Types of Allergic Diseases
Anaphylaxis
Anaphylaxis is a serious, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction. It involves many of the body's organs and can begin very rapidly.
Asthma
Asthma is a chronic disease that inflames and narrows the airways of the lungs, causing wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, and coughing. In people with allergic asthma, asthma symptoms can be triggered by exposure to an allergy-triggering substance, or allergen.
Atopic Dermatitis (Eczema)
Atopic dermatitis, also known as eczema, is a non-contagious inflammatory skin condition characterized by dry, itchy skin that can weep clear fluid when scratched.
Environmental Allergies
Environmental allergies occur when the body's immune system reacts abnormally to a harmless substance such as pollen or animal dander. This can trigger allergic reactions in the nose (allergic rhinitis, or hay fever) and in the lung (asthma).
Food Allergy
Food allergy occurs when the immune system responds to a harmless food as if it were a threat. In the United States, the most common foods that trigger allergic reactions are milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, wheat, fish, and shellfish.