Pseudoallergy in children treatment. Pseudoallergy: how do false reactions differ from true ones, and how to treat them? How to distinguish true allergic reactions from pseudoallergic ones

Food pseudo-allergy is a pathological process that is clinically (in terms of symptoms) similar to a true food allergy, but does not have an immune stage of development, i.e. reactions of a food allergen with a reagin antibody formed in the body. The remaining two stages of development pathological process true and false allergies are similar. We are talking about a biochemical stage with the accumulation of histamine and other biologically active substances, as well as the clinical stage.

Pseudo-allergy, more often than true allergy, underlies food intolerance in individually sensitive people. It has been established that for every case food allergies there are 2-3 or more cases of pseudoallergy, and the development of the latter can be caused by both natural ingredients various products, as well as technological food additives - dyes, preservatives, etc. However, the significance of pseudo-allergic reactions to these additives should not be exaggerated; they are rare: in European countries, they occur in approximately 0.2% of the population.

Participate in the development of pseudoallergy various mechanisms, most often - histamine, the essence of which is to increase the concentration of histamine in the blood, which has a pathogenic effect on target cells. An increase in the concentration of histamine can occur in several ways, but mainly due to the direct effect of food components absorbed from the intestine on mast and other cells with the subsequent release of histamine from them. Many foods have histamine-releasing properties: fish, crustaceans, egg white, chicken meat, strawberries, tomatoes, carrots, radishes, raw cabbage, mushrooms, etc. In addition, some foods naturally contain a lot of histamine and other biologically active amines, for example, cheese, red wine, fish (mackerel, tuna, mackerel, herring, salmon), chocolate, coffee, sauerkraut, spinach, tomatoes, etc. If the permeability of the intestinal mucosa is impaired or insufficient inactivation (destruction in small intestine) histamine and other amines ingested from food can cause pseudo-allergy. Weakening of histamine inactivation occurs, as a rule, in people with impaired liver function (for example, with chronic viral hepatitis), as well as chronic diseases gastrointestinal tract.

The distinction between food allergy and pseudoallergy is necessary for the right choice treatments for these types of food intolerances, the causes of which lie in the characteristics of the body of some people, and not in the foods themselves, which are normal for the vast majority of people components food.

In table 1 presents the main criteria for distinguishing between food allergies and pseudo-allergies. It is necessary to note the possibility, although rare, of the simultaneous development of true and false food allergies in a person.

Table 1. Diagnostic signs allergic and pseudoallergic reactions

Signs	Allergy	Pseudoallergy
Age of onset	In childhood, often before 1 year	More often in adults
Allergic diseases in the family	Often	Rarely
Allergic diseases in the patient himself	Often	Rarely
Concomitant diseases of the digestive system	Possible, but not required	Often
Dependence on primary or secondary nutritional effects	Always in response to repeated exposure to food	Absent
The amount of substance causing the reaction	Minimum	Relatively large
Dependence of symptoms on the amount of food product	Absent	Clear dependence
Hypersensitivity to substances with a structure similar to the “suspected” allergen (cross-reactions, for example, to pollen)	Characteristic	Uncharacteristic
Elimination effect - removal of a suspected product from the diet	Eat	Fuzzy
Increased number of eosinophils in the blood	Often, often high	No or moderate
Total immunoglobulin E in the blood	Significantly increased, less often - moderately	Typically within normal limits
Presence of specific immunoglobulin in the blood	Eat	No
Skin and provocative tests with a suspected allergen	Usually positive	Negative, less often - false positive
Treatment effectiveness	Effect of specific treatment- elimination diet and immunotherapy	The effect of the complex nonspecific therapy digestive diseases

If in case of a food allergy the “culprit” product should be completely excluded from the diet, then in case of a food pseudo-allergy it is often sufficient to only reduce its quantity. However, if you have a true food allergy, it is easier to organize varied diet than with pseudoallergy. This is due to the fact that in case of an allergy, it is enough to find the product that causes it and exclude it from the diet, as in pure form, and as part of other products. Much less often we can talk about several products.

Food pseudoallergy is a nonspecific reaction of the body to different products against the background of damage to the gastrointestinal tract, liver and biliary tract. Therefore, it is crucial to treat the underlying disease while simultaneously limiting or removing it from the diet for the entire duration of treatment, potentially dangerous products. To maximize the digestion of food products that cause pseudo-allergies, you should increase the number of meals and reduce their one-time volume.

