An allergy is sensitivity to a certain substance which is typically tolerated by non-allergic people. The allergen is the specific protein substance that a person is allergic to. The presence on an allergen in the body causes a series of chemical reactions in the immune system which results in individual signs and symptoms of allergies. While the tendency to be allergic is inherited, the actual allergy is not inherited. Allergies are a disorder of the immune system and often occur to environmental substances known as allergens. Allergies typically cause eyes to itch, the nose to run, and can even cause hives to appear all over the body. Allergies are abnormal immune system reactions to things that are typically harmless to most people.
Alternative allergy treatments are nontraditional allergy therapies. Alternative medicine practices are used instead of standard medical treatments. Alternative medicine is distinct from complementary medicine which is meant to accompany but not replace standard medical practices. Alternative medical practices are generally not recognized by the medical community as standard or conventional medical approaches. Alternative medicine includes dietary supplements, herbal preparations, special teas, massage therapy, and spiritual healing. Alternative medical systems are built upon complete systems of theory and practice. These systems have evolved apart from the conventional medical approach used in the United States.
Many people turn to alternative treatments to get away from expensive prescription medications or to treat symptoms that have proved to be resistant to established medical treatments. Most medical experts tend to be skeptical of the claims made by proponents of alternative allergy treatments. Before any treatment or procedure is accepted as scientifically valid, it must undergo testing, clinical trials, and peer review. Alternative treatments generally have not met these standards and many rely on claims of success on the part of physicians and patients.
Most medical experts urge patients to avoid alternative therapies in the absence of scientific proof confirming the effectiveness and safety of these treatments. If a physician recommends an alternative treatment, the patient should get a second opinion from a board certified allergist or immunologist. Alternative allergy treatments include therapies that fall outside the boundaries of traditional allergy medicine. These treatments include homeopathy, acupuncture, herbs and dietary supplements, and hypnosis.
There are also more obscure treatments of alternative medicine available. Practitioners of alternative allergy treatments use these therapies to treat allergic rhinitis, food allergies, asthma, and other immune system disorders. Despite such skepticism, millions of people who suffer with allergies turn to alternative allergy treatments each year, sometimes on the recommendation of a physician. If a physician recommends an alternative treatment, the patient should seek a second opinion from an allergist. Alternative allergy treatments include hypnosis, acupuncture and acupressure, herbs and dietary supplements, and elimination diets. Most of the healthcare community urges patients to stay away from herbs and supplements and instead stay with proven prescription medications. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration cannot guarantee the claims made by a manufacturer who may say that a product actually contains the active compound needed to treat a condition.
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