SYMPTOMS OF ALLERGIES
Allergic conditions are the sixth leading causes of chronic illness in the United States. 1 in 6 people have some form of allergic condition. Allergies are the body's immune response an innate overreaction or hypersensitivity to substances. These substances are called allergens and they can range be characterized based on their triggering effect. Allergens are commonly characterized as indoor, outdoor, food, latex, insect, skin, or eye irritants. Common symptoms of allergies include sneezing, wheezing, coughing, and itching. Serious allergies can cause serious respiratory complications such as sinusitis and asthma. Nasal allergies can occur from any number of allergens to include pollen, mold, dust mites, animals. Nasal allergies usually accompany a runny or stuffy nose, postnasal drip, and watering eyes. Physical characteristic known as allergic shiners are also noted with dark circles forming under the eyes as the result of increased blood flow near the sinus cavities.
Insect stings can produce a life threatening allergic reaction. Insects that pose the greatest threat are in a class known as Hymenoptera; including bees, wasps, yellow-jackets, and fire ants. The bites of these insects react quickly on the circulatory system in which blood vessels dilate causing the toxic venom to spread rapidly thus triggering an allergic reaction very quickly. Another form of allergic reaction can affect a person skin and is frequently called contact dermatitis. The inflammation of the skin is caused when a person comes in contact with a substance to which they are allergic. Common sources of contact triggered allergens include poison ivy, latex, dyes chemicals, cosmetics, and metals such as nickel and copper. Food allergies begin in childhood and many may outgrow such allergies which can begin at any age as the body build immunoglobulin E (IgE) against particular foods. Common food allergies seen in children are eggs, milk, shellfish, soy, wheat, peanuts, and tree nuts. Adult food allergens include fish, peanuts, shellfish, and peanuts as well as food additives such as dyes and preservatives.
Symptoms associated with food allergies occur within a short period up to two hours after ingestion and can consists of hives, wheezing, abdominal pain, difficulty swallowing, itching of the mouth and throat, nasal congestion, nausea, swollen lips or tongue and shortness of breath. Severe allergic reactions can be life threatening causing extreme drops in blood pressure, blockage to the airways, hives, and anaphylactic shock. Anaphylactic shock is a dangerous condition that is life-threatening and calls for immediate medical attention. Signs of anaphylactic shock are loss of consciousness, severs shortness of breath, rapid weak pulse, skin rash, and swelling leading to airway blockage.