ALLERGY

ALLERGY

What is an Allergy?

The topic of allergies has become routine in our lives, and certainly most everyone has an idea of what an allergy is. Allergies are so common a subject in fact, it seems acceptable to discuss your allergies at a cocktail party with strangers.
How do Allergies Start?
The allergic person can make allergic antibodies, or IgE, against a variety of allergens, including pollens, molds, animal danders, dust mites, foods, venoms and medications. This occurs through a process called sensitization, where a person’s immune system is exposed to enough of the allergen to make the body produce allergic antibodies to that substance.
When and Why do People Develop Allergies?
It is unknown why some people develop allergies and some don’t. Allergies seem to run in families, and in some cases family members can share allergies to specific foods or medications. It appears that the allergic response was once meant to protect the body against parasitic infections, although now seems to be an abnormal response to non-infectious triggers.

Symptoms and Diagnosis

Symptoms of allergies may be obvious, such as with hay fever, or not so obvious, such as with hives and trouble breathing after taking a certain medication. Learn how to recognize the various symptoms that suggest that a person has allergies. The diagnosis of allergies can be made in various ways, including the presence of allergy symptoms and positive allergy tests. Learn about the types of allergy tests that are available.


Treatment

Often, the best way to treat allergies is to prevent them from occurring in the first place; this is accomplished through the avoidance of allergic triggers. However, avoidance is not always possible, such as when a person is allergic to pollen in the air. Therefore, many people with allergies require medications to treat their symptoms. Learn about the various avoidance techniques to prevent allergy symptoms, as well as the various medications available to treat allergies.