Winter allergies: how to recognize and treat the disease!

Among the “winter” diseases, the most common are diseases of the upper respiratory tract, injuries received from falls, and frostbite. But there is also a special type of allergy - cold

 

Proceeding like urticaria, cold allergy is nothing more than a skin response to damp, windy weather. The allergen in this case is a physical factor – ambient temperature. Under the influence of cold, a person releases inflammatory mediators from mast cells into the blood with the formation of specific immune complexes, which is manifested by the appearance of a profuse itchy rash, spots, and even blisters on the face, ears, and hands.

However, upon returning to a warm room, these symptoms disappear on their own within 20–30 minutes. In addition, a person who is allergic to cold may experience headaches and lower blood pressure.

At risk are women, especially during menstruation or menopause, suffering from ovarian dysfunction and other hormonal disorders. Poor nutrition, stress, chronic fatigue and infectious diseases predispose to this disorder.

Manifestations of allergies to cold can also be triggered by genetic predisposition, use of antibiotics, helminthiasis, as well as the presence of foci of chronic infection (caries, tonsillitis, chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, inflammatory processes in the pelvic organs, etc.).

 

Strengthening the defense

 

If you have cold allergies, you should follow a certain diet in winter. It is worth excluding everything that irritates the mucous membrane of the gastrointestinal tract: smoked and deep-fried meat, chocolate, oranges, eggs, honey. It is necessary to include foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids in your diet: sea fish and high-quality vegetable oils.

 

And, of course, foci of chronic infection in the body should be eliminated by contacting an allergist, therapist, dentist, or otolaryngologist.