Symptoms of Allergies from Food, Drugs, Insect Bites

What can help you determine that you are allergic to a particular substance? How do you find out if you are allergic to what you are about to eat or to the insect that just bit you? Here are some indications of an allergic reaction:

• Not all allergic reactions show up the same way. Depending on the sensitivity of the person to the allergen, he or she can expect to experience such cold-like symptoms like a runny nose, watery eyes, sneezing, and difficulty in breathing due to mucus build-up.
• An allergic reaction to certain foods and substances can also cause a person to break out in rashes or in acne. Some people may see small red dots all over their body emerge as a result of an allergic reaction. Sometimes the skin swells up in certain areas where the allergen may have come in contact with the skin.
• Severe allergic symptoms that include difficulty in breathing, inflammation of the throat, diarrhea, and shock may require immediate medical attention. These severe symptoms are often seen when a person is allergic to something he ate or when he gets stung or bitten by an insect that has venom like bees or wasps.