When Seasonal Allergies Get Serious

By Lacie Glover for U.S. News Spring is finally here, and many regions in the U.S. are beginning to thaw after a treacherous winter. Many of us are eager to get outside to welcome back warmer weather. But if you’re one of 50 million Americans with seasonal allergies, you might be dreading spring as much as others look forward to it. Spring allergy season is the worst time of year for most allergy sufferers, although some regions experience allergy-inducing weather year-round. For most people, seasonal allergies are not severe, and over-the-counter medications are sufficient to deal with occasional flare-ups of sneezing, watery or itchy eyes and runny nose. Even so, downplaying the condition can make it easy to ignore signs of serious allergies, such as chest tightness and difficulty breathing, which require medical attention. Knowing when to call your doctor about allergies can spare you some serious discomfort. What’s Happening in Your Body If you have seasonal allergies, your immune system responds to certain types of mold and pollen as though they were dangerous invaders to your body. And as a result, they become dangerous. Your body releases a flood of chemicals, including histamine, to fight off the invader once it enters. “Warning signs of an allergy attack can be as common as a runny nose, sneezing, nasal congestion, itching and progress to much more serious symptoms like trouble breathing, tightness in the lungs and chest,” says Dr. Robert del Junco, med...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news