Contents
In line with its mission, the Editorial Board of MedTvoiLokony makes every effort to provide reliable medical content supported by the latest scientific knowledge. The additional flag “Checked Content” indicates that the article has been reviewed by or written directly by a physician. This two-step verification: a medical journalist and a doctor allows us to provide the highest quality content in line with current medical knowledge.
Our commitment in this area has been appreciated, among others, by by the Association of Journalists for Health, which awarded the Editorial Board of MedTvoiLokony with the honorary title of the Great Educator.
Have we never had an allergy problem before? This does not mean that we are not affected by this problem. Perhaps it does not apply temporarily – because you can be allergic at any time and at any age.
Medical alarm!
The medics are alarming: the modern man even causes himself problems such as allergies. Due to the sterility of the environment in which we are brought up, our immune system becomes weaker and weaker because there is nothing to exercise on. Due to the lack of a “training facility”, the immune system has to find a different occupation – and it often takes a load off in allergic reactions. About the so-called hygienic theory of allergies.
Moreover, some studies show that, for example, children who have parasites suffer less from allergies. This would fit the overall picture: when we have an allergy in our blood, the amount of antibodies produced by the body to fight parasites is rapidly increasing …
Sensitizing allergens
What is an allergy? It is the hypersensitivity of our body to certain substances or stimuli. Its symptoms can be very different: it all depends on which organ reacted with hypersensitivity. Where do the reactions occur most often? In the respiratory tract, on the skin and in the digestive tract.
In the past, allergies mainly concerned penicillin or other strong substances. In the time of our great-grandmothers, no one (or hardly anyone) had heard of hay fever. Currently, the list of allergenic substances, or allergens, is much longer – and is still growing. It already contains most of the grasses, trees and shrubs, a lot of nutrients (for example, a person allergic to poppy seeds may experience anaphylactic shock and collapse when in contact with one of its grains), many fruits and vegetables – and of course almost all the chemicals that we use at home or in industry.
We can react with hypersensitivity to drugs, vaccinations, cosmetics, clothing ingredients, dyes used to dye fabrics, and even to … sunlight.
Recently, scientists have pointed to another, completely new allergen: the electromagnetic field, produced by many household and other devices.
Allergy to electromagnetic field
This is a completely new group of allergy sufferers, still treated with a pinch of salt, because there are no detailed studies confirming that you can be allergic to the electromagnetic field. However, the fact is that The electromagnetic field around us is extremely strong and extremely diverse – some people call our urban environment a magnetic salad – so many factors emit electromagnetic radiation.
Every mobile phone, every microwave oven, landline cordless telephones that connect to a computer via bluetooth, or a radio from mice and printers – all these radiate in some way. High-voltage cables that run near the house also – moreover, even cables carrying electricity hidden in the walls generate an electromagnetic field, which in addition can be accurately measured! No wonder that there are more and more people who complain about feeling bad in such surroundings. They talk about migraines, dizziness, chest pains.
Hypochondriacs? Not necessarily – after all, many devices must not be used by people who have a pacemaker because of the electromagnetic field they generate. And if it can affect the operation of the pacemaker, why not the operation of our body? After all, it has already been scientifically proven that each of us has our own biofield, the aura has even been photographed, and we study the work of the brain by observing changes in the flow of cerebral currents.
Treatment of electron hypersensitivity
Unfortunately, there is no cure for electron sensitivity. The only thing you can do is to clean your own surroundings of devices that emit the field: give your friends a microwave, give up your cell phone and other wireless devices, put the bed in a place where there are no cables in the walls, and sockets next to your head.
We can also use radiation “catchers”, indicated by natural medicine: birch wood or even chestnuts scattered in the bed chest, in the most frequently used rooms we set up a small room fountain, and next to the TV – a fern neutralizing the electromagnetic field.
Check out the best ways to dry air at home
The most common inhalation allergens – symptoms
One of the most common types of allergy is inhalation allergy. Inhaled allergens enter the respiratory tract.
What sensitizes. Most often, as much as 70 percent. pollen of grasses, flowers, weeds, grains and trees (then we are dealing with the so-called pollinosis). In addition, there are molds, pet skin (dog, cat, hamster), house dust mites, car tire particles, and sometimes bacterial and viral allergens. It happens that we can react with an allergy to sprayed hairspray, volatile substances released by a heated Teflon pan or drying nail polish.
The symptoms of inhalation allergy may vary. One form is hay fever, which is a persistent runny nose often accompanied by sneezing, watery and burning eyes, conjunctivitis, itching at the corners of the eyes, and itching in the throat. Worse, when the body reacts violently, e.g. with sudden bronchospasm and deep breathlessness – then either quick medical attention or taking steroids, which are administered by inhalation, is necessary. Often, this type of allergy is less turbulent, resulting in persistent, prolonged breathlessness, difficulty breathing, hypoxia, headaches, and sometimes even a high temperature.