Another difference between nutrition for food allergies and nutrition for pseudo-allergies is that in case of a true allergy, the exclusion of the corresponding product will have to be followed long period, sometimes all your life, and with pseudo-allergy, you can eat a varied diet again almost immediately after the positive results of therapy for the underlying disease, even if we're talking about about remission (temporary improvement) in chronic pathology.

Common in the treatment of food allergies and pseudo-allergies is the use of antihistamines, aimed at smoothing the symptoms of the disease, but not curing it.

Diagnosis of food allergy includes: 1) deciding whether the disease is allergic or pseudoallergic; 2) clarification specific product or products that lead to the development of food allergies.

To identify the food product whose components “trigger” allergic reactions, an elimination diet (from the Latin word “expel”, “remove”) is prescribed - with the exclusion of the suspected product. If allergy symptoms subside, the suspected product is reintroduced into the diet to find out whether it really is capable of causing these symptoms. It is best to confirm all positive reactions in such conditions that the patient himself does not know whether it contains this product in the food offered (blind method). As an elimination diet, the patient’s main diet is used, excluding suspected foods from it, or a diet consisting of foods that rarely appear as sources of allergic reactions is prescribed.

Define the product allergic, and other elimination diets with keeping a “Food Diary”, which are presented below, also help to eliminate it from the diet forever or until cure.

1) Strict elimination diet begins either with 1-2 fasting days on water, or with 1-3 days on slightly sweetened tea (5 glasses per day) with 250 g of dried white bread. Then every 2-3 days the diet is gradually expanded: first add fermented milk products(kefir, cottage cheese, milk, cheese - in that order), then meat, then fish or vegetable dishes.

2) Dairy-free diet: if you suspect an allergy to milk, exclude milk and dairy products (except butter, it is better to use baked food), as well as products containing milk: pies, cookies, etc.; It is advisable to exclude beef from food, since it may contain antigens common to milk. The duration of these diets depends on the patient’s condition and diagnosis. If the dairy nature of the allergy is confirmed, then you will need to adhere to such a diet for several months and even years, using milk substitutes.

3) Grain-free diet: foods containing flour (bread, pancakes, cakes, etc.) are excluded from the diet.

4) Fish-free diet etc.

If, against the background of an elimination diet, an exacerbation of the disease more than once coincided with taking certain products, they are excluded from the diet for a period of at least 2 weeks. If at daily use If the newly introduced product does not worsen the allergy, after 4 days another previously excluded product is introduced. An exacerbation of the disease when adding any product should not be scary - it just indicates that the food allergen was found correctly.

The body’s negative response to a stimulus can be not only true, but also false. Pseudoallergy accounts for more than 70% of general cases negative reactions in adults and almost 50% in children. For most patients, the problem occurs when consuming certain foods and medications.

How to prevent the development of false allergies? What types of food trigger rashes? itchy skin, tissue hyperemia without cell involvement in the process immune system? How to distinguish a true allergy from a false one? The answers are in the article.

General information

The body’s negative response to irritants is in many ways reminiscent of a normal allergic reaction; the signs are practically the same, but the reasons for the development of negative symptoms are different. Many patients do not know what the difference is between the two types of negative reactions when in contact with an irritant. It is important to know the reasons for the development of types of negative response of the body to prevent negative signs.

True allergy

Involved in the process immune cells, the level of immunoglobulin E increases, and an active release of histamine occurs. The immunological stage is an obligatory element of the reaction to the penetration of an irritant. Active production of biologically active substances, inflammatory mediators leads to skin reactions, rhinorrhea, swelling, often to.

The reaction begins with a minimal amount of an inappropriate substance. With a true allergy, the body's response is often violent, with severe symptoms, sometimes life-threatening.

False allergic reaction

The same signs are present as in the true form negative reaction, but immune cells are not involved in the process. There is no allergic inflammation, but symptoms characteristic of an immune response to irritants appear.

The release of histamine is provoked by liberating substances:

salicylates;
flavoring additives;
toxins;
preservatives;
synthetic food colors;
nitrates.

