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What is an Allergy?
An Allergy is a hypersensitivity of the body’s immune system to some substances, which are easily accepted by most of the population. The substances that cause allergies are called allergens, and the reaction shown by the immune system, allergy.
While your immune system defends you from pathogens like harmful bacteria or viruses, if you are allergic to something, your immune system identifies the literally harmless substance as harmful to your body.
Examples of such allergens are certain foods, dust, pollen, or animal dander.
Common Types of Allergies
Types of allergies depend on the allergen, or the substances that cause allergies.
Based on the allergens, allergy can be classified into:
Food Allergies
Since it is totally unpredictable which object will be foreseen as an allergen by the immune system, it is not possible to say the specific reason to term a food as an allergen.
However, based on the common symptoms, here are the major food elements that cause allergies:
- Shellfish like prawns or crabs.
- Eggs and milk (especially in children).
- Nuts of different types.
- Brinjals or seed-based vegetables.
Respiratory Allergies
The smell of certain flowers (mainly the pollen) and dust can cause respiratory allergies, where immunity system affects the lungs of the patient.
Pollution-induced dust is the most common type of allergen. This type of allergy never gets better throughout life, and hence, it can be seen in both children and adults.
Skin Allergies
Skin allergens include several types of inducers. Among them, the most common allergens are:
Chemicals: Patients can face such issues when they come in contact with some soaps, face washes, shampoos, or any other chemical compounds.
Latex: Many patients face allergies due to latex, found in gloves, some medical devices, or balloons.
Metals: Jewelry metals can cause allergies to some patients. Among the most seen metals, nickel is one of the most common ones, while many others are infected to other jewelry metals too.
Plant extracts: Some patients are also allergic to a few plant extracts, like urushiol. Other examples are there too, but urushiol is very common.
Drug Allergies
Drug allergies are common, and there is no particular pattern in such allergies. This means that anybody can be allergic to any of the drugs.
Still, some widely found allergens are:
Antibiotics: Mostly penicillin types and medicines containing sulfa.
Tropical creams: Almost everyone is allergic to one or more tropical creams.
NSAIDs: Allergy to aspirin is very common. Ibuprofen or naproxen is also an allergen to some patients.
Other common names: Chemotherapy drugs and anti-seizure medicines.
Insect Sting Allergies
Allergies to insect bites are also very common. Children are allergic mostly to mosquito bites or bites from local insects. While allergic to bees, ants, or hornets is common in both children and adults.
Causes of Allergies
The major cause of allergies is the body’s immune system. The immune system mainly identifies harmful bacteria and viruses and reacts to them to protect your body.
However, it abnormally identifies some non-bacterial foreign substances as allergens.
As it identifies them as harmful objects, it produces immunoglobulin E (IgE), and that attach with the mast cells to produce histamines. These histamines cause symptoms, which are often called an allergy.
Symptoms of Allergies
The common symptoms of allergies are:
Skin issues: Hives or skin swelling, itchy welts, skin patches, redness, and inflammation on the skin. You can prevent these allergies with Flucort Skin Lotion.
Respiratory issues: Shortness of breath, frequent sneezing, and watery red eyes.
Digestive issues: Swelling of the tongue, lips, and throat, abdominal pain, and vomiting.
Severe issues: Confusion and chest pain are acute symptoms that need a doctor’s consultation.
Treatment Options for Allergies
Among the options of treatment, here are the most commonly used and referred methods:
Medications
There are three types of WHO and FDA-certified medications:
- Antihistamines
- Corticosteroids
- Decongestants
However, in some cases, Epinephrine and leukotriene inhibitors are also referred to by the doctors.
Immunotherapy
Subcutaneous therapy, called SCIT, and Sublingual therapy, placed under the tongue, are referred to by the doctors to desensitize the immune system.
Avoidance of Allergens
Identifying the allergens and staying away from them by all means is the method of treatment.
If it is a food or a metal, staying away from them is easier. But when it is pollution or dust, then avoiding becomes tougher, although you can use masks.
Home Remedies
Spicy foods containing pepper, ginger, and chilli can help in the treatment of allergies at home. Aromatic oils like eucalyptus oil help with the purpose too.
Staying hydrated also helps in thinning the mucus in the nasal channel and reduces the symptoms. You can use Arzep Nasal Spray to avoid these symptoms.
How long can allergies last?
Regarding how long allergies last, it depends on the type of allergy you are struggling with.
Here is a brief guide for knowing how long it will last:
Allergy due to food: Hives sometime lasts for 14 to 48 hours.
Allergy due to an insect bite: Depending on the wound, allergic reactions can remain for days or a week.
Anaphylaxis: In these cases, after stabilizing treatment, allergy can last for up to 72 hours.
Pollen Allergy: It can remain for months. Normal reporting suggests 3 months lasting.
Dermatitis: It can last till 10 days, though in most cases, patients stop showing symptoms from the 2nd day.
How Doctors Diagnose Allergies
There are two things in the diagnosis process:
Confirmation of allergy: The doctor will do skin testing, identifying the symptoms, patch testing, or sometimes blood testing to confirm the symptoms as allergic.
Finding the source of allergy: The doctor will question different things, past experiences, and identify the substance that is acting as an allergen.
What can I do about allergies?
Avoid triggers: Identify the triggers and avoid them. Take the help of your doctor.
Use Drugs: Keep Corticosteroids, antihistamines, and nasal drops handy at your house and use them when needed. If possible, consult your doctor over the phone before using the drugs.
Immunotherapy: After the instant recovery, plan for immunotherapy and rebuild your immune system to avoid further allergies.
Can allergies be prevented?
Yes, you can take some preventive measures for allergies, such as:
Food to take: Take spicy foods with pepper, chilli, and ginger.
Drink more water: Drinking more water helps dilute the mucus in the nasal channel, helping reduce the symptoms of allergic issues in respiration.
Using Masks: Use masks if you are allergic to pollen, dust, or pollution.
Avoid Allergens: Avoid the substances that are known as allergens to you, like pollen, foods, medicines, creams or chemicals, and animal dander.
Use Aromatic Oils: Eucalyptus and peppermint oil can be very helpful for fighting allergies.
Do allergies get worse with age?
Yes, allergies get worse with age. You might develop new sets of allergens. If you are facing a situation that is becoming too harsh for you, undergo immunotherapy to revitalize your immune system.
Conclusion
Allergies are common in almost all humans, regardless of their age and gender. This is an abnormal behavior of your immune system, and hence, you cannot do anything unless there is a trigger.
However, when you face a trigger, you can undergo several methods to get relief, apply several protective ways to stop further triggers, and also go for an immunity revision therapy to bring yourself out of the hazard.