Allergy or cold?
Due to a runny nose, an allergy is often confused with a cold. However, contrary to appearances, it is easy to distinguish between these two ailments. With a cold, the runny nose is often less profuse and quickly becomes either a blocked nose or a thicker discharge. In the case of allergies, the runny nose is still just as watery and just as profuse.
In addition, with allergies, the throat may scratch us, but it does not hurt – this is the case with colds.
Hay fever occurs at the same time each year – and this is the best proof that we have had an allergy.
Treatment of hay fever
It is worth treating hay fever, because if neglected it not only turns life into a nightmare while the plant is pollinated, but also causes sinusitis and middle ear inflammation, and can even lead to bronchitis or the development of asthma. How to heal it? Comprehensively. The mainstay of treatment is taking pills that suppress an allergic reaction in the body. Often an auxiliary need to use a drug that will stop a runny nose (drops or tablets) or deal with conjunctivitis (droplets).
In case of more severe allergies, it is necessary to administer an inhaled steroid every day. Such treatment must be continued at all times when we are exposed to the allergen. If the symptoms are really bothersome, we can think about desensitizing, but it is a long process and should be supervised by a doctor. Allergy vaccines contain a low concentration of a pathogen (e.g. birch or hazel extract). They are administered once a week for three months in the run-up to pollination. Vaccinations must be repeated three years in a row. Then we have 7-8 years of respite.
Skin allergy (eczema) – causes
Another form of allergy is skin allergy, or eczema. He visits it quite often, because the skin is a huge surface of contact with the environment.
We can be sensitized by washing and cleaning agents, cosmetics, jewelery, rubber, some metal alloys, resin (hence it may seem at times that we are allergic to wood), paints, also printing (hence we can react with an allergy to contact with … a newspaper) or substances chemicals (e.g. chlorine used to whiten toilet paper) and even fragrances added to panty liners.
People who are allergic to artificial fabrics, such as polyester and acrylic, are very unlucky, because many clothes are produced from these very substances. It happens that, for example, allergic to nickel, they cannot wear .. jeans, because the rivets used in them contain allergenic metal, so the skin reacts with a rash. An allergy to rubber and latex is also common – that’s why many people did not wear flip-flops that are so fashionable this year or are doomed to do housework without protective gloves, or even give up … condoms, which are made of latex or rubber.
The skin can react with an allergy to contact with sunlight, especially if the body is exposed to its first rays and if the skin is not used to it, we treat it with a large dose of radiation. Fortunately, just because we’ve reacted once doesn’t mean we’ll have to react again – if we take certain precautions.
Symptoms and treatment of eczema
Eczema manifests as small lumps which then turn into a clear liquid, red, itchy or burning blisters. The urticaria that occurs with allergies is an itchy pink rash that appears locally or all over the body – it resembles a nettle burn. Swelling of the face or other parts of the body can also occur – and this is the most disturbing symptom. In case of swelling of the face, you need to seek medical attention quickly.
We absolutely must track down and eliminate the allergen. Otherwise, the allergic reaction will repeat itself and the changes in the skin will spread. The skin in the area of frequent contact with the allergen becomes hard and rough. And when the lesions appear, they are treated with steroid ointments or a combined treatment with steroid ointment plus an oral antihistamine.
Food allergy – what causes an allergy?
The domain of children is food allergy, fortunately most of us outgrow it. In the past, they mainly sensitized strawberries, today we have two allergens that will torment us for the rest of our lives – nuts and fish. They can cause a life-threatening shock.
Most often it sensitizes cow’s milk protein, eggs, wheat, as well as pork, fish, seafood, chocolate, and from fruits, strawberries, wild strawberries, citrus, tomatoes and nuts. They also very often sensitize preservatives, but they can also sensitize such “innocent” foods as apples, carrots and potatoes!
Got hives or diarrhea after eating peanuts? Check that you are not allergic. We offer a mail order blood test for food intolerance available on Medonet Market.
A symptom of allergy is itching of the lips and tongue, sometimes accompanied by swelling, making it difficult to swallow and breathe – then it is dangerous to health and life. The itchy rash on the face, especially on the eyelids, arms, legs, and torso, is less dramatic. We can also suffer from disorders in the digestive tract: nausea, pain in the abdominal cavity and diarrhea. Therefore, you need to react: chronic diarrhea disrupts the absorption of substances in the intestines, which leads to weight loss and even life-threatening malnutrition.
Food allergies are relatively easy to avoid – it is enough to identify the food that sensitizes us and discontinue it by trial and error.
Text: Hanna Mądra
Also read: Urticaria – the first symptom of more serious diseases
The content of the medTvoiLokony website is intended to improve, not replace, the contact between the Website User and their doctor. The website is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Before following the specialist knowledge, in particular medical advice, contained on our Website, you must consult a doctor. The Administrator does not bear any consequences resulting from the use of information contained on the Website.