The human body is a unique organism. It is constructed in such a way as to be immune to thousands of bacteria, viruses, and living organisms that could destroy it, or it at least finds a way to build some resistance to these things. However, people with allergies seem to lack this ability to resist that which causes an allergic response. They are unable to resist one (or more!) of the three immunological responses to an allergen, which then causes them to seek help from a board-certified allergist. Here are the three responses and how each is treated by an allergist.

Upper Respiratory

While rarely lethal, these allergies are often irritating and obnoxious to live with. The constant itchy eyes and throat, the stuffy, runny nose, the sneezing, and the watery eyes all get in the way of doing everything else you need to do in a day. An allergist will pinpoint your triggers, and then prescribe either a nasal antihistamine or an oral tablet you can take daily. 

Dermatological

In short, anything that touches any exposed skin on your body and causes an inflammatory response is an allergen for you. It does not have to be poison ivy or poison oak, either. Some people develop a response to mohair (goat's "wool") that makes them itch like crazy. Others may not be able to touch berries or peanut butter without welting up. Then there are the groups of people who cannot use topical medicines because it makes the hives or rashes much worse. After your allergist finds out what causes your rashes, hives, and other irritating skin conditions, you can avoid these products and refuse to touch them. If you still develop some skin issues, you can request a prescription to treat the issue. 

Internal

Internal allergic responses are often the result of ingesting a known allergen without the sufferer knowing that he/she is allergic to it. Their bodies go into immediate anaphylactic shock, with their throats closing up, their lungs tightening, their diaphragms refusing to move to get air into their lungs, pain and cramps beyond belief, and finally, passing out from lack of oxygen. These folks have the most severe of all allergic reactions to something. The allergist usually prescribes an epipen and recommends that the patient carry the epipen with him/her at all times to make sure the patient is prepared for any reactionary incident.

Contact a clinic, like The Regional Allergy Asthma & Immunology Center, PC, for more help.

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