Allergies - nothing to sneeze at.

You're positive someone has sprinkled pepper behind your eyelids and connected a hose to your nose. You've invested a small fortune in tissues and you're certain your ribs will crack if you sneeze one more time.

All because the vacant lot next door is smothered in ragweed. Whether

What Are Allergies And

How Are They Caused?

The word "allergy" was coined by Baron Clemens Freiherr von Pirquet in 1906 to refer to both positive and negative altered reactions within the immune system. Today allergy is defined as an abnormal reaction to a normally innocuous substance. Although allergies make the victim miserable, from the body's point of view, they are a normal, even beneficial, response to danger. Your body behaves as if something harmless, say pollen, is life threatening and it does all it can to get rid of the intruder in the same way it would a germ or a virus.

Allergies can be caused by things you breathe, swallow or touch. Anything that creates an allergic reaction is called an allergen. Some of the most common allergens are pollens, especially ragweed; mold; dust; feathers; foods, particularly milk, eggs, peanuts, wheat and soy; animal dander; certain chemicals and some medications, including penicillin and insect stings.

Anyone can develop an allergy at any age. Children are more prone to be allergic than adults, but infants have been known to show signs and people in middle age may suddenly display symptoms.

Allergies also tend to run in families. The American Academy of Allergy and Immunology (AAAI) says if one of your parents has allergies, you have a one out of four chance of developing them yourself. If both your parents are allergic, the odds rise to two out of three.

Although the development of allergies is still being investigated, what happens in your body during an allergy attack is understood. When you are exposed to an allergen such as pollen, specialized white blood cells called lymphocytes act like soldiers on the front line of battle. They immediately gear up to fight off the perceived "attack" by producing antibodies, "weapons" of the immune system that help the body neutralize the "invader."

Antibodies come in five major types, but one specific type discovered in 1966, Immunolglobulin E (IgE), is responsible for most allergic reactions. The AAAI reports that a person who suffers from an allergy may have 10 times as much IgE as a person who is unaffected.

In an allergy attack, one part of the IgE antibody attaches to an allergen and the other part to a specialized cell called a mast cell. Mast cells are generally located in a sensitive area of the body such as the nose, eyes, lungs and digestive tract. When an allergen combines with an antibody, mast cells release potent chemicals such as leukotriene and histamine, the substance which causes the familiar runny nose, itchy eyes, congested lungs and cough of an allergy. These chemicals may cause other symptoms as well, including headache, hives and cramps.

Asthma

Asthma is second only to hay fever in its number of victims. More than 9 million Americans suffer from this disease which is the most common cause of admission to children's hospitals, the third leading cause of restricted activity in patients under 35 and the fifth leading cause of restricted activity in all patients. Although most allergies aren't life-threatening, as many as 5,000 people die from asthma each year.

Asthma crosses all barriers of sex, age and race, but is most prevalent in boys under 14 and men over 45.

Asthma is defined a non-contagious disease of the lungs which is often, but not always, triggered by allergies. In asthma, the bronchial tubes which carry air to the lungs become blocked and breathing becomes difficult. The obstruction to the tubes is caused by swelling of the tubes themselves, squeezing of the muscles surrounding the tubes and excess mucus which can harden within the tubes.

Like other types of allergic reactions, asthma can be inherited, but the exact method still isn't known. What is known is that if both your parents have asthma, you have a greater chance of getting the disease than if only one suffers.

How Are Allergies Treated?

Before an allergy can be treated, it must first be identified. Sometimes identification is easy. If your nose begins to run every time you come within 10 feet of a cat, it's a pretty safe bet to assume you are allergic to cat dander. Most of the time, it's not so simple.

The effect of allergies can be cumulative, creating what doctors sometimes call an "allergic load." Your allergic load refers to the number of allergens your body can cope with at one time. When you exceed your load, an attack may occur. For example, you may be able to eat chocolate most of the year, but not when the blue grass is in bloom. Other factors such as stress, pollution, illness and fatigue can influence your allergic load as well. Taken together, they can make self-diagnosis difficult, if not impossible.

If you suffer from allergic symptoms and can't pinpoint the source, a trip to the doctor is warranted. Although your primary care physician may begin the testing, most likely you will be referred to an allergist, a doctor who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of allergies.

Treatment of an allergy falls into three broad categories: avoidance or removal of the allergen, medication and immunotherapy (allergy shots).

The most obvious way to avoid an allergy attack is to stay away from the offending substance. If you are allergic to your feather pillow, buy a foam one; if shrimp give your trouble, stop eating them; if a certain perfume sets you up for an attack, wear a different fragrance. Even if total avoidance isn't possible, exposure to an allergen can often be lessened. For instance, staying indoors during pollen season or using an air cleaner can often reduce the intensity of your hay fever.

Eliminating the allergen isn't always possible, however. Take house dust, for instance. Even the most meticulous housekeeper can't eliminate every speck of dust from every corner of the house. And what if you develop an allergy to your 6-year-old daughter's dog? Her emotional attachment may be stronger than your itchy eyes. How about your income? Can you afford to change jobs if you work in a building surrounded by maples and you learn you are allergic to maple pollen? (One footnote--while it might seem moving to another part of the country would be the solution to hay fever, the desired relief is not always found. Some victims do improve, but often the allergy doesn't disappear. For most people, lessening exposure or removing the allergen is the most practical solution.)

When total avoidance or removal of the allergen isn't possible, medication may be in order. The two most common types of medications are antihistamines and decongestants. A quick tour of any pharmacy will reveal shelf after shelf of products touting quick relief from allergies. Although over-the-counter medications may offer some relief, newer medications available only by prescription are often more effective. Allergy shots from a physician may be necessary as a type of therapy.

Sinusitis And Hay Fever

Sometimes allergy sufferers will complain of having a "sinus infection" or a "sinus headache." Although it is true that hay fever victims may suffer from sinusitis, the two are not the same. Sinusitis, inflammation of the air spaces around the nose, is an infection. The sinus passages become blocked and the infected mucus cannot drain. The result is an increasing feeling of pressure and pain, particularly around the eyes. The usual treatment is with antibiotics to clear up the infection.

If you or someone you are supervising are among the millions of Americans who now view the world through red, itchy eyes and soggy tissues, take heart. With the medications currently on the market and the promise of new breakthroughs in both the understanding and treatment of allergies, relief may be just a sneeze away!