Have you been suffering from a sneeze or sniffle, wheeze or itch, hives or swelling or headaches? If so, then you could possibly be suffering from allergies.

If that is the case, you are not alone, especially as spring and summer come around. Pass the Kleenex!

Common allergies include hay fever, hives, and allergic headaches.

The process by which an allergic reaction occurs is quite complicated, but here is an abbreviated version of why your body reacts as it does.

An allergy develops when your body reacts to a substance in the air called an allergen.

The allergen combines with an allergic antibody in your body, a protein that you produce and release as a chemical mediator.

This causes an allergic reaction to occur. The allergy can occur in your skin, eyes, nose, sinuses or lung.

The specific allergic reaction is determined by the location of the affected tissue and its particular response to the chemical mediators.

If your allergy symptoms are mild, you might only need to be treated with antihistamines. If they are more serious, however, the various procedures might include a complete medical history, physical examination, skin test, lung function test, X-rays, blood tests, a change in diet and medication.

An allergist usually recommends one of three methods of treatment: avoiding the substance that causes the allergy, taking medications or putting you on a desensitization program.

The most common form of specific treatment is by hypo sensitization, especially in cases involving a respiratory allergy.

A small dose of the allergen, causing the reaction, is injected into your body. The injections cause your body to produce antibodies called "blocking antibodies," which then combine with the allergens.

This leaves fewer allergens to react with the regular allergic antibodies. The popular belief that most persons will outgrow an allergy is often misleading, since the allergy could persist for a long time or become worse.

Also, you might develop an allergy to something that you have been exposed to and have never been allergic to before.

To make an appointment at the Allergy and Immunization Clinic at University Health Services, call 814-863-2500.