Tuesday, February 24, 2009

What Are Allergies? a simple closeup


When you're allergic to something, your immune system mistakenly believes that this substance is harmful to your body, so allergies are abnormal immune system reactions to what typically is harmless to most people.
The immune system produces IgE antibodies to that allergen (Substances that cause allergic reactions, such as certain foods, dust, plant pollen, or medicines, are known as allergens).
IgE antibodies then cause certain cells in the body to release chemicals into the bloodstream, one of which is histamine which then acts on a person's eyes, nose, throat, lungs, skin, or gastrointestinal tract and causes the symptoms of the allergic reaction.
Future exposure to that same allergen triggers antibody response again, and every time you come into contact with that allergen, you'll have an allergic reaction.
So what are the allergic reactions that u may get?well they vary from as mild as a runny nose, or they can be severe, like difficulty breathing and some types of allergies produce multiple symptoms, and in rare cases, an allergic reaction can become very severe — this severe reaction is called anaphylaxis.
Signs of anaphylaxis are difficulty breathing, difficulty swallowing, swelling of the lips, tongue, and throat or other parts of the body, and dizziness or loss of consciousness,and Luckily anaphylactic reactions don't occur often, and they can be treated successfully if proper medical procedures are followed.

Why Do People Get Allergies?


Developing allergies is often hereditary ,it means it transferred to you through genes of parents but doesn't mean you will definitely get allergies if a parent or sibling have them ,it means u have a higher chance to get it than others and that u may need to have an allergy test.

What Are Some Things That People Are Allergic To?


Foods. Food allergies are most common in infants and often go away as a child gets older. Although some food allergies can be serious, many simply cause annoying symptoms like an itchy rash, a stuffy nose, and diarrhea. Most allergy specialists agree that the foods that people are most commonly allergic to are milk and other dairy products, eggs, wheat, soy, peanuts and tree nuts, and seafood.

Chemicals. Some cosmetics or laundry detergents can cause people to break out in an itchy rash (hives). Usually, this is because the person has a reaction to the chemicals in these products. Dyes, household cleaners, and pesticides used on lawns or plants can also cause allergic reactions in some people.

Insect bites and stings. The venom (poison) in insect bites and stings causes allergic reactions in many people. These allergies can be severe and may cause an anaphylactic reaction in some people.

Medicines. Antibiotics — medications used to treat infections — are the most common types of medicines that cause allergic reactions. Many other medicines, including over-the-counter medications (those you can buy without a prescription), can also cause allergic reactions.

Airborne particles. These are often called environmental allergens, and they're the most common allergens. Some examples of airborne particles that can cause allergies in people are dust mites (tiny bugs that live in house dust); mold spores; animal dander (flakes of scaly, dried skin, and dried saliva from your pets); and pollen from grass, ragweed, and trees.
In the next article we will talk more about how to diagnose and treat allergies and how to avoid it in the first place. please comment and help us to have a better content for you.

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