If you're like me, when your nose gets stuffed up, you assume it's just the smog paying havoc with your nostrils.
Or, maybe a cold is coming on.
Maybe you just need a hot bowl of chicken soap to set things right.
There is another possibility that I overlooked for years.
Was it possible that I had allergies?
Today, when I pointed out to the doctor that my nasal passages often got blocked up, and that occasionally I had difficulty breathing through my nose, he suggested an allergy test!
I was game.
I tore off my shirt, laid face down on the examination table, and suffered through about ninety-eight little "pricks" in the back.
Each tiny needle was injecting a known allergic just beneath the surface of my skin to test for a reaction that would take about twenty minutes to rear its ugly head.
Imagine that!
I am allergic to trees; specifically, those of the Oak, Elm, Ash, and Olive variety!
"There are quite a few Olive trees in this neighborhood which may be the reason why you have been suffering."
The Doctor prescribed two nasal sprays designed to tackle the allergies.
Amazing!
Within about thirty minutes, I felt a hundred-percent better, and once again I could truly breath without difficulty.
Allergies can develop at any age and even in the womb.
Some people are more "sensitive" to substances because they produce more IgE than those who are non-allergic.
What is IgE?
It is an anti-body.
When a person is exposed to an allergen a series of events takes place.
For starters, the body starts to produce the antibody IgE to bind to the allergen.
The antibodies then attach to a form of blood cell called a mast cell.
Mast cells are present in the airways, in the GI tract, and elsewhere throughout the human body.
The presence of mast cells in the airways and GI tract makes these areas more susceptible to allergen exposure.
Once the allergens bind to the IgE attached to the mast cell, they trigger a reaction that allows the mast cells to release a variety of chemicals ( including histamine) which cause most of the symptoms of an allergy such as itchiness or a runny nose.
If the allergen is in the air, the allergic reaction will likely occur in the eyes, nose and lungs.
On the other hand, if it is ingested, the allergic reaction often occurs in the inner recesses of the mouth, stomach, and intestines.
Sometimes enough chemicals are released from the mast cells to cause a reaction throughout the entire body.
The subject may develop hives, decreased blood pressure, shock, or loss of consciousness.
The major distinguishing factor appears to be heredity.
For some time, it has been known that allergic conditions tend to cluster in families.
Your own risk of developing allergies is related to the parents' allergy history.
If neither parent is allergic, the chance of allergies surfacing is about 15%.
If one parent is allergic, the risk increases to 30% ; if both are allergic, the risk is far greater (about 60%).
An individual may inherit a tendency to develop allergies, but never actually have symptoms.
Offspring may not necessarily inherit the same allergies or the same diseases as your parents, either.
Researchers have not been able to fathom which substances will trigger a reaction in an allergic person, which diseases might develop in the individual, or how severe the symptoms might be.
The environment plays an important part in the scenario, too.
Also, an indiviudal must have a genetic tendency and be exposed to an allergen in order to develop an allergy.
Additionally, the more intense and repetitive the exposure to an allergen (and the earlier in life it occurs) the more likely it is that an allergy will develop.
There are other important influences that may conspire to cause allergic conditions which include frequency of smoking, pollution, and infections.
Get tested today for immediate relief!
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