Psychosomatics of allergic diseases in children and adults

Sneezing, rashes, and swelling are common physical symptoms of allergic reactions. Many people are unaware, though, that stress and emotions can occasionally be the underlying cause of these allergies. Psychosomatics studies this relationship between mind and body, namely how our emotional and mental states can cause or exacerbate physical conditions such as allergies.

Allergy symptoms can appear in adults and children as a result of stress, anxiety, or unresolved emotional issues. Knowing these triggers can assist in addressing the potential emotional causes of the physical reaction in addition to managing the physical one.

Acknowledging the part psychosomatics play in allergic diseases provides families with a more comprehensive treatment plan. Reducing allergic flare-ups and enhancing general well-being might be achievable by combining medical care with emotional support. This is crucial for kids in particular, as they might not be able to fully express their feelings yet, but their bodies still exhibit obvious signs of stress.

The view of traditional medicine

According to official medical theory, allergies are the immune system’s pathological response to specific antigens. Immune cells start to view something that has entered the body as an enemy or foreign substance for reasons that physicians do not fully understand. Certain antibodies are produced by protective cells in response to this material, and entire colonies of immune cells that have been altered to only fight against this antigen proliferate.

A fight breaks out at the cellular level when the substance enters the body a second time. This fight is evident when a person experiences a rash, swelling, mucous membrane swelling, indigestion, and a general decline in their health and well-being.

Statistics show that children experience allergies more frequently than adults.

Food allergies, medication allergies, allergic reactions to flowers, pollen, animal hair, and cold and sun allergies are the most common. Allergies to these substances can also cause spots and rashes on the skin. Allergy symptoms that most commonly appear as runny nose, rash, itchy skin, allergic conjunctivitis (when an adverse reaction appears in the eyes), and eating disorders.

Treatment usually consists of hormonal medications, antihistamines, and advice to avoid contact with the allergen. In extreme circumstances, immunosuppressive medications (drugs that reduce immune system activity).

In a condition known as psychosomatics, stress, anxiety, or unresolved emotions can show up as physical symptoms similar to allergies in children and adults with allergic diseases. Comprehending these associations can aid in managing not just the corporeal manifestations but also the fundamental affective stimulants to enhance general welfare.

View of psychosomatic medicine

Due to a lack of research on the underlying causes of insufficient immune behavior, traditional medicine only addresses symptoms, such as allergic reactions (prescribes ointment for rashes or drops for runny nose), and uses suppressor medications to make the immune system "do not rage." It is not possible to treat the cause. Furthermore, it frequently occurs in the area of psychosomatic medicine, a branch of research that lies at the interface of psychology and medicine.

According to psychosomatic theory, an allergy is an outward sign of an inward rejection of the environment.

Please be aware that the symptoms of any allergy are invariably linked to the body’s systems and organs that come into contact with the outside world in one way or another: the skin, the eyes, the nose and respiratory tract mucous membranes, the digestive tract (where food enters the body from the outside), and the respiratory system. Almost never do allergies show up at the level of organs like the kidneys, spine, or heart that are isolated from the outside environment.

Thus, the obvious conclusion that follows is that an insufficient response from the body to the environment is an insufficient response from the individual to himself.

A person uses personal beliefs, experiences, and viewpoints in addition to the standard "friend or foe" system when evaluating the outside world. Anger, irritation, fear, malice, and resentment are among the negative emotions that psychoanalysts categorize as destructive, and they arise when a person finds something in what they see, hear, or touch disagreeable. These feelings build up in the subconscious and eventually find a way out. And sickness is this escape route.

Intense hatred, self-loathing, and self-rejection lead to internal pathologies such as tumors, inflammatory psychosomatic illnesses, and neurological disorders. Violations will also originate from the outside if hostility is aimed at the environment. That’s how allergies begin—with a fear of the outside world and its rejection.

Development mechanisms in children

The skin’s and mucous membranes’ job is to shield the body from harmful outside influences.

Allergy symptoms are almost a given if a child views the world around him with distrust or animosity.

You may wonder, though, how a young child can develop a bad opinion of the world when he hasn’t had enough time to form an impression of it through interaction with it. It’s really easy. The infant hasn’t had enough time to develop an opinion about what’s right and wrong in the world, what’s dangerous and what’s safe, but his parents have, and they’ve been teaching their child these values since the infant is born.

Parents are concerned that their unborn child won’t get a draft, won’t be touched by strangers, and won’t get sick from bacteria or viruses while he’s in the cradle. Mother is frightened that she will eat something "wrong" while nursing. The world around the baby starts to seem less safe because he feels everything his mother has experienced, even though he is too young to analyze it.

When a baby first starts to walk on his own, he is constantly told (obviously, only in good faith) not to step in puddles because he will get a cold and not to pet cats because they may have fleas or worms, especially if they belong to someone else. A deep-rooted subconscious belief that everything in his environment is dangerous is ingrained in a baby from the very beginning of life.

