Your immune system protects your body from getting sick. It identifies harmful viruses or germs and creates antibodies to fight off the invader, keeping you healthy. Allergies develop when your immune system reacts to a substance that isn’t generally harmful.
If your body identifies an allergen, it creates antibodies to fight it even though it doesn’t cause a reaction in most people. You can breathe, touch, or eat an allergen, and your body may react with inflammation in your breathing passages, sinuses, digestive system, or skin.
Allergic reactions range in severity. Some people might experience a mild runny nose, while others experience a severe life-threatening reaction called anaphylaxis. There’s no cure for allergies, but there are methods for treating them to help you stay as healthy as possible.
At SoCal Regenerative Medical Clinics located in Anaheim and West Covina, California, we take a holistic approach to allergy care. There are plenty of medications available to treat allergies, but they don’t work for everyone. In addition, we offer a variety of homeopathic allergy treatments to help you get your allergies under control.
Regardless of how severe your allergy symptoms, finding a treatment plan that works for you is very important. Unmanaged allergies can cause serious health conditions over time. Today, we’re discussing five complications that can arise from untreated allergies.
1. Chronic fatigue
Allergies interfere with sleep. Congestion, sneezing, and coughing can keep you awake at night. But even if you aren’t having trouble falling asleep or staying asleep with allergies, your immune response impacts your ability to get a good night’s rest.
Your body’s response to an allergen also causes the release of chemicals that make you feel tired. These chemicals can cause increased nasal swelling, which makes allergy symptoms worse. Ongoing poor sleep and chronic nasal congestion can leave your brain feeling foggy.
2. Autoimmune diseases
Allergies develop when your body has an extreme response to an external trigger. Autoimmune conditions happen when your immune system turns on your body. Because both conditions involve your immune system reacting to abnormal triggers, the two are closely linked.
People with allergies may be more likely to have an autoimmune disease like celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, lupus, and asthma.
3. Poor liver function
Your liver is responsible for cleaning toxins from your blood. Allergies make your liver work harder and make it less effective at doing its job. As a result, toxins can build up and overstimulate your immune system.
When your immune system is overstimulated, it produces more inflammatory chemicals that can worsen allergy symptoms like hives and itchiness.
4. Poor kidney function
Like your liver, your kidneys filter and cleanse the blood in your body. Extra toxins in the blood may not be eliminated effectively in people with ongoing allergies.
An autoimmune disease called vasculitis causes inflammation in blood vessels and can lead to serious kidney damage. When allergies are managed, inflammation throughout the body decreases. This helps your kidneys function properly and may reduce your risk of developing an autoimmune condition.
5. Arthritis
Arthritis is a condition affecting the joints of the body. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune condition that develops when joints suffer chronic inflammation, and it’s a common complication of untreated allergies.
With rheumatoid arthritis, tissues around joints get inflamed. Joints become stiff and sore, making maintaining an active lifestyle challenging.
Effectively managing your allergies helps limit your body’s extreme response to allergens. When allergies are under control, your body can function at its best. Contact us today to learn more about our allergy treatment options and book your appointment.
