaction?
- The body starts to produce a specific type of antibody, called IgE, to fight the allergen.
- The antibodies attach to a form of blood cell called a mast cell. Mast cells are plentiful
in the airways, and in the GI tract where allergens tend to enter the body.
- The mast cells explode releasing a variety of chemicals including histamine, which causes
most of the symptoms of an allergy, including itchiness or runny nose.
If the allergen is in the air, the allergic reaction will occur in the eyes, nose, and lungs.
If the allergen is ingested, the allergic reaction will occur in the mouth, stomach, and intestines.
Sometimes enough chemicals are released from the mast cells to cause a reaction throughout the body,
such as hives, decreased blood pressure, shock, or loss of consciousness. This severe type of
reaction can be life-threatening.
You should always seek the care of your family physician if you are concerned about your symptoms.
My Allergy Test is not intended to replace professional medical diagnosis and treatment, but to
quickly and easily help you take an active role in the health care of your family.
Allergy symptoms may include some or all of the following:
Asthma, Burning eyes, Coughing, Diarrhea, Difficulty swallowing, Dizziness, Flushing, Headaches,
Hives, Impaired sense of smell, Irritability, Itchy nose and throat, Itchy skin, Muscle pains,
Nasal congestion, Nausea, Vertigo, Wheezing, and many more.
Knowing what to treat is the first step to feeling better. With proper treatment you can reduce
and sometimes eliminate your allergy symptoms. Left untreated allergies can develop into much more
serious problems, such as sinusitis, ear infections and even asthma.
Another unnecessary trip to the doctor is expensive and discouraging. You can take steps today at
home to help determine the necessity of your next appointment. Consider ordering the easy to use,
accurate and affordable My Allergy Test to be sure.
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