Consequences of allergies in adults

Allergy is a disease that is characterized by a malfunction of the immune system associated with the recognition of a potential threat to the body. Subsequently, there is a violation of the work of tissues and organs, characteristic of the inflammatory process. Allergies are caused by the body trying to get rid of substances that it considers harmful. This leads to the development of numerous allergy symptoms: sneezing, dry cough, watery eyes, skin rashes.

A wide variety of substances can cause the effects of an allergic reaction in adults. Allergy is a disease that is characterized by a malfunction of the immune system associated with the recognition of a potential threat to the body. Subsequently, there is a violation of the work of tissues and organs, characteristic of the inflammatory process. This leads to the development of numerous allergy symptoms: sneezing, dry cough, watery eyes, skin rashes.

Various allergens can cause the consequences of an allergic reaction in adults. Among them, the most common instigators of allergies are plant pollen, food, pet hair, substances used in the cosmetic industry, etc. As a result of the ingestion of these substances, which are generally safe for the body, immune cells begin to synthesize antibodies. These protein molecules are involved in the recognition of a potential threat and trigger mechanisms to eliminate it.

Adults often underestimate the effects of allergies. In particular, in cases where they do not cause significant concern, they are often simply ignored. But do not forget that with prolonged interaction with the allergen, the symptoms of this disease tend to worsen. Often, the transition of the disease to a chronic form can be observed, which acquires a longer course and is treated much more difficult than a single manifestation of symptoms. Of particular danger to adults are such variants of the development of the disease as anaphylactic shock, Quincke's edema or bronchial asthma. They are very difficult to tolerate by the body and can often cause death.

What are the consequences of an allergy?

The impact of allergies on the body of an adult is manifested in a significant variety. It most commonly affects organs such as the skin, respiratory system, and eyes. This is due to the fact that in addition to their main functions, these systems are also involved in the removal of harmful substances and have a developed system of local immunity. The degree of development of the consequences of an allergic reaction can vary from insignificant to extremely intense, which disrupts the patient's life. For adults who have a high degree of employment, allergic manifestations cause a lot of trouble. The most relevant is the classification of the consequences of allergies in connection with the organs to which they apply, as well as by severity.

Skin effects of allergies

Allergic effects on the skin can develop both when the skin is in direct contact with the allergen, and when it enters the gastrointestinal tract, which can occur while eating food, drinks, or during the use of drugs.
Often, an allergy on the skin is manifested by the appearance of a specific rash, which can be located in the place where the allergen got on the skin, or arbitrarily.

Allergy on the skin is manifested by various types of rashes: swelling, redness appear, on which small liquid blisters, peeling or a specific hard dry crust can also appear. Dryness may appear in places of an allergic reaction. Itching is one of the most severely tolerated consequences of skin allergies. It covers all the foci of the skin reaction, occurring periodically in one place or another, forcing the patient to comb the skin, which only aggravates the course of the disease. Also, itching often intensifies closer to the night, which can lead to insomnia and nervous disorders.

Another serious consequence of an allergic rash is its ability to traumatize the skin areas on which it occurs. Injuries are formed as a result of the drying of the skin and causes the epidermis to crack and become open to infection. This leads to an aggravation of skin symptoms and forces, in addition to the underlying disease, to treat concurrent infectious lesions.

How to get rid of the skin effects of allergies?

For the treatment of skin manifestations in adults, a wider arsenal of therapeutic agents is used. This is due to the fact that adults tolerate drug intervention much better than children. For the treatment of skin manifestations, antihistamines are used (zyrtec, tavegil, cetrin, telfast, suprastin), which help to eliminate a wide variety of allergic manifestations, including skin ones. In addition, hormonal ointments (elokom, prednisolone ointment, flucinar, dermovate, etc.) are used to directly relieve the manifestations of an allergic reaction on the skin, which reduce swelling, rash, fluid secretions, itching and irritation. In the case of especially acute symptoms, corticosteroid drugs are used.

The consequences of allergies for the respiratory system and organs of vision

Adults often experience the effects of allergies on the organs of vision and breathing. They are caused by volatile allergens that can freely move through the air, resulting in contact with the mucous membranes that cover the respiratory and visual organs. The permeability of the mucous membranes makes it an easy target for allergenic interference, which, together with developed local immunity, leads to respiratory effects that resemble colds.

Respiratory manifestations of allergies can significantly reduce the quality of life in adults, adversely affecting performance, causing significant discomfort caused by respiratory failure, constant runny nose and increased tear fluid.

Respiratory effects in adults cause:

• Allergens contained in vegetable flowering;
• Mites and other microorganisms inhabiting dust particles;
• Household chemicals and products of the cosmetic industry;
• Industrial waste;
• Gases and other volatile substances;
• Mold that appears with a high degree of dampness;
• Loose spices and spices.