From foods (if overeating) negative symptoms provoke:

tomatoes;
egg white;
seafood;
sausage;
strawberry;
melons;
canned food;
sea fish;

Sometimes pseudo-allergy is caused by:

X-ray contrast agents;
non-narcotic analgesics;
some antibiotics (penicillin series);
chemicals, household chemicals, solvents, alkalis and acids;
low and high temperatures, UV radiation.

Important! A negative response develops only when large quantities irritant: one orange does not harm the body, but after eating a kilogram of juicy fruit, skin reactions, digestive disorders, and headaches are possible. Anaphylaxis, severe swelling, occurs less frequently than with the true form of the disease. Pseudoallergy code according to ICD -10 - T78.4 (Allergy, unspecified).

Signs and symptoms

How to distinguish an allergy from a pseudo-allergy? Doctors recommend seeking advice for early detection type of negative reaction.

With a true allergy, the body's response is so violent that pronounced swelling can develop, making breathing difficult. For this reason, the patient should not independently decide why the body is covered with a rash, the tissues are slightly swollen, tears flow, and liquid transparent mucus is released from the nose. The doctor will prescribe skin tests and tests and clarify the clinical picture.

With a false allergy, severe swelling, decreased blood pressure, and difficulty breathing rarely appear; rash, redness, itching, nausea, diarrhea, bloating, and headache occur more often. True allergies are often accompanied by severe symptoms.

Signs of allergic reactions:

small rash, blisters;
redness of the epidermis;
itching (mild or severe);
nasal congestion;
odorless and colorless mucous discharge from the nasal passages;
redness of the conjunctiva, itching, swelling of the eyelids;
digestive system disorders;
swelling of tissues varying degrees heaviness;
decrease in pressure;
dyspnea.

Note! The signs of true and false allergies are similar; to clarify the diagnosis, the doctor prescribes a blood test for immunoglobulin E. Based on the results, doctors give a conclusion about the causes and types of the reaction: with pseudo-allergy, the indicators will be normal, if the body’s immune system is involved in the response, the IgE level increases. Only this study allows us to distinguish between two types of negative response of the body.

Effective treatment methods and stages of therapy

Therapy for pseudoallergy begins with diagnosis, testing, and determining the factor that caused skin reactions, diarrhea, nausea, and headaches. The doctor finds out what the patient ate for two to three days before the false allergic reaction appeared, what medications he took, whether he was exposed to heat/cold or chemicals.

Stages of treatment:

exclusion from the menu of products, after consumption of which negative signs arose. Elimination for pseudo-allergy lasts at least two to three months, preferably six months. After this period, doctors advise eating a small amount of the product and checking the reaction. In the absence of negative symptoms, you can occasionally consume a moderate amount of citrus fruits, tomatoes, cheese, and other items with a high allergic risk;
therapy and chronic diseases, against the background of which the immune system weakens, the functioning of the digestive organs is disrupted, and problems with blood vessels appear;
optimizing the diet, limiting foods that may cause allergies after consumption. Chocolate, seafood, citrus fruits, honey, nuts, sweets, and canned food should be present on the menu in small quantities. For pseudo-allergy negative symptoms occur only when overeating, excessive consumption of a certain name;
normalization of the composition of microflora in the intestines. Doctors often prescribe drugs that protect the mucous membranes from irritation and enzymes that speed up the digestion of food;
reception . Important point- cleansing the body, removing breakdown products, excess salicylates, synthetic substances, and residual drug components. Best effect provide modern sorbents that have a delicate effect on the stomach and intestines: White coal, Polysorb, Laktofiltrum, Enterumin, Smecta, Carbosorb.

List and characteristics hormonal ointments for skin allergies, see page.

Go to the address and read about how and how to treat allergies during pregnancy.

Medicinal antihistamines

Therapy for pseudoallergy includes taking antihistamines. The names are the same as for the true type of the disease. The doctor will select a product in a suitable form: tablets, gel/cream.

Pseudoallergy in children manifests itself as skin reactions and dysbacteriosis. The condition requires the prescription of drops and syrups; the tablet form is allowed after 6 or 12 years. It is important to take antihistamines under the supervision of an allergist, according to the instructions, take into account the age of the young patient and contraindications.

Pseudoallergy in adults often occurs with mild and moderately severe symptoms; modern antihistamines are required. After examining the patient, all medications are prescribed by an allergist.

