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    What is Allergy: Preventive actions that help avoid it
    What is Allergy: Preventive actions that help avoid it
    What is Allergy: Preventive actions that help avoid it
    Ebook52 pages34 minutes

    What is Allergy: Preventive actions that help avoid it

    By Dr. A.K.Sethi

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    About this ebook

    An allergy is the response of the body's immune system to normally harmless substances, such as pollens, foods, and house dust mite. While in most people these substances (allergens) pose no problem, in allergic individuals their immune system identifies them as a' threat' and produces an appropriate defence response.
    The most common causes of allergic reactions are: pollen from flowers, proteins secreted from house dust mites, moulds, foods such as peanuts, milk and eggs, pets such as cats and dogs, insects such as wasps and bees, and medicines. These substances cause swelling, inflammation and itching of the surrounding tissues, which is extremely irritating and uncomfortable. Common symptoms associated with allergic conditions include: sneezing, wheezing / coughing / shortness of breath, sinus pain / runny nose, nettle rash / hives, swelling, itchy eyes, ears, lips throat and mouth, sickness, vomiting & diarrhea.
    This book explains the types, effects, signs and symptoms of allergy on an individual.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherV&S Publishers
    Release dateJan 9, 2017
    ISBN9789350579244
    What is Allergy: Preventive actions that help avoid it

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      Book preview

      What is Allergy - Dr. A.K.Sethi

      What is Allergy

      When we mention the word Allergy, majority of people correlate it with Aachoo – sneezing, running nose, watering of eyes, cough, etc. Some people think of allergy to medicines like Penicillin, Sulfa drugs, etc. and others connect it to food substances like milk, meat, cheese, etc.

      Unfortunately, allergy has become the bane of modern civilisation and we find ourselves allergic to several substances like pets, insects, perfumes, wheat, food preservatives, latex (gloves), plants, metals like arsenic, etc. Allergy is also a complicated and enigmatic subject for doctors and scientists, since neither the causative mechanism is clear, nor the treatment is satisfactory.

      In order to understand what allergy is all about, we must first understand its basic mechanism. Allergy is closely related to our Immune System – the system which protects us from sickness and diseases. Our body is so designed that whenever a foreign invader (bacteria, virus, chemical, heat, cold, wind, water, etc.) or inner enemy (tumour, aged cells, etc.) attacks our body, the immune system gets activated to protect us from this invader.

      The innate (inborn) immune system consists of barriers such as skin and mucous membranes, enzymes and white blood cells (WBC) called neutrophils in its armamentarium. If the innate immune system is unsuccessful, the adaptive immune system takes over.

      This system consists of cells such as lymphocytes and monocytes and their products such as antibodies, cytokines and antigen-specific cytotoxic (killer) cells. This system does not damage the body tissues, but destroys the abnormal material (invader). It also remembers the encounters with specific invaders such that subsequent encounters by the host with the same agents activate the immune response more quickly and vigorously, preventing recurrence of the disease caused by the invader.

      In contrast to the adaptive immune system, in certain individuals there is an over-reactive immune system, i.e. there is an abnormal reaction to the ordinarily harmless substances (invaders). This disorder is called an Allergy or Hypersensitivity.

      What Happens During an Allergic Reaction

      When a person with a hypersensitive or hyper-alert immune system is exposed to an invader (an allergen), a series of events take place:-

      1. The WBC of the body start to produce a specific type of antibodies called Immunoglobulin E (IgE) to fight the allergen.

      2. These antibodies attach to another types of cells called mast cells, which are found in the airways and in the digestive system where the allergens enter the body.

      3. The mast cells release a variety of chemicals like histamine, serotonin, etc. which produce localised effects like sneezing, running nose, watery eyes, itching, diarrhoea, vomiting, etc. or generalised effects like breathing difficulty, low blood pressure, swelling of body, weakness, loss of consciousness, shock or even death.

      There are two major differences between the normal immune reaction and allergic reaction:-

      1. In a normal individual there is an antigen-antibody reaction, which protects the

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