allergy card
Feeling warm
Swelling of the throat and tongue or tightness in throat
Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
Dizziness
Headache
Pain or cramps
Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea
Shock
Loss of consciousness
Feeling light-headed
Anxiety
Abnormal heart rate (too fast or too slow)
Anaphylactic shock can be caused by an allergic reaction to a drug, food, serum, insect venom, allergen extract, or chemical. Some people who are aware of their allergic reactions or allergens carry an emergency anaphylaxis kit that contains injectable epinephrine (a drug that stimulates the adrenal glands and increases the rate and force of the heartbeat).Allergies occur when your immune system overreacts to substances called allergens. Common allergens that can trigger allergic reactions include pollen, pet dander, and bee venom. People also have allergies to certain foods and medications.
Signs and Symptoms of Allergies
Allergy symptoms vary depending on the type of allergens.
Allergic rhinitis (commonly cymbalta 60 mg over the counter known as hay fever), for instance, is associated with the following symptoms:
Sneezing
Runny nose
Congestion
Itchy eyes, nose, and throat
Tearing eyes
An allergic food reaction may share some of the above symptoms, but it can also cause:
Diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting
Hives, eczema, or itchy skin
Anaphylaxis, in which a narrowing of the airways makes it difficult or even impossible to breathe
A skin allergy cymbalta 60 mg over the counter or insect bite can cause the following at the site:
Redness
Swelling
Hives
Pain
Itching
The symptoms of a drug allergy may include:
Hives
Wheezing
Light-headedness
Vomiting
Swelling of the face or throatright up arrow
Causes and Risk Factors of Allergies
Your risk of developing allergies is higher if you:
Have asthma
Have a family history of asthma or allergies
Are younger than 18
Children sometimes outgrow allergies as they get older. It's also not uncommon for allergies to go away and then return years later.
You may have more than one allergy. Children with food allergies, for instance, are as much as four times more likely to have other allergic conditions, including asthma.right up arrow
More than 100 genes are associated with allergies, although only one or two genes affect any given population. Some of these genes affect the immune response; others affect lung and airway function.right up arrow
Allergic Reactions
Allergens are typically harmless substances that trigger an immune response and cause a reaction in people who are allergic. The allergic reaction occurs if the person inhales, touches, swallows, injects, or somehow comes into contact with the allergen. Allergic reactions can be mild, severe, or even life-threatening.
Normally, the immune system protects the body against harmful substances, such as viruses or bacteria. If you have allergies, "your body responds to allergens as if they were invaders," explains Clifford Bassett, MD, a clinical assistant professor at New York University Langone Health in New York City and the author of The New Allergy Solution. "Your body exaggerates the immune response. That's what causes histamine release and other things that cause allergy misery."
Histamine also acts as a neurotransmitter in the brain, sending messages between cells. It plays a key role in many different physiological functions, such as telling your stomach to produce acid to digest food or helping regulate your sleep-wake cycle.right up arrow
When your immune system reacts to an allergen, it produces an antibody called immunoglobulin E (IgE). The production of IgE is part of your body's attempt to destroy the allergen and protect itself. Your blood vessels dilate and become leaky, so white blood cells that fight infection and other protective substances leave the blood vessels to attack the invader.
In the process, the IgE antibodies signal other cells to release certain chemicals, such as histamine in the local tissue and blood stream. Too much histamine or excessive release in the body can cause an unwanted response that leads to skin, nose, throat, and lung irritation or more severe symptoms of anaphylaxis.
In this way, a normally protective process creates a cascade of what we know as allergy symptoms in response to harmless allergens.right up arrow
There are other types of allergic reactions, such as delayed hypersensitivity reactions, which includes contact dermatitis from poison ivy or a nickel allergy — these are mediated by T cells in the immune system rather than antibodies.Allergy involves an exaggerated response of the immune system, often to common substances such as foods, furry animal dander, or pollen.
The immune system is a complex system that normally defends the body against foreign invaders, such as bacteria and viruses, while also surveying for abnormal changes in an individual's own cells.
Allergens are substances that are foreign to the body and that cause an allergic reaction.
IgE is the allergic antibody. The other antibodies, IgG, IgM, and IgA, defend against infection.
Although many individuals outgrow allergies over time, allergies can also develop at any age, including during adulthood.
The environment plays a role in the development of allergy, as do genetics. There is a greater risk of developing allergic conditions if a person has a family history of allergy, especially in parents or siblings.
What are allergies?
An allergy is an exaggerated reaction by the immune system in response to exposure to certain foreign substances. The response is exaggerated because these foreign substances are normally seen as harmless by the immune system in nonallergic individuals and do not cause a response in them. In allergic individuals, the body recognizes the abilify no prescription substance as foreign, and the allergic part of the immune system generates a response.
Allergy-producing substances are called "allergens." Examples of allergens include
pollens,
dust mites,
molds,
animal proteins,
foods, and
medications.
When an allergic individual comes in contact with an allergen, the immune system mounts a response through the IgE antibody. People who are prone to allergies are said to be allergic or "atopic."