Allergy is nothing but the symptom of a response given by the human body’s immunity system against all those common things that causes injury.

The Immune System

The immunity system is a combination of organs, cells and molecules and is spread throughout or body. It works in perfect coordination to protect the living body from any disease or disorder. The immune system is armed to fight off internal mutiny and external invasions. Invasions from the outside can be as infections that are caused by germs such as fungi and bacteria, and an internal mutiny might be a cancer.

Human immune system has been taught to fight anything that is “foreign” in the body. However sometimes, this immune system might overreact to an outside object that is quite harmless, and this hypersensitivity is that causes allergies.

What Causes Allergies

There are numerous materials, both artificial and natural, like eggs, milk, nuts, seafood, plant pollens, vaccines, drugs, insect products, dust mites and others that can causes allergies. The reality is what we know about the immune system and allergies are quite limited. However, we know that sometimes, these allergies can be hereditary.

Signs and Symptoms of Allergy

Allergens are often airborne particles, like pollen or dust. Allergic rhinitis or hay fever, arises in reaction to airborne pollen, and causes irritation in the nose, itching, sneezing, and redness in the eyes. Allergens inhaled can cause asthmatic symptoms, which are caused when the airways become narrow, and also when the mucus production in the lungs goes up, breath shortness, wheezing and coughing.

Besides these allergens, the allergic reactions might be caused by foods, insect nips, and responses to drugs like aspirin, and penicillin like antibiotics.

Food allergy symptoms include bloating, vomiting, abdominal pain, itchy skin, diarrhea, and skin swelling.

Antibiotics insect stings, as well as some medicines create a universal allergic response. Several systems might get affected such as the digestion system, respiratory system, and the system in which blood circulates throughout the body. Based on how severe it is, the problem can cause coma, hypotension, and it can be fatal too. The effect can either be activated suddenly, or it can also be delayed.

Materials that come in direct contact with human skin like latex can cause allergic reactions. It is referred to as eczema or contact dermatitis. Skin allergies often cause rashes, and there can be bulging and irritation in the skin.

Types of Allergies

Some common allergic reactions are eczema, hay fever, hives, food allergies, asthma, and often, the human body also reacts to toxic elements from an insect sting such as bees and wasps. Mild allergies such as hay fever can be highly rife among humans, and cause signs like a running nose and allergic conjunctivitis.

Conditions like asthma are also common. They can create severe problems too.

Severe allergies, in a few people, may result in death due to dietary or environmental allergens, or to medication.

Allergy Treatments

A range of tests have come up these days to diagnose the condition. This includes testing the skin for responses to known allergens, and the analysis of a blood sample.

Treatments for allergies include immunotherapy to desensitize the response to allergen, and targeted therapy allergen avoidance, use of antihistamines, steroids or other oral medications.