About Allergies Washington DC

1. How can I tell if I have a cold or seasonal allergies?

   First, a seasonal allergy occurs only during a particular time of the year. A cold should subside in about two weeks; seasonal allergy symptoms will continue until the pollen season is over.

2. Are people born with allergies or can they develop them later in life?

   The answer is yes to both questions. Some people are born with a genetic predisposition to allergies, but that allergy gene may not be "turned on" until later in adulthood.

3. Can allergies be cured?

   No, they can't. But depending on what you are allergic to, you can often find relief by avoiding the allergen, taking prescription or over-the-counter medications or getting allergy shots.

4. Do children outgrow their allergies?

   Children who are allergic to peanuts, shrimp or fish generally remain allergic throughout their lives. However, they often do outgrow allergies to milk, eggs and soy.

5. Should I move to a different part of the country to help alleviate my seasonal allergies?

   No. People who are allergic to pollen are often sensitive to other substances. Moving may relieve symptoms of one allergy, only to stimulate a reaction to another allergen, so moving is generally not recommended.

6. I keep my house spic and span. Could I still have dust mites?

   Yes, even the cleanest homes can have dust mites. They can be minimized by removing things that trap dust, like drapes, wall-to-wall carpeting and upholstered furniture.

7. Can I continue taking allergy medications during pregnancy and breast-feeding?

   This is between you and your health care professional and should be thoroughly discussed with him or her, preferably prior to getting pregnant. Generally, during the first trimester, when your baby's organs and tissues are being formed, health care professionals worry about the potential effects of medications. However, after the first trimester, most medications that you might consider giving to a young child should be safe for the mother to take. Make sure you check with your health care professional before taking any over-the-counter medication during pregnancy. Generally this includes topical nasal steroids, such as budesonide (Rhinocort AQ) and some antihistamines such as loratadine and cetirizine. In addition, decongestants like pseudoephedrine are generally considered safe during the second and third trimesters. Careful use of decongestant nasal sprays should also be fine. This advice also holds true during the breast-feeding period. Watch out, however, for traditional sedating antihistamines that can cause drowsiness in the baby.

8. Is it OK to continue allergy shots if I'm pregnant?

   Maintenance doses of shots should be safe during pregnancy. Because the injections contain your allergy triggers, the most likely time to experience a reaction is during the initial build-up period, when you first start allergy shots. A severe allergic reaction in a pregnant woman could affect the well-being of the developing baby, so it's probably not a good idea to start the immunotherapy and build the dose up during pregnancy. If you are taking allergy shots while you are pregnant, your physician should carefully monitor you. In some cases, physicians will lower the dose of the allergy shots during pregnancy to reduce the chance of a reaction to the injections.

For the rest of this article, questions to ask your health care professional, information on diagnosis, treatment, prevention and more, click here.

Author: Editorial Staff of the National Women's Health Resource Center