Cold allergy: what is it and how to deal with it

What it is

Cold allergy is a common folk name for several symptoms. Common among them is that they appear upon contact with cold: frosty air, cool water, snow.

These are the so-called pseudo-allergic reactions. A real allergy is the body's response to a foreign protein, to an irritant. In the case of frost, no proteins affect us, and unpleasant symptoms appear due to the physical action of low temperature. They appear at any age, but women suffer more often, moreover, after 25-30 years.

Cold allergy symptoms are different:

Severe congestion in cold weather. Mild edema is a normal reaction, but if there is nothing to breathe at all, then this may be a manifestation of vasomotor rhinitis.
Skin redness, flaking, blemishes and even blisters. This is cold urticaria or dermatitis.
Redness of the eyes, itching, tears - conjunctivitis.

All these manifestations of the disease recede if you return to a warm room. And you have to suffer all winter.

Where does cold allergy come from?

Unfortunately, scientists do not know exactly why a cold allergy occurs. Therefore, they cannot cure it once and for all. But there are several factors that trigger the onset of symptoms:

Genetic predisposition. If your relatives suffered in the cold, you may also develop allergies.
Infectious diseases. Both serious infections (such as mononucleosis or hepatitis) and frequent SARS increase the risk of cold allergy.
Chronic diseases. Cold allergy often affects those who have problems with the kidneys, thyroid gland, and digestive system.
Allergy. If you have reactions to food, pollen or tissue, then the body will respond incorrectly to cold.
Bad habits. Alcohol and cigarettes increase the risk of allergies.

How to cure cold allergies

To begin with, go to the doctor and find out if you are definitely allergic to the cold and if there are more serious diseases that are only disguised as it. But you can take measures to make life easier now.

Take special medications

The doctor should prescribe antihistamines and corticosteroid ointments for the skin. It is better not to buy them on your own, so as not to waste money and not get side effects.

Change your clothes

If you are prone to allergies, your skin may react to wool, fur or dyes used to treat warm clothes. Natural fur coats are probably not for you. Choose hypoallergenic materials and wash winter clothes with special products for allergy sufferers.

Protect your skin

First, cover everything that can be covered from the cold and wind. Secondly, if your eyes are affected, do not hesitate to wear safety glasses. Thirdly, lubricate your skin with a special protective cream, and your lips with hygienic lipstick.

Buy mild cleansers and shower products designed for sensitive skin to avoid damaging the inflamed areas with soap. Discard the pool so as not to provoke allergies with chlorinated water.

Stick to a diet

Even if you are not allergic to food, you have to go on a diet. Eliminate foods that can provoke a reaction from your diet. These are citrus fruits, chocolate, fish, honey, eggs.

Flush your nose with salt water

Sprays that contain only seawater do not cure, but help to cope with unpleasant symptoms. They are expensive, but there is an alternative - regular pharmacy saline. An analogue can be made independently if you dissolve a teaspoon of salt in a liter of water.

But it is better not to drip vasoconstrictor drugs if you do not want to get more dependence on them.

Temper

Hardening and gradually getting used to the cold will only help if you have rhinitis, that is, a runny nose. If the skin reacts to the cold, then do not scoff at it and leave the addiction to the cold until better times.