What Causes Allergies and How to Avoid It?
Allergy is hypersensitivity or an adverse immune reaction to a generally harmless allergen (protein) in the environment. It may be manifested as a mild itching of the skin, swelling of a tissue or wheezing. It may in certain extreme cases lead to death.
Hundreds of types of allergens in the atmosphere are responsible for what causes allergies in most cases. Following are the most common causes of allergies:
Food causes of allergies
Intolerance to certain food causes allergic reaction in some people. Milk, egg white, soybean, peanuts, almonds, prawns, crabs, shrimps and hundreds of other foods can lead to allergic reactions.
Most of the time these allergies are temporary and mild but in extreme cases it can develop into Anaphylaxis which can be fatal. Peanuts and tree nuts (almonds, brazil nuts etc) have been found to be responsible for such catastrophic allergic reactions in some people.
Environmental causes of allergies
Dust mites and house dust, grass and flower pollen, molds and yeasts, pets fur like dogs and cats fur can induce allergic reactions leading to Asthma, Allergic rhinitis, seasonal hey fever and eczema. Eye allergies can be caused by grass and tree pollens in some cases.
Another form of allergy called urticaria (hives) are allergies to pets and horses which causes sever rashes.
Drug causes of allergies
Certain drugs can be responsible for Mild to life threatening allergic reactions. Penicillin is one the first drugs which was identified as one of the drug that caused allergy in some people. Antibiotics are the other range of medicines that causes allergy in some people. Allergic reactions can range from slight rashes to severe anaphylactic immune reactions. These life threatening reaction have been seen in the allergies to penicillin, blood transfusions and intravenous fluids.
Venom causes of allergies
Insect stinging can create mild to severe allergic reactions and is becoming more common these days. For example a honey bee sting initially gives itching and swelling but some times it can grow into full allergy in 4 to 6 weeks requiring hospitalization for medical attention. Person can die in some extreme cases.
There is much more on symptoms, types, prevention methods and home remedies for allergies in the other articles.
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