A person is said to have an allergy when their body has an adverse reaction, like a rash for example, to a substance which they may or may not actually come into contact with. An allergen could be anything under the sun that might cause a reaction in one’s body if the body disagrees with that substance and even a common thing such as sunlight and air might cause severe reactions in some if the skin is susceptible to allergies due to the same.

Some of the most common allergies are caused by food which can be very serious; probably the most notorious of these foodstuffs is nuts, especially peanuts. This allergic reaction to food extends even further with everyday products such as soy, rice and milk also causing problems but these are just the better known substances.

A few people are even know to have an allergy to chocolate but it is because allergies to things we eat usually affect respiration, digestion and the ability to ward of disease that reactions to these products are generally seen as more serious. Seafood such as fish, prawns, shellfish, jellyfish etc., are another common group that causes allergies in individuals so the best method is to avoid intake of the kind of food that causes reaction in the individual.

Food allergies often cause reactions which are seen initially as redness, itchy areas of skin and other irritations often quite common to the family of citrus fruits. Reactions to peanuts can be life threatening and warnings are placed on almost every food product if peanuts or their oil is used in the manufacture and is the most useful of all allergies to take as reactions happen very quickly.

Even beautiful flowers can cause problems although it is normally their pollen which gets into the respiratory system and once again the allergic affects can be seen almost immediately. This is another situation where allergy testing is advised because although the flowers may be removed from the room or premises it still needs to be proved that the flowers are responsible for the allergy.

Where a person has an allergic reaction to particular drugs, rashes and other skin problems can be the result but more worrying is where the reactions are internal and may not be seen for some time. As far as drugs are concerned it is normally the ingredient sulfur that causes the allergic reaction so this must be considered before and further drugs are given.

Although a reaction to nickel is not unusual to most people, a very small number of individuals even have an allergic skin reaction to silver and gold. Metal allergies can cause many skin related symptoms including hives, rashes or the skin turning a deep red in the affected area and even swelling.

Avoidance of such metals that cause reactions would be the best choice for individuals suffering from such skin allergies but having an allergy test done at regular intervals is a good choice if suspecting any allergies in the body.

Popularity: 39% [?]