Allergies Causes & Treatments
By Terry Lowery, Thu Dec 8th

There are many causes of allergies. Some people are allergic tofoods such as nuts, chocolate, and shellfish, some to medicines.Some suffer from allergies to animal dander such as cats, somefrom seasonal allergies such as pollen in the springtime orragweed in the late summer and fall. Some allergies bring oncontact dermatitis in the form of hives or eczema.

The one thing all these allergies have in common is that thereis no cure for any of them. Aside from allergies that are severeor bothersome enough to warrant shots (immunotherapy)most people treat their symptoms as they develop withover the counter antihistamines and decongestants.

75% of Americans who suffer from allergies are allergic toragweed. Ragweed is the late summer early fall equivalent ofspringtime allergies, both are brought on by pollination offlowers. Most medical professionals suggest an over the counterdecongestant or antihistamine to treat the symptoms associatedwith seasonal allergies.

15% of Americans suffer from allergies to cats and/or dogs.There are ways to lessen the symptoms. Keep animals off of bedsor any upholstered furniture as dander (the actual allergen fromthe skin of animals) can be transferred this way. Room purifierswill help remove the airborne dander.

If possible remove anywall to wall carpeting. Linoleum, ceramic tile or wood flooringare best in a home with an or asthma sufferer. A vacuumwith a HEPA filer will help to further trap dander in carpeting.Pets can be washed weekly with shampoo formulated to removedander.

It is said that 11 million Americans suffer from some type offood allergy. The symptoms of food range from tinglingin the mouth to swelling of the tongue and throat to more severereactions that can actually result in death.

In the case of a food it is best to have testingperformed by a professional. Some with food allergies suffer therisk of an unbalanced diet due to the need to avoid certaintypes of food. It is suggested that working with a nutritionistto create a sound and healthy diet is best. Some childhood foodallergies go away with age. However, allergies to peanuts, fish,shellfish and nuts are considered lifetime allergies.

Skin allergies, or contact dermatitis is generally avoided byavoiding the allergen. Contact dermatitis can be caused by manydifferent things and can be related to seasonal pollen allergy,animal or food allergies. Most outbreaks of contactdermatitis result in skin outbreaks and hives which can betreated with over the counter antihistamines and topical creams.

About the author:This article courtesy of http://www.allergies-answers.com