Allergies are hypersensitive immune responses to foreign substances like pollen, drug, food, etc. which happen when it enters into a human body or comes in contact with a human body. The elements which cause allergy are called allergens. Allergies are a very common health issue. The percentage of allergies is increasing daily, not only in the US, but also across the world. This kind of problem is mostly seen in children. A recent study shows that in the US, about 8% of children have food allergies.
Causes of allergies
When our immune system reacts with an allergen, it releases an antibody named immunoglobulin E (IgE) to destroy the allergen. For IgE, many chemicals are produced in our body, which causes allergic reactions.
Some common allergies that affect human beings are:
Pollen allergy: When pollen enters or comes in contact with a human body, it can trigger an allergic reaction. Breathing problem, skin problem, etc. are the symptoms of pollen allergy.
Drug allergy: An abnormal reaction caused by any particular medicine
Food allergy: A serious reaction in the immune system from a particular food substance
Animal allergy: Caused by any animal cell, urine or by animal saliva
Seasonal allergy: Every season change can cause watery eyes, sneezing, etc.
Latex allergy: An unpleasant reaction caused by some protein found in a different kind of rubber latex.
These commonly occurring allergies can be classified into four namely:
Respiratory allergies: Seasonal allergy (spring, summer, winter allergy), hay fever, pollen allergy, dust allergy, animal allergy, and fall allergy come under this category. These kinds of allergies can cause respiratory problems, blocked nose, cough, etc.
Food allergies: Allergies rising out of milk, nuts, eggs, wheat, fish and seafood are categorized as food allergies. Vomiting, itching in the mouth, swelling of the throat, lips and face are a few symptoms of food allergy.
Skin allergies: Cosmetic allergy, hives, nickel allergy, insect allergy, allergies from a different kind of poison, etc. are termed as skin allergies. Such kind of allergies can cause red skin, rashes, itchy skin, peeling skin, etc.
Other allergies: Eye allergy, aspirin allergy, etc. are random allergies that might affect a person occasionally.
Diagnosis and treatment
Sometimes an allergy is hereditary. An allergic issue like asthma or a food allergy that your parents or grandparents had may most likely occur to you as well. The intensity of the allergies can vary from person to person and so can the symptoms and treatments. Usually, the prescribed treatment will be symptomatic, and the process of diagnosis is vital and quite important in the treatment procedure. There are various allergy tests, and the doctor may prescribe tests depending on your symptoms. There are mainly five kinds of analysis and diagnosis being done. They include skin test, blood test, allergy symptom diary, elimination diet test, and food allergy test.
Recent research reported that 1 in 5 Americans has an allergic problem. Hives, anaphylaxis and asthma are a few types of allergy, which can even cause death. Hence, allergies, be it occasional or frequent, have to be dealt with sufficient care, and a visit to a physician is must if you have any symptoms.