Allergies -  An Alarm Signal for the Imbalance of the Immune System

Sneezing, rhinitis, itching, hives, swollen palms, watery eyes, shortness of breath and wheezing, chest pain … these are just some of the most common manifestations of allergies. While these are typically allergic reactions, few people know that the implications … and complications … caused by allergies can be much more subtle and serious, in some cases endangering our lives. 

Recent clinical studies have shown that the reactions can be varied, being associated with certain mental illnesses, arthritis, diabetes, bulimia, candidiasis, or obesity.

Allergies are an inadequate or exaggerated reaction of the immune system to substances called allergens, which are normally harmless and well-tolerated by most people. The role of the T cells of the immune system is to protect our body from the "invasion" of allergens. When such a substance is detected by the cellular system, the T cells "take action" and try to destroy the substance through a series of physiological reactions.

If the immune system is stimulated by allergens, the antibodies produce histamine and serotonin, which cause inflammation that causes reactions such as itching, sneezing, or runny nose.

Allergic reactions can be caused by certain foods, pollen, animal hair, insect venom, or dust, but also by certain unpleasant events, stress, or physiological factors such as cold or heat. Contact with the allergen causes local or systemic inflammatory reactions in previously sensitized organisms that cause the clinical symptoms of the allergy.

The organs most commonly affected by the allergen (the so-called target organs: skin and mucous membranes, respiratory system, and digestive system) are most commonly affected.

Symptom

Symptoms can be local or systemic, of varying intensity and severity, sometimes even fatal. Systemic reactions also occur when allergens are introduced directly into the bloodstream (by injections, infusions, transfusions, animal bites or insect bites, etc.).

Local symptoms may include:

• cutaneous: pruritus, rash, and erythema of various kinds, angioedema;

• ocular: itching, swelling, and erythema of the eyelids, redness of the conjunctiva, and tears;

• otorhinolaryngological: sneezing, nasal obstruction, watery rhinorrhea, hoarseness, cough; feeling of clogged ears, earache and hearing loss (due to insufficient drainage of the Eustachian tube);

• pulmonary: respiratory distress, cough, wheezing, dyspnea;

• digestive: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain.

Systemic symptoms refer to the alteration of the general condition: headache, fever, vertigo, malaise, as well as to cardiovascular symptoms: hypotension, syncope, cardiorespiratory arrest.

Cause

The exact causes of allergies are not yet known, but several hypotheses have been made about the factors that play an important role in their occurrence. Among them, a genetic role has a particularly important role, being statistically proven that most people suffering from various types of allergies come from families with a history of allergies.

Other factors that trigger allergies are pollution, the mother smoking during pregnancy and exposure to smoke during childhood, not being breastfed, contacting a few viral allergies in childhood, poor consumption of fruits and vegetables, exposure to creams containing oil. of peanuts during the first 6 months of life.

Avert

Recommended preventive measures include taking probiotics during pregnancy by women with a family history; breastfeeding the baby for the first 4 months; delaying the introduction of solid foods and potentially allergenic foods; increasing in Omega-6 intake during pregnancy; 

Hypoallergenic breastfeeding should be followed in allergy-mother couples at risk for allergies. The presence of pets does not seem to contribute to allergies in children. On the contrary, in the case of children exposed to animals in the first year of life, especially dogs and cats, the risk would be lower.

Treatment

The classic treatments for allergies are based on antihistamines which, however, by reducing the amount of histamine, only alleviate the symptoms caused by allergies. However, natural medicine focuses on rebalancing the immune system hypersensitive to certain allergens.