Your immune system does an important job; it defends your body from foreign invaders (allergens) such as pollen, molds, animal dander, latex, certain foods, insect stings, bacteria, and viruses that may cause you harm. When you come in contact with any of these allergens, your immune system treats this as an invader and releases a substance called antibodies. The antibody’s reaction can inflame your skin, sinuses, airways, or digestive system. This is called an allergy.
What causes allergies?
Although the precise cause of allergy is unknown, anything that your body perceives as a "harmful invader" might trigger an immune system reaction. This results in the release of several chemicals, including histamine, which is responsible for allergy symptoms.
Common allergy triggers include:
- Airborne allergens like pet dander, dust mite, mold, and pollen
- Drugs such as penicillin and penicillin-based antibiotics.Foods like wheat, nuts, milk, shellfish, and eggs
- Insect stings include bees, wasps, and mosquitoes
- Urushiol from poison ivy and poison oak plants
- Other allergens like latex and materials you touch (1)
Types of allergies and symptoms:
You may be allergic to a range of things, such as:
1. Pollen Allergy/Seasonal Allergic Rhinitis
Some plants, including ragweed and grasses, produce pollen. The airborne powder is light enough to travel through the air around you. An allergic reaction to this pollen causes seasonal allergic rhinitis, also known as hay fever, which causes inflammation of the protective tissue around your eyes and the lining of your nose.
Symptoms of pollen allergy include:
- Sneezing
- Cough
- Nasal congestion
- Runny nose
- Itchy, red, and watery eyes
- Irritation in the throat
- Itching in the nose and throat
- Swelling around the eyes
People having asthma can have allergic attacks if they are exposed to pollen. The symptoms may include:
- Wheezing
- Shortness of breath
- Coughing and chest tightness (2)
How to Treat:
Hay fever or allergic rhinitis can be treated by keeping away from pollen and staying at home. Prescribed medication by doctors such as nasal steroids, nasal cromolyn, anti-leukotrienes, nasal and oral antihistamines may help treat pollen allergy. If the medication does not help, your doctor may treat you with allergy shots (immunotherapy).
2. Dust Allergy
Allergies frequently result from dust mites, especially in the nasal passage. These insects live in house dust and feast on dead skin cells. Dust mites thrive in warm, humid environments. They are too small to be seen with the human eye, but when they enter the body through the nose, they induce inflammation.
Symptoms of dust allergy:
- Sneezing
- Runny nose
- Itchy, red, or watery eyes
- Nasal congestion
- Itchy nose or throat
- Cough
- Swollen, blue-colored skin under your eyes
If you are asthmatic and get exposed to dust mites, you may also experience:
- Difficulty breathing
- Chest tightness or pain
- An audible whistling or wheezing sound when exhaling
- Difficulty in sleeping because of coughing, wheezing, or shortness of breath(3)
Treatment:
Refraining yourself from exposure to dust mites is the best way to treat dust allergy. Your doctor may recommend medications that include - antihistamines, nasal corticosteroids, cromolyn sodium nose spray, leukotriene receptor antagonists, decongestant pills and liquids, and allergy shots (immunotherapy) to alleviate your symptoms (4).
3. Mold Allergy
Molds are a type of fungus that exists almost everywhere and is not visible to the naked eye. It spreads by releasing tiny, light spores that travel through the air. It grows quickly in moist, dark places and can be harmful to people who develop responses against mold.
The symptoms of mold allergy may include:
- Runny nose or nasal congestion
- Wheezing
- Itchy eyes and/or throat
- Coughing and sneezing
- Headaches
- Skin rash
- Watery eyes
- Dry and scaly skin
If you have asthma, exposure to mold can trigger an asthma attack in you, and can cause restricted breathing.
Symptoms of asthma include:
- Coughing
- Wheezing
- Shortness of breath
- Chest tightness
Treatment:
The best method to treat mold allergies is to avoid exposure to it. Since mold flourishes mostly in damp areas, it is better to keep away from those places.
