If Your Skin Is Irritated Or Your Body Is Swollen You May Have An Undiagnosed Allergy
If you’re experiencing a rash that won’t go away, makes an appearance after you eat a certain food, gets worse with specific medications, or pops up after coming into physical contact with an irritant, you might have an allergy.
Dr. Purvi Parikh, allergist and immunologist with Allergy & Asthma Network, told INSIDER that rashes that persist for weeks or rashes that only appear during certain seasons could be signs of an undiagnosed allergy.
Breaking out in hives or experiencing swelling in your face, hands, and other parts of your body might indicate that you have an allergy, added Dr. Kim. Reddened skin, itching, and peeling are also common signs of a skin allergy, according to the Mayo Clinic.
If You Seem To Only Experience Symptoms When You Enter A Certain Building You May Have Some Indoor Allergies
Daneshrad said if you seem to have symptoms that recur any time you enter a specific building or home, you may be experiencing allergies to molds or dust.
Dr. Lakiea Wright, a board-certified physician in internal medicine and allergy and immunology and practicing physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, told INSIDER that animals, mold, and dust mites are common triggers of allergies and they can all be encountered while indoors.
How To Know You Have A Dust Allergy
- ENT Institute
There are seasonal allergies and there are year-round allergies. For example, ragweed pollen is a fall allergy. Dust is a year-round allergy. Whether its when we finally clean under the couch or break out the Christmas decorations toward the end of the year, dust lurks behind every corner, waiting to give us the sniffles. Having a dust allergy is fairly common, but youll want to be sure what ails you is actually that or something else.
But do you want to know something crazy?
Also Check: Twix Ingredients Allergy
You Can Outgrow Some Allergies According To Experts
Food allergies, along with seasonal allergies, are a common problem for many children and adults. In fact, an estimated 50 million people in the U.S. have some kind of allergy. Not every allergy lasts a lifetime, however.
About 80% of children will outgrow egg, milk and wheat allergies by the time theyre 16 years old. Peanuts, tree nuts and seafood allergies are more likely to be lifelong, but about 20% to 25% of children with peanut allergies outgrow them, most often by age 8. Although an estimated 80% of patients continue to have a sesame seed allergy, those who outgrow it typically do so by age 6.
Food and seasonal allergies arent the only allergies that dont stick around forever. It may sound surprising, but most people who report having a penicillin allergy are either not actually allergic or will outgrow it.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, studies suggest that while about 10% of Americans report a penicillin allergy, roughly 90% of those individuals are actually not allergic to the drug. Of those who are allergic, about 80% outgrow their penicillin allergy after 10 years of avoiding it. Penicillin allergy is more likely to be outgrown than some food allergens such as peanuts, tree nuts and seafood, Dr. Zachary Rubin, a pediatrician specializing in allergy treatment and immunology at Oak Brook Allergists in Illinois, tells Yahoo Life.
How Do You Know If You Are Allergic To Bananas
As explained earlier, you can get a banana allergy by eating the fruit or, in some cases, by even touching it. Young children who have nut allergies are likely to also be allergic to bananas and may react to eating or touching raw bananas. Though most children often tend to outgrow food allergies, it is strongly advised to see a physician or pediatrician if you have the slightest doubt that your child or any loved one might be suffering from banana allergy.
Don’t Miss: Which Allergy Medicine Works Fastest
It’s Probably Allergies If:
Your mucus is clear or watery. And it will stay clear, instead of becoming thick or discolored like it can with a cold, says Michael Benninger, MD, an ear, nose, and throat specialist at the Cleveland Clinic.
Your eyes are itchy or watery. It’s rare to have itchy eyes when you have a cold.
Your symptoms stay the same. “Allergies may feel extra intense for the first day or 2, but you’ll have the same symptoms day after day,” Benninger says.
You’ve had the sniffles for more than a week. A cold usually clears up in 7 to 10 days, but allergies can last several weeks or longer.
Your symptoms show up only in certain situations. Find yourself sneezing every spring or fall? Those are common times for allergies. Another allergy tip-off: Being in a specific place makes you feel miserable — for example, in a house with a cat.
How Is An Allergic Reaction Treated
If you experience an allergic reaction and you dont know whats causing it, you may need to see a doctor to determine which substances youre allergic to. If you have a known allergy and experience symptoms, you may not need to seek medical care if your symptoms are mild.
In most cases, over-the-counter antihistamines, such as diphenhydramine , can be effective in controlling mild allergic reactions.
