What Are the Symptoms of an Allergic Reaction?
Allergies are common. Most symptoms of an allergic reaction are minor and more of an annoyance. Symptoms can worsen with repeated exposure or come on suddenly making the allergy life threatening. Anaphylaxis is a severe allergic reaction that can come on suddenly. These types of reactions can occur within seconds of exposure with a quick onset of symptoms.
Effects
Mild symptoms are rash, hives, itching, watery eyes and swelling. A tingling sensation in mouth, vomiting, abdominal cramps, diarrhea and a drop in blood pressure may occur. Severe symptoms include trouble breathing, swelling of tongue and/or throat, wheezing, loss of consciousness and death.
Facts
The body reacts to otherwise harmless substances contacted through the skin, inhaled, swallowed or injected causing an allergic reaction. It detects the allergen as foreign, triggering the immune system's defense to overreact. The immune system generates a myriad of symptoms causing an allergic reaction.
Types
Allergic reactions arise from contact with food, medicine, latex and cosmetics. Indoor allergens comprise animal dander, dust mites and mold spores. Outdoor allergens are mostly seasonal with trees, grass, weeds and mold as the most common. Other outdoor allergic reactions consist of bee stings, poison ivy and oak and insect venom.
Time Frame
Depending on the individual, reaction symptoms can occur within minutes to several hours after contact. Seasonal allergies, such as pollen, tree and grass, tend to occur in the spring and autumn and are annual. Most children grow out of their food allergies; others have symptoms for their entire life. Adults can develop an allergic reaction suddenly, without warning.
Prevention/Solution
Strict avoidance of the causing allergen is the means to the prevention of symptoms and reaction. For medicines and foods, read all ingredients carefully before taking. Latex and cosmetic allergic individuals should read all ingredients of the product before applying to skin. Seasonal or animal-related allergic individuals should avoid animal dander, house dust and mold.
History
According to Auckland Allergy Clinic, the earliest report of an allergic affliction was the death of King Menses of Egypt due to the sting of a wasp. Clemens von Pirquet was an Austrian scientist who coined the term, "allergy" in 1906 when his study of the smallpox vaccine produced symptoms and hypersensitivity reactions in some of his patients.
Misconceptions
The majority of individuals who claim to have the symptoms of an allergic reaction is food sensitive or intolerant of the said allergen. True allergic reactions involve the immune system.
