Do you have an allergy? Let's see how to diagnose and treat it.

Do you also sneeze often? Do you scratch your body , scratch your skin ? Or do you have difficulty breathing when you eat certain foods or smell something? These could be signs of an allergy . While many people think this is normal, sometimes it can be a little serious. So, today we will talk about this condition called allergy, how to diagnose it, and what treatments are available.

How do you know if you have an allergy?

When you go to see a doctor with these symptoms, he will first ask you a few questions. This is very important to find the exact diagnosis.

• Your experience: Ask what triggers your symptoms. For example, when you touch dust, eat a specific food, or come into contact with an animal like a cat.
• Medical history: They will also try to find out if anyone in your personal or family history has had any allergies or conditions like asthma .
• Keeping a diary: Sometimes, your doctor will tell you to keep a diary for a week or two about the foods you eat, the places you go, and the symptoms you experience. This is called a 'trigger diary'. This can help you identify your allergy triggers.

After obtaining this information, the doctor may recommend several tests to confirm the allergy.

Main tests for allergies

The most important test that is often performed is the skin test.

• Skin Prick Test: This is the most common method used to detect allergies to respiratory, food, insect stings , and some medications. In this test, you place a few drops of a liquid made from the substance you think you may be allergic to on your skin and gently prick it with a small needle. You then wait for about 15-20 minutes to see if the area becomes red, swollen, or itchy. Don't worry, this is not a very painful test.
• Blood Tests : Sometimes a blood sample is taken and tested. This checks the amount of IgE, a type of antibody that is specific to an allergen, in your blood.

What are the treatments for allergies?

Once an allergy is confirmed, there are several treatment options.

The best and first thing is to avoid what you're allergic to as much as possible. But it's not always easy to avoid things like dust and pollen , is it? That's when we use medication.

• Antihistamines: A type of pill that many people are familiar with and use most often. These work by blocking the action of a chemical called histamine, which is produced in our bodies when we have an allergy and causes things like itching , hives , and a runny nose. Examples include Cetirizine, Fexofenadine, and Loratadine.
• Nasal Steroids: These are the first medications doctors recommend for people with nasal allergies (hay fever). These can be used long-term. Budesonide (Rhinocort) and Fluticasone (Flonase) are now available without a prescription.
• Steroid Drugs: In very severe cases of allergies, your doctor may give you oral steroids, such as Prednisone, for a short period of time.
• Epinephrine: This is for emergencies only. Allergic reactions to certain foods, medications, or insect stings can be life-threatening. This condition, which causes severe symptoms such as difficulty breathing, facial swelling, and loss of consciousness, is called anaphylactic shock. An injection called epinephrine is available for use in emergencies like this. It immediately restores low blood pressure and opens up blocked airways.
• Allergy Shots: Another name for this is immunotherapy. This is a long-term treatment. This involves giving you very small amounts of the allergen (e.g. pollen, dust mites) as injections over a long period of time. This allows your body to gradually become used to it and reduce its reaction. It can take up to a year to see results.

Different types of allergies and their specific treatments

The same treatment doesn't work for every allergy. So the treatment will vary depending on the type of allergy you have. Let's see how that works.