What are general allergy symptoms? How do I know I am suffering an allergic reaction?

Before we discuss allergy symptoms, we need to know what an allergy is. The human body has an inborn ability to fight and eliminate foreign substances like bacteria and viruses. This is called immunity. However certain derangements in our immune system can cause this protective mechanism to backfire. An allergic reaction or symptom is basically an excessive response of the immune system to allergens like dust, pollen, substances in food, specific drugs.


What are the general allergy symptoms?

Allergy symptoms can vary from a harmless local reaction like a skin rash, to a life threatening breakdown of the entire body’s respiratory and circulatory system,known as anaphylaxis. Allergy symptoms depend upon the type of allergy and the mode of contacting it. For example, airborne allergens usually give rise to respiratory symptoms while food and drug allergens cause digestive symptoms.


These allergy symptoms are therefore specific to an individual. Their severity depends on the sensitivity of the person’s immune system to a given antigen.


Here are some of the general allergy symptoms:

Allergic rhinitis – This allergy symptom is usually seen in response to airborne allergic triggers like dust and pollen. It includes -

  • Frequent sneezing – It is the initial response to an airborne allergy. It results from local stimulation of receptors in our nose.
  • Running nose – is a symptom that follows sneezing and is due to the release of histamine from immune cells in response to an irritant. Histamine causes inflammation of the fragile linings of nasal passages, sinuses and eyelids leading to fluid production and congestion. Congestion of the sinuses is the cause of headache that people with allergic rhinitis often complain of.
  • Cough – This nasal fluid also flows backwards into the throat and lower respiratory passage, stimulating the cough receptors causing a cough. Coughing leads to a sore throat and pain while swallowing.
  • Difficulty in breathing - The mucus clogs the nasal pathways giving rise to difficulty in breathing. People with this problem often resort to oral breathing and are found to snore at night.

Skin rash – Ingestion of certain food or drugs, and sometimes exposure to environmental factors like cold, heat, insect bites and physical exercise can give rise to the allergy symptom of skin rash (hives).

  • Rashes or hives appear as raised, itchy bumps of different shapes and sizes, with defined red margins and pale centers. Hives may appear and then disappear at random, making them seem to move from place to place on the skin.
  • The rash may be red raised and scaly like in hives, intensely itchy with fluid or pus filled blisters like in eczema or may swelling, redness, and larger blisters after 48 hours of contact with an allergen in contact dermatitis.

Severe swelling (angioedema) – The histamine released during an immune response can cause either a localized swelling at the site of contact with the allergen or a generalized swelling of various body parts, irrespective of mode of contact. This causes allergy symptom angioedema

For example, allergens like dust or cold weather can swell the upper respiratory tract (croup), which can be life threatening due to severe airway blockage. he other hand, insect bites on the finger can cause swelling locally at the site of injection of poison or spread the swelling to the entire arm right to the shoulder, depending on the severity of the poison. A person with such swelling will have experiences pain in the muscles and gets fatigued tires easily.


Digestive system problems – The allergen may have its effect on the digestive system.This can present as vomiting,frequent loose stools and stomach ache.It may be associated with a skin rash and high fever.This may be caused by food allergens like shellfish,peanuts etc. Peanut allergy is one of the commonest food allergies observed.


Read more about allergies and their treatment

Is there a connection between asthma and allergy

 

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