Allergy can be defined as an abnormal immune system reaction to things that are generally harmless to most people. People who are generally prone to allergies are called “atopic.” If you are allergic to a substance, your immune system mistakes this substance as harmful to your body and causes a reaction in the form of allergies. These substances which cause allergies are referred to as allergens.

Allergens can be found in certain food items, dust particles, plant pollen or sometimes even in medicines. It is observed that allergy is a kind of hypersensitivity and it is referred to as type 1, also known as immediate hypersensitivity.

Eczema, hay fever, hives, food allergies, asthma are some of the common forms of allergies. These allergies cause symptoms such as rashes, running nose, sneezing, itchy eyes and conjunctivitis. Allergies like asthma caused due to plant pollen or dust can be severe and injurious to health. With the advancement of science and technology we now have various tests to diagnose allergy attacks and analyze blood samples for the existence of allergen –specific substance i.e. IgE.

Prevention is better than cure. Hence we can avoid allergies by keeping the house clean, avoiding medicines which cause allergies and use of antihistamines. Allergy treatment should be based on the result of allergy tests, your medical history, and the severity of your symptoms. The three main treatments are avoidance of allergens as far as possible, medication options and immunotherapy which are also referred to as an allergy shot.

Signs and symptoms

Allergic diseases manifest themselves in many forms like allergic rhinitis, hay fever, asthma, wheezing conjunctivitis etc. They may be air borne, such as plant pollen or dust or indoor allergens like animal dander or insect bites. Allergies are also caused by substances in food. In allergic rhinitis commonly referred to as “hay fever” there is severe irritation of the inner lining of the nose causing irritation and swelling. Common symptoms of hay fever are watery eyes, sneezing, a running nose and itchy eyes. Children who are affected have dark circles under their eyes. If you are prone to food allergies then you can expect abdominal pain, bloating of the stomach, vomiting, diarrhea and sometimes even itchy skin.

Doctors note that common medicines such as aspirin and antibiotics like penicillin can cause allergic reactions. Some doctors also state that both asthma and allergic rhinitis are diseases that affect the respiratory passage so controlling rhinitis will help you to control asthma too. Symptoms of asthma include coughing, shortness of breath, wheezing and chest tightness. Asthma may be triggered if you have a family history of allergy and the child’s subsequent exposure to that allergen.

It can be any allergen for e.g. dust mites, cockroach droppings or molds. “Anaphylaxis” is a term used when a systematic allergic response is triggered due to the intake of certain allergens like antibiotics or medicines. It can affect the entire body with symptoms like edema, hypotension, coma or even death. Injections of epinephrine are often administered if the allergy is severe. Skin allergies often arise when the skin comes in contact with allergens like latex, which causes dermatitis. Rashes, swelling and inflammation within the skin is seen during allergies caused due to insect bites.

Medicines for Allergy :

• Advair Diskus
• Generic Allegra
• Generic Allegra-d
• Generic Atarax
• Generic Clarinex
• Generic Claritin
• Generic Periactin
• Generic Phenergan
• Generic Phenergan
• Generic Singulair
• Generic Tavist
• Generic Zyrtec
• Generic Zyrtec-d