Allergy Management

The very first step of allergy management is to find out what you are allergic to. If you have symptoms of respiratory allergies, you could be suffering from either hay fever, pet hair, or an indoor allergy such as house dust or mould spores.

In the case of hay fever, the diagnosis is rather straightforward, as you will only have those symptoms at particular times of the year. If you’re unsure about which allergy you might have, or if you are indeed allergic or not, you should consult your GP, who will either refer you to an allergy clinic for a skin prick test or who will give you a blood test.

Once you know what you are allergic to, what you do will depend on your level of allergies. Persons who experience very severe allergy symptoms when they are near cats for example, are probably better off avoiding being around a cat at all. However, if your pet hair allergy symptoms are just mild or low and you already have a pet, you might not have to give him up. Instead, try to develop some hygiene habits such as washing your hands right after you touch him, make sure you don’t get any hair on your clothes, etc.

If it is dust mites that you’re allergic to, there are a few habits that you should pick up that will definitely make the difference. The place where you’re most likely to find dust mites are in your bed. Start by buying an allergy-friendly mattress, duvet and pillows. Make sure you change your bed sheets regularly and that you also frequently wash carpets, rugs and curtains with warm water. When dusting the house, use a damp cloth rather than a duster as that will just send dust everywhere. Also prefer a mop to a hoover whenever possible.

If it is hay fever that you’re allergic to, there are also a few things that you can do to keep your allergies under control. Try to minimise the time you spend outdoors. When you get back home after spending time outside, try to shower and wash your hair before going to bed, wash your hands after going outdoors, and change your outfit, because your clothes might contain pollen.

After washing your clothes, don’t leave them to hang outside on a clothing line, as they might catch allergens. Hang them indoors or use a dryer when suitable.

If the allergens affect your eyes, wear sunglasses when going out, as this might help keep the pollen at bay.

Allergy Treatments

Medical Allergy Management

The most common medical allergy management consists of antihistamine medicines. When your body is exposed to the allergen, it responds by releasing large amounts of histamine resulting in the typical allergy symptoms. Antihistamines block the release of histamines and this alleviates or inhibits symptoms. A variety of antihistamines can be bought over the counter; however some of the stronger ones must be prescribed by a doctor. A selection of powerful prescription-only antihistamines is now available at MyOnlineDoctor so you can manage your allergy symptoms effectively. While oral antihistamines are traditionally said to cause drowsiness, newer, non-sedating second generation antihistamines only cause little if any drowsiness.

At MyOnlineDoctor, the following antihistamines are now available for you to order. Please have a look at our allergy treatment guide to find out more.

1. Oral Tablets
Telfast 120mg

2. Nasal Sprays
Avamys
Rhinolast

3. Eye Drops
Opticrom aqueous
Rapitil
Optilast

Allergy Treatments

Environmental exposure

Research has shown that eating local honey could help with hay fever symptoms.

This process is called "desensitisation". The idea is that local honey will contain the same particles as local pollen, but these will not make you allergic. By eating 2 tablespoons of honey every day around 2 months before the start of the hay fever season, your body will get used to that type of pollen, and your allergic reactions will be gone or at least considerably reduced. Local honey is always better, but not necessary, as the type of flora -and thus the type of pollen- is usually the same throughout large areas. Multi-floral honey is better as it contains different types of pollen from different plants.

Pollen could contaminate other types of food, so if you buy non processed food, for example produced in a farm, always make sure you clean it first, as it may contain pollen from nearby plants.

Hygiene hypothesis

This scientific hypothesis states that a lack of exposure to parasites, bacteria and infectious agents at an early age weakens the natural development of the immune system and increases the chance of developing allergies later in life.

In short, our bodies are much more accustomed to a pristine, almost sterile environment nowadays, as opposed to, let’s say, several hundred years ago. This means that these modern hygiene standards have reduced our exposure to good and bad germs, and in turn, our immune system is somewhat weakened. This sometimes results in the body treating harmless particles from our environment (such as pollen or animal dander) as if they were deadly viruses. This process will cause you to develop allergic reactions to these particles.

This increased hygiene is thought to go hand in hand with a surge of allergy cases over the last 20 years. These numbers are on the rise each year.

Other potential triggers for allergy and asthma

The hygiene hypothesis was once thought to explain the soaring rates of asthma cases, but research has found that, while it is a possible explanation for allergies, the situation is much more complex for asthma. Some cases of asthma are caused by underlying allergic conditions, while others have different sources, some of which remain unclear.

There are other triggers however that can make allergy and asthma worse, such as cigarette smoke. If you have allergies and/or asthma, you should seriously consider giving up on smoking, as it will most certainly worsen your symptoms and your general health.

According to recent studies, atmospheric pollution is another very important contributing factor. Fog and exhaust fumes can irritate the airways and cause inflammation, which can deteriorate allergy and asthma conditions, as well as breathing in general.

Moreover, pollution is in constant evolution, and we haven’t yet come to appreciate the real impact that it has on us. Diesel for example contains very small particles that can get deep into our airways when inhaled. Even though pollution levels are often measured, it is not always a clear indicator of the actual damage it can cause us, as these tests don’t take into account the possible chemical reactions between the different chemical compounds present in the atmosphere. One thing is certain: it will take years for scientists to fully understand how our modern world is affecting our health.

Please have a look at our Resources page for external references on allergies.