More on Allergic Reactions
Since we're approaching the holiday season and fall is in its last lap, I wanted to follow up on the subject of allergies and allergic reactions. This is a period of the year when allergies here in the Midwest are high. And I want to tell you a story that will amaze you.
As I said in an earlier post, my wife, our daughter, and I each have allergies.
Our symptoms to our allergic reactions are similar to a cold or flu. Other people who might be allergic to shell fish or peanuts or bees, can have violent, even life-hreatening allergic reactions. Their faces swell up, they break out in hives, their throat might swell up and close off their air supply--potentially life-threatening reactions. These people probably have been told by a doctor about their allergies and are careful to avoid their problem causing stimulus.
Some allergic reactions fade over time
One problem that complicates this allergic reaction situation is that people's allergies change over their lifetime. You might be allergic to shell fish when you're a kid, but as you grow older, that allergy diminishes and you might acquire another allergy to something different! It makes dealing with allergies very difficult.
The Need To Consult A Specialist
The only way to really pinpoint the cause of what's making you feel lousy is to go to a specialist and take some tests to find out what you're allergic to so you'll know what to avoid and how to treat your allergic reaction. A dermatologist or an ears nose and throat specialist could perform the tests. Or log on to the Internet to find out more about the subject.
My Wife's Amazing Story
But I want to tell you this anecdote to make my point: my wife has some severe allergies--dairy products, red meat and others. But this is the most bizarre one. She was really suffering from something new several years ago. It was in November. The weather was getting colder, and she had what she thought it was the flu. She has Meunire's disease which is an inner ear disorder that is affected by her allergies and her Meunire's symtoms were acting up. So she went to her doctor and he thought her recent symptoms was an allergic reaction to something new. So she took some tests--relatively simple ones administered in the doctor's office. It took about a week for the lab results to get back, and she went back find out the results. Turns out she was allergic to cockroaches. Cockroaches! But she hadn't even seen a cockroach in years, so how could it be?
Well, she works for a big ad agency in Chicago in a downtown high rise. Cockroaches are just about anywhere there's food, and there were several restaurants in the building. Cockroaches infiltrated the building, got into the ventilation shafts, died, their bodies decayed and turned into dust. When the heating system cranked up in November, the cockroach dust became airborne and everybody in the building inhaled it! Is that disgusting or what?! I'm not making that up, I swear! So the doctor gave her some medication for her allergic reaction to cockroach dust and the problem was solved.
My point is she never would have know what was causing her allergic reaction unless she had seen her doctor and had the tests done. You might think you're allergic to pet dander when it's actually dust mites or something else. To relieve your allergic reactions, you must first know what's causing them.
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Tags: allergic reaction, Allergies, Health, Medical, medication, meunires's disease
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