According to various statisticians, about half of the world's population suffers from allergies today. Its manifestations are so diverse that it is sometimes extremely difficult to identify what exactly provokes the disease. It can develop both in childhood and already during a person's maturity. The causes of allergies need to be known in order to timely determine the factor that leads to alarming symptoms. In order not to encounter new episodes of the disease, it is urgent to exclude it.
The most common allergens
Allergies are often hereditary. There is a category of people whose parents or close relatives were allergic. However, such a predisposition does not always end with allergic manifestations. A person throughout life can constantly encounter various substances, but this will not lead to the development of the disease. There is a group of allergens that most often cause a reaction. Among them:
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Why does an allergy occur?
Most often, according to physicians, allergens are those substances that the body itself forms. These include endo-allergens or auto-allergens. And already in the group of endoallergens, natural and acquired substances are isolated. Natural proteins include isolated proteins of unchanged tissues responsible for the immune system. To acquired - those types of proteins that have acquired various qualities unusual for them under the influence of viral, thermal, chemical, bacterial factors. This is precisely the mechanism for the development of allergies in patients with rheumatism, hypothyroidism, arthritis, glomerulonephritis.
the true cause of the development of allergies . For a certain group of people predisposed to allergic manifestations, irritations from dust, mold, animal hair, pollen may occur. For most, these substances are harmless and act as antigens. At the moment when they enter the body, the production of IgE begins in large quantities in order to overcome the antigen. For each new allergen, the body produces its own antibody with an individual structure.
IgE acts by binding to basophils and mast cells. Such a complex is formed after the detection of IgE allergen. Created complexes with basophils circulate in vital organs (stomach, lungs and skin). But complexes with mast cells do not move. When the allergen enters the body again, they simultaneously produce histamine with basophils to fight the foreign substance. Under the action of histamine, in some patients, spasms of smooth muscles occur in the bronchi, stomach, intestines, and blood vessels. Due to the expansion of capillaries, blood pressure subsequently decreases, blood thickens, edema appears, which is an allergic reaction.
Determining the cause of an allergic reaction
When an allergy appears, it is very difficult to establish its reliable causes. Here you need the help of a good specialist. He will recommend what tests can be done to correctly determine the cause of the symptoms. To begin with, blood is taken from a vein to test for IgE. In one or two weeks you will be able to see the result. The analysis is suitable even for those cases when it is not possible to take a skin test from a patient (if he constantly drinks allergy medications). This method of determining the causes of allergies can be prescribed as an additional confirmation of skin tests.
Skin tests are perhaps the most common way to identify the cause of an allergic reaction. It is already traditionally prescribed at the first suspicion of an allergy. The study is noted for its low cost and ease of implementation, and the result after it can be obtained fairly quickly. The essence of the method is the introduction of a small amount of an allergen substance into the skin. By reaction, you can determine the cause of the allergy. It is noteworthy that the skin test method can be used for patients of all ages.
But if the manifestations of allergies are noticeable directly on the skin, then skin or application tests will help to identify the cause of such a reaction. To do this, an allergen is added to paraffin or petroleum jelly, and then the mixture is applied to a metal plate and attached to the patient's body. It will need to be left for two days. At the end of this time, the presence of a reaction is checked.
Causes of allergies in adults
- Frequent colds or infectious diseases;
- Slagging of the body;
- Taking antibiotics;
- Parasites or fungi in the body;
- Smoking, drinking alcohol;
- Improper nutrition;
- Abuse of products that are potential allergens.
Allergies do not always manifest themselves in childhood, contrary to beliefs. Adults do not always turn to doctors when they notice a runny nose, cough or rash. They try to get rid of the disease on their own, which significantly aggravates the situation. Correctly establishing the cause of the allergy is actually very important. Its elimination may be the most effective treatment and prevention.
Causes of childhood allergies
Even at an immature age, most allergy sufferers are faced with the primary manifestations of allergies. Parents often panic in such situations. In fact, it is worth focusing on the problem that has arisen, analyzing the main points of feeding and caring for the crumbs. Of course, an urgent visit to the pediatrician is a necessary step.
