While over 100 million people in the US alone have allergies, not everyone is born with them, and they can develop as an adult, during childhood, or be present from birth. The only way to know you are truly allergic to something is to be exposed to the potential trigger. And, you can be allergic to thousands of different things. You can have pet allergies, be allergic to bee stings, severe food allergies, and common household materials and chemicals such as hair dyes and cleaning products

Talk to your doctor.

In the first instance, you should talk to your doctor if you are concerned you might have an allergy. Your doctor can arrange tests for you to identify if you are allergic to anything and exactly how you are allergic to it. Keep notes of any symptoms and potential triggers you voiced and how you feel. They can talk you through the allergy treatments available and get you started if needed. 

Know Your Signs 

Prevention is always better than a cure for allergic reactions, but knowing the signs and symptoms of an allergy attack can help you get the treatment you need fast. Some people only experience mild discomfort when coming into contact with their allergens, for others, it is an instant severe reaction that quickly becomes life-threatening. Know your signs, your triggers, and how best to help yourself. This is especially important if you have yet to be diagnosed, as medical professionals can use this information to analyze your allergy and treat your symptoms quickly.

Common allergy symptoms include;

• Runny nose or sneezing
• Pain or tenderness in or around your face, nose, and throat
• Bodily swelling
• Difficulty breathing
• Itchy skin or rash
• Feeling sick

If you experience these symptoms, you should head to your doctor or pharmacist. In the event of more severe reactions, you should go to the nearest emergency room for immediate treatment.

Treatment Options

Some treatment options are available for people with allergies, from using an Epi-pen for more severe reactions, which can be life-saving, to using OTC allergy relief medication. Your doctor can advise you on the right type of medication for you. Be it antihistamines, topical creams for itch relief, desensitization, or immunotherapy to lessen the reaction or avoid the trigger altogether. You can work with them to help you develop a suitable treatment plan based on your lifestyle, specific triggers, and the severity of your reaction. From here, you can adjust your lifestyle to accommodate your allergy and live as healthy as possible.

It is vital that if you are diagnosed with an allergy, you take the proper steps to keep yourself safe. This can be via informing others of your allergy to reduce exposure, carrying around your medication should you need it, or being proactive in asking if your allergens are present in food or environments so you can make a more informed decision. Failure to do this can put you at risk of triggering an allergy, and you will likely suffer the consequences. Always remain vigilant regarding your allergies to ensure you are always prepared.

This is a collaborative post.

Melinda

There is nothing funny about feeling compelled to drink, take drugs, or smoke. Addiction is not a joke, and if you are in the throes of one, there is every chance that you don’t even know it. Engaging in something that you find pleasurable is not inherently bad for you, but there is a very fine line between having fun and enjoying yourself and feeling an unavoidable compulsion to do something. One of these isn’t healthy, and I bet you could guess which one!

Whether it’s a compulsion to binge eat, watch Netflix, drink alcohol, or take prescription drugs, you need to know that your compulsion could get you into massive amounts of trouble. You could call Leyba Mathew if you find that your addiction has led you to dangerous territories, but before you get there, you need to know that you definitely are dealing with addiction. With that in mind, we’ve put together six clear signs that it’s an addiction that you’re dealing with. Let’s take a look:

Image Source: Pexels

It’s Become Something So Important To You

The importance of the thing that you are doing goes beyond your job, your family, and your friends. At any cost, you will do the thing you NEED to do. You can determine how important something is to you by how much you’re not doing other things in favor of that one thing you are doing. For example, if you’re not paying your mortgage to afford wine, there’s a problem!

You Feel Better When You Do It

The reason we call it being a shopaholic is that shopping triggers a relaxed, happy response. The endorphins released because we are shopping make us feel good. When you take drugs, you do it for the high. Of course, it doesn’t feel too good when you’re involved in a DUI, but it feels good at the moment. The reward response is a clear reason to continue to do it. And that’s when the issues arise.

There Is No “Enough”

The more you do the thing you are doing, the more you want to do it. It takes precedence over every other thing that you have in your life, and that’s becoming an issue. When you’re carving out more space in your day-to-day life for this new compulsion, you’re putting more emphasis on the thing you’re doing.

You Get Anxious When You Can’t

There is a reason that employers give their staff smoking breaks. A lack of nicotine leads to anxiety, irritability, and angst in someone addicted to cigarettes. Smoking breaks “take the edge off” the anxiety and make them feel better, so they are able to take paid breaks to have a cigarette. When you are feeling bad on the inside when you can’t binge eat, watch Netflix, or even shop, it’s a good sign you’re addicted to what you’re doing.

It’s Consuming Your Life

If drugs, alcohol, or even shopping are starting to consume everything else in your life, taking over your money and putting you into debt, there is a problem. You should be able to enjoy most things in moderation, but when you can’t help it and you MUST drink, you need to seek some help.

You Can’t Help Yourself

You wake up in the morning and say today is the day you won’t drink. Then you get to the evening and before you know it, you’re pouring out your third glass of wine, promising yourself that tomorrow is the day. The problem with addiction is that tomorrow is never the day, and you need to speak to the professionals to make sure that you can reach that tomorrow.

Getting help is vital before your addiction costs you your life or someone else’s life.

This is a collaborative post.

Melinda