“When a person with allergic tendencies consumes an allergen for the first time, their body will produce immunoglobulin E. If they consume the allergen for the second time, the immunoglobulin E will increase and stick themselves onto ‘golden cells’. In the third consumption, more immunoglobulin E will stick to the golden cells and break them down. This will trigger an allergic reaction such as rashes. This excessive immune reaction or hypersensitivity is what sparks an allergy. It takes people by surprise – they used to consume something and remain fine for a long time, only to develop an allergy to that something later on in life,” dr. Deshinta said.
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The most frequent allergic reaction (70%-80%) is the generation of itchy red rashes on the skin. Other reactions that frequently occur include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or running eyes and noses. “Allergy medication is quite cheap and effective, as well as widely available. However, an intense allergy might cause anaphylactic shock. This is when blood pressure suddenly plummets, causing the respiratory tract to shut down. This sudden stop in breathing might even be fatal. The patient must be treated immediately with antihistamines. Prevention is always better than cure, so it’s best to recognize your specific allergens, avoid them, and prepare sufficient amounts of antihistamines on hand for unexpected attacks,” dr. Deshinta said. (est)