Effective drugs of the latest generations:

At severe pseudo-allergies quickly relieve negative symptoms with classical antihistamines:

After recovery, it is important to follow the rules:

eat food with synthetic additives and sweet soda less often;
prepare healthy dishes, diversify the diet with vegetables, fermented milk products, fruits, leafy greens, lean meat, river fish;
give up ready-made sauces, canned food, sausage, mayonnaise in favor of products made from natural ingredients;
take care of the digestive system: bake, steam, less often cook fatty, fried, smoked, over-salted dishes;
Eat all foods in moderation: it is the excessive consumption of highly allergenic foods that becomes the cause of pseudo-allergy;
periodically visit an endocrinologist, gastroenterologist, monitor the condition digestive tract;
give up uncontrolled reception medicines, especially new names. It is important to know which drugs most often provoke a negative response from the body and to carefully monitor the reaction. If rashes, redness, or swelling appear, take a pill and consult a doctor;
give dosed physical activity, worry less, watch your weight.

Treatment of pseudoallergy is a joint task for the doctor and the patient. It is important to know why a false reaction develops, which foods and medications most often provoke the appearance of negative signs. Attention to your health, proper diet, moderate consumption any product prevents the development of pseudo-allergy. The less adults and children consume food with synthetic ingredients, the lower the risk of negative reactions.

A specialist will tell you more about what pseudo-allergy is and how to protect yourself from a negative reaction with the following video:

According to statistics, more than half of the entire population of the planet has to deal with such a problem when they have obvious manifestations of allergies, but when they take tests and tests for allergens, the results turn out to be negative (that is, the allergen is not detected). Why is this happening? Is the analysis result unreliable? The laboratory should not be blamed in such cases, since in most cases it is a pseudo-allergy, which occurs without the presence of antibodies and is accompanied by symptoms almost identical to those of a true allergy.

This article will answer many questions, and you will be able to find out why pseudo-allergies occur, how they manifest themselves, are identified and treated.

Pseudoallergy (or false allergy) is a condition in which there is increased sensitivity the body to certain substances entering it from the outside and the appearance of symptoms inherent in a true allergic reaction. With this pathology, the immunological phenomena that develop with allergies do not occur, and inflammation becomes a consequence of impaired histamine metabolism, improper activation of complement and other pathological mechanisms. This means that the substance that provokes allergic reactions is not an antigen in pseudoallergy, and the synthesis of immunoglobulins inherent in a true allergic reaction does not occur.

Most often, pseudoallergic processes begin after ingesting various foods, medications or nutritional supplements. After they enter the body, inflammatory mediators immediately enter the bloodstream and cause manifestations similar to allergies. According to the observations of specialists, it is pseudoallergy that is more a common occurrence than a true allergy. This reaction is detected in almost 70% of people (i.e., the vast majority have suffered such an illness at least once in their lives), and true allergies are found in no more than 1-10% of people of different ages.

Why does pseudoallergy develop?

Pseudo-allergy often develops when eating a large amount of histamine-releasing foods.

A pseudoallergic reaction is formed in cases where a large amount of substances that trigger it enter the body. The more there are, the stronger manifestations. For example, after eating a handful of raspberries, no reaction occurs, but after eating a double dose, a rash appears on the body.

The development of a pseudoallergic reaction is provoked by three main factors:

histamine metabolism disorders;
violation of fatty acid metabolism;
inappropriate activation of complement.

Most often, manifestations of a pseudoallergic reaction are provoked wrong exchange histamine when excessive consumption eating histamine-containing foods, decreased histaminopexia or increased histamine liberation.

The active release of histamine is caused by the action on mast cells of so-called liberating substances, contained in large quantities in foods such as chocolate, nuts, citrus fruits, strawberries, seafood, eggs, canned food etc. In addition, intense histamine production can be caused by certain physical and chemical factors: effects of drugs, alkalis, acids, insolation or vibration.

Often, pseudo-allergy is observed in chronic diseases of the digestive tract, the symptoms of which are acidity disorders and damage to the mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines. These factors make it easier for liberators to enter the mast cells located in the gastrointestinal tract, and histamine and other mediators that provoke inflammatory reactions, is produced in excess.

