Since the weather is changing, you might have a runny nose or are sneezing all day. Your eyes might be itching, making it difficult to keep them wide open and do your work. If that is the case, you probably contracted hay fever. The last thing you should do is to worry, as hay fever is quite common. You are not the only one sneezing away. This condition affects 30% of adults and up to 40% children. This is just the one type of allergy you may have to deal with in this weather.

However, you are likely to find relief from the allergy by consulting an allergist, rather than your primary physician.

What Is An Allergist?

An allergist, also referred as an immunologist, is a physician skilled in diagnosing, managing, preventing and treating allergies. Besides allergies, immunologists have the expertise and training to deal with all types of immunological disorders, including asthma and any immunodeficiency diseases passed down from your ancestors.

How Do Allergies Happen?

It is difficult to pinpoint why allergies affect exactly some of us and some do not. Your body may react to a substance differently than perhaps your loved ones. You might develop an allergy because of one small peanut while your friend could win a peanut eating competition without any adverse effects on at all.

You may be allergic to some particular food or medication or may simply be at risk of a particular allergy due to genetics. In addition, if you suffer from asthma, you are vulnerable to allergies. Allergies are likely to hit you during your childhood or early adulthood. However, you can develop allergies during any phase of life.

How Do Allergies Affect You?

Allergies attack people of all ages; they do not discriminate. For instance, if you are constantly wiping your teary eyes due to hay fever at the workplace, you might end up infecting your co-workers. Allergies not only affect your daily routine but also weaken your immunity system.

An invasion of allergies on your immune system may compel you to stay in bed for the whole day, doing nothing. Allergies are common and in rare cases may affect your organs, including sinuses and nasal passages, skin, and digestive system, to the extent that your life might be at risk.

You may counter mild seasonal allergies on your own, but for severe allergies, a visit to a qualified allergist is must.

Types of Allergies Allergists Treat

There are many different types of allergies. Allergists have the experience and expertise to diagnose the root case of your allergy. They find out what triggered your body to behave abnormally or which dangerous invader attacked your immunity. Weather is not the only factor causing an allergy, as you may be allergic to some medication, food or animals.

• Allergic rhinitis, commonly known as hay fever, may leave you with a runny nose and cause sneezing, itching and red-swollen eyes.
• Asthma patients are most likely to develop allergies. Difficulties with breathing can cause tightness of the chest. If you have asthma, your airways are narrower than normal, leading to wheezing.
• Sinusitis can be acute or chronic, depending on how long the condition affects you, causing inflammation of the sinuses.
• Anaphylaxis is a severe form of allergy developed as a reaction to a medication, some food or an insect sting. A person suffering from anaphylaxis may run out of breath, feel nausea, experience a drop in blood pressure, or even lose consciousness. The condition is potentially life threatening.

Bottom Line

Allergies are common but consulting an allergist can help you overcome them. Let us help you determine the triggers causing allergies and treat them effectively. Contact us today and schedule an appointment with the best allergist in NYC.