Allergy Symptoms: How to Recognize Them
Allergy symptoms usually cannot be easily distinguished from those of a cold. Here you can find out if you are affected by an allergy!
The allergy symptoms
- Runny or stuffy nose
What allergy is that? If the nose is only tight, runs and itches at certain times of the year, it is obvious: hay fever, e.g. due to pollen. The mast cells belonging to the immune system release histamine through the pollen, which leads to allergic reactions. Here we tell you all the symptoms of hay fever! By the way: hay fever patients belong to the so-called immediate type – the symptoms appear almost immediately when the allergen is close by. A hyposensitization can often greatly reduce the symptoms – only in the case of a nickel allergy this does not work.
In the case of permanent rhinitis or when the symptoms get worse in autumn and winter, there is often a house dust allergy or animal hair allergy behind it, because with closed windows and dry heating air these allergens accumulate in our living rooms.
What else could it be? For example, a so-called vasomotor rhinitis, in which a nerve reflex causes the mucous membranes of the nose to swell suddenly when lying down. A crooked nasal septum or chronic sinusitis can also cause chronic rhinitis.
What is the benefit of clarity in allergic reactions? In hay fever, the combination of seasonal symptoms and positive allergy tests (prick test) in allergology gives a fairly reliable diagnosis. If in doubt, a blood test can also be done (RAST). A provocation test is almost always unnecessary.
The allergy symptoms
- Watery, reddened, itchy eyes
What allergy is that? You can get hay fever without a cold. Then you sometimes only notice that it is a pollen allergy when the eye problems always occur at the same time of year.
What else could it be? Conjunctivitis caused by viruses or bacteria can look very similar. That is why allergy sufferers should see an ophthalmologist as soon as possible the first time. Eye irritations, e.g. due to dry air or irritants at the workplace, are less common.
What brings clarity? The same tests as for hay fever.
The allergy symptoms
- Red itchy patches of skin
- Quadling
What allergy is that? For example, a reaction to medication, especially antibiotics. Caution: If the immune system is alarmed by an infection, allergic reactions can also occur with drugs that are otherwise well tolerated (e.g. the painkiller ASS). If the rash keeps recurring, food may be to blame.
What else could it be? Quite often a so-called hives, which is allergic in less than ten percent. The reasons for this can be inflammations in the body (e.g. suppurated teeth), but also psychological stress.
What brings clarity? If food intolerance is suspected: careful self-observation and omitting suspect foods. Once a possible trigger has been circled in this way, skin or blood tests and possibly a provocation test provide further clarity; in the case of chronic hives, the systematic search for a focus of inflammation in the body.
The allergy symptoms
- Itching
- Tingling or burning sensation in the mouth
What allergy is that? Some pollen allergy sufferers develop a so-called cross-allergy to food. Certain foods are to blame, often e.g. apples, nuts or celery.
What else could it be besides allergies? A burning, tingling tongue can also be caused by nervous disorders or vitamin deficiency (especially vitamin B12).
What brings clarity? In most cases, as an allergy sufferer you can quickly see the connection with individual foods yourself; prick and blood tests are often not necessary. Exception: celery. It is not easily recognised as an allergy trigger, is hidden in many ready-made meals and seasoning mixtures and can trigger very severe allergic reactions. Therefore, an allergy to celery should be confirmed or excluded by tests.
The allergy symptoms
- Swollen face
- Swollen lips
What allergy is that? Triggers can be, for example, certain foods, but also medicines, insect bites (also insect venom allergy) or centres of inflammation in the body such as hives.
What else could it be? There are so-called hereditary angioedema, in which lips and airways swell suddenly, just like in an allergy. Unlike allergies, they do not get better with cortisone.
What brings clarity? The same examinations as for hives. And there are special lab tests for hereditary angioedema.
The allergy symptoms
- Bowel cramps
- Diarrhoea after eating
What allergy is that? Triggers of such allergies can be many foods, e.g. milk, eggs, fish and seafood, soya, nuts, mustard, celery and sesame.
What else could it be? Often it is not a “real” allergy if you do not tolerate certain foods. Much more common are non-allergic intolerances, for example of lactose intolerance, gluten in cereals or histamine (in ripe cheese, smoked sausage, sauerkraut, spinach, tomatoes).
What brings clarity? Keeping a food diary as an allergy self-test and thus isolating suspicious foods. Then a prick test, specific IgE and – particularly meaningful – a provocation test after the suspicious food has been left out for a while.