Why See An Allergy Specialist?

Quite possibly one of the most difficult things about being someone who has histamine issues is dealing with the changing seasons. Running noses, itchy, watery eyes, these are all part and parcel of life for some people. With over 24 million people in the US currently dealing with this problem, if you're someone who can't deal with the pollen or even a beloved pet's dander, you are definitely not alone. Making a trip to an allergy specialist may be just the thing to help you to take back control of your life and enjoy it to the fullest.

One of the first things that is done at this special type of doctor is to determine what you might be allergic to and what you may not be. Most people have a pretty good idea of the things that set off the symptoms but without an allergen test, nothing is 100%. Usually, when you do visit with an allergy specialist, they can help you to figure out exactly what is causing your symptoms and find better ways of treating that particular cause. It's not just with pollen and pet dander, though. Suspected food sensitivities can be dealt with also, and food diaries are a common way to figure those out.

A thorough examination of your patient history will help your allergy specialist prior to having the test. The test, however, is something that many people fear but really isn't as bad as suffering with the symptoms the rest of your life. Basically, you'll be submitted to very small amounts of common allergens to see which you respond to. You may feel a bit of mild discomfort during the testing period, but after, finding out exactly what is causing your issues, you can then go on to treat those problems or avoid them. There are a number of allergens that can be easily avoided, and the others still yet almost always have some form of treatment to stop the symptoms.

Those treatment options that you will hear about typically involve histamine blockers. Sometimes, you will be prescribed other types of medication, and those treatment methods usually work well for the environmental issues. If you have drug or food related issues, the likely course is to not eat or take those particular types of things that cause the reaction. When you are introduced to certain stimuli during the testing phase, if a serious reaction occurs, precautions are taken to insure that no harm actually happens. Often, those more serious issues will be treated with what's known as an "epi pen" or a shot of epinephrine and this will stop most of the bigger reactions.

If you have been suffering from an unknown ailment, or you have a pretty good idea what is causing your symptoms, an allergy specialist can certainly help. Finding treatment options is fairly simple and can have you back to enjoying your life to the fullest.