Fifty-million Americans suffer from some type of allergy; roughly 15 percent of the current population of the United States.Dr. Daniel Soteres, M.D., M.P.H., a board-certified allergy and immunology physician at Asthma and Allergy Associates and Research Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, provided those statistics; and said allergies can develop at any age with heredity possibly playing a role.ìIf one parent has allergies, thereís a 48 percent chance their children will be affected by allergies. If both parents have allergies, thereís a 70 percent chance their children will, too,î said Soteres, who is also a member of the Colorado Allergy & Asthma Society.The National Integrated Health Associates website defines allergies as ìan exaggerated reaction of the immune system to a substance that would not normally cause a reaction in most individuals.îIn allergy sufferers, ìThe immune system perceives a particular substance Ö as a threat and triggers the release of histamine, causing an allergic symptom.îAllergic rhinitis ñ- more commonly known as hay fever ñ- is the most common allergic disease in the United States, Soteres said.It affects nearly 40 million people in the U.S., including 20 percent of adults and 40 percent of children, he said, adding that it is most prevalent in children because that is the age it peaks.ìIn 80 percent of cases, symptoms develop before age 20,î Soteres said. But, he said, ìChildren need to be exposed for two to three seasons before you can start testing for allergies.îSoteres said other types of pollen allergies include weed and grass pollens, which can affect people during the spring, summer and fall months. Perennial allergens ó like house dust that might contain pet dander; mold and fungal spores; fabric fibers; bits of insects or dust mites (which are not common in Colorado) ó can affect people year-round.PollenLibrary.com provides a comprehensive list of Coloradoís known allergens, including El Paso County. More than 400 severe allergens and more than 120 moderate allergens have been identified for all four seasons in the county.Untreated, allergic rhinitis can negatively affect attention and reaction times, cognitive functions, sleep, productivity, mood, motivation and energy level, Soteres said.There are several ways to treat, manage and even eliminate allergies.ìOnce someone develops allergies, you can give them shots to train the body to fight the allergens,î Soteres said. ìAfter three years of these shots, you can stop the treatment and maintain the benefits.îAllergy sufferers can also utilize salt water nasal rinses, antihistamines or immunotherapy to relieve, treat and/or manage their symptoms, he said.The National Integrated Health Associates takes a ìholistic integrative medical approach to allergy testing and treatment,î according to its website. The group ìutilizes a dualî approach by addressing both the ìimmune system response and the autonomic nervous system response to the allergen.îThe organization uses needle-free allergy testing to identify allergens and determine an individualís formula for the allergy serums. The serums ìcause the immune system to build up blocking antibodies that turn off the allergic response, and can even eliminate the allergy.îWhile the NIHA states its holistic integrative approach to allergy treatment is sufficient, there could be an ìunderlying disturbanceî that causes the body to overreact. The NIHA will then identify the root cause by looking at ìsources of toxicity.î The next step is treating the issues that contribute to the allergic reactions.Soteres said, although allergy tests are helpful, self-diagnosis is important.ìI tell parents, colleagues and my kids: ëYou donít have to check your common sense at the door. If you have itchy or watery eyes, runny nose and/or congestion, those are some common signs of allergies,íî he said. ìTons of people self-diagnose, and I think thatís perfectly reasonable in this case.îFor more information on the NIHA, visit http://nihadc.com.For more information on the Colorado Allergy and Asthma Society, visit http://coloradoallergyasthmasociety.org.
