FAQ's

• What is an allergy?

  An allergy causes the body to 'overreact' to substances that are normally harmless. The body regards those substances as harmful intruders against which it must arm itself. Allergens enter the body by inhalation or via food, skin contact, administration of medicines or insects.

• What types of allergy are there?

  Allergic reactions may be triggered by a wide range of allergens. The most common allergies are hay fever, allergy to pets and other animals, to house dust mite and food allergy. However, contact allergy and sun allergy are also frequently found.

• What are the main allergens?

  By far the most common allergens are grass and tree pollen, fungi, dander and hairs of pets and other animals and (droppings of) house dust mites. Other notorious culprits are foodstuffs, such as peanuts, strawberries and cow's milk, as are the venoms of insects, nickel and ingredients used in cosmetics.

• What is Hayfever?

  Hay fever is an allergic reaction to grass, plant or tree pollen. This pollen is released in the flowering period. If you are allergic to tree pollen, your complaints may start as early as February. Grass flowers later, from May onwards. Pollen is moved by the air. Pollen levels in the air are generally very high on sunny, windy days.

• What symptoms accompany allergies?

  Allergic symptoms vary widely. Allergic nose complaints, such as hay fever, are generally accompanied by sneezing, an itching, runny or blocked nose and burning eyes. A flu-like feeling is also possible. Other complaints include tightness of the chest and wheezing, particularly in asthmatic patients. Allergies such as contact or sun allergy often trigger skin reactions, ranging from lumps that itch or sting to eczema. Cramps, diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting are signs of food allergy.

• What does an allergy attack involve?

  During an allergy attack, the body reacts 'excessively' to an intrinsically harmless substance. The immune system regards the substance as an intruder that must be stopped. This triggers an immune response involving the production of IgE-antibodies. As a result of this process, the body releases histamine from certain cells. Released in the body, this histamine evokes allergic symptoms. Those allergic symptoms are in fact caused by inflammatory reactions, which is the body's way of chasing off 'the intruders'. The types of complaints accompanying the reaction depend on the location in the body where the reaction took place, its severity as well as other factors

• What role does the immune system play in allergy?

  In the case of an allergy, the immune system reacts not only to harmful intruders, such as bacteria and viruses, but also to substances that are in fact harmless. The immune system overreacts to the substance entering our body. The 'immunological' reaction that takes place leads to the production of IgE-antibodies in the blood, causing hypersensitivity. This process is also known as 'allergic sensitisation'. This sensitisation exacerbates your allergic symptoms every time you come into contact with the allergen that initially triggered the reaction.

• Are all nasal complaints allergy related?

  No. Infections may also cause nasal complaints. The most common nose infection is a cold, which is normally over in a week's time. Irritating agents, such as the smell of paint or smoke, may also cause nasal complaints. It may be an allergy, but not necessarily, although irritation of the nose by such agents may cause symptoms that suggest an allergic reaction. Finally, abnormalities in the structure or position of the nose may result in nasal complaints.

• Is an allergy dangerous?

  Most allergies are not dangerous. An anaphylactic shock reaction, on the other hand, is. It may even be life-threatening, but this severe form is fortunately rare. Although most allergies are not dangerous, they are often a great nuisance. Severe symptoms may cause great discomfort during day-to-day activities, such as cycling, driving or sports. Fortunately, there are many effective treatments nowadays.

• What are the odds of an allergy?

  No less than 30 to 40 per cent of the world population is predisposed to allergy. This does not mean that you actually develop an allergy. About 15 per cent of people with a predisposition develop an allergy that manifests itself between ages 15 and 25. Hereditary factors play an important role in allergies. If your parents, brothers or sisters have no allergic symptoms, you are unlikely to develop symptoms, but the possibility can never be ruled out entirely.

• Once allergic, always allergic?

