• What is an allergy?
• What are the risk factors and causes of allergy?
• How is allergy diagnosed or evaluated?
• What are the treatment and drugs used to treat allergy?
• Conclusion

Avoidance/Environmental control: Control measures can reduce exposure to dust mite allergens. Cases impermeable to dust mite allergens should be placed on all pillows, the mattress, and the box spring. Dust should be removed from the surface of these covers and the bed frame by vacuuming them weekly. Significant allergy relief can be achieved through environmental control.

Avoiding foods that have caused allergic reactions in the past is the best way to control food allergy.

Removing the pet from the home is the best means of reducing exposure to animal allergens.

Sealing cracks in the flooring and walls and removing sources of food and water by repairing leaky pipes, putting away food, and frequent cleaning can limit exposure to cockroach allergens. A regular extermination schedule is also recommended.

Smoking indoors should never be permitted. Passive exposure to environmental tobacco smoke has been shown to worsen asthma and increase nasal symptoms in patients with allergic nasal disease.

Frequent hand washing after outdoor play is suggested to avoid transferring pollens from the hands to the eyes and nose.

Pharmacologic management/Allergy medication: Antihistamines reduce the effects of an allergic reaction by blocking histamine, a chemical substance released by the body during an allergic reaction.

Decongestants reduce the nasal congestion and other symptoms associated with colds and allergies.

Bronchodilators open the airways. There are several classes of these drugs, which are used to treat asthma.

Omalizumab (brand name Xolair) was approved in 2003 as a new class of therapy, known as anti-IgE. The use of Omalizumab should be limited to those patients with moderate to severe persistent allergic asthma.

Allergen immunotherapy: Allergen immunotherapy is the process of administering gradually increasing doses of allergens to the patient. The purpose of allergen immunotherapy is to eliminate the patient's adverse response to allergens in his natural environment. When properly administered, allergen immunotherapy is capable not only of reducing or preventing symptoms, but of potentially altering the natural history of the disease by minimizing disease duration and preventing disease progression.