Recommended Reading: Is Claritin A Antihistamine
How To Avoid Mold Exposure
To reduce mold growth in your home, take into consideration these tips:
Note What Time Allergy Symptoms Occur
Noting the time span and exact time you have these allergic reactions can help you discover the cause. A cold generally lasts between five to seven days. If allergy symptoms last for more than two weeks or for months at a time, you may have a seasonal allergy.
If your symptoms worsen during the spring or fall, when pollen counts are higher, then you are more likely to have a seasonal allergy. If you have allergic reactions around the clock, you should check to see if there are allergens in your environment like dust mites.
Read Also: Zyrtec Hives Relief Tablets
Is It Allergies A Cold Or Something Else
Is It Allergies, a Cold or Something Else?
North Texans know that allergy season can last all year. There always seems to be something in the air that can cause a scratchy throat or itchy eyes. But what if the symptoms mean something else? Thats the thing with allergies the symptoms are just hazy enough that they cross paths with other illnesses. To know the difference, it helps to know the culprit.
Allergies are caused by an overactive immune system that sends your body into defense mode when something thats usually harmless, such as dust or pollen, is mistaken for germs. Your body releases histamines to go after the allergens, just as it does when fighting a cold. This can cause swelling in your nasal passages, a runny nose, cough, sneezing and itchy, watery eyes.
Colds, on the other hand, are caused by hundreds of different viruses. When one of these viruses gets into your body, thanks to contact with an infected person or contaminated surface, your immune system fights back. The response can come in the way of nasal congestion, a runny nose, coughing and/or sneezing.
How to Tell What You Have
Despite similarities , allergies and colds do have some differences. The most important one is that colds usually dont last longer than 14 days. Plus, they may bring with them body aches, a fever and a sore throat. If you still have symptoms after two weeks, you should check in with your doctor.
Could It Be Something More?
Question 3question 3 Of : How Do You Know What You’re Allergic To
Read Also: Twix Peanuts
Treating The Common Cold
Your body will get rid of the cold virus over time. Since antibiotics only kill bacteria, they wont work on the viruses that cause colds. Still, there are medications that can help relieve your symptoms while a cold runs its course.
Cold remedies include:
- pain relievers, such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen
Cough syrups and OTC medications arent recommended for children under 4 years old, while nasal sprays arent recommended for children under age 6.
Ask your doctor before taking any OTC cold medication, especially if you also take prescription medications, have any existing health conditions, or are pregnant.
Dont use cold medications for a long period of time. Using them for extended periods can cause side effects such as rebound congestion.
You can also try home treatments to relieve a cold, such as:
- drinking more fluids like water, juice, and herbal tea
- loratadine-pseudoephedrine
Decongestants come in pills and nasal sprays. However, nasal decongestants such as oxymetazoline can make your congestion worse if you use them for more than three days in a row.
Your Dogs Feet Smell Like Corn Chips And They Wont Stop Licking Them
While most humans think that the corn chip smell is normal for a dogs feet, its actually a sign of bacteria. If your dog is also licking their feet, its not because theyre cleaningtheir feet are itchy.
If your dogs hair is a light color, you may notice fur staining of the feet, a symptom in which the fur takes on a dark red, coppery color due to the dogs saliva.
The classic corn chip odor of the feet, which many people believe to be completely normal in dogs, is caused by skin infections, either from bacteria or fungi . So how is this symptom related to allergies?
The inflammation associated with skin allergies breaks down the normal skin barrier over time. As a result, opportunistic microbes like yeast and bacteria can go from resting peacefully on the surface to diving deeper, where they set up infections and cause problems.
Addressing these secondary infections will be one of the first steps that your veterinarian will want to take in treating your allergic dog.
Also Check: Claritin D Vs Zyrtec
What Are The Symptoms Of An Allergy
An allergy occurs when the bodys immune system sees a substance as harmful and overreacts to it. The symptoms that result are an allergic reaction. The substances that cause allergic reactions are allergens. Allergens can get into your body many ways to cause an allergic reaction.
- You can inhale allergens into your nose and your lungs. Many are small enough to float through the air. Examples are pollen, house dust, mold spores, cat and dog dander and latex dust.
- You can ingest allergens by mouth. This includes food and medicines you eat or swallow.
- Your body can have allergens injected into it. This includes medicine given by needle and venom from insect stings and bites.
- Your skin can absorb allergens. Plants such as poison ivy, sumac and oak can cause reactions when touched. Latex, metals, and ingredients in beauty care and household products are other examples.
