Children's Hospital at Dartmouth (CHaD)

Conditions

About allergic reactions

• Allergens only cause reactions in people who are allergic to them. Allergic reactions depend on specific responses by the immune system to things in the environment.
• In high-risk patients, avoidance of certain things that tend to cause these reactions can sometimes help prevent them. Once an allergy starts, avoidance is a mainstay of therapy.
• Most people with allergies tend to inherit them from one or both parents.
• Although allergies may only be noticed later in life, they usually begin during childhood.

How we make contact with allergens

• Inhaled through the nose and lungs (pollens, house dust, and animal danders)
• Ingested or taken in by mouth (foods, drinks, and medications)
• Contacted by the skin (dust, animal dander, and even foods)
• Injected through the skin (insect stings and injected medications)

Common symptoms of allergies

• Sneezing
• Itching
• Dripping
• Swelling
• Coughing
• Wheezing
• Vomiting

Common allergic conditions

• Allergic rhinitis
• Anaphylaxis
• Atopic dermatitis
• Childhood asthma and wheezing
• Eosinophilic esophagitis
• Food allergies
• Hereditary and acquired angioedema
• Hives
• Immunodeficiencies and recurrent infections
• Latex allergy
• Pollen, animal dander, mold and mite allergies
• Reactions to stinging insects
• Suspected allergic reactions to drugs
• Urticaria