Allergies

An allergy is an adverse physical reaction the body has to an everyday (usually) substance which could be something that is eaten, rubbed on the body, drunk, worn or even just something in the atmosphere. If the adverse reaction to something is the allergy then the cause of the problem is known as the allergen and this can be any substance which, for often unknown reasons, will cause a disagreeable reaction to the person with the condition.

The vast majority of allergens that cause allergies in people are those found in the foods we eat in particular, peanuts and other members of the nut family. Although dairy products, including milk, can also be a problem but so can soy products, rice, corn and certain processed foodstuffs.

The problem with allergies that are based of food is they can affect a number of vital body functions like breathing, immunity to disease and the ability to process food. You will often find that people with an allergy to a particular food will continue to eat as they enjoy the taste, knowing the risk they are taking and one group of foods that this relates to is seafood of all types.

Citrus fruits such as strawberries, raspberries, oranges and others, cause allergic reactions in most people resulting in itchiness, redness or blotchy face irritation, all of which are common symptoms. It is peanut allergies which generally cause the most concern as the reaction to them, even a simple case of contact can be extremely serious and in some cases cause death.

Even beautiful flowers can cause problems although it is normally their pollen which gets into the respiratory system and once again the allergic affects can be seen almost immediately. Whilst removing any flowers around someone will help the situation, the person will need to be tested to ensure the correct flowers responsible for the allergic reaction are discovered.

It has long been known that medication and drugs (normal manmade) can have an adverse effect on the person they are treating and cause reactions like swelling, rashes and irritation but the most dangerous are those that cause internal damage as it might take some time before it is noticed. The most frequent drug related allergy is that of the chemical sulfur which is a component in many drugs, so a doctor must be aware of this before any other drugs are administered.

Certain metals have a greater chance of creating an allergy, usually reactions that are skin based with a few people even having a problem with gold and silver. Metal based allergic reactions normally cause skin problems, usually on or near the place where the skin made contact and can include hives, skin color changing to red or purple plus swelling and associated itching as well.

Avoiding metals is one of the easiest allergies to deal with but the same principle applies to all allergies, once you are aware of the cause of the allergic reaction, stay clear of it.

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