Allergies

Symptoms of allergies

Exactly how the body reacts to an allergy depends on the type and amount of the allergy-triggering substance. Common allergy symptoms are:

• Runny nose
• teary eyes
• difficulty breathing
• Sneeze
• Cough
• skin rashes
• itchy skin
• headache
• fatigue
• Asthma cases

In addition, eczema can also occur due to an allergy or existing eczema can be aggravated. This is particularly the case with contact allergies , when the skin reacts hypersensitively to touching certain substances such as nickel.

Symptoms of a food allergy often include swollen lips, stomach problems and itchy throat.

Acute allergy symptoms can also indicate anaphylaxis, i.e. an allergic shock . He can e.g. B. occur after an insect bite. This leads to more extreme symptoms such as swelling of the neck and face, shortness of breath, dizziness or nausea. Anaphylaxis can be life-threatening ! If you observe someone showing the above symptoms, you should call an ambulance immediately and then administer first aid .

Allergy-like reactions

You may not tolerate certain things well without it being an allergy. This can e.g. This can be the case , for example, with an intolerance to gluten or lactose. Here the body’s immune system is not active. An insect bite can also cause severe local irritation without it being an allergic reaction.

Allergy or Asthma?

Asthma is a chronic inflammation of the airways. Allergens can cause and worsen asthma – this is called allergic asthma. Children in particular are affected by this form of asthma. Adults mostly have non-allergic asthma caused by things like infection, cold, smoking, or physical exertion.

Causes of allergies

Substances that can trigger allergies are called allergens. These allergy-causing substances are often harmless in themselves. There are many different allergens , e.g. e.g.:

• Pollen
• House dust mites
• Food
• medication
• animal hair
• Insect poison
• metals, e.g. B. Nickel

But why do the body’s defenses overdo it when they come into contact with these substances? Genetic factors play an important role here. In addition, people who are exposed to potential allergens particularly long and intensively are more likely to develop an allergy to them. City dwellers are more likely to have allergies than people who live in the country.

allergies in children

Allergies often occur in school age – the child’s immune system is not yet as well developed as that of an adult. As the child gets older, the allergy symptoms often decrease or even disappear completely. Food allergies in particular are not uncommon in small children. The allergy triggers can B. eggs or cow’s milk.

In children who suffer from neurodermatitis (medical: atopic eczema), the skin rash often worsens when they eat certain foods. Your immune system then reacts B. Hypersensitive to beef, milk, wheat flour or eggs.

Diagnosing allergies using allergy testing

There are different allergy tests to determine the cause of an allergy . The doctor decides which allergy test is appropriate in each individual case. This can e.g. B. be a simple blood test in which antibodies or defense cells against certain allergens in the blood are detected.

A prick test is often performed. Here, potential allergy triggers are applied to the scratched skin of the forearm. In the case of food allergies in particular, provocation tests are often used in which the allergens are inhaled.

You can do this yourself if you have allergies

Before taking allergy medication, there are some things you can do to prevent an allergy from getting worse. At best, the following recommendations can even prevent the development of an allergy:

• Do not smoke or stay in smoky areas
• Avoid pollution, such as car exhaust fumes or solvents
• Excessive hygiene such as B. Avoid constant disinfecting
• Ventilate regularly to prevent mold
• Breastfeed infants exclusively for at least 4 months
• Lose any excess weight

Treatment options for allergies

At the beginning of every allergy treatment there are allergy tests : If you know what you are allergic to, you can avoid the allergens and thus improve your allergy symptoms.

Allergies can also be treated with allergy medication . Over-the-counter antihistamines relieve allergy symptoms in many patients. If they are not sufficient, preparations with cortisone can also be used, which, however, require a prescription. Allergy medications can be given as tablets, injections, sprays, ointments, or drops (such as eye drops).

In the case of a severe allergy, hyposensitization may be an option . However, such treatments are very time-consuming: they can extend over several years.

This is how Med-Healths can help with allergies

Do you suspect you have an allergy? Get advice from Med-Healths: The doctor can help you to track down the specific cause of the allergy . If not, he will refer you to a specialist .

The doctor can also tell you more about allergy tests that you may be eligible for. If necessary, you will also receive a prescription for a suitable allergy medication or, if you are really badly hit, a sick note for your employer .