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Prevention and Treatment
Airborne allergens cannot be avoided thus allergen immunotherapy is resorted to. This is what is commonly known as allergy shots or injections that are given to desensitize a person to the allergen. This procedure prevents or reduces in number or severity of allergic reactions. Allergen immunotherapy is not always effective since people and responses to medication tend to differ. It is most often used for allergies to pollens, house dust, mites, insect venoms and animal dander. Its use for food allergies is not advised as offending foods can usually be avoided. The procedure would entail the injection of tiny amounts of the allergen under the skin with a gradual increase until the adequate dose to control the symptoms is achieved. This would usually take 3 to 4 years to complete with injections given every 2 to 6 weeks. It can also be used to prevent anaphylactic reactions. The drugs that are most commonly used to relieve the symptoms of allergies are Antihistamines. Cromalyn may also help control allergic symptoms as it inhibits mast cells from releasing substances that damage nearby tissues. Corticosteroids are used when allergy symptoms are unable to be controlled by Antihistamine or Cromalyn. Since Corticosteroids have some serious side effects, they are only given for as short a time as possible.
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The best form of allergic reaction prevention is avoiding the allergen. This may mean discontinuing a drug, giving up a pet, installing high efficiency air filters or abstaining from a particular food. Extreme cases may necessitate moving to an area that does not have the specific allergen. This can be very impractical since there is no guaranty that a person will not develop another allergy to a different substance.