Recognize Various Allergy and Immunology Diseases
Never underestimate allergic and immunological diseases. The whole body feels pain or shortness of breath. Do not also feel that nothing happens if suddenly the nose is itchy, blocked, skin blisters and eventually leads to death. These are all small parts of the symptoms of allergic and immunological diseases.
Types of allergic and immunological diseases are very diverse. Asthma is a relatively frequent case, followed by allergic rhinitis, and chronic urticaria. Other types of allergies that are not less important are drug allergic reactions. While in the field of immunology, there are autoimmune diseases, especially Systemic Erythematous Lupus (LES).
While from immunodeficiency disease, one of them is known as Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). In this article also will be discussed the importance of immunization in adults.
Allergy Disease
Here are some diseases in the scope of allergies:
1. Bronchial Asthma
The main problem of asthma is often undiagnosed or inadequate treatment. Patients treat themselves, understanding and knowledge of asthma are lacking as well as some myths or misperceptions about asthma.
It is not uncommon to experience a feeling of tightness suspected of heart disease, or chronic cough caused by bronchitis or difficult to sleep due to insomnia. Complaints of wheezing or tightness are not the monopoly of asthma. Some diseases or conditions can resemble asthma, such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), chronic bronchitis and emphysema; pulmonary infection; paranasal sinusitis; tuberculosis; gastroesophageal reflux and heart disease such as heart failure. The right diagnosis directs the right treatment.
In practice, patients often find themselves treating themselves. They use an inhaler to treat their asthma symptoms. In the long run, this condition will actually worsen asthma symptoms and will get more frequent asthma attacks.
The thing that needs to be done is by giving the sufferer anti-inflammatory drugs, avoiding the trigger factors of the attack, and getting education. Education aims to make patients' understanding and knowledge of asthma and its causes better. This knowledge will facilitate communication with doctors, and understand the myths that develop in the community.
Some of the myths found in the community, including, spray drugs are dangerous for the heart, and are only used for severe asthma. Regular use of asthma medication will cause addiction. These myths are not true.
Can asthma heal? To be honest, there are no drugs that can cure asthma. With the right diagnosis and treatment, the asthma sufferer can lead a normal life (the patient must obey the doctor's instructions and controls. He is also obliged to take control drugs regularly. Don't go to the doctor when asthma attacks).
Other myths that cannot be justified are the truth: treat asthma if symptoms appear. Asthma will disappear by itself before adulthood. Asthma sufferers are still allowed to smoke. Stress causes asthma. Asthma sufferers may not exercise, and others.
Like hypertension or incurable diabetes, current management of asthma is based on Asthma Control. An international asthma management guide based on the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) emphasizes the importance of asthma control. Once asthma is controlled, it is less likely to get an asthma attack, especially until it requires hospital treatment. Although the GINA guidelines have been widely circulated, in fact, most asthma patients have not or even uncontrolled. Therefore the role of doctors who treat asthma is very important in providing education to patients. Not only that. Doctors also provide professional treatment so that patients can optimally enjoy their lives.
2. Allergic rhinitis
Allergic rhinitis is a form of rhinitis with a general mechanism through the immune system, or IgE specifically. The prevalence ranges from 10-15% of the community. The sufferer also varies, ranging from childhood to adulthood. Symptoms can include rhinorrhea, itchy nose, sneezing and nasal congestion. Sometimes accompanied by itching in the eyes. As a result, it disrupts the quality of life of the sufferer. Like, sleep disorders, disruption of activity, to absent from school or work. Based on the duration and frequency of rhinitis symptoms can be classified as intermittent or persistent allergic rhinitis. Intermittent rhinitis is said if the symptoms last less than four days per week and the duration is less than four weeks. While persistent rhinitis symptoms last more than four days / week and are longer than four weeks. The degree is said to be moderate or severe if the symptoms interfere with the quality of life of the sufferer. What you need to watch out for is complications of sinusitis, nasal polyps, and hearing loss.
Allergic rhinitis is a risk factor for asthma. Often new patients come to the doctor if complications have occurred. With good treatment, symptoms of rhinitis can be controlled. So that the quality of life of the sufferer increases again and lives like a normal person.
3. Drug allergy
Along with the growth of new drugs for the purpose of diagnosis, therapy, and prevention of diseases, the occurrence of drug adverse reactions also increases. Drug adverse reactions are defined as unwanted responses to drug administration in therapeutic doses, diagnosis, and prophylaxis. Drug allergic reactions are adverse drug reactions whose mechanism is through immunological reactions. The incidence of drug allergic reactions is estimated at 6-10% of adverse drug reactions. In practice, it is not easy to determine which immune system is involved. Many events with symptoms similar or similar to allergic symptoms, but the mechanism is not allergic such as shortness of breath or angioderma due to aspirin or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), then the term drug hypersensitivity is introduced.
Drug allergy needs to be understood by health workers, especially those related to drug administration. This is related to medico-legal issues, especially if the event is considered detrimental to the patient, so that the patient or his family can sue a doctor, other health worker or hospital.
