Putri Juneita Johari
ALLERGIES aren't uncommon. They can range from mild to severe, can affect children and adults alike, and it can happen at any stage of your life. If you have a family history, then you're at higher risk of developing allergies at some point in your life.
For those who suffer from seasonal allergies — commonly referred to as hay fever when it's really an allergic reaction to pollen from flowers, trees, grasses and mould — you'd have learnt how to deal with it. You'd have your antihistamines on standby and take measures to avoid triggers.
Allergic reactions can present themselves differently — from the typical symptoms like runny or stuffed nose (rhinitis), to itchy and watery eyes, sneezing, rashes, tickly or sore throat, and coughs; to asthmatic attacks, swollen eyes, tongue and mouth; to vomiting, stomach cramps and diarrhoea.
A severe allergic reaction is anaphylaxis, which can be life-threatening. It causes the immune system to release a flood of chemicals that cause you to go into shock — your airways will narrow and this blocks breathing. Such severe reaction is often caused by venom like insect bites or stings, food like peanuts or tree nuts, or medication like penicillin.
If you're new to this, then seek medical advice and perhaps see an allergist who can test and confirm if you have allergies. It's important to know what triggers your allergic reactions to manage your symptoms better.
MANAGING YOUR ALLERGIES
There are a few ways to do the test — blood test or the skin-prick/scratch test. These tests are safe. Blood test would take a few days to process before getting the results. With the skin-prick test, you'd know what you're allergic to within 15 to 20 minutes because your skin would react to the allergen placed in the liquid tested on your skin.
Once you know what you're allergic to, your doctor would discuss how to manage flare-ups when they strike. Allergies that occur early in life tend to become a lifelong issue. It may start with common triggers like certain types of seafood, dust, dust mites, pet hair and dander.
Other usual triggers include common household chemicals like perfumes, air fresheners, soaps, laundry detergent and softeners. Food that usually cause allergies are milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, wheat, strawberries, shellfish, certain types of fish, and colouring, additives and preservatives.
If you don't manage your allergies and how your body reacts to the triggers, you may just exacerbate your condition. What started off as just sneezes and sniffles can become asthma, a disease that affects your lungs.
Over time, your immune system may respond differently to the allergens. Repeated exposure can also cause your immune system to overreact, making you hypersensitive to certain things and making your allergic reactions more severe.
Some people outgrow their allergies. Sometimes these occur naturally, depending on the allergy and severity. This is especially so with children. They may no longer be affected by any of the usual suspects like pet fur and/or dander, pollen, seafood, peanuts or eggs.
On another part of the allergy spectrum, you may develop a sudden allergy to something you've been eating and enjoying all your life, like eggs, seafood and even alcohol. This could be due to several things. Having gone through a bout of infection — viral, bacterial or both — can make you violently allergic to some things.
Viral infections may be anything from flu to Covid-19. Bacterial infection can come from food poisoning caused by salmonella, E. coli, etc. Certain digestive problems, food intolerance and even stress can contribute to the onset of allergy symptoms.
ELIMINATION PROCESS
Many articles on this topic have pointed out that it isn't really clear why some allergies develop in adulthood. What you need to do is to firstly identify the triggers, and then avoid them at all costs.
If you can't give up completely on the things that make you sick, at least try to eliminate them for a few weeks. This is called the elimination process. Let your system rest for a while. Give yourself a break for a week or two to avoid the triggers and do a reset.
Then slowly reintroduce it to your system one item at a time. Don't shock your system. Be kind and gentle to it. If you still react to it, then avoid it for a month or more. Work with your doctor on this.
You may need to eat differently, from your choice of food to the way they're cooked. You'd need to learn new recipes or adapt it by replacing the offending items. Explain it as best you can to your friends, especially if your meet-ups revolve around food, and hope they'd understand and sympathise. This may take time and lots of patience, but it's worth it.
You're worth it!
(The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.)
Putri Juneita Johari volunteers for the Special Community Society of Ampang. She can be reached at [email protected].