The more a parent tries, the more frequently the baby develops a runny nose, a cough, or a rash from eating berries or petting an unfamiliar cat. His body has all of these defense systems "turned on" unconsciously to keep the young child safe.

Now ask yourself this: Why do children with allergies suffer from them far less frequently than children who are cared for by their parents in dysfunctional or large families where it is not always possible to watch over each child to make sure he does not touch the cat in the yard? The explanation is straightforward: they think less highly of the world’s negative aspects.

One more detail: only 2% of children carry allergies into adulthood, despite the overwhelming majority of cases being "outgrown" and completely disappearing in childhood. The solution is also not too difficult: as a child grows older, he or she acquires new experiences and develops attitudes of their own that contradict those of their parents, which helps them "reconcile" with the outside world.

Intolerance to someone in their own environment is another factor contributing to allergies in children. Such allergies typically show symptoms later in life, rather than at birth. For instance, they may become more noticeable when a second child is born and the first receives less attention, leading to feelings of resentment and anger toward the younger child. They may also become noticeable when a stepfather or stepmother joins the family and the child grows to dislike them.

Although an allergy of this kind can also be very severe, it is typically "outgrown," gradually learning to distinguish between different people in relationships.

Allergies to a particular substance are typically carried into adulthood by children whose parents’ attitudes were stronger than their own experiences, if the parents had a strong and authoritarian influence, or if the child’s self-esteem and willpower were severely damaged (he never dared to pet cats in the yard).

The conclusion is straightforward: as civilization advances, nature becomes more dangerous because of its increased distance from it. Consequently, and the global rise in allergic illnesses.

Notably, there are comparatively few cases of childhood allergies and bronchial asthma among peoples who still live near to nature and do not instill in their kids the notion that puddles and cats are dangerous (such as nomadic peoples, people from the North, and some peoples of Africa). The majority of children in both developed and developing nations today suffer from these diseases because they live in comfortable apartments in cities with lots of asphalt and access to the Internet.

Why appears in adults?

The primary cause of allergies developing in adults is a conflict with the outside world, though it manifests itself in a slightly different way. A bad attitude toward the environment is typically solely personal and stems from a bad experience.

The woman was betrayed, deceived, and well, if only once. If there were several such men in her life, she may well form a negative opinion about the representatives of the opposite sex, and in their presence (at work, for example), if necessary, quite close contact, she may well worsen dermatitis on her hands, on her face, manifest itself. hives. A woman, of course, will look for the cause in pollen, dust, but gradually she will also begin to notice that in a female team, even in May, when everything is in bloom, she has no itching, no rash, no runny nose.

Another instance would be being compelled to speak with an unpleasant person. Additionally, this communication is long-term (in the family, at work, etc.). Skin forms of allergy develop when irritation builds up and cannot be expressed for fear of being fired, ejected, or misinterpreted.

A food allergy is likely to develop if a person reports that he or she literally "cannot digest" someone or something. This condition will also likely present with fairly physiological symptoms of food indigestion.

Because of the way the subconscious is built, anything that is imagined and backed by a powerful emotion has a good chance of coming true and doing so exactly as it was meant to, meaning literally (you can’t digest someone? – you will get indigestion and a rash).

The precise identification of the underlying cause that initiated pathological processes at the physiological level is the foundation of the psychology of diseases.

If you identify it correctly, you won’t need to take a lot of medication or be monitored by an allergist for a long time. When psychocorrection is done correctly, allergies won’t even be mentioned.

Psychological portrait of an allergy sufferer

Who is most susceptible to developing allergies? Since certain temperamental and personality type prerequisites also influence the development of allergies, this question needs to be clarified separately.

Thus, a possible (or current) allergy sufferer:

  • Often gets irritated by little things, can make a scandal out of nothing.
  • Prone to violent manifestations of anger, rage, often judges neighbors, acquaintances, colleagues, the government, etc. negatively. .
  • Afraid of everything new and unfamiliar, wary and suspicious of people, suggestions, prospects.
  • Very suspicious, it often seems to him that behind his back someone is conspiring, plotting something.
  • Afraid of the future, does not like to make plans, does not trust the people around him.
  • Once again, he again digs his past experiences, resentments, can talk about how they acted unfairly, they treated.
  • Very pedantic, often picky to others.
  • Absolutely convinced in stereotypes.
  • Not confident in his abilities, has low self -esteem.
  • He always wants to be the best in everything.
  • Sometimes, despite internal emotionality, he is very restrained internally, he tries not to show his true emotions.
  • Accuses anyone or anything, not himself of his troubles – the weather, adopted laws, evil people, circumstances prevented him from. Take responsibility and change something in their lives usually do not dare.
  • Dissatisfied with his life, even if everything goes in it as he wanted, does not know how to rejoice at the little things.

