myth about allergies

Effective treatments are available, there are currently no cures for asthma or allergies. The closest thing to a cure for allergy is immunotherapy (desensitisation), which is effective for treating some allergies like allergic rhinitis (hay fever), asthma and stinging insect allergy, but not currently for treating food allergies. With appropriate diagnosis and management, however, most asthma and allergy sufferers will lead normal, active lives with little disturbance to their quality of life.

Allergies and Asthma affect 1:5 people. Numerically this is more than heart disease, diabetes, and cancer combined (see www.aafa.org for alarming statistics on the growing direct and indirect costs of asthma and allergies). If left untreated, allergies can lead to impaired quality of life, including sleep disturbances and missed days of school or work.

Inhaled mediations, including corticosteriods, have been studied extensively for over 50 years and are a proven safe and effective means to treat asthma. It actually may be more dangerous to stop medications without discussing alternative options with your physician. With the regular use of the office spirometer and newer tests such as exhaled nitric oxide, we can tailor medication regimens to provide the lowest dose while maintaining normal pulmonary functions.

Allergies are a serious problem and should be treated effectively. If left untreated, allergies can lead to impaired quality of life, including sleep and learning ability, as well as missed school and work days. Untreated allergies can also result in chronic respiratory problems, such as asthma and sinusitis, or dermatologic disorders, such as eczema and urticaria (hives). Some allergies, such as food allergies, drug allergies, or insect allergies, can even lead to a life threatening reaction called anaphylaxis.