Everything About Allergy

There are two kinds of allergic responses: acute response and late-phase reaction. Acute responses are physical reactions that manifest immediately after exposure to a certain allergen. It may subside after manifestation, or it may develop into a late-phase reaction which may be harmful. During initial exposure, the immune system reacts and produces anti-bodies. This process lead to symptoms such as mucous secretion, nerve stimulation and smooth muscle contraction. These symptoms may manifest in a certain area of the body, or localized, or in several areas at the same time or system-wide. For example, asthma is localized to the respiratory system.

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While staying germ-free can prevent the spread of disease and infections, are cleaner lifestyles responsible for the rise of allergies in children today?

“It’s called the hygiene hypothesis,” says Marc McMorris, M.D., a pediatric allergist at the University of Michigan Health System. “We’ve developed a cleanlier lifestyle, and our bodies no longer need to fight germs as much as they did in the past. As a result, the immune system has shifted away from fighting infection to developing more allergic tendencies.”

The body’s immune system is designed to fight infections, but also recognizes foreign substances as allergens. The use of vaccines and antibiotics has eased the immune system of the burden of fighting.

Even our homes have changed how our immune system functions. Air tight doors and windows – designed to save energy – have created an increased concentration of indoor allergens.

“The natural immune system does not have as much to do as it did 50 years ago because we’ve increased our efforts to protect our children from dirt and germs,” says McMorris.

He advises parents to just let kids be kids. Let them play outside and with friends, and don’t worry about them coming into contact with dirt and germs. But always be cautious with children with life-threatening food allergies, he cautions.

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When children with allergies reach school age, they are more exposed to allergens and bacteria that can trigger symptoms. The most common are nasal allergies, where symptoms include runny nose and sneezing. This is usually triggered by pollen from plants and trees, dust and mold.

Once your allergic child starts school, take time to talk with the teachers and the school’s nurse. If your child is allergic to certain foods, you may also want to talk with the person in charge with the canteen. Ask them to inform you of any symptom or changes in your child’s performance, which may be associated with his condition.

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Mold can also found outdoors ; on leaves, trees, piled wood, rocks, drainage, rain gutters, roof and walls. People allergic to molds should avoid mowing the lawn, raking leaves and gardening. Drainage ditches and rain gutters should always be cleaned, assuring the removal of leaves to avoid stagnant water from accumulating. Plant containers, especially if being kept indoors, should always be clean and dry.

Certain jobs expose you to environments where molds thrive like logging, baking, mill work, carpentry, plumbing, gardening, house cleaning, carpet washing and furniture repair. People allergic to molds should take caution, or prepare doctor recommended remedies just in case symptoms start to show.

Mold or fungi grow both indoors and outdoors, and is related to moisture. Molds grow where moisture is, and is not dependent on seasons, unlike pollen which is more concentrated during spring to fall.

Mold spores spread when the molds ripen. It is usually seen in dark, moist, humid rooms like the basement, bathroom, under the kitchen sink, and ceilings if the roof has leaks. It also grows in carpets and walls. Rooms should be well ventilated to allow moisture to evaporate. Carpets, ceilings, walls and floors should always be kept dry, and make sure clothes placed in cabinets are totally dry.

Rhinitis is associated with allergens in the air and is considered to be more of a seasonal illness by most. The surprising part is that allergic rhinitis is known to cause death if it is compounded by obstructed nasal passages which may explain the disassociation of the allergy to snoring or daytime sleepiness. The presence of a blockage in the nasal cavities tends to aggravate the effects of the rhinitis causing blockage of the pathway effectively suffocating people in their sleep. These blockages are also responsible for other symptoms such as headaches, thirst, disturbed sleep, sleepiness during the day and more, all of which can cause serious social disruption enough to make behavior unpredictable. Continue Reading »

Scientists have discovered that a specific compound chmokine eotaxin, to be responsible in the over-reaction of the human body to infections. This compound is the chemical marker that prevents our immune system’s security guards that detects invaders and then directs killer cells to the site to effect an attack to defend us. Exposure to eotaxin tends to block the ability of patrolling attack cells from becoming seekers that finds these invaders thus causing the system to go haywire. The jumble of cellular response triggers a confusing to the body’s immune systems that a violent mass production of killer cells ensues in what can be called a panic attack as it knows there are invaders for the normal defenses aren’t really working but they are not getting anything done. Continue Reading »

Anaphylactic shock (anaphylaxis) is one of the most life-threatening severe allergic reactions. Allergies may be caused by an ingestion (peanuts), skin contact (pollen), injection, or inhalation of an allergen.

Sensitization to a particular substance is required for an anaphylactic reaction to occur. An example is when a person is stung by a bee for a first time (sensitizing dose), anapahylaxis may not occur. Succeeding bee stings (shocking dose) in the future will have a sudden, severe allergic reaction to the person.

Anaphylaxis involves the whole body. A person experiencing anaphylactic shock will experience difficulty in breathing, shock, polyuria, urticaria (hives), vomiting, flushed appearance, swelling of the lips, face, neck and throat, and could even progress to death.

Due to its life-threatening nature, risks of brain and organ damage (death) are imminent if emergency medical intervention is not given. Epinephrine (adrenaline) is the primary treatment for cases of anaphylactic reaction.

Talk about unexpected relationships, the results of the study have been so dumbfounding, for though allergies are a nuisance, they can help fight some forms of cancer, researchers are saying. Allergic symptoms such as sneezing, tearing, coughing and itching can in fact lower risks for developing cancer in the colon, skin, bladder, mouth, throat, cervix and the uterus that may be affected by environmental factors. Tissues exposed to, say, high levels of pollution such as the mouth, skin and throat may find the toxins expelled by allergic reactions enough to prevent the mutation of the cells and becoming cancerous. Food allergies may also prevent such cancers from ever starting which goes to show, that a sniffle may indeed be a blessing in disguise or it may be the body simply irritated and reacting as needed. So next time you have the flu, be grateful for it might just be your body disposing of cancer causing agents that you may have come in contact with. So having an allergy may not be a curse after all, but a blessing in disguise.

Do you know that allergies and the medication that people consume to tame them are worth an estimated $18 billion Dollars. Over 50 million Americans alone suffer from the disease and global figures are mind-boggling. The term allergy actually denotes a drastic reaction by the human body to known allergens such as pollen, dust, food and many other irritants that causes reactions within the body. The gene that makes one person highly reactive to one allergen may actually not affect the next person which is due to the individual characteristics of the human body and the differences in the way we react to them. Nobody is immune for even a child can be born allergic of all things milk, to the elderly who got welts as an allergic reaction to new medication. The best defense is to steer away from these allergens but some being seasonal, the only way to deal with them is to take medication that does not actually cure the disease but tames the allergic reaction making it more bearable.