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Allergen avoidance
Avoiding the allergen responsible for your problems is a very important therapeutic measure. In some cases, this can completely prevent your symptoms (i.e. in the case of food allergy, or contact dermatitis), but in most situations allergen avoidance is an additional measure to drug therapy. It is important to try to avoid allergens, as it reduces your symptoms and helps your drugs to work better and faster.
Saying good-bye to a pet can be very painful, especially for children. However, there is no doubt that your symptoms will not subside and sometimes will get worse if you are allergic to their allergens and decide to keep it. The, choice is yours: your health or your pet.
Total allergen avoidance is rarely possible. It can be achieved with food allergens, animal allergens and some contact allergens. However, with airborne allergens such as house dust mites and pollens, total allergen avoidance is impossible. Nevertheless, with sustained efforts and dedication it is possible to significantly reduce allergen exposure and this will have positive impact on your symptoms.
Help for allergy sufferers
Don’t be easily discouraged in your fight against allergens!
Sometimes it may take weeks or months of sustained effort to reduce allergen concentrations in your home. This is especially true for the animal allergens which form a very fine powder that can penetrate deeply into your carpets and soft furnishings. So if you don’t see immediate results don’t be discouraged into thinking that the measures you are taking are not effective!
It is not only allergens that need to be avoided.
Allergens are not the only factors that can trigger allergy flare-ups. Non-allergic triggers such as cigarette smoke, sudden changes of temperature, strenuous exercise or emotional stress can all prompt an attack. Therefore you must pay as much attention to them as you pay to the allergens.