An allergy occurs when our immune system initiates a response to the environmental antigens. Nasal congestion, sneezing, and throat clearing are some of the symptoms of an allergy. There are various reasons as to why allergies occur. Some people are simply allergic to certain foods or airborne particles. While some tend to develop different allergies over time. Let’s analyze the symptoms and causes of allergies in detail.

Causes

Allergies are usually triggered by external factors. This occurs when our immune system considers an otherwise harmless substance dangerous for us.

Some of the main causes are listed below:

  • The various types of food such as tree nuts, wheat, soy, fish, peanuts, shellfish, milk, and eggs. 
  • For some people, penicillin-based antibiotics or penicillin causes an allergy.
  • Other might be allergic to insect stings, animal dander, as well as mold.
  • In case, you touch latex or similar substances, you may receive allergic reactions.

Symptoms

Your skin, respiratory system, digestive tract and sinuses will be affected by an allergy. Some of you might be allergic to pollen grains. You can get allergic to the foods that contain the same components. By any chance, if you are exposed to both allergens at the same time, the reaction can be severe.

  • Food Allergy: You might face swelling of the lips, tongues or throat or even tingling of the mouth.
  • Allergy from Medications: You may experience itchy skin, hives, rashes, Anaphylaxis, and wheezing.
  • An insect sting allergy, on the other hand, will cause swelling, itching and chest tightness.

Note: In case, the symptoms are worst, you might have more than one allergy.

Quick Facts

  • Young kids may outgrow the allergies with the passage of time. However, in older people, a few allergies may persist as they age. The fact is, as we grow old, our immune system becomes weak. That is why it is unable to fight back against the harmful allergens.
  • The food, bee stings, and latex allergies might induce more serious reactions with time. Hence, special care is needed to protect yourself.
  • If you have asthma, you might be at risk to suffer from allergy.

How to Prevent Allergies?

Different people are allergic to different allergens. Therefore, not one allergy case is similar to the other. In order to prevent allergic reactions, you have to know the type of allergy and then follow safety measures. 

  • It would be better to keep a timeline of how and when you allergic reactions started. With a timeline, you will also be able to know what kind of treatment has helped you. 
  • You should avoid pollen at any cost. During the season of pollens, you should keep your windows closed.
  • Those people who are allergic to dust should daily vacuum the carpets and furniture.

A Final Word

You should keep a constant communication with your doctor. It is also suggested to wear a medical alert bracelet at all times. In case of an emergency, it will let others know about the severity of your condition.

 

DISCLAIMER: The medical information on this site is provided as an information resource only, and is not to be used or relied on for any diagnostic or treatment purposes. This information is not intended to be patient education, does not create any patient-physician relationship, and should not be used as a substitute for professional diagnosis and treatment.