What are allergies and what causes them?
What are Allergies?
Allergies come in many forms, the most common cause of an allergy being particles in the air such as with hay fever.
Allergies are the body’s reaction to a specific protein or, in the case of sulfites, a specific chemical. The body mistakenly believes the protein or chemical to be an allergen and musters the body’s immune system to create antibodies to protect against that allergen. Once these antibodies are created, they attach themselves to mast cells. The next time the person is exposed to that specific allergen, the proteins of that allergen become attached to the antibodies. The mast cells then explode, causing histamines to be released into the body and the symptoms begin.
Symptoms of a minor allergic response can include runny, itchy, stuffy nose; sneezing; watery, itchy eyes; and fatigue. These are very similar to cold symptoms. People with asthma may find their attacks are triggered by allergens.
An anaphylactic (or deadly) response can include one or some of the following:
wheezing or difficulty breathing; tingling in the mouth; swollen lips, throat, tongue or face; hives, skin rash, itching, feeling of warmth; significant swelling around the site of an insect sting; abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting; faintness or loss of consciousness.