TreatAllergies.com

1.) Allergies are uncommon

Allergies are actually a very common part of many people's everyday lives. In Australia and New Zealand, for example, about a third of the population will experience an allergy at some point during their life. One in five people will tend to develop atopic dermatitis, one in six will have an episode of urticaria, or "hives", and one in twenty will develop a type of food allergy. Approximately 10% of the population will develop asthma while the overall figures for the incidence of allergies has been on the increase over recent years. These allergic conditions can have a significant impact on the quality of life of sufferers.

2.) Allergies are harmless

While many allergies are considered little more than an inconvenience or an irritant by some, they can have significant repercussions for the sufferer's quality of life, especially if left untreated. Untreated allergic conditions can have a detrimental impact on other chronic respiratory conditions like asthma or sinusitis, or skin disorders such as eczema or urticaria. The extreme, life-threatening allergic reaction known as anaphylaxis can be potentially fatal if adrenaline is not administered quickly after a systemic reaction. Even more common conditions such as allergic rhinitis (hayfever) can adversely affect concentration, disrupt sleep patterns, and cause sufferers to become fatigued.

3.) Only flowering plants cause hayfever

Hayfever, the commonly used term for seasonal allergic rhinitis, is something of a misnomer because it is pollen and not hay that causes the condition. The pollen of many flowering plants is relatively large and sticky. This is because they rely on birds or bees rather than the wind for pollination. It is the airborne pollen from the wind-pollinated species of grass, weed and trees that usually trigger hayfever. People who find that flowers make them sneeze are often reacting to a chemical irritation caused by the perfume of the plant rather than the flower's pollen.

4.) Moving will cure your allergies

Moving away from the source of the allergen may temporarily offer relief but those people who are prone to allergies will often just develop new allergies over time. If they already have condition such as perennial seasonal rhinitis which has sensitised them to allergens like dust mites, moulds, and animal dander then changing geographic position may not make that much difference. With perennial allergic condition, the cleanliness of the living environment will usually have more impact on the state of allergies than moving to another location. If they have a seasonal allergy, then escaping a particular type of airborne pollen may help but it needs to be remembered that pollen can sometimes travel hundreds of miles from the source. For example, samples of ragweed pollen have been collected as far as 400 miles out to sea and two miles high. Because of this ability to travel, hayfever may be triggered by plants that do not even grow in your geographical region.

5.) There is no way to remove dust mites from the home

You may not be able to completely remove dust mites in the home but you can take steps to greatly reduce their numbers. Carpeting and bedding tend to have the largest concentrations of dust mites and their faeces. Having hard floor surfaces like polished wood boards or lino will make cleaning and vacuuming easier as the dust mites cannot become embedded in the carpet. Washing bed linen regularly and using allergen barrier bedding covers will also substantially reduce your exposure to dust mite allergen.

6.) A damp house will be just as healthy as a dry house

This is seldom true. A damp living environment will have more mould growing in it and indoor mould is a common cause of conditions such as perennial allergic rhinitis, sinusitis, bronchitis, and asthma.

7.) You will only develop an animal allergy if you have a pet

Animal allergens like dander can easily become attached to clothing and furnishings. This is why children who do not have pets may become sensitised to animal dander while at school, an environment where animals are not present.

8.) The longer you live with certain animals then the more desensitised you will become towards them

Actually, the inverse of this is probably true. If some one already has an allergy and they are exposed to indoor pets for an extended period of time then they stand approximately a one in three chance of becoming sensitised to those pets as well. There are also links between indoor pets and the incidence of asthma. Minimizing exposure to household pets will reduce the chance of developing this type of allergy. Having hard floor coverings instead of carpeting and washing the pet regularly will help.

