What are allergies?
When your body responds to something typically safe, such as pollen, dust, or animal fur, you have an allergy. While the symptoms may not be severe for everyone, they might be very dangerous for others.
Causes of allergies
- Foods including peanuts, milk, and eggs (food allergies),
- tree and grass pollen,
- house dust mites,
- animal fur, especially from pets like cats and dogs
- insect stings, such as wasp and bee stings,
- specific medications
Check if it’s an allergy
- Coughing, wheezing, or shortness of breath
- a runny nose or sneezing
- ache or tightness around your cheekbones, eyes, or forehead
- diarrhoea
- feeling or being sick
- swollen eyes, lips, mouth,
- throat itchy skin or a raised rash (hives)
Treatments for allergies
- whenever possible, attempt to avoid the substance to which you are allergic
- Antihistamines, steroid pills, and steroid creams are examples of medications for moderate allergic reactions.
- For severe allergic responses, emergency medications called adrenaline auto-injectors, such as an EpiPen, are available.
- Desensitisation (immunotherapy) is used to treat severe allergic reactions. It entails progressively exposing you to the allergen over time so that your body becomes accustomed to it and does not react as strongly (this should only be done by a medical professional)
A management plan for managing your allergies will be provided to you by your specialist.
Conclusion
A reaction happens when a person comes into touch with an allergen to which they are sensitive. An antibody response is brought on when the allergen (for instance, pollen) enters the body. These cells react by releasing several chemicals, including histamine, when the allergen and antibodies come into contact. These compounds irritate and discomfort the surrounding tissues by causing oedema, inflammation, and itching.
Find out more about allergiesUk.
sources NHS