An allergy not only makes a person feel uncomfortable, but can also endanger his life. Why are some people more sensitive than others to things that are commonplace and familiar to everyone, such as milk, nuts or dust? How can I find out if you or your children are allergic and how to deal with it? What is allergic to? How does it manifest, what are its symptoms and how to diagnose it? By answering these questions, you can protect yourself from incorrect actions that can cause significant harm to your health.
What is an allergy?
The immune system protects the body from the many substances in the air that a person breathes, contained in the food that he eats, as well as in objects that he touches.
Allergy is a reaction of the immune system to the banal elements of the external environment to which it ideally should not have responded. Often you can hear such a term as "allergens." What it is? This is what allergies are. Allergens are substances that provoke an allergic reaction. In turn, antibodies produced by the body as a response to allergies are commonly called immunoglobulins E. If, as a result of a series of tests, these antibodies are detected in the body, then the doctor will diagnose the allergy.
Despite the rather high level of development that medicine has achieved today, it is impossible to say with certainty why some, at first glance, very harmless substances provoke the occurrence of an allergic reaction in individual people. An increased risk factor is a genetic predisposition. Thus, if one of the parents is allergic, the risk that his child will also suffer from allergies is 48%. This figure rises to 70% in the event that both parents are exposed to allergic reactions. Naturally, every parent wonders how to get rid of allergies forever. To do this, first of all, you need to know what types of allergies exist and what are their main symptoms and manifestations.
Types of allergies and their symptoms
What is allergic to? To answer this question, its main types should be noted. So, an allergy happens:
- Respiratory (rhinitis, rhinosinusitis, allergic bronchial asthma). Allergy in case of rhinitis: sneezing, itching in the nose, runny nose. In allergic asthma, itching of the palate and ears, fatigue, headaches, lack of appetite, a decrease or complete absence of smell (hyposmia or anosmia), coughing, wheezing when breathing, shortness of breath (dyspnea) are observed.
- Contact, arising in contact with various metals, household chemicals, food. The manifestation of this type of allergy can be seen on the skin. We are talking about atopic dermatitis, dermatosis, urticaria. Among the main symptoms should be noted redness of the skin, blisters, swelling of the extremities, itching.
- Food, which occurs either in tactile contact with certain foods, or immediately after eating them. Most often, this type of allergy manifests itself in the form of anaphylactic shock.
- Insect, which appears as a result of insect bites or in the event that a person inhales particles of their life.
- A drug that occurs as a reaction to medications. This type of allergy is dangerous in that it affects the internal organs of a person.
- Infectious, manifested in the reaction of the body to its own microbes and bacteria.
The manifestation of allergies (seasonal or daily), as well as its intensity, vary from case to case depending on the presence or absence of the allergen.
Main allergens
Doctors recommend that everyone, at least in general terms, know what allergies are. Among the main allergens, the following should be noted:
- Pollen of trees and plants.
- Ticks living and eating house dust.
- Some foods - cow's milk, chicken eggs, wheat, soybeans, seafood, various fruits, nuts.
- Spores of fungi, as well as mold formed in bathtubs and in other rooms with high humidity.
- Some drugs - Penicillin, Aspirin, anesthetics.
- Nickel, rubber, hair dye (allergens that come in contact with the skin).
- The hair of pets - dogs, cats, horses, hamsters.
- Bee and wasp venom.
How is allergy diagnosed?
Before you think about how to get rid of an allergy forever, you need to know how to identify it. It is quite difficult to diagnose an allergy, and even more so to identify the allergen that provokes it. For this, a number of special tests are carried out. For instance:
- Prik testing - an injection or scratching of the skin. This method is the cheapest and fastest, used to detect allergies and is suitable for both adults and children. It is absolutely safe for health. Test results are usually ready in 15–20 minutes.
- A blood test to detect IgE antibodies, that is, a group of causative allergens. This method is more expensive and studies are ongoing over several days.
- Spirometry is a method used to detect respiratory allergies. Allergists use a device called a spirometer to measure the amount of air in the patient’s lungs. This method is best repeated several times at different times of the day. Thanks to spirometry, it becomes possible to assess the severity and determine the stage of bronchial asthma.
- Elimination tests, which are based on the elimination diet. It lies in the fact that the alleged allergenic product is completely excluded from the patient’s diet. If after 1-2 weeks the state of human health improves, then we can conclude that the product displayed from the menu is the true cause of allergies.
