How to Know if You Have an Allergy and What’s Causing It
Allergic reactions vary from person to person. Some people won’t get allergic reactions at all, while others will blow up at the slightest hint of fur or a nut. Everybody’s different, and allergic reactions can be caused by all kinds of things. But how do you know if you’re having an allergic reaction, and not something else? How do you know what’s causing your reaction too? Read on to find out more:
Allergic Reactions: Explained
When we have an allergic reaction, the immune system is defending the body against bacteria and viruses. In some cases, the body defends against things that would not typically cause a threat – hence why some people are allergic to strange things. If you inhale, eat, or come into contact with something you’re allergic to, you may get a reaction. Here are some common things that people are allergic to:
- Pet hair.
- Bee stings.
- Foods like seafood and nuts.
- Medication.
- Plants.
- Pollen.
If you are allergic to something and come into contact with it, you may experience hives, itching, watery eyes, or allergic rhinitis. If you have a serious allergic reaction, you may even experience the following:
- Palpitations.
- Difficulty breathing.
- Weakness.
- Unconsciousness.
How to Know What’s Causing Your Reaction
If you suspect you’ve been having an allergic reaction to something, then you’ll want to know what’s causing it straight away. Your doctor will likely ask you question to determine what your lifestyle is like. If you often experience severe reactions, your doctor may ask you to keep a diary of your symptoms. You may then be required to have skin tests or blood tests.
In a skin test, your doctor will expose a small part of your skin to the suspected allergen and see if you get a reaction. You may have the substance taped to your skin, or a prick test where the allergen is injected under the skin. This will be used in the cases of a suspected food allergy, pet allergy, penicillin allergy, and venom allergy.
If you are suspected to be allergic to a food, you may need to stop eating certain foods for a number of weeks and then seeing if you get any symptoms when you consume it again.
In the long term, the only thing you can really do for an allergic reaction is prevent it. Carry an EpiPen with you that you can inject yourself with if you begin to get symptoms. If you get severe allergic reactions, you need to make sure that you get quick care from the emergency services. Some allergic reactions can result in death, so you can’t be too careful.
The only things you can do to prevent a reaction are as follows:
- Avoid being exposed to the allergen.
- Get medical care straight away if exposed to the allergen.
- Carry medications with you to help with your reactions.
Make sure you notify people nearby if you have an allergy, e.g. a nut allergy. When travelling, everybody travelling with you will need to avoid eating nuts.
You can still live a fairly normal life with allergies; the first step is to work out what’s causing yours!