Allergies

Allergy: Facts You Need To Know

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Abstract

Allergies occur when your immune system reacts to a foreign substance — such as pollen, bee venom, or pet dander — or a food that doesn’t cause a reaction in most people.

Your immune system produces substances known as antibodies. When you have allergies, your immune system makes antibodies that identify a particular allergen as harmful, even though it isn’t.

When you come into contact with the allergen, your immune system’s reaction can inflame your skin, sinuses, airway,s or digestive system.

Facts About Allergies

Allergy

The severity of allergies varies from person to person and can range from minor irritation to anaphylaxis — a potentially life-threatening emergency. While most allergies can’t be cured, treatments can help relieve your allergy symptoms.

Allergy symptoms, which depend on the substance involved, can affect your airways, sinuses and nasal passages, skin, and digestive system. Allergic reactions can range from mild to severe. In some severe cases, allergies can trigger a life-threatening reaction known as anaphylaxis.

What are the 7 allergy symptoms?

Check if it’s an allergy
  • a runny nose or sneezing.
  • pain or tenderness around your cheeks, eyes, or forehead.
  • coughing, wheezing, or breathlessness.
  • itchy skin or a raised rash (hives)
  • diarrhea.
  • feeling or being sick.
  • swollen eyes, lips, mouth, or throat.

Hay fever, also called allergic rhinitis, can cause:

  • Sneezing
  • Itching of the nose, eyes, or roof of the mouth
  • Runny, stuffy nose
  • Watery, red, or swollen eyes (conjunctivitis)

A food allergy can cause:

  • Tingling in the mouth
  • Swelling of the lips, tongue, face, or throat
  • Hives
  • Anaphylaxis

An insect sting allergy can cause:

  • A large area of swelling (edema) at the sting site
  • Itching or hives all over the body
  • Cough, chest tightness, wheezing, or shortness of breath
  • Anaphylaxis

A drug allergy can cause:

  • Hives
  • Itchy skin
  • Rash
  • Facial swelling
  • Wheezing
  • Anaphylaxis

Atopic dermatitis, an allergic skin condition also called eczema, can cause the skin to:

  • Itch
  • Redden
  • Flake or peel

Anaphylaxis

Some types of allergies, including allergies to foods and insect stings, can trigger a severe reaction known as anaphylaxis. In a life-threatening medical emergency, anaphylaxis can cause you to go into shock. Signs and symptoms of anaphylaxis include:

  • Loss of consciousness
  • A drop in blood pressure
  • Severe shortness of breath
  • Skin rash
  • Lightheadedness
  • A rapid, weak pulse
  • Nausea and vomiting

What are the 5 main allergies?

Five Most Common Allergies
  • Pollen Allergy. Pollen allergies include tree, grass, and weed pollen. …
  • Mold Allergy. Mold allergy is a common indoor allergen, but mold can also be found outdoors. …
  • Food Allergy. …
  • Dust Mite Allergy. …
  • Pet Allergy. …

When to see a doctor

You might see your healthcare provider if you have symptoms you think are caused by an allergy, and nonprescription allergy medications don’t provide enough relief. If you have symptoms after starting a new medication, call the provider who prescribed it right away.

For a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis), call 911 or your local emergency number or seek emergency medical help. If you carry an epinephrine auto-injector (Audi-Q, EpiPen, others), give yourself a shot right away.

Even if your symptoms improve after an epinephrine injection, you should go to the emergency department to make sure symptoms don’t return when the effects of the injection wear off.

If you’ve had a severe allergy attack or any signs and symptoms of anaphylaxis in the past, make an appointment to see your healthcare provider.

Evaluation, diagnosis, and long-term management of anaphylaxis are complicated, so you’ll probably need to see a provider who specializes in allergies and immunology.

How do I know if I have an allergy?

But if you’ve got sneezing; itchy, red, or watery eyes; clear nasal discharge; or your nose, throat, or ears feel scratchy — then he says you’re probably dealing with an allergy.

An allergy starts when your immune system mistakes a normally harmless substance for a dangerous invader. The immune system then produces antibodies that remain on the alert for that particular allergen.

What is the main cause of allergies?

An allergy occurs when a person reacts to substances in the environment that are harmless to most people. These substances are known as allergens and are found in dust mites, pets, pollen, insects, ticks, molds, foods, and some medications.

