Allergic skin diseases – how to recognize, types, symptoms

Proven content

Allergy is an acquired, altered reaction to a specific allergen. Although a predisposition to allergy is often family-driven, neither is allergy to a specific allergen nor to a specific allergic disease.

What are allergic skin diseases?

Allergic skin disease is a condition characterized by having an acquired allergy to a specific allergen. Often, patients do not believe that they are allergic to some substance with which they have been in contact for a long time. Meanwhile, it is after years of contact that we create certain mechanisms responsible for the phenomena of allergy.

In addition to the concept of allergy, there is a narrower term – “atopy”. Atopy is a family predisposition to some type of allergic reaction, which may include:

1. bronchial asthma,
2. hay fever,
3. allergic conjunctivitis,
4. atopic dermatitis,
5. some hives.

How are allergic skin diseases diagnosed?

The main diagnostic method in allergic skin diseases is medical interview with the patient. It should be remembered that the number of allergens in the world around us is so great that searching blindly with the help of tests is like looking for a needle in a haystack. A correctly collected interview is the basis for the implementation of further procedures and treatment methods. Among other diagnostic methods are:

1. elimination diet,
2. display diet,
3. skin tests, where the allergen is introduced by injection,
4. inhalation or nasal tests,
5. RIST test – testing the concentration of immunoglobulin E,
6. RAST test – determining the concentration of immunoglobulin E against a specific allergen,
7. ELSA test – testing of antibodies.

To reduce the likelihood of an allergic reaction, use the beneficial power of probiotics. We recommend, for example, TribioDr. in capsules available on Medonet Market.

Types of allergic skin diseases

1. Atopic dermatitis

In atopic dermatitis, the most common sensitization is to food and / or inhalation allergens. Bacterial and viral antigens secreted from chronic intracorporeal foci are also of great importance. The disease is often accompanied by bronchial asthma and a more or less marked predisposition to severe keratosis and dry skin. Many different cells and the active substances they produce, the so-called cytokines.

symptoms

Skin changes appearing in AD can begin as early as 1 year of life (often around the first month). The first skin lesions are usually spreading on the cheeks and scalp. These are:

1. erythema,
2. lumps
3. bubbles
4. oozing erosions,
5. strupki.

Over time, new skin lesions appear on the trunk and in the places where the limbs are bent. As a result of severe itching, the child is usually irritable and cannot sleep at night. In addition, secondary bacterial contamination is often superimposed on scratches.

Are you looking for a test for allergens that may affect the appearance of atopic lesions? Perform a blood test with the kit sent to your home – order atopic allergy tests.

In the period of atopic dermatitis – if the child is breastfed, carefully examine what is in the mother’s diet and possibly exclude strong allergens (often derived from mother’s milk). However, when the child is fed artificially, with the help of a pediatrician and a dietitian, the type of milk used for admixtures should be changed or, as a last resort, replaced with dairy-free soy preparations.

Around the age of 2, skin lesions may begin to resolve or change their location (neck, backs of hands and feet, wrists, elbow bends) and character. In adulthood, the patient’s hair becomes thinner, as well as the sides of the eyebrows. This is because the patient is scratching the skin lesions. Sometimes the lymph nodes are also enlarged.

Treatment

A child suffering from atopic dermatitis from early childhood should be under the constant care of an allergist or dermatologist who provide parents with many tips for care. While bathing your baby, you can add rice or oat gruel and other special preparations to the water. In addition, remember to moisturize and lubricate the baby’s skin with various oils and ointments. On the other hand, after washing your child’s underwear or bedding, rinse them in the washing machine.

At AD, local and general medications are also administered, which are adapted to the current condition of the child’s skin. It is also important to avoid keeping animals in a home where a child with atopic dermatitis lives. We are talking about dogs, cats, parrots and hamsters. Dust is also not the best friend of AZS, it should be carefully removed and possible mold and mites should be removed from the apartment.

Some herbs also support the treatment of allergies. Try the action of Recommended Tea for Allergies, which is available on Medonet Market. It is also worth remembering about the use of appropriate cosmetics. For skin prone to irritation, for example HYDRA ESSENCE Moisturizing Gel-sorbet Moisturizing and protecting Sensilis.