The severity of symptoms during an allergic reaction can vary widely. Some of the symptoms of an allergic reaction include:
- Itchy, watery eyes
- Hives
- Stomach cramps
- Wheezing
- Chest tightness and losing your breath
- Feeling faint, light-headed or blacking out
- A sense of impending doom
Some of these symptoms can be sign of a life-threatening allergic reaction.
You Notice A Seasonal Pattern
If youre the type of person who swears they get the same cold every March, it might be time to reconsider. If you notice its seasonal like clockwork, and every spring or fall you get these symptoms, it might be allergy-related, Dr. Parikh says.
That holds true even if your seasonal symptoms occur earlier than you might think of as allergy season, Dr. Rosenstreich says. In the Northeast, for example, most people are not aware of the fact that the trees begin to pollinate even when theres still snow on the ground. Depending on the weather, people can have allergy symptoms in February.
RELATED: 12 Signs You’re Having an Allergic Reaction
Also Check: Claritin 24 Hour Non Drowsy
Your Symptoms Might Only Show Up At Certain Times
If you have seasonal allergies, your symptoms should arise and go away around the same time each year. For most people, seasonal allergy symptoms begin in the spring and end in the fall. However, depending on your allergy triggers, you may experience allergic rhinitis in any of the four seasons. Here’s a rundown of plants that commonly cause seasonal allergies:
Spring:Tree pollen, particularly from oak, elm, birch, cedar, willow, poplar, horse chestnut and alder trees.
Summer: Grasses, such as ryegrass, Kentucky bluegrass, Timothy grass and Bermuda grass.
Fall: Pollen from weeds is the main concern in the fall months. Many people are allergic to the pollen in ragweed, tumbleweed, pigweed, sagebrush, Russian thistle and other plants.
Winter:Most people find that their allergies go dormant during the winter months because most plants don’t pollinate during winter. If you still get watery eyes and a runny nose during cold weather, you might be allergic to indoor allergens, such as dust mites, mold or pet dander.
How To Diagnose A Mold Allergy
To test for a mold allergy, the doctor will take a comprehensive medical history and ask you about your symptoms and when they occur. Mold allergy tests include:
- Skin prick tests Droplets of mold allergens are placed on the skin surface with tiny punctures. Raised bumps strongly indicate an allergy to that substance.
- Blood tests Chemical testing detects Immunoglobulin E antibodies circulating in your blood that are directed at specific allergens. Lab results may take days. A blood sample is sent to a medical laboratory, where it can be tested for evidence of sensitivity to specific types of mold.
The doctor will put all the evidence together test results, your personal and family health history, home and work environments, activities that might expose you to allergens, a physical exam of your eyes, ears, nose and lungs before reaching a diagnosis.
Don’t Miss: Can You Get Swollen Lymph Nodes From Allergies
Allergy Symptoms And Diagnosis
Different types of allergies cause different symptoms. Here are some of the most common allergic reactions, plus information on diagnosis and testing.
Diagnosis of allergies involves several factors such as identifying an individuals symptoms and when they occur, reviewing family and medical history, undergoing a physical examination, and testing.
You Probably Don’t Have These Symptoms
Remember, some of the symptoms in the first two sections may also be symptoms of COVID-19, so if you feel under the weather, you should get tested for COVID-19 to be sure. A runny nose and sneezing, in particular, are common allergy symptoms and common symptoms of COVID-19.
If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, there’s a good chance you have a cold, COVID-19 or another virus:
- Fatigue
- Aches and pains throughout your body
- Weakness
- Severe headache
- Sore throat
If you know you’re allergic to pollen, you can try an app like Zyrtec AllergyCast to check the pollen counts and see if it’s a good idea to go outside.
Read Also: Zyrtec Drowsy Or Non Drowsy
How Are Allergies Diagnosed
If you think you have allergies, don’t wait to see if your symptoms go away. When your symptoms last longer than a week or two and tend to come back, make an appointment with an allergy/immunology specialist.
Allergy skin testing may be used to identify the allergens that are causing your allergy symptoms. The test is performed by pricking your skin with an extract of an allergen, and then checking your skins reaction.
If a skin test cant be performed, blood work may be obtained. This test is not as sensitive as a skin test. The test evaluates the number of antibodies produced by your immune system. Higher levels of certain antibodies suggest possible allergy to that allergen.
Other types of allergy testing are available too.
