Allergies can be quite common with people. These range in intensities and most can be cured if diagnosed at the right time. Sometimes situations exacerbate when allergies are accompanied by misconceptions and myths.

1. Food allergy 
Roughly 32 million people are diagnosed with food allergies, and some of these cases are life-threatening. In scientific terms when the allergy reaches a life-threatening stage, it is termed as anaphylaxis. Here are some of the common myths that surround food allergies –

• If the reaction is mild, then the food allergy will also be mild

The truth is that mild symptoms can soon aggravate if not taken care of.

• There is no difference between food allergies and food intolerance: While food allergies involve your immune system, food intolerances do not.
• If one of the food allergy types grows during childhood, it will stay lifelong: One can develop a food allergy at any age. Having said that, it is also seen that children tend to outgrow food allergies over time.

2. Skin allergy   

• If you have rashes, you have skin allergy

There is a difference between dermatitis and skin allergy. Dermatitis tends to show its effects very quickly, while skin allergy takes time to surface. For example, if after wearing a ring you develop red itchy bumps on your finger after a few days, you possibly have a skin allergy.

• Ointments can barely cause skin allergies

Initially you might feel relieved by applying ointments, but after some time you might feel itchy or develop red bumps. This is when you should promptly contact a skin specialist.

• Natural oils may not cause skin allergies

There are some natural and essential oils like lavender, frankincense, peppermint, and tea tree that can easily trigger skin allergies. If you observe that one of these oils isn’t reacting positively with your skin, you should immediately stop the application.

3. Pet allergy

Almost 15% of the country’s population is allergic to pets – more specifically to cats and dogs. Here are some of the common misconceptions or myths about pet allergy types –

• If you have a pet allergy, you will have to let your pet go

Instead of letting your pet go you can consider certain lifestyle changes that can reduce your symptoms like not letting the pet in your bedroom, regularly cleaning surfaces of pet hair or dander, asking nonallergic family members to take care of pet hygiene and taking proper medications to reduce allergy symptoms.

• Pet fur is the reason that triggers allergy

The fact is, if you are allergic to a pet with or without fur, your immune system becomes sensitive to proteins present in pet’s saliva, dander, or even urine.

• Pet homes are the only place where allergies can originate

It’s true that if you stay away from places where pets reside, you might be able to escape an allergy attack, but you are actually at risk wherever there is a pet. Pet allergens can travel, so pet allergies can be contracted from the air or even from homes where there are no pets.