Allergic Reactions and their Treatment
Allergic reactions happen often and we need to know how to treat them. In this article you will learn how to treat multiple types of allergic reactions.
The Basics- How to Treat an Allergic Reaction
Lets start off with the basics, what is an allergic reaction? An allergic reaction is when your immune system identifies a substance as harmful when its not, causing an allergic reaction.(C+C) There are many types of allergic reactions, ranging on severity and side affects. Those depend on what your allergic to and how severe your allergy is. For example, if someone was allergic to a bee and got stung there are many symptoms you may experience including hives, flushed or pale skin, swelling, and many more. To treat a bee sting you need to take imidiate action if allergic. If the stinger is still in the sting, remove it as soon as possible. Next, clean the area with soap and water. Apply ice after to reduce swelling and pain. After, apply anti redness and itching creams and take an antihistamine for any itching and swelling.
Severity of Allergic Reactions
An allergic reaction should be taken serious because it could cause life or death to the person if imidiate action isn’t taken. An allergic reaction could be slight like a small stomach ache or small hives, but it could also be as severe as swelling of the throat and eyes. If slight symptoms occur, take over the counter medicines to reduce histamine reactions. Histamine is a compound released in response to an allergic reaction, causing contraction of smooth muscle and dilation of capillaries.(WG) If symptoms are severe, seek emergency medical treatment. If you have known severe allergies, its always best to carry an epi-pen.
The Different Kinds of Allergies
There are many different kinds of allergies. There are food allergies, animal and insect allergies, environmental allergies, and allergies to medicine. In the United States it is estimated that over 15 million Americans suffer from food allergies.(NS) A food allergy is when your body rejects the food you ate and cant process it correctly, thinking its harmful. As a result, it causes an allergic reaction. There are many ways to treat food allergic reactions, the most common one is an epi-pen. Epi-pens are used for allergic emergencies and injects a drug to reduce swelling. ONLY FOR EMERGENCIES!!!(EAL) Epi-pens can also be used for other allergy categories.
In Conclusion…
Allergies do suck, but we have to take precautions no matter what the severity is. Allergies affect many people world wide and thanks to doctors and scientist, we can treat them. Do you have an allergy?
Sources: http://www.foodallergy.org/treating-an-allergic-reaction, www.healthline.com/health/allergies/allergic-reaction-treatment#overview1, kalamazooent.com/allergies.htm