About Allergy

Allergy is a genetic feature of the human body, not a disease, nor is it a diagnosis: people can be allergic or non-allergic. It is due to the ability of the human body to produce IgE against harmless substances, called allergens.

The term allergy is used to describe an inappropriate and harmful response of the immune system to a harmless foreign substance (usually a protein), that results in an immune response that can cause symptoms and disease in a predisposed person.

Allergy means that the body reacts in a particular way to the environment by producing a specific type of antibody. That specific antibody, called immunoglobulin E (IgE), induces a hypersensitivity reaction of the body through activating different cell types, including mast cells. Cell activation can lead to “inflammation,” which means that the body attains a state of alertness, and that in the different organs (such as the skin or the airways) swelling, redness and cell infiltration occurs. It is the inflammation that causes the symptoms. If the inflammation occurs in the skin, eczema will result. In the airways, inflammation can result in asthma (lower airways) or rhinitis (upper airways). Symptoms can also occur in other organs such as the intestine, eyes, or even the brain.

So what can you do about your allergies? Can you really get rid of those annoying, painful, and sometimes dangerous allergy symptoms?
The answer is yes.There are the traditional allergy treatment options. At the top of the list is to avoid the cause of your allergic reactions. However, that's often easier said than done.