OmyAllergy.com

Skin Allergy and Types

While a healthy Great Dane may remind you of a chiseled Olympic athlete Danes are not famous for their health. Their short hair is a blessing and a curse. It is easy to take care of, requires little maintenance, no cutting, does not hold dirt, but as a rule short haired dogs are more prone to skin allergies.

The most common of the allergies which I appropriately call bald butt, not sure about the scientific name, seems to appear during hotter weather or when a Great Dane is stressed. I have seen it happen with both of our adopted Danes the first year we had them and return only mildly in following years. The only remedy that I have found to work for any extended period of time is a steroid sot administered by the vet. This is not the cheapest option and you have to watch out for accidents afterwards but it is effective. Repeated bathing seems to make the problem worse.

Allergy is a condition in which the body tends to react due to hypersensitivity to some substance such as food, drugs, drinks, pollution, flowers, and others. An allergen can be anything under the sun that might cause a reaction in one's body if the body disagrees with that substance. Even a common thing such as sunlight and air might cause sever reactions in some if the skin is susceptible to allergies due to the same.Skin allergies are caused when the skin comes in contact with certain items that the skin does not agree with. This causes the skin to break into hives, rashes, swelling, redness and lots of itchiness. These might be caused due to a variety of reasons and not just food.

A few reasons that cause skin reactions are mehendi, henna, tattoos, metals such as nickel, silver, gold, cosmetics, latex, makeup, sunlight, seasonal rashes and many more such simple reasons that actually make no sense except to those who suffer.Some say that people are more conscious of what a food allergy is today and in the past it may have been that people thought their kids had colds or respiratory issues instead of allergic reactions. Nonetheless, three million kids in the US are said to have food allergies. In other studies, the biggest offenders are dairy , peanut-based products and eggs. Peanut allergies can also cause severe reaction called anaphylaxis. When this happens the person will have their airways swell, lowered blood pressure and a severe reaction.

Allergies are defined as hypersensitivity to foreign particles. The allergy may manifest in several forms including skin allergy. Skin allergies themselves have different manifestations like rashes, itching, scaly and dry skin and boils. Also, there are different types such as dermatitis, hives, prickly heat etc. In most cases, the cause of the allergy will determine the time needed to cure the problem. While something like prickly heat can be tackled soon, other forms of skin allergy can demand time and patience.Allergies are caused by an extreme reaction of the immune system to certain substances - allergens and irritants. This causes the release of inflammation producing chemicals which are responsible for the symptoms of the allergy. There's lots of information available online, you should also consult your GP and go to the library. Knowledge is power!

Types

Allergies in general are defined as hypersensitivity to some foreign particle or the other. Different people have different kinds of tolerances for foreign bodies. When some people cannot adjust with certain elements in their surroundings, they may suffer from certain skin problems that are commonly referred to as skin allergies.

There is a sure way of determining whether your skin affliction is an allergy or not. If you have got a skin problem due to a cause that has affected no one else, then it is an allergic reaction. For example, several people may be exposed to dust. But if it affects you in a strong way, then you are allergic to dust.

Skin allergies could be in the form of itching, dry and scaly skin, eruptions, rashes, boils, etc. There are three main types of problems that are associated with skin allergies. These types are as follows:-

(i) Dermatitis ' This is the skin allergy which is caused due to contact with some substances. It is shown as an inflammation.

(ii) Hives ' Hives is a fluid accumulation in the skin which shows up as a swelling. This is a temporary condition and heals with treatment. Hives are also known as urticaria.

(iii) Prickly Heat ' This is a red rash which occurs on the body. Prickly heat is generally caused due to excessive perspiration due to hot and humid climates.

Urticaria, also called hives, is a skin rash that is itchy, swollen, and red. It appears anywhere in the body. Its size and shape can vary. It is often caused by viral infection, latex, or food and usually disappears spontaneously. It is a result of the chemical histamine in the skin's upper layers. There are special cases of chronic hives, however. Angioedema is swelling of the skin that sometimes accompanies urticaria. It normally occurs at the eyes, hands, feet, and lips. It causes a burning to stinging sensation. If hives is at the upper layers of the skin, angioedema reaction is found at the bottom layers.

Contact dermatitis has two types, allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) caused by allergens and irritant contact dermatitis (ICD) resulting from caustic substances reacting with the skin. Contact dermatitis causes rash. A quality of ACD is that it only occurs on the skin area right where the offending agent comes in contact. ACD is characterized by itching, redness, and blistering of the skin area after touching the plant poison ivy or poison oak of the rhus family. Touching the rash can produce another reaction, except when the rash area has been already washed. ICD is considered to be painful than itchy. The offending agent actually damages the skin.

Atopic dermatitis, commonly called eczema, is a widespread skin allergy. Eczema mostly appears in the face, knees, and elbows. It is also known to occur on the chest, scalp, and feet where a person scratches. There is no cure for it. Eczema is an itchy, red, and scaly rash. It may produce oozing at times. Scratching of the affected areas should be avoided. Excessive scratching results in broken skin. Lubricating and applying cold compress is helpful in easing the effects of eczema.