Allergic Reactions, Their Causes And Symptoms
Allergic reactions are essentially our body overreacting to any possible 'intruder'.
The white blood cells in our body constitute the immune system, which helps us fight against harmful agents.
However, there are times when these white blood cells get defensive and start multiplying on sensing the presence of a harmless 'allergen'.
This rapid multiplication leads to the secretion of a number of chemicals and hormones called 'mediators' that can cause local inflammation and lead to an adverse effect or an allergy in the body.
The reactions range from mild to really severe.
While allergies are fairly common, a few kinds termed as anaphylaxis are very severe and can even lead to death.
These occur when the secretion of mediators is sudden and extensive, not allowing our body to cope with the sudden influx of mediators.
Histamine is one of the most common mediators.
Causes Of Allergic Reactions Allergies are fairly common as can be seen by the number of people suffering from them.
50 million Americans are affected every year with some kind of an allergen and it is the third leading chronic disease amongst children.
Children are especially allergic to certain food substances.
Milk, soy, eggs and nuts are some of the most common culprits that can lead to severe allergy amongst children.
Vaccines and medication are other common allergens as are some kinds of detergents and hair dyes.
Peanuts, bee stings and fire any stings are some of the really severe allergy causing allergens.
These can lead to the whole body reacting to the allergen and extensive creation of mediators can lead to anaphylaxis.
Taking Preventive Measures Can Help Generally over a period of time, most people learn to recognize the common allergens that they are sensitive to.
Avoiding these can go a long way in ensuring less recurrent allergic breakouts.
Allergic reactions should as a rule not be ignored, unless they are really mild and restricted to a small area.
Any sudden increase in the reaction can lead to the body going into shock, which might even result in a cardiac arrest.
Signs And Symptoms An allergic reaction can appear different depending on the part of the body affected.
Hives are one of the most common symptoms that many people suffer from.
Some symptoms, such as swelling of throat or tongue, vomiting, confusion, difficulty in breathing should be taken very seriously and immediate medical help should be sought.
The white blood cells in our body constitute the immune system, which helps us fight against harmful agents.
However, there are times when these white blood cells get defensive and start multiplying on sensing the presence of a harmless 'allergen'.
This rapid multiplication leads to the secretion of a number of chemicals and hormones called 'mediators' that can cause local inflammation and lead to an adverse effect or an allergy in the body.
The reactions range from mild to really severe.
While allergies are fairly common, a few kinds termed as anaphylaxis are very severe and can even lead to death.
These occur when the secretion of mediators is sudden and extensive, not allowing our body to cope with the sudden influx of mediators.
Histamine is one of the most common mediators.
Causes Of Allergic Reactions Allergies are fairly common as can be seen by the number of people suffering from them.
50 million Americans are affected every year with some kind of an allergen and it is the third leading chronic disease amongst children.
Children are especially allergic to certain food substances.
Milk, soy, eggs and nuts are some of the most common culprits that can lead to severe allergy amongst children.
Vaccines and medication are other common allergens as are some kinds of detergents and hair dyes.
Peanuts, bee stings and fire any stings are some of the really severe allergy causing allergens.
These can lead to the whole body reacting to the allergen and extensive creation of mediators can lead to anaphylaxis.
Taking Preventive Measures Can Help Generally over a period of time, most people learn to recognize the common allergens that they are sensitive to.
Avoiding these can go a long way in ensuring less recurrent allergic breakouts.
Allergic reactions should as a rule not be ignored, unless they are really mild and restricted to a small area.
Any sudden increase in the reaction can lead to the body going into shock, which might even result in a cardiac arrest.
Signs And Symptoms An allergic reaction can appear different depending on the part of the body affected.
Hives are one of the most common symptoms that many people suffer from.
Some symptoms, such as swelling of throat or tongue, vomiting, confusion, difficulty in breathing should be taken very seriously and immediate medical help should be sought.
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