Allergies happen when your immune system overreacts to something that’s usually harmless. Your immune system is your body’s defense system. It protects you from germs like viruses and bacteria.

When you have an allergy, your immune system mistakes a trigger such as pollen, food, insect sting, or medicine for a threat. It releases chemicals, including histamine, to try to protect you. These chemicals cause allergy symptoms. Some reactions are mild. Others can be severe and need urgent care.

Allergy symptoms can include:

• Skin issues, including hives or swelling, eczema, and itching.
• Sinus issues, including sneezing, congestion, and a runny nose.
• Breathing issues, including coughing, wheezing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath.
• Digestive issues, including nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, or diarrhea.
• Anaphylaxis is a severe, body-wide reaction to an allergen. It can cause swelling that can close the throat and stop breathing. Symptoms often start and worsen quickly and require emergency medical care.

Respiratory issues frequently reported with allergies include:

• Allergic rhinitis: Airborne triggers can make your nose stuffy and your eyes itchy. Also called hay fever. 
• Chronic sinus infections: Allergies can irritate your sinuses. This can lead to long-lasting infections, pressure, and discomfort.
• Allergic asthma: Allergens can swell your airways, causing asthma symptoms.

Learning your allergy triggers helps you prevent reactions and manage symptoms. At Carilion, we test for allergies and create care plans to help you stay safe and healthy.

Allergies can come from many different triggers. They can be things you eat, medicines you take, or common environmental or seasonal triggers, like dust mites or pollen.

Common types of allergies include:

• Food allergies: Your body reacts to certain foods, causing hives, swelling, breathing trouble, or an upset stomach.
• Environmental allergies: Dust, mold, or pet dander can make you sneeze, cough, or have itchy eyes or skin. 
• Seasonal allergies: Pollen from trees, grasses, and weeds can cause a runny nose, congestion, and itchy eyes during certain times of year.
• Allergies to medicine: Some medicines can cause rashes, swelling, or serious reactions. Knowing your triggers helps prevent danger in the future.
• Venom (insect sting) allergies: A sting from an insect, like a bee or wasp, contains venom. These chemicals can trigger a serious, even life-threatening, allergic reaction in some people.

At Carilion, we use simple, safe tests and treatments to help you manage allergies. Our experts work with you to find triggers, control symptoms, and prevent reactions. We tailor your care plan to your needs and age. 

• Allergy testing: We use skin or blood tests to find out what triggers your allergic reactions. This helps your care team identify foods, medicines, or other factors that cause symptoms.
• Food or drug challenge: These tests give you small amounts of a suspected allergen to see if it causes a reaction. This test helps confirm what you’re allergic to in a controlled and safe environment.
• Allergy shots (allergen immunotherapy): This type of therapy uses shots to slowly expose you to allergens over time. This can reduce reactions and help you build long-term tolerance.
• Biologic injection therapy: These medicines target the immune system to reduce allergy, asthma, and eczema symptoms. We offer biologics when other treatments aren’t enough to control your symptoms.