Symptoms of allergy
Symptoms of allergy
We already know that an allergy occurs when the body’s immune system sees a substance as harmful and overreacts to it. The symptoms that result is an allergic reaction. The substances that cause allergic reactions are allergens.
Allergens can get into your body many ways to cause an allergic reaction.
- You can inhale allergens into your nose and your lungs. Many are small enough to float through the air. Examples are pollen, house dust, mould spores, cat and dog dander and latex dust.
- You can ingest allergens by mouth. This includes food and medicines you eat or swallow.
- Your body can have allergens injected into it. This includes medicine given by needle and venom from insect stings and bites.
- Your skin can absorb allergens. Plants such as poison ivy, sumac and oak can cause reactions when touched. Latex, metals, and ingredients in beauty care and household products are other examples.
The symptoms related to an allergy will depend on the allergen or the site of the body affected.
Not exclusive but these can include:
Other more serious symptoms can include:
- Severe stomach cramps.
- Extreme bloating.
- Redness of skin.
- Pain.
- Tongue swelling.
- Throat closing.
- Chest tightness and losing your breath.
- Feeling faint, light-headed or “blacking out”.
- A sense of “impending doom”.
Less commonly, the body can have a severe allergic response when exposed to a particular allergen leading to anaphylaxis. Symptoms can occur within seconds and suspected anaphylaxis should be treated as a medical emergency as it may be life threatening. Anaphylaxis is covered later within this module.