Allergy season is now in full swing, and people everywhere are looking for tips to get rid of allergies. One of the first things you should do if you suspect allergies, is to go have an allergy test done. This test is usually done at either your primary care physician's office, or at the office of an Allergy and Immunology doctor.

The issue of food allergies, reactions to preservatives and food colourings, and food intolerances in children has received much attention by researchers in recent years. Studies have shown that many children to react to foods and food additives, causing a host of health problems.

The most common allergies fall into two basic types - airborne and food allergies. The most common food allergies among adults are nuts, shellfish, eggs and fish children are more likely to be allergic to peanuts and dairy products. In fact, only eight foods account for around 90% of all allergic reactions to food.

The category of allergy is diagnosed on the basis of skin tests or blood tests. The skin test involves the testing of the presence of allergies based on a pierce that is made on the skin. When the classification of the allergy kind has been made then there are several ways of finding its chief contributory factor. It is favored over a blood test.

Most common allergies that people have include pollen and airborne allergies. The types of symptoms that you can get from these allergens can range from something as simple as hay fever, where commonly many people develop itchy, watery eyes, nasal symptoms of sneezing, watery nose, post-nasal drainage.

There are two basic types of food allergy- hypersensitivity and food intolerance. Food intolerance is not as severe and is not technically the same as a full blown food allergy. Hypersensitivity from food allergy is an adverse reaction of the immune system and it is unrelated to any physical effect from the food.

Allergies can affect a person in various ways. These can be in the form of hayfever or allergic rhinitis, allergic asthma, food allergies or drug allergies just to name a few. Allergies can elicit reactions, which range from the annoying and itchy skin redness to the fatal anaphylactic shock usually caused by drug or food allergies.

The best treatment is to avoid the allergen. One of the drugs available is antihistamine, which relieves symptoms such as itching from insect bites and stings. However, it can make people drowsy, which is disadvantageous at work, although it may help eczema sufferers to sleep better and therefore reduce scratching. Corticosteroid creams (for eczema) and inhaled corticosteroids (for severe asthma) have side effects.

Like asthma, allergic rhinitis or hay fever is caused by airborne allergens such as dust or pollen. It is characterized by watery, itchy eyes and a runny nose. It also causes bouts of sneezing and coughing. This is caused by the person breathing in floating pollen which then sticks to the mucous membranes of the throat and nose. They can also land on the sensitive covering of the eyes.

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