Allergy is an exaggerated reaction of the immune system to substances that are harmless for most people: pollen, house dust, certain foods, pet dander, insect stings, medicines. The body treats the substance (the allergen) as a threat and triggers inflammation. That is where the symptoms come from, from a mild runny nose to a life-threatening reaction.
What allergy symptoms look like
Symptoms depend on the allergen and on how it enters the body. The most common groups are:
- Nose and eyes. Sneezing, a blocked nose, a runny nose with clear discharge, itchy red watery eyes. This is the typical picture of seasonal pollen allergy, or hay fever.
- Skin. A rash, raised welts (hives), itching, swollen lips or eyelids. If the skin stays inflamed for a long time, it may be dermatitis.
- Airways. Cough, wheezing, shortness of breath. These can be signs of allergic asthma.
- Digestion. Nausea, vomiting, stomach pain or diarrhea after a particular food. Similar complaints also occur with food poisoning, so it helps to note exactly what you ate and how soon the symptoms started.
With an allergy, symptoms usually start within minutes to a few hours of contact with the allergen and return every time you meet it again. A fever is not typical for allergy, which helps tell it apart from a cold.
Where allergy comes from
A tendency to allergy often runs in families: if parents have allergies, eczema, or asthma, a child is more likely to have them too. After that, the environment matters. The most common allergens are tree, grass, and weed pollen, house dust mites, mold, pet dander, eggs, milk, nuts, seafood, insect venom, and some medicines. Georgia has several climate zones, and the flowering season and humidity affect when hay fever flares up. For exact timing in your city, ask an allergist.
Why allergy should not be ignored
Most allergic reactions are unpleasant but not dangerous. Left untreated, though, a constant blocked nose and cough can disturb sleep, lower your performance, and become chronic. Allergic rhinitis is linked to the development of asthma.
The separate danger is anaphylaxis, a severe whole-body reaction. It develops fast, sometimes within minutes of eating a food, being stung, or taking a medicine. Signs include swelling of the lips, tongue, and throat, difficulty breathing, weakness, a drop in blood pressure, fainting, and a widespread rash.
How allergy is diagnosed
Diagnosis is made by an allergist-immunologist. The doctor first asks when the symptoms appear, what comes before them, and whether relatives have allergies. Skin tests or a blood test for specific antibodies may follow. For a suspected food allergy, a strictly controlled food challenge is sometimes used, and only under medical supervision. Do not cut foods out of a child's diet for a long time on your own: see a doctor first.
How allergy is treated
The foundation of treatment is to avoid the allergen where possible. The doctor then chooses medicines that ease symptoms: antihistamines, local treatments for the nose, eyes, and skin, and in more severe cases other drugs. Doses and schedules are set only by a doctor, because they depend on age, weight, and other conditions. For some patients, allergen-specific immunotherapy is used, in which the doctor gradually trains the body to tolerate the allergen. It is a long course under specialist supervision.
Prevention
There is no vaccine against allergy, but flare-ups can be reduced:
- find out your allergens from a doctor instead of guessing;
- in pollen season, air out the home in the morning or after rain, and wash your hair and change clothes after being outside;
- damp-clean regularly, wash bedding at a high temperature, and limit carpets and soft toys;
- with a food allergy, read labels and ask about ingredients in cafes and restaurants;
- always tell your doctor and dentist about a drug allergy.
When to get urgent help
Call an ambulance at 112 if, after contact with a possible allergen, you have trouble breathing, a tight throat, quick swelling of the face, lips, or tongue, sudden weakness, confusion, or loss of consciousness. If a doctor has prescribed an adrenaline auto-injector, use it as instructed and still call an ambulance. Book a routine visit to an allergist if symptoms return season after season, interfere with sleep or work, or over-the-counter medicines have stopped helping.