Pseudoallergy can result from so-called reduced histaminopexy. This process is observed with dysbiosis, prolonged use of certain medicines, intoxications and is accompanied by a violation of histamine inactivation.

Often pseudo-allergy is provoked by eating foods with increased level tyramine and histamine:

different types of cheese;
chocolate;
semi-finished products;
sausages, ham and sausages;
canned fish and meat;
herring;
pickled cucumbers and tomatoes;
cocoa beans;
brewer's yeast, etc.

Also, pseudoallergic attacks can be caused by different food additives(dyes, flavors, thickeners, etc.). Such substances include:

sodium nitrite;
tartazine;
monosodium glutamate;
sulfides;
benzoates;
salicylates;
benzoic acid, etc.

Others common reasons pseudo-allergies can occur in those products that contain increased amount pesticides, heavy metals, nitrites, nitrates, microorganisms and toxins.

Medicines involved in the development of pseudoallergic reactions:

antibiotics;
X-ray contrast agents;
plasma replacement agents, etc.

In rarer clinical cases pseudoallergy is caused by improper activation of complement, which occurs in a number of immunodeficiency conditions (for example, with hereditary angioedema), or by taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs that disrupt the metabolism of arachidonic acid.

How does pseudoallergy manifest?

The symptoms of pseudoallergy are similar to those of allergies. It often manifests itself as urticarial rashes similar to urticaria.

The symptoms of this pathology are in many ways similar to a true allergic reaction - the patient’s local or systemic vascular permeability is disrupted (it increases), inflammation and swelling develop, blood cells are damaged and the muscle layer of internal organs spasms.

The nature and severity of symptoms are determined by the predominant damage to one or another organ or system. As a rule, most often the patient develops signs of rashes similar to urticaria and swelling in the area of the face and neck (). Often the patient has signs of disturbances in the functioning of the digestive tract, manifested by vomiting, etc. Often pseudoallergy is accompanied by symptoms of damage to the heart, blood vessels and respiratory system: arrhythmias, fainting due to hypotension, rhinitis, cough, and suffocation.

The nature of the symptoms of pseudoallergy depends on the root cause of the development of the pathological reaction.

For example, with a sharp release of histamine, its level in the blood increases sharply and vegetative-vascular reactions occur. In such cases, the patient experiences the following symptoms:

feeling of heat throughout the body;
redness of the skin;
migraine-like headaches;
loss of appetite;
difficulty breathing;
loose stool;
rumbling in the stomach;
nausea.

If the pseudo-allergy is provoked by disturbances in the metabolism of arachidonic acid, then the patient develops complaints similar to the manifestations of bronchial asthma:

dyspnea;
feeling of lack of air;
attacks of suffocation;
cough.

Sometimes pseudoallergy manifests itself as anaphylactoid reactions, the symptoms of which resemble. However, in such cases, the prognosis for the outcome of the emerging condition is more favorable. This fact is explained by the fact that with pseudoallergy such severe conditions are not accompanied by pronounced disturbances in the circulatory system and predominantly affect only one organ or system.

Diagnostics

To suspect the presence of a pseudo-allergy is possible by carefully studying the patient’s complaints, his life history and conducting tests that make it possible to exclude the presence of a true allergy.

The distinctive criteria for pseudoallergy are the following facts:

the appearance of signs after the first contact with a liberator substance (for example, a rash occurs after eating chocolate, strawberries, oranges, etc.);
the occurrence of relapses after repeated contact with him or another liberator;
the presence of a relationship between the severity of symptoms and the amount of irritant substance entering the body;
locality of the pathological reaction;
the pathological process is limited to one organ or system (for example, the patient exhibits only a skin rash or only signs of digestive disorders).

To confirm the diagnosis of “pseudoallergy”, studies must be performed to exclude the presence of a true allergy:

– with pseudoallergy there is no eosinophilia characteristic of true allergy;
negative;
the level of immunoglobulin E remains within normal limits;
There are no specific immunoglobulins in the blood.

If the patient is examined in a specialized allergology department, then the following methods are used to differentiate pseudo-allergy from a true allergic reaction:

indomethacin test - performed for aspirin-induced bronchial asthma;
injection of histamine into duodenum– carried out in case of food intolerance;
elimination-provocative tests, etc.

