Condition : Allergies

An allergy is where your body reacts to something that's normally harmless with symptoms like sneezing, breathlessness, itchy skin, swelling, and being sick. It can start at any age.

For some people, these symptoms can be mild, but for others they can be life-threatening.

If someone is having a serious allergic reaction, they may need immediate treatment in hospital. If they have an adrenaline auto-injector (such as an EpiPen), this should be used straight away, even if an ambulance is on the way.

Allergens are things that cause allergic reactions, and they can include:

• tree and grass pollen (hay fever)
• house dust mites
• foods, such as peanuts, milk, and eggs (food allergy)
• animals, particularly pets like cats and dogs
• insect stings, such as bee and wasp stings
• certain medicines

Intolerance to certain foods should not be confused with allergies.

An intolerance involves a problem with the digestive system, and the symptoms can take hours to appear. Those symptoms, such as bloating and cramps, may be very uncomfortable, but they are not life-threatening.

An allergic reaction will be immediate and is caused by an immune response.

Allergies can be triggers for eczema and asthma.

Allergies are caused by a defensive response from the immune system due to it mistakenly identifying the allergen as harmful.

Some people’s allergies are hereditary, meaning they are born with them because of genes passed on from their parents, but there is often no clear reason for an allergy to occur.

Environmental and lifestyle factors, such as air pollution, second-hand cigarette smoke, stress, or a lack of exposure to allergens, may cause allergies.