What are allergies? And how are they treated?

 

What are allergies? And how are they treated?

Now, what are allergies?
Allergies are a special susceptibility of some people that causes them to respond in an exaggerated way to exposure to one or more external elements or allergens. Allergies affect 20-25% of the population. The skin and respiratory tract are the areas of the body most exposed to contact with allergens, so they are the organs that most frequently suffer from allergic reactions, generally characterized by a process of inflammation. In the skin it generates dermatitis; in the eyes, conjunctivitis; on the nasal mucosa, rhinitis; and when it affects the bronchi, asthma. If the allergen is ingested (food or medicine), then it can also affect the digestive system causing diarrhoea and abdominal pain.

In the case of reactions to food, medicine or insect bites, the manifestations can appear simultaneously involving different organs (skin and mucosa, respiratory tract, digestive tract, etc.) and forming a picture with generalized symptoms. The more intense and immediate generalized reactions after exposure to the allergen constitute a medical emergency, given their potential severity. Although in most cases the reactions are more or less mild, sometimes the allergy can cause anaphylactic shock (generalized systemic failure) and even death.

The predisposition to allergies usually has an important hereditary component, which causes the immune system to overreact to the presence of an allergen. When this happens, a series of specific antibodies are generated against this substance that is transferred to cells called mast cells, which are very abundant in the nose, eyes and lungs. They adhere to the surface of these cells and every time a person comes into contact with the substances to which they are allergic, the release of histamine, a mediator of inflammation, begins, and as a consequence, the symptoms of allergy are triggered.

How are allergies treated?
Once the allergy is diagnosed, the best allergy treatments can include:

Environmental control measures.
The first step in treatment is to avoid contact with the substances that cause the allergic reaction. Avoiding contact with allergens contributes to a better result of the treatment prescribed by the specialist and a reduction in symptoms.

Medicines.
They are used to relieve the symptoms caused by rhinitis or asthma. They are called symptomatic drugs and among them are antihistamines, corticosteroids, bronchodilators, theophyllines, etc. Medicines relieve symptoms, but they will not make the cause of your illness go away.

Immunotherapy or allergy shots
Popularly known as allergy vaccines, it consists of gradually administering repetitive doses of the allergen to the allergic person in order to reduce or eliminate their sensitivity to it. The duration of treatment is 3 to 5 years in most cases. You can order Rhinocort Nasal Spray or an EpiPen Auto-Injector Online in the UK.

Immunotherapy is used to treat allergies caused by sensitization to pollen, dust mites, animal skin, certain fungi, and bee and wasp venoms. With this treatment, in addition to alleviating allergy symptoms and reducing the amount of medication taken, it modifies the natural history of the disease.