Symptoms of drug allergy vary widely. The most common symptoms are skin symptoms, ranging from erythema, urticaria, pruritus, angioedema, vesicles, bullae to blistering skin. Other symptoms that are less frequent, such as shortness of breath, dizziness to fainting, such as in anaphylaxis. Anemia can also occur, impaired liver or kidney function.
The most dangerous drug allergic complication is anaphylaxis, followed by Steven Johnson Syndrome, toxic epidermal necrosis, and Drug Rash Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms (DRESS).
The Allergy Hospital Medistra Hospital provides counseling services for patients to avoid future drug allergic reactions, treat drug allergic reactions that occur, and diagnose drug allergies.
Skin Test. Actually, only a few types of drugs can be used for skin testing. This is because the drug after entering the body will experience metabolism. The results of metabolism or metabolites are generally not known except penicillin. Furthermore, metabolites will bind to the body's protein, to then cause an allergic reaction.
Skin tests for other drugs have never been validated, so the results are less reliable. For example, the results of skin tests for cefalosporin are negative but when given, the patient has anaphylaxis. There are two types of skin tests for drug allergies, namely, puncture tests, and intra-cutaneous for fast-phase drug allergic reactions and patch tests for slow-phase drug allergic reactions. But again the two tests above cannot be fully trusted.
Drug Provocation Test. This test is a gold standard for determining the presence of drug allergic reactions. Because it can cause a serious reaction, this test can only be done by doctors who are experts in this field and carried out in hospitals.
Laboratory test. So far this is only at the research stage and only on limited drugs. Like other tests, this invitro test is more specific but not sensitive. So many false negatives. The most important thing in drug allergic reactions is prevention. So in giving the drug the indication of administration must be appropriate, then it is certain that it will never experience an allergic reaction to the drug to be given. Then always be alert and ready to act if there is a drug allergy.
4. Urticaria and angioderma
Urticaria is characterized by skin disorders such as bumps, redness, and itching. Acute urticaria is said if the symptoms last less than six weeks and the reason is clear. While chronic urticaria if the symptoms last more than six weeks, even up to 20 years. Generally, patients who come to allergic poly are chronic urticaria.
Generally, patients have been treated for a variety of doctors, both general and specialist, so that patients feel irritated because the urticaria does not heal. Most of the chronic urticaria causes are unknown so treatment can last a long time. If the cause is known, the symptoms may be removed. Angioderma resembles urticaria, but involves deeper skin tissue. Symptoms often do not itch but hurt. Generally regarding the mucosa of the eyes, lips or genitals. When it comes to the trachea or bronchi region, such as in anaphylactic reactions can endanger the lives of patients.
5. Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (LES)
LES is an autoimmune disease. Because it is systemic, auto-antibodies attack several organs, either simultaneously or sequentially. Arthritis is the most common symptom, but prolonged fever is also one of the symptoms of lupus. Symptoms such as facial redness, thrush, anemia, lekopeni or trambositopeni are indicative of LES. Proteinuria and hematuria to pleural or pericardial effusions are not uncommon. Neorological or psychiatric abnormalities can be caused by LES. The earlier the diagnosis, and the faster it is treated, it is hoped that serious complications can be avoided.
6. Immunodeficiency Disease
Immunodeficiency disease can be obtained from birth, or after adulthood. Various diseases or conditions such as drug use can cause immunodeficiency. Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection is one of the causes of immunodeficiency known as AIDS. Generally, patients come in advanced conditions due to opportunistic infections, whereas the earlier the disease is known and treated the better the prognosis. Other chronic diseases such as diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney failure, liver cirrhosis, and COPD can reduce endurance. Therefore, increasing endurance is needed, to avoid the danger of infectious diseases.
Adult Immunization
Immunization is one of the most effective ways to prevent disease, for example smallpox (variola) has long been lost from the face of the earth, whereas polio cases in the past few years have never been found again. The immunization program has been mandatory for children, and the results are very satisfying.
The question of why adults need vaccination, the answer is that immunization can reduce the incidence of illness, hospital care or death due to infectious diseases. The administration of influenza vaccine in adults aged <65 years decreases the incidence of influenza by 70-90%, in the elderly causes a decrease in incidence of influenza 30-40%, hospital care 50-60% and a decrease in mortality by 70-100%. The pneumococcus's effectiveness is around 60-64%, hepatitis B is 80-95%, and MMR is 90-95%.
The success of immunization causes medical expenses and hospital care to be more efficient. The role of immunization is as important as exercise and diet in maintaining health but is often forgotten. Types of vaccines that adults recommend include influenza, pneumococcus (lung infection), varicella, human papilloma virus (to prevent cervical cancer), hepatitis A & B, and Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR), and tetanus, diphtheria & pertussis (TDaP).
Who needs immunization? Of course immunization is recommended to all adults, but especially to people at risk such as the elderly, immunodeficiency patients, chronic lung disease, heart disease, diabetes and chronic kidney disease. Although many benefits of immunization have been delivered, it turns out that only a few people realize it, let alone do it. Thus a brief review of services at the Asthma, Allergy and Immunology Clinic at Medistra Hospital, hopefully can broaden the reader.
