Has this ever happened to you: You love eating peanuts, but recently you feel an itchy rash when you do as much as sniff at a can of Burger nuts? You love daffodils, but the last time you picked them you had a sneezing fit? You love perfumes, but the last bottle you purchased almost choked you when you inhaled it? These exaggerated responses are called allergies.
Amara Nicole Okolo gives insights into the causes, symptoms, risks and remedies to prevent allergies from reoccurring frequently.
Description: An allergy is the exaggerated response given to certain foreign substances that invade the immune system. In non- allergic individuals these ‘foreign substances’ are harmless, but in allergic individuals they are regarded as harmful by the body and automatically trigger off the immune system to guard the body against it. That trigger is what is known as an allergy.
The immune system produces antibodies which are designed to withstand and neutralize certain parasites that can invade a person’s immune system, and also help protect against exposures to these substances in the future. Genetics play a strong role in allergies; allergic parents are 90% likely to have allergic children.
Causes: Allergic responses are caused by an ‘allergen’, and they vary in forms. Common allergens are dust, pollen, molds, foods, certain plants, animal dander, insects and some medications. Some allergies are biological, such as asthma. Once antibodies form in a person’s body in response to these allergens, an allergic reaction will occur whenever the person comes in contact with allergens.
These reactions range from itching, sneezing, inflammation of the airways, allergic rhinitis, wheezing and in rare cases, anaphylaxis shock and death. The most common food allergies are nuts, certain preservatives, fish, soy and wheat (gluten). It should be noted that lactose-intolerance is not a form of allergy, although it is usually mistaken for one.
Risks: Some allergies, such as asthma, can be life-threatening if medical care is not administered. Food allergy can also be dangerous as they could lead to cramps and/or diarrhea, while allergic reactions to insect bites such as bee sting venom can cause swelling of the larynx and throat which can cause choking, hives, asthmatic spasm in the lungs and a sudden drop in blood pressure.
Treatment: Diagnosing and treatment of allergies is done by an allergist, a doctor trained to understand immune responses. Allergists perform skin tests to determine the precise diagnosis to give the patient, and to prescribe medication to quell symptoms.
Such tests vary from skin to blood tests; although skin tests are mostly common, efficient and less expensive for allergy diagnosis. Medications such as anti-histamines are also recommended to abate allergic symptoms.
Precautions: The first step towards safeguarding your health is identifying the various allergens in your environment that trigger your allergies. This may be hard to identify on your own, so it may be advisable to visit an allergist in order to conduct a skin test to determine the specific allergen that triggers the response.
If you are aware of these allergens, then quell symptoms by avoiding the foods, pets or dust that trigger the response or protecting your airways and be vigilant against common colds if you have dust allergies. If you are asthmatic, a physician can prescribe special medical care such as inhalers. If you are allergic to medication like penicillin, always let the pharmacist aware of this before buying drugs from the drugstore.
These little steps can go a long way in protecting you and your loved ones and to ensure you live a normal, healthy and happy life!
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