Adults can also have allergies: check out the causes and main types.
Among children, there is a higher incidence of respiratory and food allergies; in adults, reactions to medications are more common.
By Alessandro Greco, from Agência Einstein - Although allergies most frequently appear in childhood, some people may develop the condition only in adulthood. According to experts, this is due to an increased sensitivity of the immune system to certain foods or medications consumed frequently throughout life.
According to Luisa Karla Arruda, allergist and immunologist, and full professor of Clinical Medicine at the Ribeirão Preto Faculty of Medicine of USP, allergic symptoms generally appear after this sensitization stage—which can take a long time, even years. "Therefore, symptoms only appear later in life, in adulthood," she explains.
“Seafood allergies, for example, occur more frequently in young adults, as we begin consuming these foods at a certain age, not in the first years of life,” the specialist points out. In the case of milk or eggs, the reaction usually appears in early childhood, as these foods are offered from that time onwards, and persists into adulthood, according to Arruda. “We have a patient today who is 30 years old and has had an allergy to cow's milk since she was four months old,” she exemplifies.
Risk factors
For now, it's not possible to identify which people are more likely to develop allergies in adulthood – whether to food, medication, skin, or respiratory issues. However, family history is considered a risk factor, although the relationship isn't direct.
An individual who has a family member who developed asthma in childhood does not necessarily have a higher risk of developing the same disease. However, there is a greater possibility of having allergies in general. "That's why we don't have much of a way to predict which allergies a person might develop in adulthood. Perhaps with advances in genetic studies in this area, we will have more answers in the future," explains the specialist.
It is now known that respiratory and food allergies are more common in children. Among adults, reactions to medications are more common. The allergist and immunologist emphasizes that self-medication and excessive use of medicines are factors that contribute to increased sensitization and the development of allergies to these products. "An important message is to only use medications under medical supervision. This can minimize the chance of developing an allergy," she explains.
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