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At least 40 million Americans suffer from allergies
serious enough to benefit from professional help. An allergy
is an unpleasant (sometimes life-threatening) physical reaction
experienced when the body is exposed to a substance to which
is hypersensitive, which is known as an allergen.
Allergens, which are harmless to many people,
cause the immune system in some people to react as if attacked
by deadly toxins. An allergy is the body’s way of saying, “I
don’t like this! It is dangerous! Get it out of here!”
The immune system automatically produces
antibodies whenever it encounters a foreign substance. If a person
is hypersensitive, the immune system sometimes will overreact,
causing excess production of an antibody called IgE. Excess IgE
antibodies seek out and attach themselves to target tissues.
There they remain, “on call”, ready to activate whenever
the body encounters the offending allergen. Once activated, IgE
antibodies cause the release of inflammatory chemicals that,
in turn, produce allergy symptoms.
Particular symptoms depend upon the target
tissue – that part of the body that is hypersensitive
to the offending allergen. Allergens invade in several
ways, seeking these target tissues. They may be inhaled, swallowed,
absorbed through the skin, injected (as with penicillin), or
by an insect bite. Some allergies may be due to psychological
response, such as fear, anger, or worry.
Target Areas include:
Nose – nasal itching,
sneezing, post-nasal drip, watery discharge, (think “hay
fever”) or Allergic Rhinitis
Eyes – itching, redness, swelling, tearing, and other
conjunctivitis symptoms
Ears – fluid in middle ear, recurrent infections, decreased
hearing
Lungs – asthmatic symptoms such as shortness of breath,
wheezing, tightness in the chest, coughing
Skin – (includes lips, inside of mouth or ears) itchy
whelps or “hives” (Urticaria) of varying sizes
Skin – (contact dermatitis) blistery rash, intense itching
Skin – (eczema) dry, itchy rash
Digestive Tract – stomach cramps, vomiting, diarrhea
(associated with food allergy), urgency of bowel movements
Other – headaches, fatigue, hyperactivity, depression
An allergic threshold is the level of resistance
to allergic attack. This threshold varies depending upon certain
conditions: the number of allergens one is exposed to at any
given time, one’s general health and emotional state, the
presence of another disease, whether one is rested, or even a
change in the weather. The presence or absence of any of these
factors can actually increase or decrease vulnerability.
People of any age can develop an allergy. Most
people develop symptoms during early childhood after exposure
to the offending allergen. A person has a 75 percent chance of
developing an allergy if both parents have an allergy history,
and a 50 percent chance if only one parent is affected.
Treatment begins with the cause. The
doctor, often an allergist, will ask questions to help determine
an allergic history and give the patient a thorough physical
examination. This sometimes is sufficient to accurately identify
the allergen culprit. In most cases, however, further investigation
is required. A simple blood test, skin test, or both are performed.
Skin testing, until recently, was the
only method available. In this procedure, a liquid extract of
the allergen is injected or “scratched” into the
patient’s skin. If a whelp develops, the allergy is confirmed.
Blood tests today offer safer and more accurate
identification of most allergies. Detecting a food allergy is
often more difficult. Sometimes a doctor prescribes an “elimination
diet” during which all suspect foods are eliminated from
the diet – then returned, one by one, in an effort to isolate
the offending food.
Some allergies disappear or moderate with time
or treatment, but most patients require continued treatment to
maintain a symptom-free life. A good doctor or allergist can
prescribe a program that relieves much discomfort. Simply avoiding
an allergen can solve some problems. For example, if chocolate
is the allergen, the patient simply chooses to not eat it. Unfortunately,
many allergens, such as pollen and dust, are unavoidable and
require specific treatment.
Medications such as antihistamines or cortisone
may relieve symptoms. Immunotherapy or allergy shots might also
be an option. In this procedure, small doses of the offending
allergen are injected into the body over a period of time, gradually
building up the body’s tolerance to that allergen. It is
important to continue treatment on a regular basis. Trust your
allergist and stay on the program. Your body will thank you!
For more information, please refer to www.theallergyreport.com or www.acaai.org or
call Allergy ARTS at (806) 353-7000.
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