Allergy Treatments to manage Hayfever
Try all you may, sometimes hayfever is
impossible to avoid during the high-risk months. With some people more
susceptible to allergic reaction the following is our complete guide to the
symptoms and treatments of hayfever.
Symptoms:
- Red, itchy and/or watery eyes
- Runny, itchy and/or stuffy nose
- Sneezing
- Wheezing, coughing and/or a tight chest
- Itching
In severe cases symptoms can also include:
- Headaches
- Loss of taste and smell
- Blocked sinuses causing facial pain
Diagnosis:
There are two main ways your GP will go
about diagnosing the exact determent of your reactions.
Blood test: A
blood test will be conducted to show the level of immunoglobulin (lgE) antibodies. If an allergen is
present the IgE levels will read high, however a zero score represents no
immediate allergen in the area.
Skin test:
The body is pricked with the likely determent and if swelling entails, the
culprit has been found. Sometimes the allergen will be injected under the skin,and
checked 20 minutes later for swelling.
Treatments:
Medications for hayfever will help you to
persist through the symptoms. Depending on your symptoms the following
treatments will help to ease your pain:
1. Nasal corticosteroids- Sprays work toward treating the
inflammation caused by hayfever. This involves treating the itching and
runniness as well.
2. Eye drops- Eye drops help the symptoms of itchy, red,
runny and watery eyes.
3. Antihistamine sprays and tablets- Help to reduce
irritation and runniness of the nose which will help you if you are sneezing
uncontrollably.
4. Decongestants- These will help reduce swelling and
congestion of the nasal passageways by narrowing the blood vessels in your
nose. These can be topical or oral.
5. Saline sprays- When used in conjunction with other
medications these can work to unblock the nasal lining of mucus that may be
stopping your other medications from reaching where they need to be.
If treatments persist for over a month
visit your GP for expert diagnosis. Immunotherapy is the last resort and
involves small, increasing doses of the allergen to build your immune system.
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