Symptoms caused by insect sting allergies usually happen within a few minutes after you got stung, although there may be symptoms happening after some hours. Insect venoms cause these allergic reactions, like those from wasps, bees, hornets, fire ants, and yellow jackets.

Mild Symptoms:

- Pain, swelling, and itching at the area of the sting or at times, over larger body areas such as the forearm or entire hand
- Fever
- Fatigue or nausea
- Hives, swelling, and itching in body areas apart from the area that got stung
- Chest tightness
- Difficulty of breath
- Tongue swelling (more…)

Symptoms that occur as a result of contact allergies usually happen within a few minutes after your allergen exposure, although there are symptoms that may occur after several hours. Common allergens are poison ivy and poison oak, rubber, nickel, latex, preservatives, dyes, fragrances, medications, and cosmetics like perfume and hair dye. Nickel, a metal frequently used in buttons, jewelry, hairpins, zippers, metal clips and snaps, is the frequent source of the allergy. Sun exposure might also give you reactions. (more…)

Symptoms of respiratory allergies frequently occur after a few hours of exposure and usually trigged by allergens that are airborne like animal dander, plant pollens, mold spores, and dust mites.

Mild Symptoms:

- Wheezing or coughing
- Sneezing
- Itchy throat or nose
- Postnasal drip
- Smell sense is impaired
- Hoarseness in the throat
- Congestion
- Red, itchy, swollen, or watery eyes
- Clogged or runny nose with thin and clear mucus
- Conjunctivitis
- Fatigue (more…)

Symptoms of an allergy caused by certain food types usually happen within some minutes after you ingested food allergens, although there are some that would only occur after several hours. The symptoms may only happen to areas around the lips, mouth, and digestive tract, or could also involve other body areas. Foods that commonly result to allergic reactions are eggs, nuts, milk, fish, soy, shellfish, and wheat.

Mild Symptoms:

- Tingling, itching, or swelling of your mouth, tongue, lips, or throat
- Tightness feeling in your throat
- Difficulty speaking or swallowing
- Nausea
- Indigestion and abdominal cramps
- Vomiting and diarrhea
- Skin rashes
- Coughing, congestion, wheezing, or sneezing
- Runny, stuffy, or itchy nose

Severe Symptoms: (more…)

Allergy is a term broadly used in describing a reaction of body tissues that is unusual to a substance that has no distinctive or noticeable effect on other humans. According to studies, about 17 out of every 100 Americans are allergic, or hypersensitive, to some substances which are known to cause unusual reactions. (more…)

Stories of friends and family members unable to enjoy certain foods, participate in activities, or participate in particular environments are all too common.

In fact, 50 million Americans are estimated to have allergies. This means that a great number of people live with certain lifestyle ‘limitations’ by what we’ve come to know as an allergy, which is what an adverse reaction by the immune system to any foreign substance is called.

There is no clear apparent medical reason why people contract allergies, but one thing remains clear: the condition is indiscriminate in its coverage and may affect us regardless of age, gender, or race. Commonly, however, the allergy manifests in our infancy or childhood, although some symptoms may appear at any age or may reappear after any period of apparent inactivity. (more…)

You have probably heard someone talk about the rise in allergies. It seems that the children of today are much more likely to have an allergy than the children of 20 or 30 years ago. One of the most common allergies that everybody probably knows about is peanuts. When I was in school in the late 50s and early 60s, no one worried about having a peanut butter sandwich at school. Why does it seem that there are more allergies today? (more…)