Allergies Explained

Allergies occur when a substance comes into contact with someones body and their body believes the allergen to be harmful (even though it isn’t), thus releasing IgE (Immunoglobulin E), an antibody which usually helps our bodies to fight illnesses.

 Allergies are most common in babies and children but can appear at any age regardless of gender, race or socioeconomic status and can affect anyone in multiple ways. You can even develop an allergy to something you have been exposed to for years with no problems or previous reaction. 

Once you have had a reaction, it is likely that you may have another reaction in future to the same allergen, but it has been known for reactions to never reoccur again, in some people.

Essentially the body’s defenses overreact to contact to an allergen, be it digested, airborne or skin contact and believes it to be harmful. A person with allergies’ body creates an immunological memory to a particular allergen i.e Wheat.

When their body is exposed to the allergen again it releases a large number of IgE to attack the believed invader resulting in symptoms of an allergic reaction. Some people have more than one allergy and the reason for this is that the body not only creates a memory of each allergen, it also create IgE antibodies for each allergen in different amounts. This results in some reactions being more severe than others and is why some allergens are tolerated without a problem.

Non IgE allergies are considered less severe, as reactions rarely tend to result in anaphylaxis. They can take anything from 1 hour up to 48 hours for symptoms to occur (known as delayed on set), with symptoms in some people being chronic and are common in children aged 1-2 years old, with children often being able to outgrow them. 

Whereas IgE-mediated allergies usually occur within less than 60 minutes of exposure or consumption of allergen resulting in a severe reaction. Reactions affect airways, causes swelling particularly face and hives and require adrenaline (by Medical staff or Auto Injector Pens) in order to slow the reaction.  

People are able to have a combined IgE and Non IgE allergy at the same time.  

All allergies produce their own symptoms and vary from person to person in how they develop & show, how fast they occur, and the severity.

The main and well-known symptoms of an allergic reaction are:

• Sneezing
• Itching 
• Hives
• Tingling mouth
• Feeling warm or flushing
• Dizziness
• Feeling light-headed
• Anxiety
• Headache
• Pain or cramps
• Swelling of contact area
• Vomiting
• Nausea
• Diarrhea

Signs of Anaphylaxis (may also include some of the above):

• Hives usually largely over body
• Shaking
• Drop in blood pressure
• Weak pulse
• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• Swelling of the throat, tongue, or tightness in throat
• Loss of consciousness
• Signs of shock – Pale, cold, clammy, enlarged pupils, & Confusion  

Anaphylaxis, also referred to as anaphylactic shock, is a severe, life-threatening reaction to an allergens. The body may experience swelling, including the tongue and throat, a sudden drop in blood pressure, however, each person may experience symptoms differently. 

Anaphylaxis needs to be treated as quickly as possible and most people who are aware of their severe allergies carry Auto Injectors on them, to help open air ways and maintain blood pressure until the person can receive medical help.

It's very important to say Anaphylaxis when calling Emergency services so they understand you need help as fast a possible and that even though a person who has experienced a reaction may seem better, or have reduced symptoms, that they always receive medical attention.

Some people can go their entire lives without experiencing an allergy, some may have a mild allergy or one that comes and goes, and some people may live with allergies their entire lives.

Evidence has shown that some people are naturally at higher risk of developing allergies, these people tend to be:

• Babies and Children
• Asthma sufferers
• Those with family history of allergies
• Eczema sufferers

There are other factors that have been linked to allergies, people exposed to such environmental factors below have been found to be at increased risk of developing an allergy:

• Smoke
• Viral Infections
• Farm animals and products
• Air pollution
• Domestic cats and dogs
• Poor Diet