Two recent articles in the New York Times were related to allergies. One brief article agreed that allergies to pollen may lead to food allergies. A longer article discussed an experimental treatment for peanut allergy.
An allergy is your body’s mistaken over-reaction to a common environmental or food source. The source of the allergic reaction is called an allergen or a trigger. Your body mistakenly responds to the allergen as if it were a threat. Your body tries to attack and destroy the allergen by producing antibodies. The antibodies trigger your body to produce histamine. The histamine causes your symptoms.
- Symptoms may include:
- A runny nose (rhinitis)
- Itching (pruritus)
- Hives (urticaria)
- A rash
- Inflammation, redness or swelling
- Gastro-intestinal upsets such as diarrhea or vomiting
Angioedema is swelling of the tissues below the skin. It can be very serious when this occurs in your throat and mouth.
A severe and life-threatening allergic reaction is called anaphylaxis. This is a reaction that affects your whole body. It is a true emergency and requires immediate medical attention.
While allergy symptoms are cause by an allergen, the underlying cause is an over-sensitive immune system. This over-sensitivity is hereditary.
Allergies can be treated or controlled. The type of treatment depends on the specific allergy and its symptoms.
For more information about allergies see:
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