Different types of allergies to look out for

Every time the word “allergy” comes up, we tend to associate it with food. The most common food allergies we have seen often cause a reaction that affects your breathing or causes rashes on your body. However, there are many other kinds of allergies you may not be aware of. Allergies not only come in different forms but also cause different reactions. When these get triggered, immediate attention of an allergist specialist is required.

Common types of allergies

The most common types of allergies are mentioned in this article. If you want to learn more about allergies, read about their following types.

Food allergies

Food allergy is one of the most common types of allergies. It happens when your body reacts to a certain type of food. Food allergic reactions can happen even if you ingest a small amount of the food you are allergic to. These symptoms can either start showing up immediately after ingesting the food or after a while. The symptoms of such allergic reactions are usually itching, swelling up of the face, mouth lips and / or throat, hives and nasal congestion. However, some allergic reactions are more severe and life threatening. Their symptoms include an instant drop in the blood pressure, impaired breathing, and affected heart rate. Such allergic reactions are called Anaphylaxis. They are dangerous and need to be treated immediately.

Skin allergy

Skin allergies are also one of the most common types of allergies. There are two main types of skin allergies called Eczema and Urticaria.

Eczema is also called atopic dermatitis. Common symptoms of eczema include itchy, irritated, dry and red skin. You might also get fluid filled bumps on your skin a yellowish or clear liquid. However, a lot of the times this disease runs in the family.

Urticaria is the second type of skin disease, also called hives. It often causes red and itchy bump rashes to appear on the skin. These bump rashes can appear on any part of the body and can also appear in any shape or size. Sometimes they are accompanied by swelling of the tongue, lips, eyelids and hands.

Allergic rhinitis

Allergic rhinitis can often be confused as seasonal flu due to their similar symptoms. Also commonly referred to as hay fever, allergic rhinitis is often a reaction to a particular thing or allergen in an environment which other people are not bothered by, such as molds, dogs and cats, and pollen. Its symptoms include a runny nose, sneezing, congestion and nasal blocking. This type of an allergic reaction can affect your daily routine and reduce your school and work performance.

It also affects your sleep and lowers productivity overall. It is also symptoms accompanied by other problems such as sinus. It sometimes affects other body parts such as throat, ear and bronchial tubes and cause problems in those areas. Hence this type of allergic reaction needs to be treated according to the kind of symptoms and problems it brings.

Asthma

Asthma is a condition that causes swelling and inflammation in the airways of the lungs. The intensity of the inflammation differs. The more intense it is, the more it impairs the breathing. Hence asthma is a breathing problem caused by inhalation of allergens such as strong odors, dust, pollution, tobacco smoke, pet dander etc.

All such types of allergic reactions mentioned above need to be treated properly by a doctor. In case of severity, immediate medical attention is required. Ask your doctor about the methods of treatments and your concerns, and how to treat such reactions when they occur. If you have any type of the allergies mentioned above, try to avoid whatever causes such reactions.

For the treatment of asthma, you will have to visit an asthma doctor Germantown in case your condition becomes too bad.