Living with Allergies

Living with Allergies Overview

When a person has allergies, this can greatly affect their lifestyle. That can mean giving up things that put you in direct contact with allergy triggers. For instance, those who have allergies that cause harsh asthma attacks must learn new ways to go about their lives. The effects of this condition can range from minor to life-threatening, and for those who have symptoms in the higher range, it can be serious.

People with allergic asthma benefit from knowing their triggers, such as pollen, pet dander, dust mites and mold, and limiting exposure. Regular physical activity is good for overall health; if exercise triggers symptoms, a doctor can help with a plan, such as using a quick-relief inhaler beforehand.

Allergies and asthma are common. About one in four U.S. adults has a diagnosed seasonal allergy (CDC), and about 8.4% of people in the U.S. had current asthma in 2023 (CDC).

When Do You Start Living with Allergies?

Allergies can start at any age, from infancy to older adulthood.

Babies and Children Up to Age 5

Seasonal pollen allergies usually take repeated exposure to develop, so they’re less common in babies and more often appear in children after a few pollen seasons.

Babies and young children can react sooner to foods and to indoor allergens. Up to 40% of children have allergic rhinitis (FDA). Learn more about infant allergies.

Teenagers Up to Age 18

Teens can develop new allergies, and allergies that began in childhood often continue. Learn more about teen allergies.

Adults Age 20 and Over

Adults with no history of allergies can develop environmental, food or other allergies, at any age.

Researchers don’t fully understand why someone starts reacting to a substance after years of exposure without problems.

One theory, the “hygiene hypothesis,” suggests that less exposure to germs early in life may make the immune system more likely to overreact to harmless substances, but it doesn’t fully explain allergies.

What Does Living With Allergies Look Like?

If you suspect that you are allergic to something, then there are some symptoms you will experience. If you notice these symptoms, then consider a doctor’s appointment.

Following are the symptoms of an allergic attack:

• wheezing, chest tightness, shortness of breath and a cough
• a raised, itchy, red rash (hives)
• sneezing and an itchy, runny or blocked nose (allergic rhinitis)
• itchy, red, watering eyes (conjunctivitis)
• swollen lips, tongue, eyes or face
• dry, red and cracked skin
• tummy pain, feeling sick, vomiting or diarrhea

Even if you only have a few of these symptoms, see a doctor. Call 911 for trouble breathing, throat or tongue swelling, or fainting, which can signal anaphylaxis.

Think Your Living with Allergies? Take a Test

For a full walkthrough of skin, blood and home tests, and why IgG food sensitivity panels aren’t recommended, see our allergy testing guide.

An allergy test is essential to figure out exactly which allergen is affecting your health. A doctor or medical professional will give you the test and diagnose you.

Skin

Skin tests are a common way to find allergens. The main types are skin prick (scratch) tests, intradermal tests and patch tests.

In a skin prick test, a tiny amount of allergen is placed on the skin, which is then lightly pricked; results appear within about 15 to 20 minutes. Patch tests, used for contact skin allergies, involve wearing patches containing possible allergens on the skin for about 48 hours before they’re checked.

Sometimes, your skin may not show enough reactions for the doctor to make a definite decision. If this happens, they may ask you to take an intradermal skin test. This is the mix of a controlled number of allergens into the skin dermis membrane. Finally, your doctor will again track your skin’s response and make a decision.

Blood

A blood test for allergen-specific IgE antibodies may be used when skin testing isn’t possible, for example because of a skin condition, medicines that interfere with skin tests, or a high risk of severe reaction. The blood sample is sent to a lab.

Elimination Diet

For suspected food allergies, a doctor may recommend removing certain foods and then reintroducing them, or a supervised oral food challenge. Don’t reintroduce a food that caused a severe reaction without a doctor’s guidance.

Results

If your test is positive, your doctor will help you make a plan, which may include medicine, an inhaler for asthma, or epinephrine for severe allergies. Most allergies can’t be cured, but symptoms can usually be well controlled, and immunotherapy can provide lasting relief for some people (Mayo Clinic).

There are few things you need to ensure to be healthy even with allergy:

Tips for Living with Allergies

Staying Cautious

Be aware of your environment.  If you know you have a food allergy, always check the ingredients of what you are eating. With dust or pollen, avoid windy days and stay away from places that have high levels of these.

Think of yourself as a spy defending your body from potentially harmful substances. All of this can sound scary, but if you avoid triggers, you may not notice symptoms at all, or hardly. Staying cautious about your health will eventually be a routine.

Carry Your Inhaler/Epi-Pen with You

If you have asthma, keep your quick-relief inhaler with you. If you’ve been prescribed epinephrine for severe allergies, carry two devices at all times (MedlinePlus).

Allergy Treatment

There are two types of treatments for allergies.

• Natural Therapy
• Medicinal Therapy

Here’s what the evidence says about each.

Natural Therapy

Complementary approaches include saline nasal rinses, which can help, and acupuncture. Evidence for most others, including many herbal products, is limited (NCCIH).

Acupuncture

A 2015 review of 13 studies found that acupuncture may help relieve nasal allergy symptoms and reduce medication use (NCCIH).

Acupuncture is generally safe when done by a qualified practitioner using sterile, single-use needles. It shouldn’t replace seeing a doctor.

How Does Acupuncture Treatment Work?

Traditional acupuncture is based on concepts from Chinese medicine. How it might work for allergies isn’t fully understood.

Medicinal Therapy

Medical treatment includes antihistamines, nasal steroid sprays and decongestants for symptoms, and immunotherapy, which gradually makes the immune system less sensitive to specific allergens.

Immunotherapy

Allergy shots are a long-term treatment that can reduce symptoms of hay fever, allergic asthma, eye allergies and insect sting allergy (Mayo Clinic).

For many people, the benefits last after treatment ends.

How Does Immunotherapy Work?

Immunotherapy functions like a vaccine. Your body responds by developing resistance or tolerance of the allergy to injected amounts of a particular allergen at gradually increasing doses.

There are two phases in immunotherapy:

• Build-up phase: injections with gradually increasing doses, usually one to two times a week for about 3 to 6 months (Mayo Clinic).

• Maintenance phase: once the effective dose is reached, shots are given less often, usually about once a month, for 3 to 5 years (Mayo Clinic).

Some people notice improvement during the build-up phase, but it may take up to a year of maintenance to see clear results. Talk with your allergist about when to stop (Mayo Clinic).

Conclusion

If you have allergies, try not to worry too much. Try to take some preventive measures, and you will have a good chance of avoiding allergens. Living with allergies does not prevent from having a healthy and happy lifestyle. Under a few restrictions, you will be able to do almost anything.

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Written by: Madiha Ather Hashmi (September 01, 2020)

This article is for general education and is not medical advice. Talk with your doctor or pharmacist about your symptoms and before starting, stopping, or combining any medicine.

Living With Allergies FAQs

Can you develop allergies as an adult?

Yes. Allergies can start at any age.

How are allergies diagnosed?

With your history plus skin prick tests or blood tests for specific IgE; food allergies may need a supervised food challenge.

Does acupuncture help allergies?

It may help some people with nasal allergy symptoms (NCCIH).

How long do allergy shots take?

Usually 3 to 5 years, including a build-up phase and a maintenance phase (Mayo Clinic).

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