How Much Do You Know About Allergy Treatments?
More than one-third of Americans suffer from allergies, and thousands of people don’t have their symptoms under control. You may be one of them.
There are three basic ways to treat allergies: avoiding the allergens that trigger your symptoms, medications, and allergy shots, also known as immunotherapy.
Take this simple true/false quiz to learn more about allergies and how you can get them under control.
1. Allergies almost always start during childhood.
2. Allergies that make you sneeze and sniffle usually go away after the first frost because temperatures below freezing kill most allergens.
3. The best way to avoid allergies caused by airborne pollen is to stay indoors.
4. If you can’t avoid the things that trigger your allergies, over-the-counter and prescription medications may help.
5. You can be immunized against allergies.
6. It takes months and sometimes years of weekly shots before the allergy immunization begins to work.
7. Allergy shots and medications must be continued for the rest of your life.
8. Allergy shots are more expensive than allergy medications.
9. Allergy shots are safe for children.
10. Allergy shots should be avoided by pregnant women.
ANSWER KEY:
1. FALSE - Though many people experience the onset of allergies while they are children, allergies can begin at any age, and adult-onset allergies are becoming more common. The symptoms are the result of an abnormal sensitivity of the immune system to particular allergens, substances that are otherwise harmless. Allergies also can flare up and subside throughout your life.
2. FALSE - Even though frost kills pollen-producing plants such as grasses, weeds and ragweed, other allergens such as molds, dust mites, animal dander and feathers persist year round.
3. FALSE - Avoiding allergens is the first line of defense for those who suffer allergies, but there are ways you can minimize contact with these allergens without staying indoors all the time. A critical first step in avoiding allergens is knowing what to avoid. An allergist, a doctor who specializes in allergies, can help you identify the things that trigger your allergic responses, and can then help you develop an avoidance program that will work for you.
4. TRUE - If you can’t avoid allergens, medications such as antihistamines and decongestants can bring relief, and they are being improved all the time. Advances in recent years in prescription allergy medicines have eliminated many of the side effects. Talk to your allergist to find out if the medication you are taking is one of the best available.
5. TRUE - Allergy shots, or immunizations, can bring relief to those who don’t get sufficient relief from medications, experience unwelcome medication side-effects or can’t avoid the things that trigger their allergies. Allergy shots have been around since 1911, and have been greatly improved over the years. This effective and safe treatment decreases a patient’s sensitivity to allergens by injecting increasingly larger doses of purified “extracts” (or “vaccines”) of the substance that triggers the allergic reactions. The injections stimulate the immune system to fight allergies safely, effectively and naturally.
6. FALSE - Most patients begin to feel some relief from symptoms quickly, and as immunity develops, the frequency of shots is often reduced to a monthly maintenance level. Allergy shots are usually given on a regular basis over a period of three to five years, but the frequency of shots required varies from patient to patient. Some people also may be candidates for “rush” immunotherapy, a treatment regimen that speeds up the immunity-building process by introducing the increasingly larger doses of extract through several injections given over a period of two to three days. For those who cannot avoid an allergen, this treatment can bring relief quickly.
7. FALSE - As the injections take effect and immunity is developed, shots can be tapered off, and for many they can be discontinued. With the immune system restored to good health, few or no medications may be needed. Recent research reveals that once immunity is developed, patients continue to experience the immunity benefits eight or more years after the shots are discontinued. Some patients may discontinue the shots and maintain lifetime immunity benefits.
8. FALSE - Allergy shots can be less expensive than continued reliance on medications and efforts to allergy-proof your environment. The treatment often is covered by health plans.
9. TRUE - Allergy shots can be started in children as young as 4 or 5 years old. In fact, vaccinating children early may keep the allergies from becoming worse and may enable the treatment to be discontinued with immunity maintained. There is research indicating that allergy shots early in childhood may reduce by 25 percent the likelihood that the child will develop asthma, another allergic disease.