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| Gluten Free Doughnuts adapted from Learning to Bake Allergen Free by Colette Martin (Photo credit: jazzijava) |
There are three things to help prevent an allergic reaction:
1. Avoidance. The first and most important step is avoidance of the allergen. The more exposure you have, the more likely you are to be sensitized and then have a more severe reaction. While it may be easy to avoid seafood, it isn't for things like pollen. The following environmental things may help.
a. Air filtering. A good air filter will reduce the amount of airborne allergens.
b. If it is an airborne problem, wear a surgical mask while it is at its peak. The mask will filter out the majority of the pollen that would have been breathed in, thus reducing the effects of the allergen.
c. Remove carpets, keep furniture slightly away from walls and increase airflow. Carpets catch all sorts of allergens that can get stirred up each time you walk around. Moving furniture away from the walls allows air to move through the home. If air does not move freely, pockets of pollutants can build up in unused areas.
d. Make sure your vacuum and furnace have good filters. Vacuums pull up a lot of pollutants from the carpet, so be sure that they are all captured. The furnace is the primary defense against airborne allergens, since it is responsible for circulating air throughout the home.
2. Medication can greatly reduce the risk of allergic reaction as well as containing them. Antihistamines, decongestants, cromolyn sodium, corticosteroids and epinephrine are examples of things that may help. Many people find taking an antihistamine once a day during pollen season is enough to relieve their symptoms, if avoidance doesn't work.
3. Immunotherapy is the clinical introduction of the allergen on a regular basis and in increasing larger doses. Immunotherapy is the closet thing there is to a cure for allergies. It must be done regularly, is possibly risky and expensive, but it might work.
Ron King is a full-time researcher, writer, and web developer, visit his website at http://www.ronxking.com. This article may be reprinted if the resource box is left intact and the links live.
