Symptoms and treatment of allergies will be discussed in this article. What is it?
Allergy is an acute reaction of the immune system to harmless and quite ordinary substances. Symptoms can occur in various parts of the body. As a rule, it is observed within a few days and may vary in severity. Let's talk about the symptoms of allergies, and also find out what the consequences of this phenomenon are.
General information
Allergies in humans tend to be the fur of some animal species, as well as various foods, drugs, chemicals, dust and insect stings, and pollen. Below is a look at the symptoms and treatment of cold allergies.
Substances that cause pathology are called allergens. In some situations, such reactions may be so mild that the person may not even suspect that they are suffering from allergies at all.
But despite this, allergy symptoms, on the contrary, can be extremelydangerous, life threatening. People who suffer from allergies can develop anaphylactic shock, which is a severe pathological condition associated with an extremely acute reaction to an allergen. Anaphylactic shock can be caused, as already noted, by various allergens: medicines, insect bites, and in addition, food. Among other things, anaphylactic shock can result from skin contact with a certain allergen, such as latex.
Allergic reaction to cold
Cold Allergy Symptoms:
- skin changes occur quickly, within 1-5 minutes;
- pathology is characterized by urticarial manifestations similar to nettle burns;
- itching, burning, tingling;
- swelling is formed at the point of contact with a cold object;
- severe redness (erythema);
- flat whitish or bright pink blisters, may also have a small red rash;
- flaking;
- bruises on the areas of rashes in a day or two.
Symptoms manifest themselves as much as possible when the affected areas warm up, when a person returns to a warm place, and allergies happen not only in frost, but also in wet weather.
Manifestations subside within a couple of hours. The symptoms and treatment of cold allergies are often linked.
Cold Response Therapy
To mitigate the manifestations of a cold attack, a comprehensive treatment is carried out, which involves the use of medications that eliminatedifferent symptoms.
Itchy rash, severe redness, blisters, swelling are well relieved by ointments, gels, sprays, creams ("Fenistil-gel", "Protopic", "Gistan", "Elidel"). Hormonal ointments for severe edema, painful itching are resolved in short courses ("Hydrocortisone", "Flucinar", "Sinaf-ointment", "Gistan N", "Akriderm GK", "Celestoderm").
Food allergy
Food allergies are immune responses caused by certain foods. Such an allergy is accompanied by well-known symptoms. A food allergy occurs when the body mistakenly perceives a particular food as a threat to itself and, in self-defense, triggers the immune system to produce antibodies. Upon a second encounter with the allergen, the immune system quickly recognizes the “dangerous” substance, immediately reacting and again producing the necessary, in its opinion, antibodies. It is because of these substances that allergy symptoms are caused in adults. As a rule, the food form is almost always formed in this way.
It happens that adults can pass allergies that were observed in childhood. But in the event that the reaction occurs in an adult, it will be very difficult to get rid of it.
Rhinitis
Allergic rhinitis, which experts call rhinitis or hay fever, is observed in one person in ten, and often this phenomenon is hereditary. Allergy symptoms in adults (the photo is presented in the article) are not limited to this.
People with asthma or eczema can also often suffer from allergic rhinitis. Such allergies are predominantly observed in women than in men. Against the background of an allergic rhinitis, symptoms may appear in the form of itching in the eyes and throat, and in addition, in the nose and in the sky, sneezing and nasal congestion are also possible. In addition, people may have watery eyes, which will be accompanied by discharge from the nose, and in some cases, conjunctivitis occurs. In more severe situations, an allergic rhinitis can provoke an attack of asthma or eczema. Cold allergy symptoms are also quite unpleasant.
What causes allergies?
In some people, the immune system can overreact to certain substances, which causes the production of various chemicals. One of them is histamine, which causes allergic symptoms. A similar reaction on the part of the body can occur when inhaled, and in addition, as part of skin contact or ingestion of an allergen in food. In addition to the allergens already listed, they can also be fluff, cosmetics or cigarette smoke.
Common allergy symptoms
Allergic reactions can occur in completely different parts of the body, and the symptoms themselves can be present for up to several days. As a rule, the following symptoms are observed as a result of an allergy:
- Upper respiratory condition complicated by hay fever or asthma.
- There is redness and tearing ineyes.
- The appearance of pain and inflammation of the joints.
- The occurrence of hives and eczema.
- Appearance of diarrhea, vomiting and indigestion.
What complications can allergy symptoms cause?
Complications
The appearance of an allergy can be complicated by the following body reactions:
- Development of anaphylactic shock (extremely severe allergic reaction).
- The appearance of labored or wheezing breathing.
- The appearance of a rapid pulse.
- Appearance of cold sweat.
- Sticky skin.
- Development of urticaria.
- Appearance of stomach cramps.
- The appearance of dizziness and nausea.
- Development of collapse (acute vascular insufficiency).
- Appearance of convulsions.
It is important to note that the lack of medical care when observing a severe form can lead to a patient's death. The symptoms of an allergy to cold we discussed above.
