Allergy Services in Glendale, CA

One out of five Americans suffer from allergies, computing to roughly 45-50 million Americans suffering from allergy. For some, allergies are simply a short lived nuisance; however for millions it’s a life altering disease. The only treatment that reprograms the overreacting immune system is immunotherapy which involves gradual delivery of the substances that trigger allergies to acclimate the body to the world around it. An allergy is a reaction of your immune system to something in the environment or food that you may consume. People who have allergies often are sensitive to more than one thing.

Substances that often cause reactions are

• Pollen
• Dust mites
• Mold spores
• Pet dander
• Food
• Insect stings
• Medicines
• Food

Allergic rhinitis was once known as hay fever because workers would sneeze and develop nasal and sinus congestion when they worked around hay in the fields. Hay fever, asthma, and eczema are the most common symptoms of an allergic reaction.

Some substances, because of their chemical make-up, are more prone to generate an allergic response in humans. Pollens, food, mold, dust, feathers, animal dander, chemicals, drugs such as penicillin, and environmental pollutants commonly cause many to suffer allergic reactions.

The medical term rhinitis refers to a disorder often characterized by symptoms including an itchy and runny nose, sneezing, and nasal congestion from a variety of causes. One of the most common types of rhinitis is allergic rhinitis or “nasal allergy.”

A clear, thin membrane called the conjunctiva covers your eyeball and the inside of your eyelids. If something irritates this covering, your eyes may become red and swollen and this is called conjunctivitis.

When an allergen is the cause of the irritation, the condition is called allergic conjunctivitis. Some common allergens include pollen from trees, grass and ragweed; animal skin and secretions such as saliva; perfumes and cosmetics; skin medicines; air pollution and smoke. Other causes of conjunctivitis are viral and bacterial infections.

Approximately two percent of the United States population is allergic to cats. This is caused by a glycoprotein, Fel d-I, secreted by the subaceous glands in cats and is the major cat allergen. This allergen is found in the fur, pelt, saliva, serum, urine, mucous, salivary glands, and hair roots of the cat. The main sources of the allergen, however, are the skin and saliva.

Cat allergen is so small it can remain airborne for months. It is about 10 times smaller than pollen or dust particles. According to research, it can be found in the dust of almost one third of homes that do not own a cat. It can be carried in on clothing or already be present from a previous cat owner.

Cat allergy can play havoc with the eyes, nose, ears, throat, lungs, and skin. The eyes may become red, itchy, watery, or swollen. The nose may itch, run, sneeze, or become congested. The ears may become plugged or itchy. The throat may have post-nasal drip, frequent throat clearing, itching and hoarseness. The lung symptoms may include coughing, wheezing, chest tightness, shortness of breath, and frequent bronchitis. The skin may develop itchy rashes or hives.

Male cats produce substantially more of the Fel d-I protein than female cats. Also neutered males produce less than non-neutered males. These factors, however, do not guarantee a female or a neutered cat will be safe for an allergic individual.

Allergies to dogs can strike anyone at any age. Most people that suffer from dog allergies often have other mild or moderate allergies to pollens or molds. There is a strong genetic correlation in developing allergies, so if your parents have allergies then you are likely to have them also.

Each spring, summer, and fall tiny particles are released from trees, weeds, and grasses. These particles, known as pollen, hitch rides on currents of air. Although their mission is to fertilize parts of other plants, many never reach their targets. Instead, they enter human noses and throats, triggering a type of seasonal allergic rhinitis called pollen allergy, which many people know as hay fever. Of all the things that can cause an allergy, pollen is one of the most widespread. Short of staying indoors when the pollen count is high–and even that may not help–there is no easy way to evade windborne pollen.

People with pollen allergies often develop sensitivities to other troublemakers that are present all year, such as dust mites.

Year-round airborne allergens cause perennial allergic rhinitis, as distinguished from seasonal allergic rhinitis.

Mold spores cause at least as many allergy problems as pollens. Molds are present all year long, and grow outdoors and indoors. Dead leaves and farm areas are common sources for outdoor molds. Indoor plants, old books, bathrooms, and damp areas are common sources of indoor mold growth.

This is the house dust mite (also known by it’s latin name Dermatophagoides). It is a few fractions of a millimeter long and cannot be seen with the naked eye. It lives off dead skin and is present throughout the house. As much as 10-20% of the weight of old pillows may be dead skin. Dust mites, having eaten the dead skin, then leave droppings / excrement everywhere which contains some of their stomach enzymes. It is these stomach enzymes that we are allergic to; these allergies can lead to asthma, excema, but most importantly for us, rhinitis – a blocked, itchy, runny or sneezy nose. This in turn can cause sinusitis and ear problems.

Dust mites like warmth, humidity and dead skin. The ideal room for them to grow in is a bedroom, over centrally heated, under ventilated, with lots of fabric like thick curtains, thick long pile carpet, bedding, cuddly toys, infrequent laundry with only warm water.

Dust mites don’t like cold and dryness. Good ventilation, being exposed to the atmosphere to dry up, direct light. Temperatures over 60 degrees centigrade and under freezing will kill them. Some chemicals will also kill them. The dust mites worst possible room is:

• somewhere with a dry climate – like the Alps or Arizona
• no carpet (stone, wood or linoleum)
• no soft furnishings at all
• window wide open
• no heating

Drugs for runny nose, sinus trouble, congestion, and the common cold constitute the largest segment of the over-the-counter market for America’s pharmaceutical industry. When used wisely, they provide welcome relief for at least some of the discomforts that affect almost everyone occasionally and that affect many people chronically. Drugs in these categories are useful for relief of symptoms from allergies, upper respiratory infections (i.e., sinusitis, colds, flu), and vasomotor rhinitis (a chronic stuffy nose caused by such unrelated conditions as emotional stress, thyroid disease, alcohol, pregnancy, and others). These drugs do not cure the allergies, infections, etc.; they only relieve the symptoms, thereby making the patient more comfortable.