How can I find a solution for my chronic allergies?

Question

Hello doctor,

For the past 10 years, I have been suffering from an allergy. The doctors informed me that due to allergy there is an excess of histamine produced in my body. My allergic symptoms are nasal congestion, sneezing, anxiety, frequent throat infection, shortness of breath, and some kind of discomfort. I have been having these symptoms for the past 10 years. The doctors said it is due to not maintaining hygiene and low immunity. I am making lifestyle changes and doing yoga to get rid of allergies. But three to four days a month, I need to do presentations in my office, and due to the allergy, the quality of my work goes down.

Presently, I am using some herbal medicines, that is, turmeric for the reduction of histamine, and it works a little and reduces a few symptoms. I am requesting you to provide me a tablet for the reduction of excess histamine in the body or medicine to prevent the production of histamine in the body. If the histamine level is normal in my body, I can experience calmness and happiness. But if histamine levels are increased due to allergy, I feel some kind of discomfort. So to avoid discomfort, ask for medicine to reduce histamine levels. Please help.

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I can understand your concerns.

Having allergies can cause a lot of discomfort in life, affect the quality of life, and result in anxiety and depression eventually. But, you need not worry. We have solutions for allergies.

First, let us understand how allergy occurs. Allergy is due to the hypersensitivity of your body to certain proteins present in the atmosphere, which normally do not harm other people. In your case, there is nasal hyper-reactivity. Hence the symptoms of nasal allergy, sneezing, running nose, nasal congestion, etc. The hyper-reactivity causes excessive production of inflammatory mediators and secretions, which trickle down the throat and cause throat irritation and eventually throat infection.
Allergy is genetic, which means it is inherited. But with careful avoidance and appropriate treatment, allergy can be kept to a bare minimum with little or no effect on the quality of life of the individual. In your case, you must try every means to avoid the allergy. More importantly, we must diagnose the substances or proteins that you are allergic to. This can be done via two methods.
The allergic skin prick test, which involves placing a drop of allergen on your skin and pricking it with a small minute needle, is the gold standard for the diagnosis of specific allergies.
Comprehensive allergy profile by an ImmunoCAP (capture) method, which is a blood test. It involves withdrawal of an adequate blood sample like any blood test and checking of allergens in that sample. The second one requires only one prick and produces less discomfort to the patient.
Once we know the offending allergens, we can give you specific advice on how to avoid these allergens and what seasons these are more prevalent. In that way, your exacerbations of allergy will come to a minimum. If, however, you are unable to avoid these substances, then you may undergo immunotherapy. It is like vaccination and gives excellent results and an almost permanent cure from allergy.
Till we diagnose and institute the above, the only way you can prevent allergy is to take antihistamines and leukotriene antagonists, namely Fexofenadine 120 mg or Levocetirizine 5 mg with Montelukast 10 mg. The brand names of these drugs are, Montair-Fx, Allegra-M, Levocet-M, FM 24, etc.
Additionally, I suggest you may take Flomist nasal spray (Fluticasone) or Metaspray nasal spray (Mometasone), to prevent local inflammation inside the nasal cavities. Avoidance of allergens is of prime importance. You should make a note of instances and occurrences of allergy so that you know what causes the allergy, what time it is worse, and which substances and locations you get the symptoms from more than others, and accordingly avoid these areas. You may use masks to prevent entry of air into your nose and thereby lungs.
Nasal allergy in some patients can lead to asthma, which is a corollary but occurs mainly in the lower respiratory passages. Asthma is more discomforting to the patient and requires medicines in the form of inhalers, etc.

Regarding the benefit of turmeric and other herbal medicines, I am not sure; they are not scientific. But if you are feeling improvement with those, you may continue those. Do revert for any further help. If you have done any blood investigations or tests, kindly attach those in your next query.

I hope this helps.

Please revert so I can assist you further.

Thank you.

Answer 2

Hello,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

Good to know that you are having improvement with these medicines. The blood test is called comprehensive allergy profile (it measures allergen-specific IgE). It is just a single test that gives reports for all allergens being tested. I must however tell you that skin prick testing is the gold standard for allergy testing. However, the most important thing is, when you are taking allergy medications the test will come negative. You must stop allergy tablets one week prior to the test for them to show correct values.

Do let us know the progress.

Thank you.