Consequences
The consequences of an organism's allergies are more than serious. An allergic reaction as a whole negatively affects the body and its capacity. Against the background of this condition, a person may experience increased fatigue, irritability, and, in addition, reduced immunity performance. As such, the consequences suggest the transition of allergic reactions into diseases in the form of hemolytic anemia, serum sickness, eczema, bronchial asthma, otitis media,chronic bronchitis or rhinitis and much more. The reason for the appearance of such consequences most often is the untimely diagnosis of an allergic reaction or its incorrect treatment. For example, suppressing a food allergy with drugs can lead to a chronic pathology such as atopic dermatitis.
In order to avoid allergy symptoms in adults, it is necessary to consult a doctor in a timely manner and carry out the correct therapy for a particular reaction. It is important to note that negative consequences are most often caused by the fact that patients are self-medicating. Worst of all, this "treatment" is usually symptomatic, in which the symptoms of a cold allergy are relieved, for example, but their underlying cause is not identified.
Anaphylactic shock
Especially severe, and at the same time a dangerous consequence of an allergy, is anaphylactic shock, which is, however, a rather rare, but rapidly developing phenomenon. Anaphylaxis is a collection of several symptoms that develop rapidly:
- The occurrence of severe pain and itching as a result of contact with the allergen.
- The appearance of labored breathing.
- Appearance of convulsions.
- Low blood pressure.
- Loss of consciousness.
- The appearance of angioedema.
Reaction to insect bite or medicine
Most often, anaphylaxis is observed as a result of an insect bite, and in addition, against the background of the introduction of a drug that causes an allergic reaction in the patient. Less commonly, anaphylaxis can occur due to a food allergen. It is important to note that such a phenomenon as anaphylaxis is a dangerous consequence that threatens to be fatal. In this regard, when the first symptoms appear, you should call an ambulance. The symptoms of an allergy in a child are especially dangerous (a photo of the manifestations of the disease is presented in the article).
Those or other consequences can often be caused by the fact that the body's susceptibility to an allergic reaction was not taken into account, and therefore there was no correct and timely therapy. Or it may be due to the fact that an incorrect diagnosis of the disease was chosen along with self-treatment. Given all of the above factors, it is important to note that each person should take care of their he alth, not waiting for dangerous allergic consequences, which can be much more difficult to cope with than what they were provoked by.
What should a person do if they have an allergy?
In the presence of mild allergic reactions, a runny nose can occur, watery eyes, and in addition, other symptoms resembling a cold appear. It is possible that a small rash will appear. In the event that a person often notes such reactions in himself or his relatives, it would be useful to consult a doctor.
It is important to know that in the case of anaphylactic shock, the resulting allergy affects the entire body. Anaphylactic shock, as a rule, occurs within fifteen minutes after ingestion of the allergen, in connection with this, urgent measures are required, namely calling an ambulance. You should also avoidfoods, medicines and other substances to which you have ever been allergic.
All friends and family should be aware of the development of allergies. This information should be communicated to all professionals, including dentists, dermatologists, and so on. This also applies to prescription drugs, as well as over-the-counter products. Always, before taking this or that medicine, an allergic person should carefully read the packaging and the attached instructions.
Decongestant drops
For mild allergic rhinitis, decongestant drops should be used along with sprays designed to relieve symptoms. In the event that the allergy was caused by a drug, you must immediately stop using it and consult your doctor.
You should also take antihistamines, but only those that have been prescribed by a specialist. If you are taking antihistamine medicines that have a sedative effect, you should avoid driving as these medicines can cause drowsiness.
What can a doctor do?
The doctor must definitely exclude the possibility of other diseases, as well as perform tests aimed at identifying the allergen. After that, as a rule, patients are prescribed antihistamine drugs and, if necessary, also steroids. In situations where the allergen has been identified, and contact with it due toCertain circumstances are inevitable, the doctor must administer a special vaccine to the patient in order to prevent and treat the deviation. Among other things, the doctor may recommend a special diet for patients who suffer from food allergies.
What should preventive measures be?
As already noted, first of all, it is required to determine the substances that cause allergy symptoms (the photo of which is presented in the article), after which, of course, they should always be avoided. It is equally important to ensure that the house is constantly clean and free of dust or fluff, and besides, that there are no mites. During those periods when people are sweeping, vacuuming, knocking dust out of furniture, changing bedding and other similar contacts, you should cover your nose using a gauze bandage or a special mask. If you have an allergic reaction to pets, you should not keep them in your home.
Medical record
In the event that a person is allergic to medications, it is advisable to always have a special card with you, which will indicate which particular medications there is a corresponding reaction to. Thanks to this, even when a person is unconscious or cannot remember the names of the drugs, he will be insured against the introduction of one or another allergen to him. Among other things, in the event that a person has a severe allergy, he should inform his entire family about this, and in addition, colleagues and do not forget to report this fact to the attending physicians.
We reviewed thisillness, like an allergy. Photos, symptoms and treatment are presented.
