Do you suffer from allergic rhinitis, asthma, or food allergies? Read on to find out what you can do to manage your symptoms.
In the following sections, we’ll outline complementary approaches that may help you deal with allergies. The below strategies are not meant to replace your standard medical treatment. Make sure to consult with your doctor before making any significant changes to your day-to-day routine.
Lifestyle
Allergy Immunotherapy
Allergy immunotherapy consists of administering a dilution of the allergen (such as pollen, dust mites, or dog dander) to help develop tolerance. This treatment can be injected (allergy shots) or oral (under-the-tongue allergy tablets) and is especially indicated for allergic rhinitis, asthma, and conjunctivitis [R, R, R, R, R].
Research suggests that immunotherapy may also help with food allergies, although only one treatment (for peanut allergy) has been approved so far [R, R, R, R, R].
Bee sting therapy is recommended as the first-line treatment to prevent severe allergic reactions in people allergic to the venom of bees and other insects of the same order (Hymenoptera), owing to its ability to induce an immune shift from Th2 to Th1 [R, R, R].
Multiple trials attest to the effectiveness and safety of this therapy. Unfortunately, the venom must be repeatedly administered at 3-month intervals to maintain its effects on the immune system [R, R, R, R, R, R, R, R, R].
Nose Irrigation
Nose irrigation with salt solution is often recommended as an add-on to conventional therapy for allergic rhinitis. Two meta-analyses concluded that, since this therapy effectively improves the symptoms and quality of life, it can be used as a cheap, safe, and easy-to-use alternative to steroid medication [R, R].
Acupuncture
Several clinical trials suggest that acupuncture may be a safe and valid way to improve the symptoms of allergic rhinitis [R, R, R, R].
Light Therapy
A meta-analysis of 13 studies concluded that light therapy (with UV, blue, red, and infrared radiation) applied through the nose can relieve allergic rhinitis symptoms and improve quality of life. However, the authors warned about the heterogeneity and low quality of the
The post Allergies: How To Manage Your Symptoms appeared first on SelfHacked.