  Allergic symptoms often set in between ages 15 and 25. Certain allergies, such as hay fever, are seasonal. Non-seasonal allergies, such as food and pet and house dust mite allergy, can affect you all year round. Allergic symptoms often diminish with age. Once you have passed the age of 40, the complaints often grow less severe. Furthermore, there are now many more treatments for allergic symptoms. Increasingly effective treatments are developed that help alleviate allergic symptoms significantly, immunotherapy being a case in point. This method is designed to reduce or even eliminate hypersensitivity. You can read more about immunotherapy in the next chapter (treatment).

• What treatments are available?

  In addition to over-the-counter drugs, there are numerous medicines and therapies for the treatment of allergy. Your doctor or specialist is best able to determine which treatment has the most chance of success for you. Avoid contact with the allergen The best way to prevent allergic symptoms is by avoiding all contact with the allergens. However, this is easier said than done. It is, for instance, impossible to eradicate the house dust mite. However, it is possible to keep contact with the mite allergens to a minimum. If you are allergic to your pet, you would be well-advised to find it another home. If you react allergically to peanuts, do not eat them. If you love strawberries but they give you a rash, then stop eating them. Also watch out for food that contains ingredients to which you react allergically. Fruit drinks or cake may contain strawberries, for instance. Symptomatic treatment The purpose of a symptomatic method is to alleviate the symptoms, the complaints. It does nothing about the cause of the complaints. Examples of symptomatic methods are what are known as antihistamines (often tablets) or nose sprays containing hormones (corticosteroids). Those drugs attempt to suppress the symptoms. When you stop taking the medication, the symptoms usually come back. Causal treatment Causal treatments are designed to remove the cause rather than the symptoms. After all, if the cause can be remedied, the complaint no longer requires attention. There is a therapy that can reduce sensitivity to allergens and sometimes make it disappear altogether. This therapy is called specific immunotherapy or hyposensitisation. The answer to the next question and the Causal treatment section provide more information about this.

• Are there ways of getting over an allergy?

  In addition to these medicines, there is a therapy that can reduce sensitivity to the allergen in question and sometimes make it disappear altogether. That therapy is known as specific immunotherapy or hyposensitisation. It involves administering high doses of allergen for 3 to 5 years. The allergen is either injected or administered sublingually (drops underneath the tongue). Immunotherapy is frequently used for the treatment of hay fever. It may also be very effective for the treatment of allergy to pets and other animals, insect venomes and house dust mites

• How can you avoid contact with allergens?

  It is important to avoid contact with the substance you are allergic to whenever possible. In the case of some allergies, that is easier said than done. If you are allergic to your pet, try and find it a new home. That is extremely hard, but absolutely necessary. We are talking about your health. However, you need to realise that this does not automatically solve all your problems. Even after thoroughly cleaning your house, there will still be cat hairs around after years. If you are allergic to certain foodstuffs, such as milk, strawberries or peanuts, try to avoid them. If you have a contact allergy for, say, nickel or rubber chemicals, do not wear jewellery that contains nickel and avoid latex gloves. In short, avoid the substances you are allergic to whenever possible. If you are allergic to house dust mite, good housekeeping is essential. The mite thrives in warm, damp places, especially in the bedroom. When autumn comes, switch on the heating in good time to keep your bedroom as dry as possible. It is important to wash your bedclothes and curtains at a temperature of at least 60°C and to dust using a damp cloth, preferably every day. There are all manner of products available that can help you make the mite's life as hard as possible. A special vacuum cleaner with a dust mite filter, for instance. Or dust mite repellent mattress covers. Your doctor has special leaflets about measures that can be taken against house dust mite. Do not hesitate to ask about them.

• What can you do for hayfever?

  If you suffer from hay fever, keep doors and windows closed whenever possible. Pollen levels are particularly high in the morning. Hay fever reports on the radio and on the internet which give weather forecasts and pollen levels are helpful.

• When should you ask your doctor?

  If you think you have an allergy or complaints that suggest you might have one, it is time to contact your doctor. Your doctor can determine whether you are allergic and to what, and suggest a treatment. If your complaints persist despite precautions or medication, tell your doctor. It is important to treat the allergy as soon and effectively as possible to prevent your complaints worsening, which may sometimes even result in asthmatic complaints. There may be other options that are more appropriate for you, such as immunotherapy.