If you think you have an allergy, do not hesitate to go to your doctor to get the most appropriate treatment. Do you know how to act against allergies? Allergies are the response of our immune system to what it considers a danger to our health.
The number of people with allergies increases every day, and although it is not known exactly why, it is believed that excessive hygiene or changes in the bacterial ecosystem of the body itself could be behind. In any case, it is important to know how to deal with allergies to avoid undesirable complications.
What are allergies?
Allergies are nothing more than a reaction of the immune system to a substance called an allergen. The same for most people does not include any danger but the body of an allergic person mistakenly identifies it as a danger to the body.
In response to the invader, the immune system secretes a series of substances to try to neutralize it, triggering typical allergy symptoms. Among those substances is histamine.
Allergies can appear for many reasons. There seems to be a genetic origin for some of them, but for most of them we still don’t know what causes them. Life in urban settings, exaggerated hygiene, and improved diagnosis … could be a mixture of factors.
Sometimes excessive exposure to an allergen can trigger that immune reaction. In other cases, it is the little usual exposure that causes this disproportionate reaction when we approach the problem substance. Knowing how to deal with allergies is key in each case.
Types of allergies
There are many types of allergies. Among the most common are allergies to:
- Dust
- Pollen / hay fever.
- Insect bites.
- Some medications, such as penicillin.
- Some foods, such as nuts, peanuts / peanuts, or shellfish.
There are less common but equally problematic allergies, such as allergies to the sun, wheat or alcohol.
Allergy symptoms
To know how to act against allergies it is important to know how to detect your symptoms. The symptoms of allergies can be many and very varied, depending on the type of allergy. The most common symptoms, which can range from mild to moderate, are stinging, redness of the skin, swelling, gastrointestinal problems, nasal congestion, and respiratory distress .
In extreme cases an allergic reaction can become anaphylaxis and endanger the person’s life. In this case the symptoms can include vomiting, moderate fever and even loss of consciousness. If anaphylaxis is present, it is imperative to seek medical help before anaphylactic shock occurs
How to act against allergies?
Reducing exposure to the allergen (the substance that causes the allergic reaction) is the best way to avoid them, but if this is not possible, pharmacological treatment with antihistamines is necessary to keep them at bay. In anaphylactic shock, epinephrine often needs to be administered.
Allergies cannot be cured but they can be treated effectively. If we notice that we have an allergy, it is best to go to the doctor to evaluate our case and do the necessary tests to determine what to do next.
