White blood cells or known as lymphocytes is one of the main players in allergic reactions. Lymphocyte functions to destroy all the harmful foreign objects into the body. Hazardous substances that can cause allergies are named allergens.

When allergens enter the body, the lymphocytes will spend some potent chemicals that aim to destroy these allergens. One of them is histamine that serves as a stimulant of irritation.  This immune reaction causes various symptoms in the human body. Those are ones who have a cold, so those are ones severe asthma.

When histamine is gotten out and released and released in the lungs, the lung tissue becomes inflamed which causes mucus discharge and swelling and narrowing of the airways. This results in cough and shortness of breath.

When histamine is released in the nasal cavity, then the patient will have runny nose, itchy, red and watery eyes. And itching in the nose, throat, palate sky and eyes. Histamine in the digestive tract can cause diarrhea or stomach cramps.
In some particular cases. It could be the whole body attacked by allergens. So it can cause allergic reactions throughout the body as well. In cases like this, it happens dilation of blood vessels, narrowing of airways, and several other symptoms that may cause the patient unconscious. Even until death.

Any allergens that attacks the body, stimulates the formation of a specific and different antibody. That is why there is someone who is allergic to some things but not for anything else. There are also people who are allergic to several things at once.

Allergy Prevention tips

The best way to prevent allergies is to avoid allergens. It’s easy to avoid if the allergens are poisonous tree or penicillin. But to avoid allergens in the form of powder and dust is not an easy thing. Because these types of allergens can be in air or in a clean house.

Some useful tips are always to close the doors and windows of your home. You can also use the air conditioner that has been equipped with a good air filter. Do not forget to remove or trim the dusty goods, and has decayed things.
If you’re allergic to dust, try to always keep your home clean. This means that you must often sweep, vacuum, mop floors and clean all your home furnishings. Avoid decorations that are to gather the dust.

Second-generation antihistamine drug does not contain a sedative. The examples are feksofenadin and loratadin, usually do not cause drowsiness.

You would rather not drive or operate heavy equipments when using the-counter antihistamines. Despite feeling sleepy, driving ability decreases when the drug is in the body system. Avoiding alcohol also accelerates the absorption of some antihistamine and exacerbates drowsiness.

1. Avoid allergens

There are some strategies to deal with allergies. But the best way is to avoid themselves from allergy spreaders substances. Avoiding allergens such as penicillin or poisonous ivy trees, or cats is easy. However, avoiding some substances such as pollen or house dust is not easy. As much as possible if you have already known you are allergic to something. Avoid the allergens.

2. Drugs

There are several drugs that can overcome the allergy. One of the most popular is antihistamines. However, these medicines have side effects. Therefore, immediately discuss with you doctor.

a. Antihistamines

The drugs commonly used to overcome various allergies, especially rhinitis allergy are antihistamines. This drug may inhibits histamine work, the main cause of accompanying symptoms such as stuffy life, red itchy eyes and runny and itchy throat. Antihistamines can be obtained freely or even from a doctor’s prescription

b. Corticosteroids

Type of corticosteroid medications such as cortisone and prednisone are commonly given by doctors to overcome the more severe allergies. This drug can be given in injection form, certain dose inhalers, nasal spray, pills or creams. This type of drugs has some side effects, therefore make sure you consume this medicine according to prescription

c. Cromolyn

Cromolyn are non-steroidal drusg used for treating seasonal allergic rhinitis or chronic. The drugs are usually available in the form of spray or eye drops. These drugs should be used before an allergy season because the  results appear after several weeks of use.

e.    Adrenaline

For such a severe allergic as anafilacic shock that can cause the sufferer to faint, then the injection of adrenaline (epinephrine) is a drug used. This adrenaline opens the airways quickly and wrinkles respiratory blood vessels.

3.    Allergy Injections / Immunotherapy

Some specific alerfi disease treated with allergy shots. Giving injections is also commonly called Immunotherapy (immune therapy). Therapy is done by injecting a certain dose alerger on. With the aim of studying the immune system to accept them as a harmless substance. In this therapy, injections are usually done regularly, usually weekly.

Thus some allergy drugs available today. Once again, please consult with your doctor before using the drug.

You must realize if information is very important in diagnosing allergies. You can have allergies because you have the family who has suffered an allergy before. Although the type of allergy is not the same, this could happen.

Skin test
To diagnose allergies, the most commonly used is the skin test and can be done in several ways. Usually the allergen suspected as the cause of allergy is  applied to the forearm, upper arm or back. Allergens can also be injected under the skin. In this way, the results can be seen 15 minutes later. If the tested  part is swollen and red, then the test is considered positive.

Skin test can not be fully guaranteed. Positive test result but in the daily life, the body does not react to these allergens. The results of a positive skin test to food allergens tend to be less accurate, if a test result is negative, it does not mean that you are not allergic to the food.

Skin test is very useful for respiratory allergies, insect sting allergies, latex allergies and allergic to penicillin.

Specific  IgE Antibody Test

Antibody test specificly for immunoglobulin E, which was formerly known as radioallergosorbent test (RAST),is useful  blood test to diagnose sensitivity to the inhalated alerfen like pollen or dust. These tests measure the antibodies inside. Unlike the skin test, this test is more comfortable and does not risk because all examinations to blood samples carried out in test tubes.

The weakness of this test is not sensitive to skin allergens. Analysis of blood samples should also be performed in special laboratories that the process takes a day or more, besides it also costs more expensive than skin tests.

Hopefully this article will help you understand how to diagnose allergy to yourself.