Treatment

Skin allergy tests for pseudoallergy are negative, that is, the allergen is not detected.

All patients with pseudo-allergies are advised to stop contact with the liberator substance, which is the cause of the disease. For example, for a patient with aspirin deficiency, it is enough to stop taking aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; for a patient with rashes, it is enough to stop eating chocolate, foods with tartazine dye, etc. In addition, to eliminate the manifestations, it is recommended to take antihistamines, which can stop the effect of histamine on cells. targets.

If the development of a pseudoallergic reaction is provoked by excessive release of histamine, then the patient must limit the inclusion of daily diet those products that contain this component. Additionally, such patients are prescribed drugs based on sodium cromoglycate in high dosages.
For pseudoallergy, which is accompanied by skin manifestations in the form, patients are prescribed the administration of histamine drugs in increasing dosages. Pseudoallergic hereditary angioedema is eliminated with a C1 inhibitor, testosterone preparations and infusion.
If pseudo-allergy is accompanied by disorders or diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (, etc.), then treatment is supplemented by following a diet and taking medications that can regulate acidity and have an enveloping effect, protecting the mucous membranes of the intestines and stomach. If signs of dysbiosis are detected, the microflora is corrected using probiotics and reducing the amount of carbohydrates in the menu.
If the basis of a pseudo-allergic reaction is a disturbance in the metabolism of arachidonic acid, then you should stop taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs that alter the breakdown of this substance. Such patients should not take tablets that have cachets yellow and eat foods containing tartazine. Patients should follow an elimination diet with the exclusion or significant limitation of foods containing salicylates (citrus fruits, black currants, tomatoes, apples, cherries, etc.).

At severe course For pseudo-allergies, glucocorticosteroids are prescribed.

Forecast

The success of treating pseudoallergy depends on the severity of its manifestations and the root causes that caused the launch of such a pathology. In mild cases, the disease is quickly eliminated and is not accompanied by complications.

Allergy season leads to demand for anti-allergy medications. But it often happens that no tangible results are observed from taking any remedy from this series. The thing is that many people encounter so-called false allergies, which differ from the real ones. It is worth noting that the difference is visible only to a doctor, that is, an allergist.

Symptoms of the disease

False allergies, or pseudo-allergies, are quite difficult to diagnose an ordinary person, because the reactions in both cases proceed almost identically:

Tearing begins;
Itching in the nose;
Skin rashes, hives, redness;
Manifestations of anaphylaxis;
Headaches;
Feeling hot;
Difficulty breathing;
Dizziness;
Vomit;
Anorexia;
Stool disorder (diarrhea, constipation).

The main difference between these two ailments lies in the principles of their development: when a person has a true allergy, then any contact with an irritant provokes a violent reaction in the body, and the occurrence of a false allergy is influenced by the substance that provokes the painful condition and its concentration.

An allergen can accumulate in the body for several days, weeks and even months, and then provoke a negative reaction. Diagnosing a false form of the disease is also difficult because the symptoms and signs of pseudo-allergy sometimes develop quite slowly.

In practice, it is confirmed that it is impossible to independently determine the form of allergy. To put correct diagnosis, the specialist must refer the patient to undergo a variety of tests: blood (general), smears for cytology from the mucous membranes, skin tests, etc. A true allergy will be indicated by the presence of immunoglobulins E in the blood.

In this case, the person will have increased concentration these antibodies. But with a false form, immunoglobulins remain normal. It is these results that largely determine the form of the disease.

Causes of pseudoallergy

Very often food and medications provoke negative reactions from the body. Sometimes the illness appears during a shift psychological state person. There are cases when people think that they suffer from a real allergy, but in fact it is only a false form caused by a psycho-emotional background.

Usually in this case antihistamines are absolutely useless, and after testing it becomes obvious that there are no antibodies. That is, the problem is not immune mechanisms, and in the work of the brain and nervous system. Such patients feel better after consulting a psychotherapist.

Very often, doctors warn their patients: if a person has ever experienced shock due to an allergic reaction, then he may forever have a fear of that substance (object, remedy, etc.) that led to negative consequences.

This factor is often the trigger for the development of a false form of pathology. When annoying symptoms do not go away for a long time, then you should pay attention to the false variety.

