An allergy occurs when your body reacts to a substance, such as a medication, chemicals, insect stings, food, pet dander or pollen. Allergies can be mild, moderate or severe. Some allergic reactions start off mild but quickly escalate to life-threatening while others are eventually outgrown. If you think you are allergic to a substance, an allergist can run skin or blood tests to confirm the diagnosis, and can also give you tips for coping with your allergy.
How Allergies Begin
An allergy is an inappropriate immune response to a substance that is harmless to most people. Once your body is sensitized to a particular substance, your immune system sends out antibodies the next time that you are exposed. Sensitization might happen after the first time you are exposed to the allergen, or after many years of exposure. For example, a child might have a reaction the first or second time that he eats peanut butter, or he might have a reaction after eating peanut butter sandwiches for months or years. While a predisposition to developing an allergy might be hereditary, anyone can develop an allergy at any time.
Mild Allergy Symptoms
Most commonly, allergy symptoms are mild and self-limiting. If you have an allergy to pollen, for example, you might experience red, itchy eyes, nasal congestion, coughing and sneezing. A mild food allergy or a reaction to a medication might cause mouth tingling, a rash or diarrhea. The problem with food and medication allergies is that while you might have a mild reaction the first or second time, subsequent reactions might be much worse.
Severe Allergy Symptoms
Sometimes an allergic reaction, particularly to a food, medication or insect sting, can be severe or life-threatening. Severe symptoms include swelling of the mouth, lips or tongue, difficulty breathing, dangerously low blood pressure and a loss of consciousness. These are symptoms of anaphylaxis, which can be fatal if not treated immediately. If you begin to experience any of these signs of a severe allergic reaction, call 911 immediately. Don't wait to see whether the symptoms get better on their own.
Outgrowing or Eliminating Allergies
In some cases, children develop food allergies but outgrow them as they grow into adulthood. Allergies to nuts and shellfish are often lifelong, however. If your child has a food allergy, her allergist can tell you whether it is likely to be outgrown. Allergy shots can help desensitize people with environmental allergies. If you are allergic to a certain type of pollen, for example, your allergist can give you injections containing small amounts of the irritant, to allow your body to build up a tolerance and to reduce or eliminate symptoms.