Allergies are extremely sensitive in both children and adults. Because of their heightened imagination, they can be offended by a typical child’s resentment not only for unpleasant words or deeds directed at them but also for imaginary events.

Many allergy sufferers had severe stress reactions as children. One such person recalls being terrified of a large spider that was thrown into his backpack. The body will then start to react negatively whenever it is exposed to or hears of arthropods.

The subconscious does not make distinctions; it can associate animosity or fear directed towards an object with seemingly unconnected items from the outside world.

For instance, after eating a pear, a young child is startled by a terrifying monster he sees in a TV movie. In cases where the fear was severe, there’s a chance that the child’s current consumption of the pear and the psychosomatic level of stress hormone release will be linked. This is how a pear allergy manifests itself. The child will get a rash on his hands and face or possibly develop a food allergy to this fruit every time it is fed to him.

Reasons from the point of view of different researchers

For the convenience of readers, researchers in the fields of psychosomatic medicine and psychology frequently assemble tables of diseases along with an explanation of the most likely causes of their occurrence. There might be some differences if someone chooses to search these tables for the solution. They result from the fact that every researcher drew conclusions from both their own and their patients’ experiences. The following are the opinions of several well-known professionals in the field of psychosomatics:

According to Liz Burbo

According to Liz Burbo, irritability and the rejection of reality are linked to any allergy symptoms, including atopic dermatitis and allergic rhinitis. According to her, an allergy sufferer denies himself the opportunity to fully breathe, live, and enjoy life because he has been raised with the belief that happiness and contentment are things that must be earned.

This kind of mindset typically develops in childhood when parents only give their approval and praise for their child’s academic achievement and athletic accomplishments. He gets reprimanded if he falters. An allergy sufferer clearly has emotional barriers that prevent them from expressing their feelings, fears, and resentment.

According to Valery Sinelnikov

According to psychotherapist and therapist Valery Sinelnikov, allergies are caused by a breach in the emotional exchange between the body and the outside world. To put it another way, feelings build up and a person does not know how to communicate them. When a person thinks about something "dirty," they may develop dermatitis, urticaria, or a rash.

Dr. Sinelnikov claims that children’s allergies frequently manifest as an attempt to get adults’ attention by highlighting the fact that the children have a significant amount of "dirty" emotions stored up. Thus, in households where parents fight frequently, a young child who has no other means of influencing the situation will use allergic reactions to vent his frustration over the scandals involving two of his closest friends.

According to Louise Hay

Louise Hay recognized that self-doubt and an incapacity to manage irritation caused by others or objects in one’s surroundings are the fundamental causes of an allergic reaction.

She suggested replacing the negative mindset with fresh affirmations, which should progressively replace the unfavorable outlook on the outside world and the people in it, establishing a more positive backdrop.

A person must persuade himself that he is safe and that nothing hostile or dangerous is in his immediate surroundings before making any new statements.

Age Group Psychosomatic Causes of Allergies
Children Allergies in children may arise due to feelings of insecurity, fear, or emotional stress. Family conflicts or overprotection can also trigger allergic reactions.
Adults In adults, allergies may develop from unresolved emotional issues, chronic stress, or feelings of being overwhelmed. Suppressed emotions, like anger or frustration, can manifest as allergic symptoms.

Both in children and adults, the causes of allergic diseases are frequently more complex than simple external stimuli. The body’s response to allergens can be greatly influenced by psychological factors, unresolved fears, and emotional stress. Being aware of this link can aid in the prevention and better management of allergy symptoms.

Families can provide children and adults with allergies with more comprehensive support by being aware of the mind-body connection. Overall health is greatly influenced by emotional well-being, and treating psychological issues may lessen the severity or frequency of allergic reactions.

In addition to traditional treatments, a more all-encompassing strategy that includes mental and emotional support may help people find more effective relief and enhance their quality of life.

Video on the topic

Irina Semizorova Psychosomatics – allergy. Signs and symptoms of allergies.

Children"s allergies | Mikhail Filiyaev | With captions

WHAT IS THE CAUSE OF ALLERGY? #childallergy #allergy #psychosomatics #allergytreatment

Psychosomatics of allergies. Skin and food allergies. Internal conflict l №3 Psychosomatics

Allergy Psychosomatics

Allergy and stomach. Causes of allergies

Allergy treatment, h.2 – unknown facts, psychosomatics, answers to questions.

ALLERGY, symptoms and treatment – unknown facts.

What way of spending family time do you like the most?
Share to friends
Svetlana Kozlova

Family consultant and family relationship specialist. I help parents build trusting relationships with their children and each other. I believe that a healthy atmosphere in the home is the key to happiness and harmony, which I share in articles and recommendations.

Rate author
Sverbihina.com
Add a comment