The Basic Positions about Allergies

Having allergy is a very unpleasant thing. Many people experience it during the times of excessive blooming of certain flowers. But there are many other types of allergies which are not connected to pollen.

Allergy can be defined as an exaggerated reaction of the immune system in response to bodily contact with certain foreign substances. (MedicineNet.com) While these substances are harmless for the majority of people, they are allergens to others. This means that certain parts of the immune system of these people get turned on at each contact with these materials. The most common allergens are pollens, dust, molds, danders and foods.

The immune system is designed to protect the body from the invasion of foreign particles. It develops protective antibodies called immunoglobulins which are meant to destroy foreign substances. Allergic people develop certain types of immunoglobulin called E or IgE. It is made to respond certain allergens, for example, peanuts. During the time of allergy IgE is produced in extra large amounts. As a result the person has typical allergic symptoms: running nose, stuffy nose, sneezing, itchy eyes, nose, ears and throat.

Allergies can develop at any age: while some people seem to have them from the womb, the others start reacting to allergens only in adulthood. It is not contagious and absolutely harmless for other people to be in the presence of an allergic person even in the period of the allergy “blossom”.

As a rule, allergy stays in the family, so it is an inherited problem. If both of the parents had allergies, the person is most likely to have them too. If neither of them were allergic, the person’s chances to develop allergies are only 15%. Some people might inherit the genes, but never show the symptoms of allergies. It is also possible to be allergic to other substances than the parents were.

Another big trigger of allergies is environment. When a person is used to certain air and climate, it is possible that in the other place allergy symptoms might appear as a reaction of the immune system to new environment. This is why even if a person comes from a polluted city, he or she might experience temporary discomfort breathing in the fresh air of the mountains or forests.

Here is a little of statistics about allergies in the U.S.:

•    About 50 million Americans suffer from some kind of allergies.
•    Treating allergies costs about $10 billion every year.
•    Nasal allergies affect about 35 million Americans, 6 million of which are children.
•    Asthma as a variant of allergies hits about 15 million Americans, 5 million of which are children.
•    Over the last two decades the cases of asthma have doubled.