While there's no sure way to cure mold allergy, a number of medications can ease your symptoms. These include medications like nasal corticosteroids (fluticasone, mometasone, triamcinolone, and budesonide), antihistamines (loratadine, fexofenadine, cetirizine), oral decongestants (Sudafed 12 hour, Claritin D 12 hour, Claritin D 24 hour, Zyrtec D, Allegra D), decongestant nasal sprays (oxymetazoline), immunotherapy, etc.
You may be prescribed inhaled steroids or mast cell stabilizers by your healthcare provider if you have asthma.
4. Food allergy:
Food allergy is the unusual reaction of the immune system that occurs after eating a certain food. A small amount of an allergen-causing food can cause symptoms to appear. Foods that most commonly cause an allergic reaction are milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, and some fruit and vegetables (5).
The symptoms of a food allergy can affect different areas of the body at the same time.
Some common symptoms of food allergy include:
- Tingling or itching in the mouth
- Hives, itching, or eczema
- Swelling on the face, tongue, lips, and throat or anywhere on the body
- Wheezing, nasal congestion, or trouble breathing
- Abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting (6)
In some people, a food allergy can cause even a life-threatening reaction known as anaphylaxis (8). The symptoms include :
- Constriction and tightening of the airways
- Swelling in the throat that causes difficulty in breathing
- Severe fall in blood pressure
- Rapid pulse
- Dizziness, lightheadedness, or fainting (8)
Treatment:
The best way to check food allergies is to avoid the type of food that causes an allergy to you. You should strictly eliminate those foodstuffs which cause allergies to you.
Your doctor could recommend medications to lessen your allergic symptoms. They include epinephrine (Epipen or Auvi-Q), a lifesaving drug that immediately starts reversing symptoms of anaphylaxis, antihistamines for treating itching, congestion, hives, sneezing, and runny nose, corticosteroids for reducing the allergic reaction, and bronchodilators to treat narrowed airway passages or symptoms of asthma (9).
5. Drug Allergy:
When your immune system abnormally reacts to a drug, you are said to have a drug allergy. The most common drugs that cause allergy may include penicillin, antibiotics similar to penicillin, sulfa antibiotics such as sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim, NSAIDs such as aspirin and ibuprofen, anticonvulsants, contrast dye, and chemotherapy drugs.
Symptoms of drug allergy:
While symptoms of a serious drug allergy may occur within an hour after taking a drug, other reactions, particularly rashes, can occur later. The symptoms may include:
- Rashes, hives, and itching
- Fever and swelling
- Shortness of breath or wheezing
- Runny, itchy, watery nose and eyes
A life-threatening reaction called anaphylaxis may be caused in some people. The symptoms of anaphylaxis may include (10):
- Troubled breathing
- Nausea and vomiting
- Abdominal cramps and diarrhea
- Dizziness
- Weak and rapid pulse
- Drop in blood pressure
- Seizure
Treatment:
How you manage a drug allergy totally depends on how severe it is. If you are highly allergic to a prescribed drug, then your doctor will probably replace it with another one that you are not allergic to.
Your healthcare provider may prescribe medications that include antihistamines and corticosteroids to reduce rash, hives, and itching, bronchodilators (inhalers) for cough and lung congestion, and NSAIDs to reduce inflammation.
For more severe cases like anaphylactic symptoms, you may be given medications like epinephrine (adrenaline) injection to reduce the body's allergic response, antihistamines, and cortisone to reduce inflammation of the air passages and improve breathing (11).
Conclusion:
Though allergies can not be cured, there are many over-the-counter treatments available to ease the symptoms. But before using them, you must consult a doctor first. Once you identify what is causing your allergic reactions, you can take preventive measures like avoiding exposure to allergens and seeking medication. Even though you might not be able to totally prevent an allergic reaction, following these tips can help you avoid allergies and live a stress-free life.