Respiratory allergies are the collective name for a group of diseases affecting the respiratory tract, the cause of which is an inadequate response from the immune system to a specific irritant substance, the so-called allergen. Basically, these substances penetrate the body through the airborne mechanism, but their ingestion with food and medicine is not excluded.
Causes of non-infectious allergies
Among the factors that affect the occurrence of allergies, heredity is far from the last place. If one or both parents are prone to allergies, then it is likely that the child will be hypersensitive to a number of irritants. An important role in the formation of such sensitivity, and, as a consequence, an allergic reaction, is played by improper nutrition: prolonged artificial feeding of the child, passion for foods with a high content of artificial preservatives. In addition, inhalation of polluted air when living in close proximity to industrial facilities or busy highways, long-term treatment with medications, and frequent respiratory infections have a negative effect and contribute to allergies.
Respiratory allergosis in children is very common. If for the smallest of them, the most common allergens are food products: cow's milk, oranges, berries, chocolate, then schoolchildren have an increased sensitivity to household irritants such as dust, animal hair, tobacco smoke, and pollen from plants.
Respiratory allergies often occur under the influence of house dust. It is inhabited by microscopic mites, molds, wool, fluff and feathers of animals, particles of epidermis, book dust, various chemicals: cleaning products and washing powders, cosmetics. Allergic reactions to various medications are frequent: vitamins, antibiotics, antiseptics, aspirin, novocaine.
Infectious Causes of Allergies
In addition to non-infectious sources of allergies, there are also infectious, representing various microorganisms: bacteria, viruses, fungi. The foci of chronic infections in the body may well serve as sources of its increased sensitivity and the subsequent development of allergies. In general, susceptibility to several substances often arises, and not to one, and this series has a tendency to expand during life.
Types of respiratory allergies
Allergic rhinitis is perhaps the most common respiratory allergosis, the symptoms of which include nasal congestion, itching, sneezing, secretion of watery secretions and tearing against the background of swelling of the mucous membranes of the nasal cavity. Often allergic rhinitis is seasonal in nature, but can be year-round, occurring both independently and in combination with sinusitis and otitis media.
Allergic pharyngitis is characterized by swelling of the mucous membrane of the pharynx. There may be painful sensations when swallowing, a feeling of a foreign object in the throat, dry cough, hoarseness of the voice. Along with pharyngitis, allergic tonsillitis and laryngitis are often observed.
Respiratory allergies include pathology such as allergic tracheitis. It involves attacks of an obsessive, painful, dry cough, like with whooping cough, mostly at night. Possible fever and even vomiting.
Allergic bronchitis is a protracted disease characterized by frequent relapses. The general condition of a person can be painful at the same time, the temperature can be elevated. The nature of the cough with the course of the disease changes from dry to wet, wheezing in the bronchi is clearly audible, but there are no asthma attacks. In the case of allergic obstructive bronchitis, breathing is difficult, because there is a narrowing of the bronchi.
The list of diseases such as respiratory allergies, allergic pneumonia continues. This is the most severe form of damage to the respiratory system, basically having an allergic reaction due to the hypersensitivity of the body to a particular irritant. With this disease, cough, shortness of breath, chills, general weakness are observed. The form of allergic pneumonia can be both acute and chronic. With inadequate or untimely treatment of this disease, the prognosis can be very unfavorable.
Diagnosis of respiratory allergies
Correct recognition of the allergic cause of respiratory diseases is possible only with a complete analysis of all data. As a rule, the course of such diseases is protracted, with constant relapses. The allergic nature of such pathologies is indicated by certain changes in the composition of the blood, the results of special tests and tests.
Respiratory Allergy Therapy
The treatment of respiratory allergies is reduced primarily to the limitation of contact with the allergen, and for this it is necessary to determine it correctly. If it is difficult to understand on your own what exactly caused the pathological process, you can not do without consulting an allergist who will conduct the necessary tests.
Drug treatment is carried out with the use of antihistamines in combination with enterosorbents and prebiotics. If necessary, symptomatic therapy is carried out, which consists in taking drugs that lower the temperature and painkillers. Good results are given by physiotherapy: baths and inhalations, as well as treatment by staying in the microclimate of salt caves.
The same approach is used if it is necessary to prevent respiratory allergosis in children. The treatment consists, first of all, in preventing contact between the child and the irritant, be it some kind of product, dust, tobacco smoke, a chemical or medicine, following a hypoallergenic diet, or carrying out vitamin therapy.
Allergy Prevention
The best prevention of allergies is to strengthen all measures of immunity, physical education and breathing exercises. If there is a danger of hereditary hypersensitivity to various stimuli, the expectant mother should adhere to a diet during pregnancy, and after the baby is born, do not transfer him to artificial feeding as long as possible.