Respiratory effects of allergies in adults include:

• Sneezing attacks that appear after the penetration of the allergen;
• Intense cough, both dry and wet secretions;
• Tearing of the eyes, increased sensitivity to bright light and irritation of the mucous membrane;
• Redness of the eyes caused by local vascular expansion;
• Nasal congestion, accompanied by a runny nose, a high degree of frequency and intensity;
• Violation of the normal act of breathing;
• Headache and fever, reminiscent of a cold.

To get rid of the respiratory effects of allergies, various drops for the eyes and nose are used, including corticosteroid and antihistamines, as well as washing the sinuses with special saline solutions that can be found in a pharmacy. In addition, antihistamines are used in tablet form, which can eliminate not only respiratory, but also other manifestations of allergies. Treatment is prescribed by an allergist. This specialist, before compiling a list of drugs to be prescribed, takes into account the nature of the symptoms of the disease, as well as their severity. Depending on these indicators, the course of treatment can vary significantly.

Bronchial asthma due to allergies

Adults often dismiss the respiratory manifestations of allergies unless they cause significant discomfort. As a result of the constant presence of the allergen in the patient's body, the sensitivity of the respiratory system increases, which contributes to the development of allergic bronchial asthma. Most often, bronchial asthma in adults (9 cases out of 10) develops as a consequence of a neglected allergic reaction.

Why are adults more likely to develop asthma than children? The reason here must be sought in the characteristics of psychology and attitude towards oneself. An adult often ignores the state of his health due to employment, lack of time and desire to go to hospitals and diagnostic centers, as well as, if he wants to save money on treatment. All this only contributes to the aggravation of the disease to a critical degree, and as a result, medical measures that the patient avoided with such persistence will still have to be taken.

This type of bronchial asthma in adults is called allergic because its attacks occur only after interaction with the allergen. Its action on the tissues of the muscles of the bronchi causes their spasmodic contraction, as a result of which their lumen becomes much narrower. Subsequently, a lack of oxygen is formed, in which the patient experiences an attack of suffocation, breathing becomes hoarse and heavy, with a forced connection of the skeletal muscles of the chest, belt, and abdomen. Attacks of suffocation are accompanied by a severe and severe cough (passing both with sputum and dry), as well as pain in the chest area.

In the development of bronchial asthma with allergies, only antibodies are involved, without the presence of additional cellular elements of the immune system, in connection with these, the patient feels its symptoms already in the first minutes after infiltration of the allergen. The amount of the allergen and the time of interaction with it is also of decisive importance in terms of the duration and intensity of the attacks.

Cause bronchial asthma of an allergic nature most often: various microscopic organisms; dust and pollen of plants; allergens in the form of gases and other volatile components; animal hair and bird feathers; elements of the composition of cosmetics, perfumes, hygiene products. At the same time, the presence of smoke, dustiness of the room and low air humidity, as well as hot weather, make asthmatic manifestations more severe.

For the treatment of allergic bronchial asthma, the following drugs are used:

Dangerous consequences of allergies

The consequences of allergies in adults can be expressed in extremely dangerous symptoms: anaphylactic shock or Quincke's edema.
These are the most serious manifestations of allergies, which can often result in high mortality among patients. Their development is facilitated by the specifics of the immune system, which is even more sensitive than that of allergy sufferers who do not suffer from such severe manifestations. To eliminate severe manifestations of allergic reactions, emergency means are used. In addition to standard antiallergic drugs (antihistamines, corticosteroids), adrenaline injections are used to improve breathing. In extreme cases, tracheal piercing with a special tube may be used to thus increase the supply of oxygen.

Anaphylactic shock

Anaphylactic shock is a great danger even for adults, which is associated with the severity of the symptoms that it includes. The danger of anaphylactic shock lies in the fact that in certain cases it does not appear immediately, but for a considerable time after the penetration of the allergen has taken place. Most often, this variant of the course of the disease occurs with food allergies (nuts, chocolate, crustaceans, vinegar, tomatoes); drug allergies (antibiotics, anesthetics and anti-inflammatory drugs); allergies to insect venom (bees, bumblebees, wasps, hornets). However, these are only the most common culprits of anaphylactic shock and it is possible that in an individual patient the allergens that provoke this symptomatology may go beyond the most common.

Anaphylactic shock includes:

• Extensive swelling of the larynx and oral cavity, which causes a lack of oxygen supply;
• Spasmodic contractions of the bronchi and laryngeal muscles, further increasing oxygen deficiency;
• Weakness, loss of consciousness;
• Blue fingers and face;
• Cardiac arrest is possible if emergency care is not provided.

Quincke's edema

Quincke's edema is an extensive manifestation of tissue swelling under the influence of an allergen. The most dangerous is the swelling of the larynx, which causes respiratory problems and can be fatal from a lack of oxygen. In most cases, the harbinger of Quincke's edema is the rapid spread of large red edematous spots throughout the body. A pronounced swelling of the tissues of the face may appear, as a result of which it significantly increases in size, without changing the color of the skin.

In adults, Quincke's edema may appear as a result of the influence of a wide variety of allergens. People with a predisposition to anaphylactic shock should distance themselves as much as possible from provoking factors.