Friday, November 16, 2012

How to manage allergy

The last year of college was the worst moment for my allergy. I got rashes, runny nose and itchy eyes. Even the corner of my lips got affected, it got rough dark spot around it. (Gosh!) I even got the acne, cystic pimples that I couldn't understand since some are joined together and when it's popped, it got this slimy liquid with pus and blood in it. I couldn't believe I got the courage to show myself up at school with those bumps all around my body, I got no choice anyway unless I want myself to get failing grades. My self-esteem really got affected, I was not used to this kind of condition, I always had healthy skin until that flare up happened.

I'm not going to mention here all the things I went through to get rid of my allergy and be healthy again (I just wrote a very long post but deleted it, it was too long). Instead, I'll just mention all the things I've done to lessen my allergy. Here they are:

  • Avoid everything that flares up allergy.
    • I got myself a skin test with an allergologist thus I got to know the foods that is bad for me.
    • It was no wonder I got my allergy back, I kept consuming the food I'm not supposed to: chicken, carrots, iced tea, sea foods, crabs and so on.
    • I avoided all of them for nearly about one and a half year, just to get myself clean again.
  • Lessen stress and relax.
    • The reason why I started to flare up was that the last year of college really stressed me a lot, like totally! I was not sleeping enough because there were too many projects to manage. I was too serious with everything that I forgot to chill and relax.
    • Meditate and be happy and grateful of the things life got to offer. Stay away from people that stresses you and puts you down.
  • Have enough sleep.
    • When I was in senior year, I only had about 2 hours of sleep per day due to projects. I was always on my desk, my back was stressed, my body was deprived of sleep.
    • Sleep is important to have good immune system, healthy brain function, and emotional well-being. I can't believe I was depriving of this.
  • Have hormonal balance.
    • Stress and lack of sleep contribute to my hormonal imbalance. This was the reason why I started to have acne flare-up. Eat vegetables and fruits, take vitamins and de-stress every now and then.
    • I heard fish oil helps with hormonal imbalance and I tried it and it seems to be true. Take one fishoil softgel per day and see your health become okay. 
  • Eat healthy.
    • I was eating fastfood always, not to mention it was always chicken! Plus I kept drinking iced tea which was a big no-no (I only knew it was not good for me after having skin test, Woops!). I kept drinking iced tea like it was water to me. Yikes! Tsktsk. Add up all the other 'bad' foods in my diet: french fries, cheese sticks, junk foods and other fried foods.
    • It's better to have a skin test if you don't know what you are allergic to.
    • Eat fruits and vegetables. Drink water as much as possible. These will keep all toxins away.
  • Exercise!
    • I'm not really religious to this one, but there was this one time where I regularly exercise for around 2 weeks. It gave a glow to my skin, I have no itchiness, and I was fit! Blood was circulating healthily throughout my body. One should really not underestimate the benefits of exercise.
  • Take antihistamines when having flare-ups.
    • This somewhat fights off the histamines inside your body. Though this is not really a permanent treatment, it helps when you suddenly have flare-ups.
The tips above are tried and tested. Though the result can't be observed instantly, it can give off longer benefit. Your lifestyle is healthy, you won't worry about skin problems, you get to be happy! 

Now my allergy is managed finely. I can't say they are completely gone, but my flare-ups are not so grave anymore. I can finally eat some 'bad' foods without worrying about my skin, my immune system got back to its track. I have hypersensitive skin and body, but I can live with it happily. :)

The important thing is to relax and enjoy. Don't stress too much and never neglect your health. The reason why I had undergone serious allergy symptoms was because I neglected my health, so you shouldn't neglect yours. *wink*



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