In many cases, proteins or protein components of foods are the cause. The most common allergens are nuts and nut-based products, seafood, and sour fruits and berries.

There are many products, the consumption of which causes a false form of the disease - histamine liberators. They contain large amounts of histamine or provoke its release. These include absolutely all fermented products: cheese, yogurt, yeast dough, alcohol, sauerkraut etc.

In addition, many can provoke an immune response chemicals, for example, dyes and preservatives. Particular caution should be exercised when eating sausages, especially smoked ones. This applies to brightly colored caramels and carbonated drinks. Coloring and preservative components contribute to the accumulation of allergens in the human body.

It is worth remembering a few of the most dangerous substances:

Preservatives - sulfides, ascorbic acid(E 200), benzoates (E 211);
Flavoring additives – monosodium glutamine (e 621), magnesium (e 625), calcium (e 623);
Tetrazine is a food azo dye.

Many products contain heavy metals, pesticides, nitrites, toxins, synthetic compounds and many others harmful substances, which can also cause a reaction in the body.

The reaction can be very strong after taking certain types of medications, when irritating substances enter directly into the blood. In this regard, you need to be careful with penicillin drugs and analgesics, drugs that lower blood pressure.

Negative reactions in patients of different age groups

One of the dangers of a real, true illness is that it occurs in early age and accompanies a person throughout his life. The formed antigen will always respond to the invasion of the allergen. But false form is associated with change.

Pseudoallergy occurs in children from the age of 6. Adolescents are also at risk, since throughout this time the body’s systems are formed and developing. The period of formation of sexual functions plays an important role. The age from 20 to 25 is the calmest, the body works stably.

After 25, the reduction begins, the activity of the ovaries decreases. At this time, poor liver function and other metabolic features have an impact. People over 40 years of age with pathologies are at risk different systems body.

Treatment of pseudoallergy

Despite the fact that this pathology She is distinguished by a kind of cunning, doctors treat her condescendingly. The true form cannot be treated, since modern methods fighting it does not affect the production of antibodies, that is, the cause of the reaction cannot be eliminated, you can only weaken the manifestations.

But pseudoallergy is treatable because the memory antibodies that cause the body to immediately react are absent.

The mild stage will be eliminated by the simplest antihistamines - ointments, creams, drops in the eyes and nose. Sometimes even a one-time use brings tangible results.

The average degree of the disease is stopped with the help of the same drugs, but they are administered in the form of injections (intravenous, intramuscular). Such remedies act much faster. The type of medication is selected by the doctor based on the symptoms. In some cases, a plasma transfusion is prescribed, which is enriched with a C1 inhibitor, the main regulator of negative reaction processes.

One of the most important factors in the treatment of illness - diet. Sometimes it can be quite difficult to give up your favorite dishes, but without such exceptions you shouldn’t expect a successful result. Absolutely all products from the consumption of which develop a false allergy are eliminated from the diet.

A number of measures should be taken both for treatment and as prevention:

Whenever possible, use only natural products. Try to exclude those that contain chemical additives, especially dyes and preservatives;
Parents of small children should not rush to transfer the latter to the common table;
Monitor your reaction after taking any medications prescribed by your doctor;
Be examined by an endocrinologist and gastroenterologist.

What are pseudoallergic reactions, how do they differ from true allergies, why does pseudoallergy occur, how to identify it and eliminate its manifestations?

Nowadays, allergies have become a real scourge of humanity, causing serious illnesses in millions of people, regardless of age, gender, place of residence. Allergic reactions can be mild and transient (minor local itching and redness of the skin, runny nose and sneezing), in other cases they cause quite serious changes in the body: in the form of swelling of the skin and mucous membranes, an attack of suffocation, damage to the gastrointestinal tract and even anaphylactic shock which often ends in death.

And this is due to the body’s increased sensitivity to certain foreign substances that enter us through the respiratory tract, during food intake, during the administration of medications, snake and insect bites, etc.
But in 70-80% of cases we are not talking about a true allergy, but about pseudo-allergic reactions.

Allergy or pseudo-allergy?

