It is a common question asked to an allergy doctor by many. Nobody is sure whether allergy symptoms are contagious or not. Before answering the question it is important to explain the meaning of the terms contagious as well as allergy.
Contagious disease forms a sub group of transmissible diseases. Transmissible diseases are disease which are transmitted from one person to another through physical contacts or through casual contact which means through objects which the patient has touched or through secretions of the patient like stool urine, blood etc or through airborne insects.
Things to know about Allergy
Allergy or allergic diseases are caused due to the hypersensitivity of human immune system which is intended to safe guard the human body from the attack of foreign bodies or dangerous substances like bacteria, viruses etc. This simply means the aggravated response shown by human immune system to simple and harmless substances like dust, smoke, pet dander, most etc. When these substances come into contact with human body it is misunderstood as dangerous substances and some chemicals are released by the body paving the way for the allergic symptoms.
Allergies are responses shown by body’s immune system to foreign substances according to an allergist. Response can vary from little to mild in the case of symptoms like redness, swelling, pain, rashes etc. They can also become life threatening like swelling of neck, face, throat etc. Severity of allergies can be directly related to the level of exposure age etc.
One allergy doctor has opined that these symptoms of allergies can be transmitted from one person to another genetically though they are not contagious or transmittable in other ways. It has to be understood that anyone who stands near an allergic person will not be getting the symptoms of the allergic reactions experienced by him. Coughing and sneezing often forms the symptoms of other diseases like cold or influenza. As influenza is caused by virus, these symptoms may get transferred to the person standing nearby. But when these symptoms are shown as a result of allergic reaction, they are not contagious.
Skin allergies
Often skin allergies do not show any characteristics of a contagious disease. The allergic reaction, in this case, is caused by the individual’s immune system. Allergens which cause reactions in one person do not cause reactions in another person. Rashes and hives formed as a result of allergic reactions do not spread to other parts of the body also. Then how can it spread to another person’s body. You should visit the best allergist.
