Allergy Prevention

Allergy symptoms range from irritating rashes and streaming eyes to potentially life-threatening anaphylaxis. If you have an allergy, talk to Nana Mireku, MD, FACAAI, FAAAAI, of Texas AllergyMD in McKinney, Texas, about allergy prevention. Dr. Mireku offers accurate testing to determine the cause of your allergies, then prepares a personalized allergy prevention plan. If you’d like to reduce the frequency and severity of your allergic reactions, call Texas AllergyMD today. You can also book your telehealth or in-person appointment online.

What is allergy prevention?

Allergy prevention helps you avoid the unpleasant symptoms of an allergic reaction. These symptoms vary depending on what you’re allergic to but could include:

• Itchiness
• Hives or a rash
• Trouble breathing
• Excessive sneezing
• Nausea and vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Abdominal pain and cramping
• A swollen tongue
• Difficulty swallowing
• Runny nose
• Red, watery eyes
• Scratchy throat
• Coughing
• Nasal congestion

These symptoms arise when you come in contact with an allergen; a substance your immune system mistakenly sees as a threat. You could develop an allergy to anything, but the most common triggers are certain foods, like peanuts and shellfish, insect venom, dust, pollen, pet dander, latex, mold, and medications like penicillin.

Some allergies, especially food-related ones, can cause an extreme reaction called anaphylaxis, which could lead to loss of consciousness and possibly death. By following the allergy prevention plan Dr. Mireku designs, you can avoid experiencing these distressing and dangerous allergic reactions.

What does allergy prevention involve?

Allergy prevention focuses on avoiding contact with the substances (allergens) that cause your allergic reactions. To achieve this, you need to know what your allergens are. Dr. Mireku can perform in-depth allergy testing to confirm which substances affect you.

Testing is important because even if you know one or two of your allergens, you might be unaware of all of them. For example, you might know you have seasonal allergies (hay fever) triggered by pollen but be unaware that dust also produces an allergic reaction.

What might be in my allergy prevention plan?

Avoiding contact with allergens is the best way to prevent an allergic reaction. If you have a food allergy, you must avoid eating anything that contains the substance you’re allergic to. Read the label on anything you buy, as it’s surprising how often allergens are present in pre-packaged foods when you wouldn’t expect them to be.

Some allergens are easier to avoid than others. For example, if you have a penicillin allergy, you just ask for a different antibiotic should you need treatment for an infection. However, trying to avoid pollen, which is all around you, can be more of a challenge.

Dr. Mireku can give you tips that help you avoid your allergens or reduce your exposure to them, such as using a repellent to prevent insect bites and stings or wearing a face mask outside to avoid breathing in pollen.

Wearing a medical alert bracelet that lists your allergies can be invaluable in an emergency, and you should always carry your epinephrine injector in case of anaphylaxis.

For more help with allergy prevention, call Texas AllergyMD today or book an appointment online.