2. Urticaria

Nettle is usually the result of an allergy, but there are also non-allergic hives. This group includes, for example:

1. aspirin urticaria,
2. physical hives, in which the allergic factor is cold, water, sun.

In allergic urticaria, the most common cause is food alergy or allergy caused by hidden foci of infection. To find out if you have a food allergy, do a 10 allergen mailing test.

symptoms

The course of urticaria can be acute or chronic. The skin lesions are hives of varying size (similar to what appears on the skin after contact with nettle) and are characterized by a severe itching sensation. If the patient refrains from scratching, individual lesions will disappear quite quickly, but the condition may persist for a long time. Urticaria may be accompanied by the so-called Quincke’s angioedema – it is a rapidly growing pasty swelling, most often located on the eyelids, in the throat, around the mouth, in the larynx and on the genitals. The location of this swelling in the larynx can lead to airway obstruction. Therefore, patients who develop urticaria should consult a doctor as soon as possible.

Treatment

In the treatment of urticaria, lime and possibly antihistamines can be used at home. However, it is worth consulting a doctor as soon as possible so that there are no dangerous complications. In chronic urticaria, a number of different tests are performed to detect the allergen.

3. Anaphylactic shock

General allergic reaction, the so-called anaphylactic shock, has the most turbulent course and often occurs after parenteral administration of a preparation or a contrast agent during an X-ray examination.

symptoms

Symptoms of anaphylactic shock appear only seconds after the administration of the allergen. Then the patient experiences a sudden drop in pressure, paleness of the skin, increased heart rate, convulsions, hives on the skin and, consequently, loss of consciousness. In such a situation, an ambulance should be called immediately, because anaphylactic shock is a direct threat to life.

Procedure

Anaphylactic shock may appear already during the allergy test or also during a longer series of injections. Therefore, the person who performs the procedure (e.g. at the patient’s home) should always be provided with the so-called shock-absorbing first aid kit. Having such a first aid kit can save a sick person’s life before the ambulance arrives.

4. Eczema (eczema)

Eczema is an acute or chronic inflammation of the skin in the form of vesicles, erythema, inflamed lumps, erosions or scabs. It can be caused by contact or intra-body allergens.

symptoms

In the case of contact allergens, inflammatory changes are initially limited to the place where a specific allergen has been activated – a watch strap, earrings or hair dye. However, they can spread to the rest of the skin. In the case of intra-body allergens (e.g. intestinal parasites, bacterial outbreaks), skin lesions may be located in different places on the skin.

It is worth paying attention to “occupational” eczema, in which allergens are related to the type of work performed. It is then necessary to change the nature of work, and sometimes even to grant a professional pension. Then the patient undergoes special diagnostic tests with an allergist in the provincial occupational medicine.

The Bioherba face mask with red and pink clay for allergic, sensitive, couperose and discolored skin will help in soothing skin irritations and changes. You will receive a discount when ordering a product through Medonet Market.

5. Drug rashes

Any formulation applied topically or in general can lead to an allergic skin disease. Therefore, without consulting a doctor and a clear need, one should not take prophylactic drugs, e.g. on a trial basis. It should be emphasized that even vitamins can have an allergic effect.

Some rashes are not specific, such as:

1. hives
2. spot changes,
3. papular changes,
4. hemorrhagic or vesicular changes.

6. Erythema exudative multiforme

This form of erythema can occur with certain medications or following an infection. Among symptoms such as fever and malaise on the skin and mucous membranes, there may be erythema with blisters and then erosions. A severe form of exudative erythema multiforme can even be fatal. You should immediately discontinue the medications you are taking and see a doctor for a consultation.

7. Nodular erythema

Erythema nodosum, like exudative erythema, may appear after taking a certain drug or having an infection. The symptoms of this ailment are mainly:

1. fever,
2. inflammatory tumors on the front surface of the shins, and less often also the thighs and upper limbs (tumors cause pain when pressed, but never ulcerate).

8. Permanent erythema

Permanent erythema is a condition that always appears after taking the medicine. Then, an erythema appears anywhere on the skin, ranging from 1 cm to several centimeters in diameter, slightly above the level of the surrounding skin and characterized by itching. Over time, the skin changes begin to turn brown, then fade away and reappear after taking the same medicine. Use of a sensitizing drug for a long time. can transform the skin lesions into exudative erythema.