Allergies Demystified: Comprehensive Guide to Symptoms, Treatments, and More

What is an allergy?

An allergic reaction is the excessive response of the immune system when it comes into contact with a substance that is actually harmless and foreign to the body. The immune system is capable of learning and normally knows very well which foreign substances are harmful and which are not. However, in the case of an allergy, this distinction no longer works properly. Instead of ignoring the harmless foreign material, the body mobilizes its defenses when it has an allergy. Symptoms such as swollen mucous membranes, itching, shortness of breath or even circulatory collapse are possible consequences of this immune reaction. The triggering substances (allergens) themselves do not cause any direct damage.

Allergy: Symptoms

An allergy can manifest itself in various symptoms. They can occur locally or all over the body. These include:

itchy, reddened skin, skin rashes, e.g. with small hives
swollen or reddened mucous membranes, up to shortness of breath
Runny nose, sneezing, sometimes dry nose
burning, watery, or swollen eyes
Cough
Asthma attacks
non-specific symptoms such as headache, fatigue or diarrhea

If an immediate allergic reaction affects the entire organism, the worst-case scenario is anaphylactic shock, which is life-threatening.

Allergy: Treatment

Avoid allergens

For allergy sufferers, treatment mainly consists of avoiding known allergens. Unfortunately, in many cases, such as hay fever, this is only possible to a limited extent.

Medicines

Certain medications suppress the immune system or inhibit the release of substances that promote inflammation. This alleviates the symptoms. They can be administered either in the form of tablets or injections – in which case they affect the entire body. Or they can be used specifically for a certain area of the body – for example asthma sprays, nasal sprays or eye drops.

Some sufferers also want to combat their allergies using alternative methods. They try to alleviate allergy symptoms using homeopathic remedies, acupuncture or Bach flowers, for example. Asthma in particular, however, must be consistently monitored by a doctor and usually treated with conventional medicine to prevent long-term damage to the lungs. In this case, alternative methods are only an option as a supplement.

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