Allergies

Allergies (Type I Hypersensitivity) are actually a malfunction of our immune system that triggers our body to become hypersensitized and react immunologically to typically non-immunogenic substances. The substances that cause our bodies to become this way are called allergens.

Signs And Symptoms

When a person with an allergy, for example animal dander, comes in contact with an allergen, there will be a physical reaction. Depending on the type of allergy, the sufferer may experience rashes, difficulty in breathing, sneezing, runny nose, watery eyes or involuntary bowel movement. In the most extreme cases, the sufferer may suffer an anaphylactic shock and can cause death.

Systemic allergic responses are more serious compared to local symptoms. Depending on the severity of your response, allergies can cause cutaenous reactions, bronchoconstriction, edema, hypotension, coma, and even death.

Hay fever is an example of minor allergies caused by airborne pollen. But aside from environmental factors, allergies may also be triggered by medications.

Why Do You Get Allergies?

Your immune system is designed to protect your body from harm. The first step in this process is identifying potentially harmful substances. Unfortunately, as amazing as your immune system is, it sometimes makes mistakes. The result can be allergies.

Your hypersensitized immune system misidentifies an otherwise innocuous substance as harmful, and then attacks the substance with a degree of ferocity that is essentially overkill. As a result, you experience symtpoms that can vry from mildly inconvenient to uncomfortable to total failure of major organs of the body.

Coping With Allergies

The first thing you should do when you feel as if you have an intolerance to a substance is to see an allergist. An allergist can perform tests to identify what specific sensitivities you have and the severity of your sensitivities. In those cases when your allergies can be life threatening, the allergist will carefully instruct you on those life saving measures you should take if necessary. Reactions to insect stings, medications and peanuts are commonly found to be very severe and will need to be taken seriously.

Once the allergist has identified your areas of hypersensitivity there are a number of things that can be done to assist you in coping with your allergies. For isntance, your doctor may want you to begin a course of allergy injections. These injections work in the body to reduce your reactions when you come in contact with allergens. Injections can be given for hypersensitivities to animals, plants and environmental irritants.