Question

In the metropolitan cities of India, many children are suffering from allergy/asthma. What are the main causes of this problem? Give some symptoms of allergic reactions.

Answer 1

Hint: Allergies and asthma have become important public health concerns across the world, and India is no different. It has a greater impact on urban cities than it does on rural India. Pollen grains, fungal spores, foods, insects, and dust mites are major allergen sources in India's urban areas. Chronic allergies cause asthma and upper respiratory tract problems.

Complete answer:
In order to start solving this question there should be a focus on two points, first is to understand the difference between asthma and allergy and then pointing out the reasons behind the prevalence of asthma and allergy.
Allergy is the immune system's overreaction to specific antigens found in the environment.
Asthma is a disorder that causes your airways to constrict and swell, as well as generate excess mucus. It is an upper respiratory tract disorder and leads to difficulty in breathing.
There are a large number of reasons which has lead to higher prevalence of asthma and allergy in the metropolitan cities of India, two of the major reasons are mentioned below –
The urban lifestyle contributes to a reduction in immunity and susceptibility to allergens.
This can be understood by the fact that urban people live in too many microbe free environments like using air filters, microbe free water etc. this does reduce their immune systems having the chance to interact with more and more antigens and develop their immunity. So, urban people show more risk of having allergies as their immune system is weaker and more sensitive.
Increased Pollution in urban areas affects respiratory health and leads to higher prevalence rates of Asthma.
Symptoms of Allergic reactions –
1. Difficulty in breathing
2. Redness of skin
3. Increase in blood pressure and heart rate
4. Angioedema (Swelling and redness)
5. Itching of skin etc
6. Rhinitis (Cough and Cold) etc.

Note:
Asthma can be induced by the same chemicals that cause allergy symptoms. When the immune system misinterprets an innocuous substance, such as pollen, as hazardous, it is called an allergy. To combat the toxin, the body produces chemicals. Asthma symptoms such as wheezing and trouble breathing might be caused by a pulmonary allergy. Allergic asthma is often called as Asthmic bronchitis.