Allergy is a hypersensitivity reaction, an immunological response to an otherwise harmless agent like tree and grass pollens, House Dust mites, Insects, fungi, and foods resulting in undesirable clinical manifestations. These clinical manifestations can range from runny nose, sneezing, nasal blockage, itching of eyes, and breathlessness to hives on the skin, and swelling on extremities, genitals, or eyes.

Allergies can be of many types. It manifests itself in various forms of Allergic Rhino Conjunctivitis, Asthma, Food allergy, Urticaria, Angioedema, Insect allergy, Drug allergy, and Atopic dermatitis. Some of the patients might outgrow their allergy while some can have a chronic course.

Though both illnesses cause runny nose, sneezing, and nasal congestion, fever is a symptom of the common cold. Common colds may go away with or without medication in 5-6 days however allergies remain persistent. Allergies also cause itching in the eyes and nose. The nasal discharges will be watery in allergies while the common cold being an infective disease may cause yellowish discharge. Common colds are more common during winter months while perennial allergies will be around the year and seasonal allergies will be present every year in that particular season.

Food allergies like milk, soya, eggs, and wheat usually go away with time however fish and peanut allergies persist lifelong.

Once a person gets sensitized to a particular aeroallergen, chances are they will develop sensitization to more allergens. This is called as polysensitization.

Pet allergies are reactions to proteins found in saliva, urine, or dander of cats and dogs and not to their fur however this fur can carry molds, dust mites, and pollen on them. Common symptoms are runny nose, sneezing, or even sometimes wheezing, and difficulty in breathing. There are no such hypoallergenic cats and dogs. Cat antigen is universal however dog is not (different breeds of dogs will have different proteins). A person can be allergic to pets even if they don’t own one.

It is the natural progression of allergic diseases from infancy to childhood. It starts with Atopic dermatitis (dry itchy skin with lesions -birth to 12 months of age), then food allergies ( 1-3 yrs age), Allergic rhinitis ( sneezing, runny nose -4 to 6yrs age), and lastly Asthma (5 to 7 yrs age). 2/3rd of children with Atopic dermatitis develop Allergic rhinitis, ½ develop asthma and 1/3rd develop food allergies. Prompt diagnosis and management at an early stage is very important to prevent the progression of allergic march.

Yes. If one parent is suffering from any allergic disease, there is a 33% chance of a child getting an allergy, and if both the parents are suffering then 66% chance of developing an allergy.

Indoor allergens are house dust mites, pets like cats and dogs, insects like cockroaches, molds, and rodents. Outdoor allergens are grass and tree pollens and are less common compared to indoor allergens.