True is an increased sensitivity to certain protein components contained in substances entering the body. In this case, the foreign agent becomes an antigen, to which our immune system reacts intensely, producing a kind of “antidote” in the form of special cells and antibodies that recognize and remember the unknown substance (the so-called cellular and humoral immunity). When this allergen is repeatedly exposed, the immune system reacts violently to the recognized stranger, activating the cells’ release of various biologically active substances (and above all, histamine). As a result, effects characteristic of allergic reactions occur - inflammation, swelling, itching, systemic manifestations(drop in blood pressure, impaired blood supply to organs and tissues, etc.).

With pseudoallergic reactions, the pathological process proceeds almost the same, only the first, immunological stage is absent, that is, the cells of the immune system (lymphocytes) do not react to the foreign substance and antibodies are not produced. With pseudoallergy, the second, pathochemical stage immediately develops, characterized by the release of inflammatory mediators (histamine, etc.).

What causative factors contribute to the development of pseudoallergy?

Pseudoallergic reactions develop more often when substances that stimulate the release of histamine by cells or products with high content histamine, tyramine and other biological active ingredients, causing the launch inflammatory changes in organs and tissues characteristic of allergies.

The clinical manifestations of pseudoallergic and allergic reactions are similar and difficult to distinguish from each other. In both cases, there are local (local) signs of the inflammatory process:

Damage to the skin and mucous membranes with the appearance of redness, small or large blisters, local swelling ( angioedema Quincke), complaints of itching varying degrees severity, scratching on the skin
Inflammatory changes in the upper respiratory tract– nasopharynx, larynx, bronchi with the appearance of corresponding complaints (runny nose, difficulty in nasal breathing, lacrimation, difficulty breathing, hoarseness, attacks of suffocation)
Damage to the mucous membrane of the gastrointestinal tract and complaints of abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, rumbling in the abdomen, loose stool etc.
Dysfunction cardiovascular system with the appearance of weakness, fatigue, dizziness, repeated fainting due to low blood pressure, arrhythmia, swelling in the legs and other signs indicating impaired blood supply to organs and tissues, development cardiovascular failure. With the development of anaphylactic and anaphylactoid reactions, the above symptoms occur acutely - pressure drops, loss of consciousness occurs, breathing is impaired, and cardiac arrest may occur.

How to distinguish between allergies and pseudo-allergies

In order to establish a diagnosis of pseudoallergy, you must first conduct all the standard allergological tests to exclude a true allergy.

Already by studying the anamnesis, you can obtain valuable data. So, with allergies, a pathological process occurs every time you are exposed to a given allergen. With pseudoallergic reactions there is no such dependence, and the symptoms of the disease and their severity depend on the dose of the intolerable substance taken (food product, medicine) or additives contained therein. For example, using bell pepper, bought in a store, causes a pseudo-allergic reaction with itching, local swelling on the face, and taking the same variety of pepper grown in your own garden has no effect adverse reaction doesn't call.
Allergic manifestations occur upon repeated contact with an allergen; with pseudoallergy, a reaction may occur at the first meeting with an intolerable substance
With true allergies, other signs of atopy are often observed (except allergic rhinitis- also bronchial asthma or urticaria), with pseudoallergic reactions such signs are not observed.
Carrying out skin tests and determining specific antibodies (immunoglobulins) to allergens gives positive result for allergic reactions and negative for pseudo-allergy
For food pseudoallergic reactions, a test with histamine can be performed, which is injected into the duodenum and the reaction to its administration is studied.

Principles of treating false allergies

As with a true allergy, in the case of a pseudo-allergic reaction, it is necessary to exclude the entry into the body of the problematic substance that caused the development of the pathological process (food product or additive, drug).
It is important to follow certain dietary recommendations: if possible, limit the intake of foods high in histamine, as well as histamine liberators, as much as possible, and include oatmeal, rice water, slimy vegetable and cereal soups, natural fermented milk products and others well tolerated in this particular case.
Standard antihistamines are used and symptomatic treatment taking into account specific manifestations pseudo-allergic reactions (nasal drops and sprays, ointments and creams for local application on the skin, inhalers, vascular drugs etc.)
Sometimes food pseudo-allergy is treated with small doses of histamine with a gradual increase.

Treatment of pseudoallergic reactions should be carried out by an allergist with the participation of a dermatologist, ENT doctor and other specialists, depending on the local manifestations of the disease. At correct execution medical recommendations on work and rest schedule, diet, intake medications in most cases good results can be achieved.