Everyone knows what an allergy is. It is a hypersensitive immune response to foreign substances that is exposed to your body. The substances includes

  • Pollen
  • Animal dander
  • Mold
  • Certain foods
  • Bee venom.

The immune system is a complex system that normally defends the body against the foreign invaders like viruses and bacteria. Your immune system produces antibodies. When you have allergies, your immune system produces antibodies that identify the allergen as harmful. Even though it is not. The reaction of your immune system can inflame your skin, digestive system, and sinuses.

Moreover, the severity of allergies differs from person to person. It can lead to minor irritation and in severe cases, it can lead to anaphylaxis. Most of the allergies cannot be cured. But with the help of treatments, allergy symptoms can be relieved.

Let’s take a look at the symptoms and diagnosis of allergies.

Allergic Reaction

Do you know what happens during an allergic reaction? It begins when you are exposed to a substance. As a result of this, your body produces a protein called IgE. The protein holds onto the allergen and histamine is released into the blood. This leads to the symptoms that are visible to you.

Symptoms of Allergies

The symptoms of allergies depend on the substance involved. It can have an impact on airways, digestive system, nasal passages, and skin. Following are the symptoms of different allergies:

Hay Fever

It is called allergic rhinitis and causes:

  • Itching of the nose
  • Sneezing
  • Watery or swollen eyes
  • Stuffy or a runny nose.

Insect Sting Allergy

This may result in:

  • Hives all over the body
  • Anaphylaxis
  • Tightness of throat
  • Shortness of breath
  • The swollen area at the sting site.

Food Allergy

It may cause:

  • Hives
  • Anaphylaxis
  • Itchy mouth
  • Swelling of tongue, face, throat and lips. 

Drug Allergy

This allergy might cause:

  • Rash
  • Wheezing
  • Itchy skin
  • Hives
  • Swelling of the face.

Atopic Dermatitis

It is a skin condition also known as eczema. This causes the skin to:

  • Itch
  • Peel
  • Redden.

Common Allergens

Here is a list of some common allergens.

  • Bee stings
  • Insect bites
  • Foods like eggs, milk, nuts, fish, wheat.
  • Latex
  • Plants and pollen
  • Mold.

Diagnosis

The healthcare provider can diagnose the allergens by asking some questions and tests. Some of the tests the doctor may conduct includes:

Skin Prick

In this test, the skin is pricked with a small amount of possible allergen. In case the skin shows a reaction such as itchy skin or swollen skin. This means there is an allergy.

Patch Test

For the people with eczema, a special metal disc is used. This disc has a trace of a suspect allergen and is tapped on the back. Doctor checks for a skin reaction after 48 hours.

Blood Test

In order to measure the levels of IgE antibodies, a blood test is conducted. It is sometimes referred as a radioallergosorbent test.

Therefore, symptoms of allergies are different and they vary from mild to severe. The mild symptoms are unnoticeable. Moderate symptoms make you feel ill. While the severe allergic reactions are extreme. They require immediate medical attention.

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.