Allergies are common complications that affect allergy-prone individuals. Some allergy issues can be mild, needing no treatment, while others can interfere with your quality of life, making it difficult for you to carry out your daily activities. Although some cases can be managed through over-the-counter medications, it is good to seek medical attention from an expert specializing in managing such conditions. Your Surprise allergist at Oasis Ear, Nose, and Throat can help you manage your condition through medication and other treatments, such as immunotherapy.
What Are Allergies?
Although the term allergy is common, many people don’t understand why some people will have allergic reactions to some factors while others are not affected. Typically, allergies occur when your body rejects certain substances, foods, or objects. Your body has a defensive mechanism against hazards of any nature. However, your immune system can sometimes mistakenly identify some harmless substances as dangerous, rallying its defenses in support of your health. This causes some unpleasant and disruptive symptoms as the defenses try to take out the supposed enemy.
Main Causes Of Allergic Reactions
Different people are allergic to different things. This makes it possible to have hundreds of ordinary substances triggering allergic reactions in different people. However, the most common triggers of allergic reactions that affect many people include:
· Pollen
· Household dust
· Industrial chemicals
· Some pets
· Molds
· Cockroaches
· Some foods
· Some medications
· Insect stings
· Feathers
Who Develops Allergies?
Anyone, regardless of gender, age, socioeconomic, or race factors, can become allergic to substances. As noted, there are no particular allergies that affect everyone. What can trigger allergic reactions for one person may not affect someone else. Allergies are common in children, but they can begin at any age in your life. They can occur when you are a child and take a long break only to return when you advance in age.
Although the exact genetic factor to allergies is not well understood, allergies are hereditary in some cases. This means that you can be susceptible to the triggers if you have a family history of allergic reactions.
Common Types Of Allergic Complications
Although an allergic reaction can occur anywhere in your body, your eyes, nose, sinuses, lungs, skin, and throat are normally most affected. This is because your special immune system cells are stationed in these areas to fight off invaders wherever you can be exposed to them. The common allergic complications include:
Hay Fever (Allergic Rhinitis)
This is a common condition involving your nose and causes runny nose, congestion, itching, and sneezing. You can also experience itching in your eyes, or the top of your mouth.
Asthma
This is also a common allergic complication that occurs when your airway muscle spasms, blocking the flowing air to your lungs. This can be due to excess mucus clogging the airway. You can experience restricted breathing, coughing, wheezing, or a tight feeling in your chest with this condition.
Skin Complications
When you contact some allergens or irritants through your skin, you can develop complications such as eczema, hives, and atopic and contact dermatitis. These conditions can be triggered by some medications, foods, insect stings, plants, animals, and chemicals.
Anaphylaxis
Although rare, anaphylaxis is a potentially fatal complication that affects several body parts at the same time. It can be caused by a sting, food, or medications. With this complication, you can experience diarrhea or vomiting, breathing difficulties, loss of consciousness, swelling of the throat, or a dangerous reduction in your blood pressure.
Avoid Allergies
If you have some allergic reactions or you suspect you are allergic to some substances, the providers at Oasis Ear, Nose, and Throat can help diagnose and manage your condition.
