We treat allergic reactions at The Urgent Care at Vermont. Allergic reactions range widely in severity, type, and symptoms. Ingested allergies are triggered when we eat food we’re allergic to, contact allergies are triggered when our skin comes in contact with something we’re allergic to, inhaled allergies are triggered when we breathe in something we’re allergic to. Inhaled, contact, and ingested allergies can be associated with different symptoms. There are also insect allergies.
Triggers and Symptoms of Inhaled Allergies
Inhaled allergies are the most common type of allergy. Some of the symptoms of inhaled allergic reactions include:
- Sneezing
- Stuffy or runny nose
- Itchy eyes, nose, or roof of mouth
- Red, swollen, watery eyes (called allergic conjunctivitis)
- Wheezing
Many people who experience these symptoms (commonly called hay fever) only get them in spring and fall when there’s more pollen in the air. It isn’t always easy to avoid an airborne allergen. Hay fever is often confused with asthma, but they are not the same thing (though they can make each other worse). Other airborne allergens include fungi, mold, pet dander, and dust mites.
Triggers and Symptoms of Ingested Allergies
A food allergy or food hypersensitivity happens when the immune system reacts abnormally to food. It’s more common in children than adults. Common food allergies include cow’s milk, nuts, eggs, wheat, soy, shellfish, and fruits. Symptoms can range from mild to life-threatening. They include:
- Hives or a rash
- Difficulty swallowing
- Swelling of the tongue, lips, or throat
- Wheezing or difficulty breathing
Symptoms usually appear within thirty minutes to two hours of consuming the offending food. Even a small amount can cause a rapid reaction. A food allergy is different from a food intolerance, which doesn’t involve the immune system but the digestive system. Symptoms of a food intolerance are things like gas, bloating, stomach pain, and diarrhea, and it may be possible to eat some of the food without experiencing these symptoms.
Triggers and Symptoms of Contact Allergies
Contact allergies can be triggered by soaps, detergents, hair dyes, jewelry, solvents, waxes, or polishes, or by plants like poison ivy, poison oak, or poison sumak. These are annoying but rarely dangerous. Symptoms include:
- Redness
- Itching
- Swelling
- Scaling
- Blistering
Insect Stings
Most people experience mild irritation, itching, and localized swelling and redness with insect stings, but some people are allergic to the venom in the sting. A sting on a limb might make the entire limb swell instead of just the immediate area. Severe allergies to insect stings, however, are life-threatening and need emergency treatment.
Urgent Care or Emergency Room Allergic Reaction?
Our clinic is a great place to come for a mild to moderate allergic reaction. If you have a simple rash or runny nose, vomiting or feeling nauseous, it’s not enough reason to go to an emergency room and we are happy to help find a solution. If you’re having severe symptoms (struggling to breathe, a severe unknown rash, flu-like symptoms along with coughing and wheezing), get to the emergency room. This could mean an anaphylactic reaction and be life-threatening.
Why Do Allergic Reactions Happen?
Allergic reactions happen when the immune system mistakes a harmless substance for a dangerous invader. In its efforts to destroy the invader, it creates a variety of unpleasant (or life-threatening) symptoms. Having a family history of allergies, having asthma, or being a child are all risk factors for allergies.
Managing Future Reactions
Important steps you can take to prevent allergic reactions include avoiding known allergens (which can be complicated for people with multiple allergies or allergies to common airborne substances) and keeping antihistamines on hand for when you know you’ll be encountering the allergen. People with potentially serious allergies may be prescribed an adrenaline auto-injector (an Epipen), which should be injected as soon as a serious reaction is suspected. After that, they should get straight to the emergency room.
At The Urgent Care at Vermont, we can recommend steps to take to prevent and manage future allergic reactions.