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Cow's milk or dairy allergy is a very important thing to know, because it is commonly consumed. Some of the symptoms can occur right away within seconds to minutes, which could be the skin. The skin is an early warning signs. Itchiness, again abdominal symptoms, nausea, gas, abdominal pains, respiratory symptoms, even sneezing or nasal congestion can be associated with a food allergy to [xx] many of my patients are already thinking they may be sensitive to milk, they are already eliminating [xx] from their diet one, do a body check after having milk you are having abdominal symptoms gas, skin symptoms itchiness, take a look at your skin, do you have Heiser[sp?] redness that may indicate an allergic reaction is occurring. 

Day two: Think about hidden sources of milk. They may be in cows' milk or other products such as yogurt, dairy, ice cream, cheese sticks and later on you may have some symptoms, could occur within a few minutes, that can last up to a couple of hours. Day three hidden sources, be a label detective, learn how to decode labels. 

A can of tuna fish may have casein which is a milk protein, hot dog, sausages, even cosmetics may contain cows milk protein. Do your homework, when it says may contain, take it seriously. I've had many patients in my practice who had severe reactions to products or foods when it says may contain, and they plainly ignored it. 

Again it's about being proactive, educated and being prepared. Day four, let's put it all together, if you suspect you have a food allergy to cow's milk and cow's milk products, get tested, see an allergist, for state of the art in office, simple reliable skin test, blood test, and components test which is a new way to look at risk for potential for cosmo protein allergy. 

Again food allergies are here, do your homework, have an allergy action plan. One confirm the diagnosis. Two, educate yourself. Be aware of your environment and read labels and finally be prepared in case you do have an allergic reaction. 
  

How Can I Know If I Have a Dairy Allergy?

Staying in the groove of an exercise routine can be challenging enough. Add seasonal allergies into the mix and between the runny nose, watery eyes, congestion, sneezing fits, fatigue and other annoying symptoms, it can be hard to be motivated to workout, especially outside.&nbsp;

According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI), pollen is one of the most common&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/living-with-and-managing-allergies/article/ways-making-seasonal-allergies-worse">seasonal allergy triggers</a>&mdash;but you don&#39;t have to let allergies take control of your workout plans.&nbsp;

We caught up with allergist and immunologist Mark&nbsp;Schecker, MD, of Grand Strand Medical Center in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, for ways to&nbsp;exercise with allergies and keep your fitness goals on-track during the sneezing season.&nbsp;

1. Use outdoor exercise to help control symptoms.&nbsp; 
Although you can&#39;t exercise away your allergies,&nbsp;exercise&nbsp;helps&nbsp;allergies&#39;&nbsp;symptoms&nbsp;stay&nbsp;at bay. &quot;Some people find that once they start working out they might feel a little bit better,&rdquo; says Dr.&nbsp;Schecker. &ldquo;That has to do with shifting in chemical mediators and hormones that are secreted as a result of exercise,&quot; says&nbsp;Schecker. End result? Your symptoms may temporarily subside.&nbsp;

2. Time your workout right.&nbsp; 
Pollen count varies during the seasons and time of day. &quot;As a general rule, we try to advise people if they&#39;re going to be exercising to avoid the times of the day and the times of the season&nbsp;when the pollen counts are highest,&rdquo; says&nbsp;Schecker. He says that most pollens tend to be highest in the early morning hours and lower later in the afternoon. The ACAAI warns that windy and warm days can bring about a surge in pollen counts, so check your local pollen count each day before heading outside.&nbsp;

3. Keep your peepers protected.&nbsp; 
If you feel good enough to exercise outside, great&mdash;but don&rsquo;t give pollen a chance to trigger symptoms. &quot;Anything you can do to cover the surfaces or areas where the pollen is going to be entering the body is going to be a help,&quot; says&nbsp;Schecker. Sunglasses can help protect and keep pollen out of the eyes. Depending on how hot or cold it is, cover your nose or mouth. Some say that breathing in through your nose instead of your mouth is effective, since the nose acts as a filter. But does it work? &ldquo;If you&#39;re bringing pollen into your nose and you&#39;re somebody who has seasonal nasal allergies, I don&#39;t see how that&#39;s going to benefit you,&rdquo;&nbsp;Schecker&nbsp;says.&nbsp;

4. Try OTC medicine to ease symptoms.&nbsp; 
While symptoms are a pain,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/allergy/article/6-ways-to-beat-spring-allergies">they can usually be managed</a>. &quot;For seasonal allergies, usually antihistamines or nasal steroid sprays are the most effective,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;We usually prefer the newer generation antihistamines over the older ones. They don&#39;t make you drowsy and dry you out.&rdquo; If you still have problems with&nbsp;exercise and allergies,&nbsp;Schecker&nbsp;recommends getting an allergy evaluation. &ldquo;There are many things people can do that will allow them to return to their exercising,&rdquo; he says.&nbsp;

5. Exercise indoors when pollen levels are sky high. &nbsp; 
If the only time you can exercise on a given day is when pollen count is high or you just don&rsquo;t want the added aggravation, head for an air-conditioned gym. According to&nbsp;Schecker, air conditioning does a pretty good job at filtering out pollen. If you can&rsquo;t make it to a gym, an <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/types-of-exercise-programs/slideshow/working-out-at-home-without-equipment">at-home workout</a> (especially if the AC is on) will do the trick, too. &nbsp;

Don't Let Pollen Ruin Your Workout

Watch out&nbsp;for these unexpected causes of allergy flare-ups.

