The report does not offer information about alternative treatments to allergies because no scientific data exists about their effectiveness, Rachelefesky says. But when patients ask if they want to use these treatments, Rachelefsky says patients can try them, but if they don't work should contact the doctor. While allergies or asthma rarely lead to death, Rachelefsky says, they clearly impair the quality of someone's life, in lost work, school and leisure time. An allergy or asthma sufferer can experience insomnia, always feel tired and frequently cough and sneeze. Some of the medications can make a person drowsy, unable to concentrate.
Allergens can enter the body through the skin, the nose or by the mouth in food.
The number of cases of allergies have been rising, increasing 75 percent from 1980 through 1994. People suffering from allergies often are prone to other disorders. For example, children with eczema usually develop hay fever. Asthma, a far more serious disease, results in wheezing and shortness of breath due to the narrowing of bronchial tubes. The academy plans to bring their report to HMOs and employers to show them how properly treating allergies and asthma can save them in insurance costs, Rachelefsky says.