Allergy FAQs
When it comes to allergies, you may experience them seasonally or have certain reactions to different foods or medications. You could live with allergies on a daily basis or you might not be completely sure what an allergy is or why your body reacts to certain substances negatively. Additionally, when you experience an allergic reaction, the first thing you do may be to reach for a bottle of medication that contains painkillers and antihistamines. While this may initially help with your symptoms, it cannot take your allergies away long term and may only mask the more serious problem that you are facing. If this is the case, you should speak with an allergy specialist, like an allergist in Manassas, VA from Black & Kletz Allergy, as soon as possible to get you on the right track before you experience an allergic reaction or before your seasonal allergies hit. For more information, contact our office today.
What are allergies?
When we think of allergies, we typically think that it is our body’s way of reacting to bad substances. When this happens, we get itchy eyes or runny noses. But, what determines what we have an allergy to and why does our body react so poorly? When you have allergies, your immune system begins reacting to a substance that is normally not considered to be dangerous to a person. This could be pet dander, foods, or pollen, among other things. However, your body reacts to these external agents when your immune system begins to attack these foreign invaders. In attempting to destroy what they think is damaging (eating a peanut), it triggers an allergic reaction.
What are common allergies?
There are many common allergies. Some of these include:
Skin Allergies. This may come in the form of eczema (known as atopic dermatitis). It is a reaction in your skin that can cause severe itching, rashes, scabbing, and flaking. Another form of skin allergy is hives, which are raised, itchy, red bumps that often appear on your skin in clusters.
Food Allergies. Many people also suffer from food allergies, and some of the most common food allergies that people experience are from nuts, eggs, wheat, fish, and dairy. Food allergies can cause a range of symptoms, including hives, skin reactions, as well as anaphylactic shock. Other less severe symptoms from food allergies come in the form of nausea, bloating, and diarrhea.
Medication Allergies. When you experience an allergy to a medication, typically the best way to deal with it is through avoidance or through allergy shots that help you build up a tolerance to the medication. Common symptoms are skin reactions as well as anaphylactic shock.
What happens when you go into anaphylactic shock?
Anaphylactic shock is incredibly dangerous and it is the most severe reaction that a person can have when it comes to allergic reactions. This reaction causes parts of your body to swell, and when your throat begins swelling it can cause difficulty breathing that leads to suffocation. Additionally, you may experience a drop in blood pressure as well as vomiting.
If you have allergies and would like help with your diagnosis or treatment, please reach out to an allergy specialist now for more information.