5 Surprising Allergy Triggers

You&#39;ve noticed, lately, every time you go to your uncle&#39;s house, you have problems breathing. Your chest becomes tighter, and you begin coughing or wheezing. Last time, you had a full-on asthma attack. You&#39;re convinced you have an allergy, but aren&#39;t sure exactly what&#39;s triggering your issues. You know, though, you&#39;re finally ready to get help.

It&#39;s estimated at least 50 million Americans have allergies, or <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/allergy/slideshow/whats-causing-cold-weather-allergies">immune reactions to substances like pollen, dust, pets and food</a>. They can start at any age and may change over time, and physical <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/allergy/article/what-need-know-deadly-allergic-reactions">reactions</a> vary from person to person. For you, cats may trigger allergic asthma attacks; someone else may get hives.

If your symptoms are severe or frequent, interfere with daily activities or make other problems like asthma hard to control, an allergist can devise a treatment plan to help you function from day to day. These special doctors are frequently covered by <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/health-insurance/article/make-sense-health-insurance-coverage">health insurance</a>, and often, they will be referred by your primary care physician.

What to expect from the first appointment 
For your first visit with an allergist, bring any applicable medical documentation. Let your doctor know if you&#39;re taking prescriptions or over-the-counter drugs, and how much they&#39;ve helped. Notes about symptoms and triggers can also be helpful.

During your appointment, your allergist will first take your personal medical history, a crucial part of diagnosis. They may ask some general health questions, and will focus on the details of your allergy attacks. You should discuss:

<ul>
	<li>Your symptoms, their duration and how severe they were</li>
	<li>Any triggers you may have observed</li>
	<li>Reactions that involved emergency care</li>
	<li>Your family&#39;s history of allergies</li>
	<li>Known allergies or past treatment for allergies</li>
</ul>

Then, the doctor will conduct a physical exam, checking areas of your body where allergies often manifest. These include your ears, nose, throat, eyes, lungs/chest and skin. If you&#39;ve had breathing problems, you may receive a pulmonary function test or lung x-ray, as well.

Once your allergist is finished, they&#39;ll determine whether or not you should be tested for allergies. This can happen at the first appointment, or in subsequent appointments.

Kinds of allergy tests 
Your diagnosis will depend on two things: A) your personal medical history, and B) your allergy test. <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/allergy/article/know-before-you-go-allergy-tests">Allergy tests</a> can help tell what you&#39;re allergic to, though perhaps not how badly allergic you are.

The two most common types of allergy tests are skin tests and blood tests. Skin tests are generally used first, as they&#39;re considered to be more sensitive and accurate. There are two kinds of skin tests.

<ul>
	<li>During a skin prick test, your doctor will prick a tiny amount of potential allergen (pet dander, mold, etc.) into the surface of your skin, usually on your arm or your back. If you&#39;re allergic, your skin may turn red and swell, or a hive-like bump may form.</li>
	<li>An intradermal test is much like a skin prick test, except allergens are injected deeper under the skin. It may be used when results from the skin prick test are uncertain.</li>
</ul>

If a skin test isn&#39;t feasible&mdash;say, you&#39;re taking certain medication or you have a skin condition&mdash;you may receive a blood test. Your doctor will take a blood sample and send it to a lab for analysis.

Based on your history and the results of your allergy test, your allergist will prescribe a course of treatment. It will likely begin with strategies to avoid allergens, like cleaning your home of pet dander or mold, and may also involve medication. Immunotherapy (allergy shots) isn&#39;t usually prescribed during the first visit, though it may eventually be, depending on your allergy.

Questions to ask and what to leave with 
Before ending your first visit with an allergist, make sure you have answers to the following:

<ul>
	<li>What am I allergic to?</li>
	<li>What can I do myself to prevent allergic reactions?</li>
	<li>Do I need medication? How much, and what are its side effects?</li>
	<li>When should I see you again, how often should I visit and what is your availability?</li>
	<li>What should I do during an emergency allergic reaction?</li>
	<li>What can I expect from my allergy moving forward?</li>
</ul>

Your doctor may give you reading material or suggest websites for more information about your allergy. Make sure you read them, and reach out with questions&mdash;perhaps at your follow-up appointment.

Know Before You Go: The Allergist

Beat pollen, ragweed, mold and other allergens with these proven tips.