Allergies: Irritating but Treatable
Allergies are your immune system’s reaction to a foreign substance identified as dangerous or harmful. While your allergies may happen for a good reason as a defense mechanism, it doesn’t make them any less uncomfortable or unbearable. Luckily, an array of options exists when it comes to treating and preventing allergies.
Caring for Symptoms and Avoiding Allergens
Allergic reactions happen with varying severity, from mild discomfort to life threatening responses. This all happens because your body produces antibodies meant to fight off unwelcome invaders that could make you sick or give you an infection. Usually an allergic reaction consists of inflamed skin or rashes like hives, a stuffy, congested, or runny nose, and even difficulty breathing or ingesting certain foods. Allergies cannot be cured, but they can be managed and even avoided by following a few simple rules.
A few things you can do to avoid an allergic reaction are:
- Avoiding known allergens
- Frequently washing bedding
- Maintaining low humidity in the air
- Taking medications that can reduce symptoms
- Immunotherapy shots or tablets
- Epinephrine in the event of an emergency
Several substances can cause allergies, so it’s important to pay attention to how your body reacts to the following:
- Pollen (grasses, trees, flowers, etc.)
- Drugs
- Animals
- Foods
- Latex
- Molds
- Personal care products
In the Summertime, When the Weather is Fine
“And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald
This picturesque description of bursting leaves and foliage growing at an insurmountable pace does not likely evoke the same level of romance in allergy sufferers as it did for Fitzgerald. As summer quickly approaches, it’s helpful to know what you might be up against in order to prepare yourself ahead of time. Here’s a closer look at the top 5 allergies you may be contending with this summer:
At FastMed, we strive to get you in and out of our clinic in under an hour so you can get on with your day, hopefully allergy free. We also work hard to be an affordable alternative to the ER by offering things like a self-pay pricing. FastMed Urgent Care’s mission is to serve our communities and patients with a high level of quality, personal care, affordable and convenient urgent care, family practice, and other specialty medicine services. Our compassionate staff of top-notch professionals is here to help you feel better, so visit your local FastMed Urgent Care clinic for an allergy consultation and relief.
About FastMed
FastMed Urgent Care owns and operates nearly 200 centers in North Carolina, Arizona and Texas that provide a broad range of acute/episodic and preventive healthcare services 365 days a year. FastMed also provides workers’ compensation and other occupational health services at all its centers, and family and sports medicine services at select locations. FastMed has successfully treated more than six million patients and is the only independent urgent care operator in North Carolina, Arizona and Texas to be awarded The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for quality, safety and infection control in ambulatory healthcare. For more information about locations, services, hours of operation, insurance and prices, visit www.fastmed.com.