According to the European Association for Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI), the incidence of allergies in industrialized countries has been increasing in recent decades, affecting around 30% of the population. However, despite the fact that the mechanism of this disease shares some fundamental elements in the way it manifests itself, this disease can present a wide variety of symptoms and ranges of severity.
Same mechanism with different consequences
Classic allergies are determined by the presence of antibodies (IgE) in the blood, components of our defenses that are responsible for patrolling and detecting specific elements (allergens) that enter our body. If our antibodies recognize any of these allergens, specialized cells of our immune system will be activated and cause different symptoms in the skin, respiratory tract, digestive tract or even generalized throughout the body.
It is important to clarify that not all reactions that appear when in contact with external elements are necessarily an allergic reaction. Our immune system has different defense mechanisms against compounds that can be harmful and, although they may involve the same types of cells, they can be very different processes.
What types of allergies exist?
Classic allergies can present themselves in many ways and are usually classified into the following large groups: rhinitis, conjunctivitis, allergic asthma, atopic eczema, food allergies and allergy to insect venom.
A person can suffer from one or several allergies at the same time, defined according to where the most relevant symptoms appear. The most frequent allergies are rhinoconjunctivitis and asthma, especially in Europe. These types of allergies cause very localized symptoms in the eyes and respiratory tract, and appear when in contact with allergens found in the air (aeroallergens). Within the group of aeroallergens we find those present in pollen, mites, mold, dogs and cats, among others. Although the symptoms are limited to irritation, redness and local itching, nasal congestion and sneezing, they can be quite annoying. As a general rule, these types of allergies do not usually present a mortal danger, but up to 20% of the patients who suffer from them have a great effect on the health system and economy of a country since the prevalence is high and the symptoms cause a large number of sick leaves and treatment expenses for many years.
However, there are other types of allergies that can be life-threatening if you don’t act quickly when exposed to the allergen. In this group, allergies to the venom of some insects and some food allergies are known. In both cases, the allergic reaction can lead to anaphylaxis or anaphylactic shock. Allergists define anaphylaxis as a reaction in which one or more organs are affected, and in turn can have different levels of severity.
One of the reasons why this type of allergy can be more dangerous is because the allergen is present in a higher concentration and its distribution in our body occurs very quickly through blood circulation. If this happens, the amount of allergen that is recognized by immune security agents (IgE antibodies) is capable of activating a large number of cells from different organs and collapse the system.
What to do in the face of a reaction?
In the event of suffering from anaphylactic shock, it is essential to have an epinephrine injector at hand to stop this chain reaction and to be able to go to a hospital to treat the symptoms. People with a diagnosed allergy and risk of anaphylaxis should carry this injector at all times in addition to avoiding the allergen as much as possible. The symptoms appear in a matter of seconds or minutes after coming into contact with the allergen, so the speed of reaction in these situations is of vital importance.
There are other factors that also increase the risk of suffering anaphylaxis when exposed to an allergen, such as the levels of IgE antibodies, the number of mast cells (one of the cells responsible for causing symptoms), a genetic predisposition and other factors. factors like exercise.
Once all the relevant diagnostic tests are carried out and the possible added risk factors are evaluated, the type of allergy and the risk of it leading to anaphylactic shock when in contact with the allergen are diagnosed. Experts in allergology are responsible for evaluating these risks and writing the guidelines that doctors and specialists must follow to diagnose and treat patients suffering from allergies. Although all allergies can lead to a reduction in the quality of life of those who suffer from them, it is important to evaluate how serious each allergy is and understand that not all allergies are the same.
References:
European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI). Asociación de médicos, investigadores y profesionales de la salud.
Muraro et al. 2014. EAACI food allergy and anaphylaxis guidelines: diagnosis and management of food allergy. Allergy. doi: 10.1111/all.12429
Navalpakam et al. 2022. Management of Anaphylaxis. Immunol Allergy Clin North Am. doi: 10.1016/j.iac.2021.09.005
