These symptoms may include:
Hay Fever
Health Tip #2, 5 September 1996
If you are like me, one of the many millions of people with allergies, you can identify with the sniffles, sneezing, drugs and shots, Kleenex packets, and the plain need to get away from that darn cat! There may not be a cure, but at least there are some forms of relief available.
Hay Fever is the common name for Allergic Rhinitis, not a disease, but a set of symptoms that comes about when one interacts with allergens that "don�t agree" with his / her body. We try to fight back and, in doing so, produce certain antibodies which the health provider can test for, thus identifying what allergies we have. In general, the symptoms can also appear because of the common cold and other diseases, certain medications and drugs, hormones, physical factors, and irritants.
These symptoms may include:
[Remember: Always cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze or cough!]
There is no complete cure for allergies, though many of the symptoms can be relieved by certain medications: antihistamines, decongestants, saline sprays, and corticosteroids, to name a few. Consult your allergy doctor about which may be the best treatment for you. S/he may also recommend immunotherapy, getting regular allergy shots which will build up your body�s natural immunity. Check with your pharmacist about which over-the-counter medications might help best in providing you with immediate, though temporary, relief when the symptoms are especially severe.
Some tips on prevention:
Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology Online: http://allergy.mcg.edu/
Asthma & Allergy: http://www.cco.caltech.edu/~wrean/resources.html
Take Care of Yourself, by Donald M. Vickery & James F. Fries, 1996.
The Doctor�s Book of Home Remedies, by Sid Kirchheimer, 1993.
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