Allergies: it is important to detect them early

Stuffy nose, runny nose, itchy eyes, disruption of daily activities and sleep, severe asthma attacks… despite symptoms that can ruin life, the average time before going to see an allergist is 7 years ! Much too long for the Asthma & Allergies association, which wants to reduce this therapeutic wandering and provide patients with appropriate treatment earlier.

What are respiratory allergies?

A respiratory allergy is triggered when an individual’s immune system kicks in as a result of exposure to an allergen. This allergen can be dust mites, tree pollen, animal hair, mould, etc.

The allergic reaction then triggers a whole series of symptoms in the allergic person, mild or more serious: stuffy nose, runny nose, itchy eyes, disruption of daily activities and sleep, severe asthma attacks…

A disease on the rise

For the Asthma and Allergies Association, this 17th French Allergy Day is therefore the right time to recall the importance of screening for this pathology, from the first symptoms. This will allow patients to benefit from appropriate treatment and care, for a better quality of life.

This is an issue that is all the more important since allergy is a disease in “constant increase for 45 years in France” with a third of the population affected and it is estimated that half of the world’s population will be affected by 2050.

Avoid severe forms

By taking care of your allergy, early, thanks to a follow-up by a specialist, this can avoid the more serious consequences of the disease. “Indeed, the aggravation of the symptoms of rhinitis can trigger a severe asthma attack requiring emergency hospitalization or the appearance of irreversible lung damage, leading to respiratory failure. the association is still reminiscent, not to mention the related psychological and social consequences, such as chronic fatigue caused by disturbed sleep or the renunciation of a sporting activity due to breathing difficulties caused by allergic asthma.

From diagnosis to treatment

If the patient is referred to an allergist, a more in-depth allergological assessment will confirm the diagnosis and accurately determine the allergens responsible for the respiratory symptoms:

• Skin tests (prick tests) can identify the causative allergen. The doctor places drops of each suspected allergen on the skin. It pricks through the drop to lightly penetrate it. The reaction caused is evaluated by measuring, after 15 minutes, the resulting redness and swelling;
• The blood test performed in medical biology laboratories is a powerful allergy diagnostic tool, capable of testing many allergy triggers. It measures the concentration of antibodies produced in response to the presence of a specific IgE type allergen in the blood. For skin and food allergies, there are also specific tests.

Qualifying the allergy makes it possible in most cases to limit exposure to the triggering factors responsible for the symptoms and opens the way to appropriate therapeutic management.