In the modern world, an urgent problem is allergy. It manifests itself in the fact that increased sensitivity to certain factors, the so-called allergens. Most often this can be observed in people with weak immunity. It does not always appear for the first time in childhood. This will happen already in adults.
How to find out what a person is allergic to? How does it manifest? An allergic reaction can be easily confused with intolerance to any products. Therefore, you need to be informed about its symptoms.
Symptoms of an Allergic Reaction
To avoid serious consequences due to allergies, you should know under what symptoms you need to contact a specialist and take any measures.
- With allergies, breathing may be difficult. In addition, coughing, wheezing, sneezing appears. The patient feels stuffy in the chest.
- The appearance of an ordinary runny nose, which is not a sign of a cold, indicates the presence of this problem. In this case, conjunctivitis is accompanied by it.
- The most common symptom is a skin rash. It is often accompanied by itching.
- Digestive disorder occurs. This is indicated by the appearance of nausea, diarrhea, vomiting.
- Swelling of the lips and eyelids also indicates an allergy.
For many, these signs appear to varying degrees and may indicate not only an allergic reaction. In this case, a strong increase in temperature is possible. The symptoms are combined with the fact that they are rapidly developing. Some of them are specific, and therefore it is most likely to consult a doctor.
Causes of Allergies
Before you deal with this problem, you should find out the reasons that contribute to its occurrence. These include:
- Diseases of the internal organs. Most often, the appearance of an allergic reaction is caused by problems with the liver, stomach, endocrine and nervous system.
- Weakened immunity. Often because of this, the body loses its ability to effectively deal with the influence of irritants, that is, allergens.
- Excessively sterile living conditions. Due to the fact that there is no contact with allergens or it is very small, the immune system weakens.
- Ecological situation. Exposure to radiation from electrical appliances, the presence of hormones, antibiotics in products increases the risk of allergies.
- Problems of a psychological nature. They undermine the normal state of the body, make it the most susceptible to negative factors. Most often, such problems include prolonged depression or nervous breakdown.
In young children, the risk of allergies increases if someone from close relatives suffered from this problem. This is due to a genetic predisposition.
Types of Allergens
How to find out what a person is allergic to? Allergens can be one of two types. They can be endoallergens and exoallergens. In the first case, substances that provoke an allergic reaction are formed in the body itself, in the second they penetrate there from the environment. Exoallergens can be food, dust, plants, antibiotics, alcohol.
How to find out what allergies are in adults?
In case of signs of allergy, it is best to consult a specialist. In this case, an allergist. How to find out what an allergy is for an adult? Currently, medicine has a sufficient arsenal of methods for determining its causes. These include skin tests. Their essence is that allergens in a pure form and a small amount are administered under the skin of the forearm.
Skin tests are divided into three types:
- Scarification test. In this case, necrotic scratches are left on the skin with needles or lancets, which are covered with a drop of allergen.
- Intradermal test. The irritant is injected with a syringe.
- The trick is a test. This test is performed by injection.
Still how to find out what an allergy is in an adult? There is such a method as a provocative test. It gives more information and is indicative. Such a test involves the introduction of an allergen into the organ that is most affected by allergies. It is called shock.
How to find out what the allergy is? The most effective way to determine the allergen is a blood test for the presence of IgE antibodies in it. To conduct it, the patient needs to donate a small amount of blood from a vein.
How to find out what an allergy is by an extra-laboratory method
If there is no possibility or desire to contact a specialist, then you can identify an allergen at home. Currently, pharmacies offer various tests for these purposes. They are a strip on which blood is applied. If there is a plus on it, then there is a reaction to the allergen, a minus - no. However, this method is dubious and unreliable.
How to find out what an allergy is in a child?
Children over 3 years old can undergo laboratory methods to determine allergens. In some cases, the allowable age is increased to 5 years. The methods are not much different from those conducted with adults.
How to find out what an allergy is in a child? It is also possible for parents to make observations and write them in a diary. This will be effective, since allergies appear not only due to food, but also due to the influence of other factors. Infants should be treated differently.
Baby Allergy
How to find out what an allergy is in infants? The determination of allergens in infants has its own characteristics. This is due to the fact that laboratory tests are useless and uninformative due to the immature immune system of babies.
In this case, the hypoallergenic diet that the nursing mother should sit on helps. Her diet should not contain foods that can cause an allergic reaction. The duration of this diet is two weeks. Then, previously banned foods are slowly returned to the diet with a period of 2-3 days. A product that causes a negative reaction of the baby is excluded from the nutrition of the mother. Household allergies in babies are not excluded. It can provoke animals, synthetic clothing, shampoos, powders. In this case, it is necessary to exclude them from the babyβs life for a while, and then return them with care in the same way as the products. However, before all these procedures, you should contact your pediatrician, who will consult and not make mistakes.
Allergy Prevention
How to find out the cause of allergies, you already know. Now let's talk about its prevention. First you need to limit contact with things that cause her. In addition, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of an allergic reaction by organizing wet cleaning, weekly washing. There are also products that will prevent allergies. These include mustard, horseradish and oily fish. Their action is that they contribute to the removal of harmful substances from the body. You can cope with allergens using a method such as washing your sinuses. The procedure is carried out using saline or sea water.
Folic acid will help increase the body's resistance to factors that trigger allergies. It is found in foods such as pear, spinach, bell pepper, lettuce. You only need to enter them in your diet to get it.
Timely prevention is a great way to avoid such a problem. It is necessary and important for those who are predisposed to allergies.
Such prophylaxis is suitable for both adults and children. Breasts to prevent allergies, it is advisable to feed breast milk as long as possible.
How to behave in case of allergies
The most effective way to get rid of allergies is to eliminate the effects of the allergen. In addition, the doctor may prescribe medications that eliminate its symptoms: ointments, creams, antihistamines, steroidal and decongestants. To alleviate the condition, it is necessary to address the deeper causes. You canβt get rid of allergies forever. You can only ease its symptoms or eliminate the sources leading to it. In this case, it is necessary to cleanse the body of harmful and toxic substances. A more systematic approach will be more effective. It consists in the fact that measures are being taken gradually.
A frivolous attitude towards allergies can make things worse. For example, anaphylactic shock refers to a dangerous outcome. Therefore, it is better not to aggravate the situation and not delay the appeal to a specialist. In no case should you complicate the state of self-medication.
In the article, we told you how to find out what an allergy is in a newborn or an adult. Take care of yourself and your children. Be healthy!