Common Allergies and Symptoms That Strike During Allergy Season

At any given time period, allergy season can be upon you. Depending on what causes your particular allergy, will determine if it will be making you miserable this year during allergy season.

Whether you suffer from common allergies and symptoms at the present time or not, educating yourself about what causes allergies can be helpful to you. Some allergies may strike when you are well into adulthood and without warning.

Being prepared can make the difference in a trip to the emergency room and in a select few cases may save you or a loved one from death. Allergies are one of the leading causes of illness and reasons cited for patients seeking medical attention from a physician. Taking charge of treating your symptoms can be the first step in taking control of your allergies and reducing their effect on your well-being.

Allergy season generally refers to the time of year when the air is full of what causes allergies. These substances that cause allergic reactions are called allergens. Allergies occur when an allergen enters the body. Many times these allergens enter during the season when pollens, dust and others are at elevated levels and spread readily by winds.

In order for the symptoms to occur an allergen must not only enter the body; but also cause an abnormal response. The typical abnormal response is for the body to release histamine. The histamine causes the body to produce many of the symptoms.

Common Allergy Causes:

Commonly referred to as "hay fever" or "seasonal allergies"; these symptoms of allergies are caused by one or several of the following:
Pollen from:
o Ragweed
o Grass
o Trees
o Dust that is carried on the wind
o Mold spores from leaf mold.
Leaf mold occurs when leaves from deciduous trees (such as oak, maple or other shade type tree) get wet and lay over time. Mold forms and spores are released into the air. The spores travel on the air until you breathe them or they land on you.

Common Symptoms:

o Itching skin
o Itchy watery eyes
o Redness of the eye
o Runny nose
o Sneezing
o Coughing
o Wheezing (difficulty breathing that cause a noise to be made when a person breathes. The wheezing is primarily due to swelling in the air passages along with additional mucus production.
o Hives or rash on the skin

Allergies can come on suddenly, even if you have never had symptoms before. The severity depends on the amount of allergen you are expose to and how much reaction an individual's body produces.

Some people have minor symptoms that cause a person to feel miserable; but generally they do not pose a life threatening event. This mild to moderate reaction is usually treated with over the counter medications or your physician may give you a prescription medication.

Other allergy sufferers may have a severe reaction that requires immediate medical attention when it occurs. A person who has severe symptoms of an allergy may require additional monitoring by their doctor during allergy season.