The most common doubts about allergy

By Noemí Aída Coe, doctor of the German hospital specializing in allergy and immunology (MN 44451).

On World Allergy Day, we must remember that its global prevalence did not increase in both developed and developing countries. Over the last two decades, the child population was the most affected.

It is expected that allergic problems continue to increase depending on the air pollution and the increase in ambient temperature.

Allergy is a defense reaction of the body against external substances (allergens) that enter the body. These substances can penetrate through the digestive system (food, drugs), through the respiratory system (inhaled substances), absorbed by the skin (contactors) or through (injections, punctures). The body's immune system recognizes these substances as foreign and tries to neutralize them

People without allergies also recognize them as strange, but their body counteracts them without harm, by means of mechanisms called ] tolerance. Allergy sufferers try to neutralize by mechanisms that become harmful to the body itself and cause various symptoms.

It is common practice in the office to ask us: At what age does allergy appear, can I have allergies at my age?

The answer is: at any age. Although it is more common in children and adolescents than at other ages, it can appear at any moment of life, even in old age. There are some cases (very rare) in which allergy appears during the first months of the child. In addition, it manifests itself against things that have been perfectly tolerated for years, such as drugs, nuts, seafood, animals, and so on.

Another usual question is: Is allergy hereditary? [19659003] You can inherit the atopic predisposition, that is, the possibility of developing an allergy in general and not against specific substances (the father may be allergic to penicillin and may be allergic to it). child consults us, no). Allergy appears more readily in predisposed persons but persons without allergic family members may also present it.

If a person is repeatedly exposed to a substance such as animal dust from work in experimental laboratories, it may end in an allergy. If a predisposed child has been living in a house with carpets, many fabrics and cushions, or many stuffed animals since birth, you may become allergic to house dust mites.

Another question they ask us is: What do we need? to be allergic?

To become allergic, at least a first contact with the allergen is necessary and to present allergy symptoms more than one contact is needed . At some point, the sensitization process begins: the person forms IgE (Immunoglobulin E) against a specific allergen. Initially, the level of this IgE is low, or the amount of allergen is low, and the person seems to tolerate the antigen well. The level of IgE increases, until reaching a certain level from which contact with the allergen already triggers the symptoms.

For symptoms to appear, there must be a sufficient amount of IgE and allergen; if the amount of the latter is low, the allergic apparently has tolerated it without any problem.It is not usual to have allergies at first contact with the allergen, however it should be mentioned the cross-reactivity that usually occurs with very similar allergens such as shrimp with shrimps and crabs, or with apparently very different allergens, such as shrimps with mites, cat with pork, or latex with bananas and chestnuts. 19659003] Frequently we are consulted on Is the allergy cured?

The answer is that allergy can disappear completely in some cases; in other cases, it remains but many symptoms are improved. The disappearance can occur spontaneously or with the treatment recommended by the specialist. There are patients who develop over time a tolerance to the substance to which they have allergies and who need no special precautions.

Treatments

It is important to note that this is the allergy specialist. to the diagnosis of this pathology. After an exhaustive clinical history, you must perform a series of allergy-specific functional tests and tests to rule out other causes.

Once diagnosed, the therapeutic approach is performed which consists of three types of approach: relief or symptom relief, the preventive anti-inflammatory or continuous, and the etiological or cause, which can be avoidance of allergens and immunotherapy or vaccines. It adapts individually to each patient.