Emotional allergy: what is it? Learn how to deal with it

Our bodies do not always manifest stress sensations in the form of mental tiredness and the like. In some situations, conditions such as anxiety can have effects on our skin, such as emotional allergy .

Current situations such as the coronavirus pandemic and the restrictions faced by the entire population, including financial problems arising from the situation, can have an emotional effect that affects the dermis.

Therefore, in the course of the article we will explain how emotional allergy occurs and the ways to soothe and prevent its onset.

Emotional allergy is a psychosomatic symptom, that is, it originates in the psyche, but manifests itself in the body. It is an allergic reaction that arises in times of great stress or emotional overload.

This allergy usually manifests itself through skin lesions, which can spread throughout the body. Often, these lesions resemble reddish pellets, which can cause itching.

Faced with stress, the body releases cortisol, a hormone that increases the body’s inflammatory response. Thus, stress ends up worsening preexisting skin diseases, such as hives, dermatitis , psoriasis , among others.

In addition, in situations of stress or agitation, there is also the release of catecholamines, substances that cause the skin to become red and itchy.

In some cases, emotional allergy can also cause excessive sweating, insomnia , shortness of breath, among other symptoms.

It is worth mentioning that emotional allergy is not an official diagnosis , but this name ends up being used to describe this situation in which allergic symptoms are accompanied by a great emotional overload.

It is not known for certain what causes the problem, but there are suspicions that it may be an inherited condition, as there are genetic components involved.

It is worth mentioning that no allergy is of a completely emotional origin; if the person has an emotional allergy, it is because they already had a tendency to have skin problems, but the problems only manifested when the stress reached its peak.

Emotional allergy is more common in women, especially in adulthood.

Treatment is done with allergy, anti-inflammatory and psychological treatments.

Contents

What are the symptoms?

Emotional allergy can manifest itself in several ways, being more common on the skin due to a series of nerve endings that are also related to stress. It is not for nothing that there is the expression “nerves to the skin”.

On the skin, the most common symptoms are redness , itching and the presence of red patches of high relief.

Some people may also experience respiratory symptoms, such as a sore throat and shortness of breath.

There are also those who have insomnia, which is not a symptom of the allergy itself, but it can be a symptom of the stress that is triggering it.

How long does an emotional allergy last?

The duration of the emotional allergy depends on the duration of the stress or the emotional blow. If the person does not seek treatment, the symptoms can last for months.

If the person seeks appropriate treatment, the problems tend to resolve in a few weeks.

If the dermatological treatment does not resolve the symptoms in 15 days (about two weeks), it is recommended to seek help from mental health professionals , such as psychologists and psychiatrists.

How do I know if I have it?

Symptoms of emotional allergy are symptoms of other well-known illnesses. Therefore, it can be difficult to know if the manifestation is related to an emotional imbalance or if it is the case that a disease is manifesting for the first time.

A dermatologist should be able to diagnose the condition more accurately when the patient provides data about his life history, family history of allergies and skin problems, as well as understanding the moment he is living in now.

Some people may have skin diseases that only manifest themselves in periods of greater stress, while others may experience attacks of these diseases due to several factors other than stress. With the data provided by the patient, the dermatologist should know how to make this distinction.

Ultimately, if the dermatological treatment alone is also not effective, an emotional component may be suspected.

Do you have treatment for emotional allergy?

Yes, it is possible to treat emotional allergy.

At first, a dermatologist will prescribe antiallergic drugs for the treatment of skin lesions.

If the first drugs do not have the desired effect, the doctor can choose treatment with corticosteroids, an extremely potent type of anti-inflammatory drug, but with more side effects.

Although dermatological treatment can work well, if the person does not know how to deal with stress or manage their emotions in a more balanced way, the tendency is for the allergy to reoccur.

Because of this, seeking psychological and / or psychiatric treatment is also essential to treat emotional allergy.

How to deal with emotions and control symptoms?

In general, what triggers the condition is the accumulation of stress. We cannot eliminate stress as a whole from our lives, but we can do a few things to alleviate it. Here are some tips:

Emotional allergy can cause several symptoms, so watch out for signs.

Watch for signs of stress

Before reaching the limit, stress shows some signs that things are not going well. Therefore, paying attention to these signs helps a lot to control the symptoms of emotional allergy. Some of these symptoms are:

  • Lack of energy;
  • Difficulty sleeping;
  • Waking up tired even after a good night’s sleep;
  • Increased irritability;
  • Unusual behaviors.

Noting these symptoms, one can look for alternatives on a daily basis to relax and prevent the accumulation of stress from reaching a peak, which can cause many losses.

Leisure time

Leisure is extremely important for maintaining good mental and emotional health. Accumulated stress is dissipated when we take time out for ourselves, decreasing the chances of experiencing some emotional imbalance.

Self knowledge

Knowing yourself and understanding how you work emotionally is essential to combat symptoms.

Finding out which situations cause the most stress, anxiety and negative emotions can help you stay away from these situations, avoiding things that can trigger an allergic reaction.

In the same way, self-knowledge helps to deal with stressful situations that the person cannot get away from.

Integrative therapies

Taking integrative therapies, like yoga or meditation, can also help to keep the emotional balanced.

Slow down

If you’re dealing with a lot of things on a daily basis, setting priorities and slowing down is a great idea to keep yourself emotionally balanced. That way, you can avoid unnecessary stress, and still get plenty of time to devote yourself.

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