Allergy
Allergy is a pathological, excessive reaction of the immune system to substances (allergens) that are usually harmless to most people, such as pollen, household dust, animal hair, or certain foods. In the case of an allergy, the immune system mistakenly perceives these safe irritants as a threat and launches a protective response, leading to inflammation and symptoms.
Why allergy occurs
Manifestations can vary – from a runny nose, itching, and rash to serious reactions requiring emergency medical assistance. Causes of allergy include genetic predisposition and environmental factors, and although it cannot always be fully cured, modern medicine offers ways to diagnose and control symptoms.
To find out exactly which substances you are allergic to, an allergist conducts a special examination that helps identify the irritants causing the body’s reaction.
- The most common method is skin prick testing: small amounts of possible allergens are applied to the skin, and the allergy is judged by the reaction (redness, swelling).
- Blood tests for specific immunoglobulins E (IgE) are also used – this helps determine if the body has antibodies to certain allergens without direct contact with the skin. In complex cases, provocation tests or molecular allergy diagnostics may be used, providing more detailed information about sensitivity to specific substances.
- In complex cases, provocation tests or molecular allergy diagnostics may be used, providing more detailed information about sensitivity to specific substances.
Correct diagnosis allows for the exact identification of the “culprit” behind the reaction and the selection of effective treatment or allergen avoidance measures.
Allergy symptoms: how not to confuse them with anything else
Allergy symptoms can be very different, but common manifestations include a runny nose, frequent sneezing, itching in the nose and eyes, watery eyes, and redness of the skin or mucous membranes – signs that are highly likely related to an allergic reaction rather than other illnesses. People often confuse allergies with a cold, but allergies do not cause a fever, and the symptoms last longer and appear in response to specific triggers (for example, pollen, animal hair, or dust).
Another characteristic manifestation is skin itching and rashes (hives), signaling the immune system’s reaction to an allergen. If symptoms appear seasonally or after contact with certain substances and do not subside for several weeks, it also looks like an allergy rather than a viral infection. However, only a doctor can accurately determine whether it is an allergy or something else based on an examination and tests.
Allergy and its types
- Drug Allergy. Can occur in response to taking medications (antibiotics, painkillers, vaccines). Symptoms range from skin rashes and itching to Quincke’s edema or severe systemic reactions.
- Household Allergy. Related to constant contact with domestic allergens – dust, mites, mold. Symptoms can persist year-round and often worsen in enclosed spaces.
- Food Allergy. Occurs in response to the consumption of certain products (milk, eggs, nuts, seafood, chocolate, etc.). It manifests as rashes, itching, swelling of the lips and tongue, abdominal pain, nausea, or diarrhea, and in severe cases – anaphylaxis.
- Seasonal Allergy (Pollinosis). Exacerbates at certain times of the year during plant flowering. It is characterized by the repetition of symptoms from year to year: allergic runny nose, watery eyes, itchy eyes, general fatigue.
- Respiratory (Inhalant) Allergy. Related to the inhalation of allergens – plant pollen, house dust, mites, animal hair, mold. Typical symptoms: runny nose, nasal congestion, sneezing, itching in the nose and eyes, watery eyes, and sometimes – cough and shortness of breath.
- Allergy to Insect Bites. Reaction to the venom or saliva of insects (bees, wasps, mosquitoes). It may manifest as local swelling, redness, and pain, or generalized symptoms – weakness, difficulty breathing, drop in blood pressure.
- Contact Allergy. Develops upon direct skin contact with allergens: cosmetics, detergents, metals (nickel), latex, fabrics. It manifests as redness, itching, rash, dryness, and skin cracks at the site of contact.
Allergy can manifest in very different forms depending on which allergen causes the reaction and how the body reacts to it. One common classification includes exogenous allergies, where allergens come from the outside (for example, pollen, household dust, food products), and endogenous allergies, where the substances causing the reaction are formed inside the body.
Also among exogenous allergies, there are food allergies, seasonal and household forms, allergy to insect bites, medicines, or contact irritants – each of these groups has its own triggers and specific manifestations.
Such a division helps to better understand the source of the allergy, perform diagnostics correctly, and select effective treatment and prevention tactics.
How to find out what the allergy is
To find out exactly which substances you are allergic to, an allergist conducts a special examination that helps identify the irritants causing the body’s reaction. The most common method is skin prick testing: small amounts of possible allergens are applied to the skin, and the allergy is judged by the reaction (redness, swelling).
Blood tests for specific immunoglobulins E (IgE) are also used – this helps determine if the body has antibodies to certain allergens without direct contact with the skin. In complex cases, provocation tests or molecular allergy diagnostics may be used, providing more detailed information about sensitivity to specific substances. Correct diagnosis allows for the exact identification of the “culprit” behind the reaction and the selection of effective treatment or allergen avoidance measures.
Allergy diagnostics
Over the years of the allergy center’s work, I have become convinced: successful allergy treatment always starts with accurate diagnosis, not with randomly selected medicine. We don’t just “look for an allergen”; we analyze how and why your body’s immune system reacts to certain irritants.
For this, we use modern methods: skin prick tests, laboratory blood tests for specific IgE, and, if necessary, molecular allergy diagnostics. A detailed conversation with the doctor also plays an important role – lifestyle, diet, living conditions often provide as much information as tests.
Such a comprehensive approach allows for an accurate diagnosis and treats the actual cause rather than “allergy in general.”
Allergy treatment
- Allergy cannot be cured with a single universal remedy – and it is important to be honest with patients about this. Our task as doctors is to reduce or fully control symptoms, prevent complications, and return a person to a comfortable life.
- Treatment is always selected individually and may include antihistamines, local therapy, lifestyle correction, and contact management with allergens. In specific cases, we use allergen-specific immunotherapy (ASIT) – a method that affects not only the symptoms but the very mechanism of the allergy.
- Correct treatment is not a one-time medicine intake but a clear plan, control, and cooperation between the doctor and the patient. It is this approach that provides a stable and long-lasting result.
Allergist doctors at AirDOC who specialize in the treatment of allergy
The specialists of the clinic specialize in the treatment of allergy, conduct research, attend international conferences, practices and training, in order to bring modern and effective methods of allergy treatment to Ukraine.
Prices
For any clarifications you can contact our contact center
Allergist
Consultation
Comprehensive consultation by a specialist of the highest category
1 500 uah
Comprehensive consultation of a leading specialist, candidate of medical sciences
1 700 uah
Comprehensive consultation of an expert, doctor of medical sciences, professor
2 400 uah
Allergological consultation (with the participation of a professor / leading specialist / specialist)
3 900 uah
Consultation before ASIT
600 uah
Online consultation
Comprehensive consultation with a doctor of the highest category
1 500 uah
Comprehensive consultation of a leading specialist, candidate of medical sciences
1 700 uah
Comprehensive consultation of an expert, doctor of medical sciences, professor
2 4000 uah
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