Allergy Disease

Allergy is a disease caused by immune system disorder. The body has reactions to allergens or irritants, leading to allergic symptoms, which can present in various body systems, such as:
Respiratory system including sneezing, runny nose, nasal congestion, itchy nose, postnasal drip, itchy eyes, ear fullness, cough, wheezing, snoring, frequent nosebleeds
Skin system such as facial swelling, recurrent hives, dry and itchy skin
Gastrointestinal system such as vomiting, abdominal pain, bloody mucus in stool
In cases of severe allergy, multiple systems may be affected simultaneously, resulting in headaches, poor sleep, fatigue. These symptoms can impact learning, work, and daily life.

Causes of allergies can be due to both genetics and environment.
Genetics – If one parent has an allergy, their child has about a 30-50% chance of having an allergy. If both parents have allergies, their child’s chances increase to 50-70%. Children without a family history of allergies have only a 10% chance.

Environment – plays an important role as allergens entering our body are due to the environment, entering via various pathways such as breathing, eating, or contact with substances. Common allergens include dust mites, pollen, weeds, pet dander, cockroaches, molds, some foods like cow’s milk, eggs, wheat, seafood. Other factors that may trigger allergic symptoms include changing weather, exposure to irritants like incense smoke, cigarette smoke, exhaust fumes, air pollution, PM 2.5 dust.
Diagnosis of allergy is crucial if symptoms are suspected. An allergen test should be performed to identify the cause and to avoid it, helping improve allergy symptoms and evaluate how much a patient is sensitive to certain allergens, and whether they have recovered. If initial treatments don’t work, allergen-specific immunotherapy (Immunotherapy) may be considered.

Allergen testing
can be done in two ways:
1. Skin prick test
– Can be performed on individuals aged 6 months and older
– The skin is pricked on the forearm or upper back, and results are observed after 15 minutes. If the patient is allergic to any allergen, the site will show a reaction like swelling, redness.

2. Serum Allergen specific IgE test, which detects specific antibodies to each allergen
Treatment of allergies
– Avoiding allergens (the best treatment method), because even if using allergy medications, failing to avoid allergens may still trigger symptoms.

– Medications to relieve and control symptoms, which may be oral or inhaled, depending on the patient’s symptoms. If medication is ineffective, allergy vaccines (Immunotherapy) are considered, involving incremental injections of allergens (only those confirmed to cause allergies) until a preventive level is reached. The treatment should be consistent over 3-5 years. After stopping the injections, some people’s allergies may improve or disappear, while others may recur.
Prevention methods for allergies
– Maintain good health with adequate rest
– Exercise regularly, at least 30 minutes a day
– Eat nutritious foods with a balanced diet
– Breastfeeding helps reduce allergy risk in genetically predisposed individuals
Although some allergies cannot be cured, symptoms can be controlled or minimized. Therefore, if suspecting allergy, seek diagnosis and continuous treatment to improve quality of life.