Causes of allergic reactions in infants
Immature organs and their systems lead to the reaction of the child's body to various foods. Against the background of artificial feeding or unwillingness to accept complementary foods, infants often develop dermatitis or diathesis. The reaction can be similar to diaper rash, because parents do not always go to the doctors in a timely manner. Breastfed babies also have allergies. Most often this happens if the mother abuses "forbidden" foods during lactation. Do not lean on milk, honey, nuts, fish and seafood, chocolate, sweets, strawberries, citrus fruits and much more.
Sometimes even taste preferences during pregnancy cause allergies in the newborn. Because of this, expectant mothers sometimes have to limit their desires somewhat. In the future, following a diet while breastfeeding, a woman introduces new foods into her diet gradually, observing the reaction of the child. Household chemicals can also cause a rash and irritation on the baby's body. To prevent this from happening, hygiene products are selected carefully (they must be hypoallergenic, approved for use from birth).
Causes of different types of allergies in older children
- Hereditary predisposition to allergies;
- Food intolerance;
- Sensitivity to insect poisons;
- Susceptibility to temperature changes;
- Low immunity;
- Diseases of the digestive system;
- Living in ecologically polluted areas.
Disorders in the digestive system as the main cause of allergies
Gastrointestinal disorders are the most common cause of food allergies. This is mainly due to dysbacteriosis and impaired permeability of the intestinal walls, which is typical for peptic ulcer. Ideally, protein food allergen molecules should be broken down to the state of amino acids (in this form, they cannot harm us, since splitting leads to a loss of allergenic properties). Literally in 24 hours, the human body encounters a lot of food allergens (on average, their number per day reaches 120), in general, such meetings do not harm health.
But overeating, inflammatory processes in different parts of the intestine, indigestion and dysbacteriosis significantly increase the risk of allergic reactions. When an allergen enters the bloodstream, the body begins to defend itself against it in a peculiar way. This is manifested by allergies. The cause of it should be tried to quickly identify in order to avoid complications, some of which, for example, Quincke's edema, are life-threatening.
Intestinal dysbacteriosis mainly develops after taking broad-spectrum antibacterial drugs. If antibiotic therapy is prolonged, doctors recommend drinking probiotics immediately so that the microflora remains relatively stable. To detect dysbacteriosis, you need to take a feces for analysis. If such a diagnosis is confirmed, then it will be necessary to treat not only the allergy itself, but also its cause. The doctor will prescribe a new generation of intestinal asepsis, which will quickly eliminate the pathogenic flora.
Psychological reasons
At the moment, it is the psychological factor that is one of the most common. Sustained stressful conditions can provoke allergic reactions at any age. This is how the rejection by the human brain of any factor that irritates the psyche is expressed. Interestingly, people who devote too much time to the cleaning process are most often allergic to dust. But if there is a rejection of a certain person, then an allergy to the food product that often eats or loves the object of contempt is possible.
Among the psychosomatic causes of allergies are:
- Frequent feeling of anxiety;
- Suppression within oneself of anger, aggressive moods;
- Inability to rest or relax;
- Closure;
- Reluctance to communicate with people.
Other causes of allergic reactions
There is a mental allergy. In this case, a person loves the product very much, and the body simultaneously repels it. For example, it often happens that a person loves citrus fruits (tangerines cause him positive emotions associated with the celebration of the new year), but the body protests with allergies. If a person does not consider this product to be vital, then the allergy can go away on its own.
In India, there is also a spiritual allergy. Among its main reasons, local doctors call:
- Biological factor (when the primary energy of the physical body and its biological elements is disturbed);
- Karmic cause (if spiritual and mental factors are violated, actions contrary to morality are committed, the wrong choice of profession and lifestyle occurs, an erroneous attitude towards people).
Scientists confirm the existence of metaphysical allergies. Its reason is the influence of society and the opinion of the majority on a person. The reaction of resistance can be caused by bad energy, rude statements, bad emotions from others. An allergic reaction may occur following anger and stress in similar social settings.
Not everyone knows that allergies can develop as a result of parasitism in the body of worms. In half of the cases it is provoked by helminths. A parasitic cause is not uncommon. Among the symptoms for the presence of worms, there may be skin lesions, a rash.
As you can see, there are a lot of reasons for allergies. Only professionals can correctly determine what exactly caused the reaction of the body. They use modern research methods for this, although in some cases the answer lies on the surface: in the lifestyle or even the characteristics of the patient's character.
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