Atopy is the genetic tendency to develop allergic diseases.

When you’re exposed to the allergen again, these antibodies can release several immune system chemicals, such as histamine, that cause allergy symptoms.

What is the number 1 allergy?

Pollen.
Pollen allergies are one of the most common allergies in the world. Tens of millions of Americans suffer from Pollen allergies. Pollen is a fine yellow powder that is transported from plant to plant by the wind, birds, insects, and other animals to help fertilize plants.
What are the 10 most allergic foods?

Common food allergen Priority allergens

Severe allergic reactions (e.g. anaphylactic reaction) occur when the body’s immune system strongly reacts to a particular allergenic protein or irritant. These reactions may be caused by food, insect stings, and medications.

According to Health Canada, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), allergy associations, and the medical community have identified the key substances most frequently associated with food allergies and allergic-type reactions.

These substances are often referred to as priority food allergens.  Health Canada and CFIA have developed a series of pamphlets with information for consumers about each of the priority allergens:

Common food allergens

  • Eggs.
  • Milk.
  • Mustard.
  • Peanuts.
  • Crustaceans and mollusks.
  • Fish.
  • Sesame seeds.
  • Soy.

Did you know…

When the CFIA becomes aware of a potentially serious hazard associated with food, such as undeclared allergens, the food product is recalled from the marketplace and a public warning is issued. Allergy alerts are posted on the CFIA website.

  • Allergen Labelling

    The Food and Drug Regulations require that most pre-packaged foods carry a label and that their ingredients appear in a list in decreasing order of proportion.

    Health Canada has worked with the medical community, allergy associations, and the food industry to enhance labeling requirements for priority allergens, gluten sources, and sulfite in pre-packaged foods sold in Canada. Canadian labeling regulations require that the most common food, and food ingredients that can cause life-threatening or severe allergic reactions, are always identified by their common names so that consumers can easily recognize them on food labels. For more details on Canada’s food allergen labeling regulations, and other information on food allergen labeling, please see Health Canada’s Allergen Labelling web page.

    Allergen Research

    Laboratory methods are required to detect undeclared allergens in food. In the early 1990s, Health Canada began a pioneering method development program, which resulted in methods for the detection of peanut, soy, milk, egg, hazelnut, Brazil nut, and crustaceans. These methods were transferred to CFIA laboratories for use in their compliance program about the presence of undeclared allergens in foods. Find out more about Health Canada’s food allergen research program.

 

:common allergy triggers;

  • Airborne allergens, such as pollen, animal dander, dust mites, and mold
  • Certain foods, particularly peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, soy, fish, shellfish, eggs, and milk
  • Insect stings, such as from a bee or wasp
  • Medications, particularly penicillin or penicillin-based antibiotics
  • Latex or other substances you touch can cause allergic skin reactions

Risk factors

You might be more likely to develop an allergy if you:

  • Have a family history of asthma or allergies, such as hay fever, hives, or eczema
  • Are a child
  • Have asthma or another allergic condition

Complications

Having an allergy increases your risk of certain other medical problems, including:

  • Anaphylaxis. If you have severe allergies, you’re at increased risk of this serious allergy-induced reaction. Foods, medications, and insect stings are the most common triggers of anaphylaxis.
  • Asthma. If you have an allergy, you’re more likely to have asthma — an immune system reaction that affects the airways and breathing. In many cases, asthma is triggered by exposure to an allergen in the environment (allergy-induced asthma).
  • Sinusitis and infections of the ears or lungs. Your risk of getting these conditions is higher if you have hay fever or asthma.

Prevention

Preventing allergic reactions depends on the type of allergy you have. General measures include the following:

  • Avoid known triggers. Even if you’re treating your allergy symptoms, try to avoid triggers. If, for instance, you’re allergic to pollen, stay inside with windows and doors closed when pollen is high. If you’re allergic to dust mites, dust, and vacuum and wash the bedding often.
  • Keep a diary. When trying to identify what causes or worsens your allergic symptoms, track your activities and what you eat, when symptoms occur, and what seems to help. This may help you and your provider identify triggers.
  • Wear a medical alert bracelet. If you’ve had a severe allergic reaction, a medical alert bracelet (or necklace) lets others know that you have a serious allergy in case you have a reaction and you’re unable to communicate.

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