Allergies are the worst. You feel miserable without the excuse of being ill. Except you are ill. Your body is over-reacting to something, causing symptoms that feel like a cold and can be just as disruptive to your life.
UF Health Central Emergency & Urgent Care is a fully equipped Emergency Room and Urgent Care staffed by ER-trained physicians and staff trained to treat conditions from seasonal allergies to asthma.
Call 911 or seek immediate medical assistance in cases of anaphylactic shock, which is an extreme reaction to an allergen. Anaphylactic shock is rare, and most individuals recover. However, it can be life-threatening.
You may experience:
If you have an EpiPen(R), use it and have someone call for immediate emergency medical assistance. Otherwise, emergency personnel may administer a shot of epinephrine to reverse the symptoms and transport you to the emergency room for further treatment.
Common triggers include:
Most of us have experienced seasonal allergies, popularly known as hay fever. During growing seasons, plants spread pollen through the air and, when breathed in, can be considered a threat by your body, triggering an allergic reaction.
Common symptoms:
Some plants, such as ragweed, mountain cedar, and sagebrush, are worse than others for causing allergies. Allergies are also caused by grass pollen and tree pollen, especially birch, cedar, and oak.
There are many over-the-counter (OTC) remedies for controlling allergies.
When treating children for allergies, always follow your pediatrician’s recommendation and the directions on the medication label.
You may not be able to prevent all allergic symptoms, but you can minimize them.
Some individuals recommend using a neti pot. If you choose to go this route, ONLY use distilled or sterilized water. NEVER use tap water.
Allergies and colds do tend to share the same symptoms. However, if you have a cold you are more likely to have the following symptoms, along with the stuffy nose and sneezing:
Also, a cold lasts about seven to ten days. If you have itchy, watery eyes or eczema (a type of rash), or your nasal symptoms last for weeks, it’s probably an allergy.
Occasionally, allergies can create conditions for bacterial infections to occur, including sinus infections, conjunctivitis, or bronchitis. See your primary healthcare provider or visit UF Health Central Emergency & Urgent Care for treatment.
Our Emergency & Urgent Care Centers are open 24/7 to treat allergies.