How to overcome allergies to cats?
Sometimes it happens that some people do not even realize that they have an allergy to cats. How to get rid of it, because with the advent of a fluffy lump, the house lit up with happiness and fun? If you refuse a new family member beyond your strength, then the doctor will first prescribe treatment with antihistamines. In addition, today in pharmacies you can find various nasal sprays and eye drops, which the pharmacist will recommend depending on the symptoms that appear. In the event of an asthma attack, the allergist will prescribe drugs that fight severe respiratory diseases. However, if, despite all efforts, the allergic reaction does not recede, unfortunately, you still have to refuse the pet.
In cases where the allergy does not cause significant discomfort, and medications successfully cope and facilitate its manifestations, you can leave your beloved pet in the house. In this case, it is necessary to observe a number of simple rules:
- The cat should be regularly bathed;
- Do not allow her to sleep in the master room, and even more so on the bed;
- change the cat tray as often as possible;
- daily carry out wet cleaning in the house;
- It is recommended to castrate the cat.
Since getting rid of allergies is almost impossible forever, these rules should become law for you!
How to deal with dog allergies?
A dog is not only a true friend, but also an excellent and highly effective antidepressant that guarantees a good mood and mood. However, banal allergies to dogs can ruin everything. How to get rid of her? This question becomes the main one from which the loving host asks. In the event of an allergic reaction to dogs, treatment should be prescribed by a doctor. He will assess the intensity of the symptoms and select the optimal therapy for each individual. The patient may even be recommended immunotherapy, which is based on the impact on the human immune system.
Although there is no cure that completely eliminates dog allergies, the following helpful tips may help to some extent:
- you must wash your hands thoroughly after each contact with the animal;
- wash your dog at least once a week with a special hypoallergenic shampoo;
- the entrance to the animal in your room should be closed;
- get pillows and a blanket with polyester filling;
- get rid of carpets and upholstered furniture that absorb allergens;
- regularly use an air freshener;
- Maintain cleanliness in the house and do not allow dust to accumulate;
- Refrain from smoking, as this habit reduces the body's resistance to allergens and exacerbates the lung problem.
Is it possible to quickly and permanently get rid of allergies?
Unfortunately, those who are interested in how to quickly get rid of allergies have nothing to please especially. Of course, with the symptoms and manifestations of allergies, it is not only possible, but also necessary. However, this takes time. It is necessary to strictly follow all the recommendations and instructions of an allergist. If you retreat at least one step from the course of treatment, all previous efforts will go down the drain, and an allergic reaction will not take long.
Effective antiallergic drug "Diprospan"
The name of this medication can be heard more often than others in response to the question of how to get rid of allergies forever with the help of medicines. This anti-allergic drug can be purchased at any pharmacy. It helps to eliminate the symptoms of severe allergic reactions, and also helps to fight asthma attacks characteristic of bronchial asthma. In addition, this pharmacological agent has been successfully used as an emergency in anaphylactic shock. It is impossible not to note the effectiveness of the drug "Diprospan" in the treatment of urticaria, conjunctivitis, sinusitis, bronchial spasm. This medication is available exclusively in the form of a solution for injection. Each package contains 5 or 10 ampoules of the drug. Each contains 1 ml of solution.
Allergy opinions on the drug "Diprospan"
A huge number of people have already managed to evaluate the effectiveness of such a drug as Diprospan. It relieves allergies and its manifestations much better and faster than many other medicines. Most allergy sufferers claim that since they learned about Diprospan, it never disappears from their home medicine cabinet. Despite some side effects of the drug, it has become simply indispensable for those suffering from various allergic reactions. With the medicine "Diprospan" allergy is not terrible. The reviews of hundreds of thousands, and maybe even millions of people are the best confirmation of this indisputable fact.
Instead of a conclusion
According to the latest statistics, today one in four suffers from any allergy. If the growth trend continues, by 2020 every second person will be able to call himself an allergic person. For some reason, this is not taken seriously by society. Allergy is seen as something commonplace. But this is wrong. Due to a severe allergic reaction, a person may die. You must admit that it is not easy to live with the idea that the food you ate in the restaurant or the medicine you took to relieve a particular pain can cause death. That is why allergies should be taken seriously, visit a doctor and strictly follow all his recommendations and prescriptions.