It is typical for most people to be allergic to one thing, including foods and other contact substances. Most of these are identified when you are a child in your explorative phase. However, some may not be determined until you are an adult or only when you get a specific allergy test. This article discusses forms and how to deal with most Marrero allergies.
What are Allergies?
Allergies result from your immune system’s response to an unknown substance like bee venom, pollen, or pet dander. Certain food substances can also cause it. The antibodies from your immune system single out an unknown substance as a harmful allergen despite not being one. This results in reactions visible around your body via inflamed sinuses, skin, airways, or digestive tract.
Allergy reactions may range from moderate to extreme, i.e., slight irritation to fatal anaphylaxis. Treatment aims at symptom management as a known cure is not available.
Signs and Symptoms
These depend on the type of substance, with reactions ranging in severity up to anaphylaxis.
A food allergy may involve:
- Swelling of tongue, lips, throat, or face
- Tingling in your mouth
- Hives
- Anaphylaxis
Hay fever may be characterized by:
- Itching of the eye, nose, or roof of the mouth
- Sneezing
- Red, watery, or swollen eyes
- Stuffy, runny nose
A drug allergy may involve:
- Itchy skin
- Hives
- Facial swelling
- Rash
- Wheezing
- Anaphylaxis
An insect sting allergy can result in
- Hives or itching all over the body
- A significant swelling at the site of the stinging
- Chest tightness, cough, shortness of breath, or wheezing
- Anaphylaxis
An allergic skin ailment called atopic dermatitis makes the skin:
- Redden
- Itch
- Peel or flake
Anaphylaxis is fatal, and it may be accompanied by:
- Decrease in blood pressure
- Loss of consciousness
- Skin rash
- Extreme breath shortness
- Weak, rapid pulse
- Lightheadedness
- Vomiting and nausea
Causes
Once your immune system mistakes a commonly harmless substance as an allergen, it produces antibodies that are on the lookout for this allergen releasing various chemicals upon contact like histamine that forms the symptoms. Typical triggers for allergies include:
- Certain foods like wheat, nuts, fish, soy, eggs, shellfish, or milk
- Airborne allergens like animal dander, pollen, mold, and dust mites
- Medications like penicillin
- Insect stings from a wasp or bee
- Substances like latex that cause skin reactions
Diagnosis and Treatment
Diagnosis of an allergy involves:
- A physical exam
- Detailed inquiries on the signs and symptoms
- List of possible triggers and their symptoms
Other tests that your physician may suggest include:
- A blood test to check for the amount of allergy-causing antibodies in your blood
- A skin test through exposure to small amounts while recording effects
Treatments for allergies include:
- Medications that ease symptoms and decrease your immune system reaction
- Avoiding known allergens
- Immunotherapy through multiple injections of purified allergen portions given over a certain period
- Emergency epinephrine shot to inhibit severe symptoms before treatment arrives
Allergies can happen to anyone without any scientific validation. Therefore, regular allergy screenings can be beneficial in identifying and avoiding potential triggers, especially if you are visiting new areas. Visit our website or call our offices in Marrero, LA, for any allergy inquiries.
