Atopy/Allergy: Causes, treatment, Prevention!
Allergy: Have you ever felt itchy after a bath after wearing some type of clothes (like cotton, nylon, etc.), or when using some type of jewellery (e.g.: gold, silver, iron, copper, etc.)?
Some persons, find it difficult to breathe when they are in areas that are either dusty, damp, cold, or with animals or where there are grasses.
Some others start to have pains in their abdomen, or even vomit when they eat some kind of food.
It could be anything. What is yours?
What is Allergy?
You call it Allergy, we call it Atopy. In simple words, it means that your body is very sensitive/reactive, even to things it normally should not react to. Hence, when you use these things that your body does not like, it starts reacting to show you that it doesn’t want it.
Please, this has nothing to do with Ogbanje or any spiritual connection. It is purely medical.
This type of problem is common with a lot of people, mostly starting from their childhood.
What Causes Allergy?
The main cause of these allergic reactions that you go through is simply your immune system. Your immune system is placed in your body, and its job is to protect you from foreign bodies like viruses or bacteria. Just like what happens in Coronavirus patients. It’s the immune system that helps them fight the virus & help them recover. It is just like a policeman.
Sometimes, your immune system starts acting abnormally and starts seeing some normal things as bad or harmful when they are not.
This is the problem that leads to allergic reactions. It happens when the immune system, now sees things that are normal as bad and starts to attack them because of a false alert.
Just imagine when the police, instead of coming to arrest Criminals in a particular community, now arrest normal people on the street, just because they have tattoos or sag their trousers, or they smoke & torture them to agree that they are criminals. This type of overreaction is what happens in allergies.
There is something in the immune system called IgE (immunoglobulin E). This is what it uses in responding to foreign bodies. In allergy, this IgE now attacks overreacts and causes the manifestation you see.
Things that Can Cause Allergic Reaction
The following listed below are some things that can cause allergic reactions in some people. Note that this is not all:
- Insect Bite
- Food
- Drugs
- Clothing material
- Grasses
- Animals
- Metals
- Sponge/Soap
- Dust
- Cold
In summary, just anything can cause allergies. It can even be sunlight. Some people are even Allergic to Condoms (Latex).
Also, know that What you are allergic to might not be what another person is allergic to.
Conditions Arising From Allergy
Examples of medical conditions that can result from allergy are;
- Asthma: you may have a Cough, chest tightness, or be struggling to breathe in air.
- Rhinitis/rhinosinusitis: most persons would be sneezing, or have an itchy, runny, or blocked nose.
- Dermatitis (Eczema): itchy rashes, every time you are scratching your body.
- Conjunctivitis: you would be scratching or have itchy eyes. Your eyes would be red, and watery.
- Food/Drug Allergy: you will be having stomach pain, or be feeling sick. You may even vomit or pass watery stool.
What do you do when you have an allergy?
What to do depends on the type of Allergy or Allergic disease that you have. We cannot write about what to do for all of them here, but, we would take them one after another and attach the link here.
But generally, what to do for an allergic reaction is;
- Avoid known allergies: That is to avoid/remove anything in that environment, whether clothing, food, grasses, drugs, etc. that the person is allergic to. If you don’t know what is causing the allergy, they change the environment for about 2 weeks and see if it improves. It might just be the dust on the curtains, chair, or the dog or something on that particular food that is causing the problem.
We know that It is not easy for anyone to know the allergens in their environment that cause allergic reactions, but they have to try. - Hospital: If the allergic reaction becomes very serious, especially when it affects breathing, you have to see a doctor immediately.
- Drugs: some drugs to help you manage the scratching & itching that you are having (e.g.: piritone). Know that this does not replace the need or importance of seeing a doctor.
- Counselling: you should know that what you have is normal, and the Allergy is not from any village or spiritual husband, wife, or person.
We would talk about the individual conditions that give rise to allergic reactions later on. Bookmark/Save this website for future readings or join our email list so we can mail you our new publications.
Do we hope you have learned about this now?
Do you have any questions for us? Ask below.
What is causing your allergy?
