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What are allergies (types of allergic reactions)
Allergy is always an inadequate response of the immune system to some pathogen, allergen. Allergens on their own are not dangerous, but the body’s unusual reactions to them can pose a serious health problem. What exactly is an allergy, and what are the types of allergic reactions?
What kind of allergy is, and how exactly it manifests itself, depends on the allergen. Moreover, it often happens that, for example, with food allergies, only one type of product (one variety of strawberries or one variety of nuts) becomes hostile and causes allergies, while everyone else can still not be feared.
What are allergies?
That, what is the allergy, in other words, what are certain types of allergic reactions, depends directly on the allergen. Here is just a short list of what allergies are, depending on the individual characteristics of the immune system:
dust and house dust mites;
in the sun;
for medications (antibiotics, anesthetics);
for food (nuts, eggs, milk, legumes, citrus fruits, honey);
on mold;
for insect bites and secretions;
on the fur, saliva and excretions of animals;
of latex;
for metals;
for chemical cleaning agents;
on the pollen of flowering plants;
for foreign proteins (in donor plasma and vaccines) and many others. dr.
Types of allergic reactions
The same allergens can cause different types of allergic reactions – bronchial asthma, allergic rhinitis, otitis media and conjunctivitis, urticaria, Quincke’s edema. What kind of allergy happens depends not so much on its cause, but on the organ in which the inflammatory reaction occurs. So bronchial asthma or allergic rhinitis indicate inflammation of the respiratory system, allergic conjunctivitis – about allergic inflammation of the eyes, dermatitis, urticaria, Quincke’s edema – about an allergic skin reaction to an allergen. Inflammation can manifest itself simultaneously by several types of allergic reaction, which leads to anaphylactic shock.
Depending on what kind of allergy occurs, its symptoms also differ:
with allergic asthma – types of allergic reactions are cough, shortness of breath, respiratory failure;
with allergic rhinitis – sneezing, itching of the nasal mucosa, discharge, congestion;
with allergic conjunctivitis – redness and swelling of the eyes, lacrimation, itching of the eyelids;
with allergic urticaria – a rash similar to a nettle burn;
with Quincke’s edema – swelling of the skin or mucous membranes;
with atopic dermatitis – rashes accompanied by itching;
with contact dermatitis – rashes in areas in contact with allergens;
with anaphylactic shock – clouding or loss of consciousness, lowering blood pressure, respiratory arrest, etc.
With a certain set of allergens, there are many types of allergic reactions, the cause of which can only be determined by a doctor, after a thorough examination and analysis. Even if you know what allergies are, you should not self-medicate.