Image is from The Huffington Post
Allergies make thousands of people miserable in a day. We don’t even fully understand why our bodies bother to stir up such an uncomfortable reaction. Even though scientists and immunologists don’t have an exact explanation as to why we have allergies, the basics to this pertinent issues exist. The haze might still be there but scientists believe they have uncovered a molecular reason that could drive human allergic reactions.
What Are Allergies?
Allergies are otherwise immune reactions gone wrong. They will upset the stomach, activate sneezing, lead to skin rashes or even lead to catastrophic anaphylactic shock. The reaction occurs when your immune system detects a foreign body and activates a series of reactions meant to remove that foreign body from our system.
This is a normal reaction that occurs when the body detects germs and pathogens only that the allergen in this case would be relatively harmless to the body. It could be as simple as pollen, dust or egg protein.
How Does the Allergy Process Occur
When the allergen enters the body, your plasma cells release immunoglobulin E antibodies specific to that allergen. These antibodies make their way to mast cells located in areas like your skin and the mucous membranes. These cells are in charge of inflammatory responses that improve the way your body reacts to foreign objects.
The other time your body encounters the allergen, the Mast Cells will release histamines, prostaglandins and leukotrienes, cells that will in turn trigger a wide range of allergic reactions whose sole purpose is to get rid of the allergen before it gets deeper into your body.
This will lead to:
- Constricted airways in the case of asthma
- Sneezing and runny nose
- Sore throat
- Dry cough
- Increased phlegm or runny nose due to hypersecretion of mucus
- Itchy or rashy skin
So far, the best way to fight an allergic reaction is by taking specific antihistamines that will cool down the rate at which the body reacts to the allergen. Scientists are yet to devise a fool-proof way of fighting allergens that will make you immune to that specific compound that gets your immune system tripping.
Drug Free Alternatives to Combat Allergies
Most people opt to keep of their triggers in order to avoid allergic reactions. Stocking a couple of reaction specific antihistamines also seems to be a great way to come prepared since most of the allergens are almost inevitable.
Apart from this abstinence and medical intervention, there are other medicine free approaches that help people with allergic reactions live an almost normal life.
If you are not allergic to honey, you can use it to accustom your body to pollen and reduce asthma or allergic reactions to pollen. Locally produced and unprocessed honey is the best. Use it sparingly until you are sure your body can tolerate it.
Acupuncture is a mythical treatment procedure that delivers results. Weekly acupuncture treatments can lead to fewer breathing problems and could be a great way out to people allergic to pollen.
A healthy diet and healthy living gives you more wiggle room. A research proved that junk food is directly related to allergies and asthma especially in kids.
Allergic reactions don’t have a perfect cure. The best you can do is mitigate the effects and be ready to appease the symptoms once they kick in. At least this will be our way around these unwanted and uncomfortable immune responses until doctors and scientists find a way to teach our bodies that allergens aren’t as harmful as it thinks they are.