What You Should Know About HPV
HPV, or human papillomavirus, is the most common sexually transmitted disease in the United States. Get the facts before you get the virus.
5 Different Treatments for Allergies
If you’re one of the more than 50 million Americans who suffer from allergies, any contact with an allergen can cause an explosion of symptoms for you — itchy eyes, running nose, itchy throat, sneezing, the works.
While there’s no cure for allergies, many treatments do exist that can relieve your symptoms and make your life much better each day.
Here at Health Solutions, with offices in Tinley Park, Rockford, and Olympia Fields, Illinois, and Munster, Indiana, our team of board-certified specialists wants to help you overcome whatever allergies you’re facing. Here are five different treatments we recommend to give you relief.
Avoidance strategies
The best way to avoid a flare-up of symptoms is to steer clear of the allergens that cause your symptoms in the first place! This can include removing a known source of allergens from your home or avoiding a certain location where you know an allergen will be located. If you’re allergic to cats, for instance, you’ll want to limit visits to a friend’s house who has a cat.
Antihistamines
One of the most popular allergy treatments is antihistamines, which block histamine, a chemical that causes allergic swelling. Antihistamines can calm down itching, sneezing, a runny nose, and hives. Some antihistamines cause drowsiness, so be aware which kind you’re taking.
Corticosteroids
Corticosteroids relieve allergy symptoms by suppressing allergy-related inflammation. They include nasal sprays that relieve stuffiness and sneezing, inhalers that treat asthma, eyedrops to relieve itchy or watery eyes, and skin cream to relieve allergic skin reactions.
Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy is a preventive treatment that trains your body to become less reactive to allergens. The therapy works by introducing gradually-increasing amounts of the allergen to your body over time, which allows your body to begin producing antibodies to fight the allergen in the future. Immunotherapy can include allergy shots or sublingual (under the tongue) tablets.
Emergency epinephrine shots
Emergency epinephrine shots are used to treat anaphylaxis, which is a life-threatening allergic reaction. They are administered with an auto-injecting syringe and needle device you should carry if you know you have a severe allergic reaction to a specific food, such as peanuts, or to a specific incident, such as a bee sting.
Every individual is different, so our expert team at Health Solutions can work with you to determine the best treatment for your allergy situation. Just call our office location nearest to you to book an appointment, or use our online scheduler to choose your own time. We’ll ease your symptoms and get you back to normal life as soon as possible!
You Might Also Enjoy...
Living With Arthritis (And What You Can Do About It)
You can live with arthritis without letting it ruin your life. Let us help you learn more about your options for managing the pain and stiffness that come with arthritis, the chronic inflammation in your joints.
5 Tips for Managing Fall Allergies
Many people think of spring as allergy season, but autumn can be just as bad for plenty of allergy sufferers. In this post, we offer a few tips on how to manage common fall allergies.
How Often Do Men Need Prostate Exams?
The prostate is an important part of your reproductive system and plays a major role in inseminating the ovaries if you’re trying to start a family. As you get older, the prostate is at risk of different illnesses, so how often should it be examined?
I Eat Healthy; Why Do I Still Have High Cholesterol?
Making healthy eating choices is one of the best ways to manage your cholesterol levels — but what if it’s not enough? Here’s why dietary changes don’t always help keep cholesterol levels under control.
Am I Too Young for Menopause?
Are you too young for menopause? Maybe not. If you're under 45 and your menstrual cycle has stopped, it could be early menopause, which may need treatment. Keep reading to learn more.