9.) Hypoallergenic animals, which are less likely to provoke an allergic reaction, are more suitable for people with allergies and asthma

There are actually no truly hypoallergenic animals. Even if certain breeds do not shed hair or are hairless, they still secrete allergens through the skin or in the saliva that will trigger a reaction. This is why iguanas and other reptiles can aggravate allergies. These will mix with dust particles in the house and will circulate through the air or become attached to indoor furnishings and environment. These will remain for a while even after the animal itself has been removed from the house. While the amount of allergen shed by an animal may vary depending on factors such as the length and volume of hair, the allergic properties of the allergen will be the same for all members of that species.

10.) Eliminating wheat or milk from someone's diet will help control hayfever or asthma

Generally, eliminating wheat and milk from the diet will only help if they are allergic to either product. Milk, along with shellfish, eggs, nuts, and fish are common types of food allergies. A reaction triggered by a food allergy will usually include a swelling of the throat, rashes, and vomiting. Some children with such food allergies will also develop eczema, hayfever, or asthma over time because they are prone to these allergic conditions. Removing like wheat on dairy products is more likely to have an adverse impact on nutrition than alleviate hayfever or asthma.

There is no evidence that milk worsens asthma or affects the body's production of mucus. People sometimes start to wheeze after drinking a cold drink because they are inhaling cold air at the same time.

11.) Small amounts of peanut will not harm someone who is allergic to them

Sometimes even a trace amount of peanut can cause a fatal anaphylactic reaction in an individual that is allergic to peanuts.

12.) Asthma can be caused by colours and preservatives

There are some products that contain preservatives or colouration that do not cause asthma but may exacerbate an existing condition. There has not, however, been sufficient scientific evaluation to conclusively link these food components to triggering asthma. These components include the preservatives sodium metabisulfite (220, 221, 222), found in wine, grapes, dried fruits and fruit salads, benzoates, BHA and BHT, the flavour enhancer monosodium glutamate (MSG), the colourings FD&C dyes, and yellow No.5 (Tartrazine) in particular, and the sweetener aspartame. If small amounts of sulphur dioxide are inhaled it can induce reflex reaction whereby the bronchial tubes contract.

13.) Allergies and asthma can be cured

There is no cure for asthma and allergies. Allergy treatment products target the symptoms of allergies they do not treat the cause. Most sufferers learn to manage their condition so they can enjoy a decent quality of life. The nearest thing to a cure is immunotherapy, which attempts to desensitise a patient to a particular allergen. It is a process that takes years and is more effective for treating some types of allergies than others. It is most successful in treating insect sting allergy and pollen allergies but has the lowest success rate with mould allergies.

14.) Children will grow out of their asthma and allergies

Allergies can last for many years and may affect an individual for the rest of their life. Some food allergies like cow's milk, egg, or soy may not last as the child grows older but others, such as peanut or seafood allergies, will remain a problem regardless of a person's age. About 85% of children with eczema (atopic dermatitis) will see the condition improve by the time they become teenagers but they will often still experience skin irritation and dryness in later life. Approximately 80% of children with hayfever (allergic rhinitis) will experience these symptoms for at least another decade, while some 40% of young adults will still be sneezing 20 years later. Some children with asthma find their symptoms improve or disappear when they get older, even if they may be more susceptible to them returning in later life. If the asthma is persistent or severe then it will tend to endure into adulthood.

15.) Smoking is not a trigger for asthmatics

Smoking is actually a known trigger for asthmatics. Tobacco smoke is a common irritant and paralyses the fine, hair-like cilia within the sinuses. The babies of mothers who smoke have more chance of developing asthma than those of non-smokers whose children are not exposed to a smoke-filled environment.

16.) Allergy medications will make you sleepy and are dangerous

The older types of antihistamines tended to cause drowsiness in patients and affected their ability to concentrate or drive. The new generation of non-drowsy antihistamines do not share this problem and are just as effective. These include Claratyne, Telfast and Zyrtec. Some of them only have to be taken once a day because they last longer in the body.

17.) Asthma and hayfever sprays are dangerous

Inhaled medications, including corticosteroids, used to treat asthma and hayfever are safe and effective as long as the appropriate dosage information and product instructions are followed.