Allergy Facts
Can’t get near pollens, dust or eat some foods? Then you might have allergies. The word "allergy" came from the Greek words “allos” meaning "other" and “ergon” meaning "work. In the past, all forms of hypersensitivity were classified as allergies, and all were thought to be caused by an improper activation of the immune system. It became clear later on that several different disease mechanisms were implicated, with the common link to a disordered activation of the immune system.
A Viennese pediatrician named Clemens von Pirquet originally introduced in 1906 the concept of "allergy". He noted that some of his patients were hypersensitive to normally innocuous entities such as dust, pollen, or certain foods. A new classification scheme in 1963 was designed by Philip Gell and Robin Coombs that described four types of hypersensitivity reactions, known as Type I to Type IV hypersensitivity. Characterized as rapidly developing reactions, the word "allergy" was restricted to only type I hypersensitivities (also called immediate hypersensitivity).
The discovery of the antibody class labeled immunoglobulin E (IgE) marks a major breakthrough in understanding the mechanisms of allergy. The first to isolate and describe IgE in the 1960s were Kimishige Ishizaka and his co-workers.
There are three levels of allergic reactions mild allergic reactions, moderate allergic reactions and severe allergic reactions.
The symptoms of mild allergic reactions are:
- Rash
- Itchy, watery eyes
- Congestion
Symptoms that spread to other parts of the body are under moderate allergic reactions. Some of them are:
- Itchiness
- Difficulty breathing
Severe allergic reaction is also known as anaphylaxis. It is a rare, life-threatening emergency in which the body's response to the allergen is sudden and affects the whole body. Serious symptoms include:
- Varying degrees of swellings that can make breathing and swallowing difficult
- Abdominal pain
- Cramps
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Mental confusion or dizziness
Pollens, mold spores, house dust mites, animal danders, foods, insect bites or stings, plants, insect spores, latex rubber, viruses, bacteria, medications and environmental conditions (such as cold temperatures) are examples of allergens that most frequently cause problems.
An important first step to effective allergy treatment is finding out what you are allergic to. Allergy tests are more convenient and accurate nowadays than ever before. Allergy testing when combined with a detailed medical history can identify the specific things that trigger your allergic reactions.
There are two ways of allergy testing namely the allergy skin testing and the blood allergy testing. First let us talk about the allergy skin testing which is preferred over blood allergy tests for assessing the presence of allergen-specific IgE antibodies because it is more sensitive and specific, simpler to use, and less expensive.
Typically, simply avoiding the allergen in question or otherwise reducing exposure is the treatment and management of allergies. Nowadays, various allergy treatments are available. Enormous improvements in the medical treatments have been used to remedy allergic conditions.
There are a lot of medicines available for treating and preventing allergy symptoms. These allergy medicines are available in liquid, nasal spray, eyedrop and skin cream (topical) forms. Some are prescribed and some are available over-the-counter.
Your symptoms, what other medications you are taking and what other health conditions you have are the things you need to consider in finding the best medication or combination of medications for you. Every person will have a different reaction to allergy medications. Some medications works better for some people than others. To determine which ones are most effective and have the least bothersome side effects, you may need to try a few different medications.
