Editor
Editorial
One of four Americans suffers from allergies, particularly in spring. Many are affected by hay fever resulting from pollen, mold, dust and other airborne causes.
An allergy is another name for something that's irritant to your immune system, while it might not affect other people the same way.An allergy can weaken your immune system and make it prone to other allergies as well. Allergens, or causes of allergy, can include food, insect bites, etc.
Itching, swelling, and stomach pain are amongst the common symptoms caused by the chemicals sent out by the immune system as a defence against allergies.
Apart from the skin and the digestive sytem, the respiratory system is also affected; in fact, 4 out of 10 cases of asthma are said to be the result of allergies. Symptoms are often misunderstood, as for instance sinuses, which are blamed on colds and flu. On the contrary, sinuses that occur 3 to 4 times in a year indicate allergies.
Yet there are those afflicted by severe allergies who have to be constantly alert, and if required, have to given emergency treatment,such as antihistamine or epinephrine injections.
The changing nature of allergies makes their identification difficult.Also, other irritants could mask them. Avoiding or stayinmg away from what causes you allergy is the obvious remedy. For a more severe affliction, medication is the resort. A third remedy, in the form of immunotherapy, is a long-drwan process which could stretch up to four years of shots.
But the good news is that a larger percentage of those afflicted by allergies recover permanently. Even better is the news that we can never be allergic to Sudoku!
Editor