- What are skin allergies?
- What are the symptoms of skin allergies?
- What are the causes of skin allergies?
- Can skin allergies be prevented?
- What is the treatment?
What are skin allergies?
Skin allergies are an immune reaction caused by the presence or contact with certain substances or products (allergens). These can be of a wide variety, depending on the allergy that each person presents: perfumes, lotions, cosmetics, flowers, food… In addition, there are different types of skin allergies: food allergy, contact dermatitis, and atopy.
What are the symptoms of skin allergies?
The common symptoms caused by skin allergies are skin hives, inflammation, redness, burning, itching, pruritus or itching, but depending on the case, serious complications may occur. It is therefore important to consult a specialist in the presence of these symptoms, which are usually sudden and can sometimes even cause choking or suffocation and put the patient’s health at risk.
What are the causes of skin allergies?
Skin allergies, like all other allergies, are caused by an abnormal reaction of the immune system to an external agent that is thought to be dangerous to health, when in fact it is not. Some of the most common skin allergies are allergies to certain fabrics in clothing such as wool or synthetic fabrics such as lycra, contact with certain plants or animals, the use of soaps, make-up or creams, or exposure to the sun, among others.
Can skin allergies be prevented?
It is not possible to predict which substance the immune system will understand as an allergen, so it is not possible to prevent the allergy before it happens. However, it is possible to prevent the symptoms of allergy once it has been diagnosed by avoiding it.
What is the treatment?
Treatment is generally based on the administration of antihistamines to attack the allergy and its symptoms in a first phase. At the same time, it is always recommended to carry out allergy tests to identify the allergen that causes the reaction in the organism and to treat it directly. In most cases, avoidance of the substances causing the allergy is sufficient.
On the other hand, immunotherapy is also a useful method of treating allergy, which consists of the periodic administration of small amounts of the allergen in order to accustom the immune system to the presence of the allergen and avoid allergic reactions.