Allergy is when your immune system reacts excessively beyond normal to an allergen which causes you to have symptoms. Around 50 million people are affected by allergies in America. A serious allergic reaction is called anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis is a potentially life-threatening condition. There are few types of allergies such as food allergies, skin allergies, dust allergies, insect sting allergy, pet allergy, eye allergy, drug allergy, latex allergy, mould allergy, allergic rhinitis, cockroach allergy, and sinus infection. Ask Questions by DoctoronCall to help you understand more about allergy and anaphylaxis.
Around 6% of children and 4% of adults have food allergies according to the CDC. Although you have eaten food for years without any problem, you can develop allergy reactions towards that food. The immune system is supposed to protect us from harm, but in food allergy, the immune system detects certain food as a threat to the body and starts reacting unnecessarily. The following foods are responsible for almost 90% of food allergies:
- Eggs
- Milk
- Peanuts
- Fish
- Wheat
- Soy
The symptoms for food allergies are:
- Stomach pain
- Hives
- Vomiting
- Cough
- Wheezing
- Difficulty in swallowing
- Swollen tongue
- Pale or bluish skin
- Dizziness
Most of the symptoms occur around 2 hours after particular food ingestion. Sometimes in children, the reaction can be delayed. Food which commonly triggers an allergic reaction in adults are:
- Fruits and vegetables
- Peanuts
- Fish
- Shellfish
Diagnosis of food allergy is made following history taking, physical examination, and investigations. Investigation to confirm a diagnosis of food allergy is a skin-prick test and blood tests. The main way to deal with a food allergy is to prevent it. Stop consuming food that can trigger your allergies. Always check the ingredients of any products you gonna buy like food, drinks, and skincare products.
There are a few types of skin allergies such as eczema, hives, and contact dermatitis. Eczema will cause you to have dry, red, and itchy skin in patches. Hives are when you have raised and red itchy bumps. Hives will turn white or pale when pressing at the centre of the lesion. Contact dermatitis is when you develop red and itchy bumps on the skin at the site of contact.
How to reduce skin itchiness or dealing with skin allergy is to avoid scratching, go for a shower immediately, shower frequently, and apply moisturizer. Skin lesions can be due to not only allergies but infections, dry skin, and damaged skin. See a doctor confirm the actual cause of your problem. Food allergies can cause you to have skin lesions or skin reactions.
Many of us have pets at home. Pets are cute, adorable, and loyal. They can even be our best friend or one of our family members. Pet allergy is something that can stop us from having a pet. Symptoms of pet allergies are:
- Facial pain
- Sneezing
- Runny nose
- Watery and itchy eyes
- Cough
- Skin rash
Things you can do if you have a pet allergy are:
- Limit exposure
- Use an antihistamine, bronchodilators, and nasal sprays whenever needed
- Take immunotherapy shots
Anaphylaxis is a whole-body abnormal reaction towards allergens that causes breathing difficulties, a drop in blood pressure and abnormal heart rate. If you have any type of allergy, make sure you are always compliance to medical check-up and follow-up. The two most important thing to do is to avoid allergens and to keep EpiPen (adrenaline auto-injector) to save your life if you develop anaphylaxis. Ask Questions by DoctoronCall to help you understand more about the strategies to deal with allergy and anaphylaxis.
