Allergy :: essays research papers

Allergies are especially unique in the medical field because they differ among patients. An allergy is a specific immunologic reaction to a normally harmless substance, one that does not bother most people. People with allergies are often sensitive to many substances. Common allergens that cause allergic reactions include seasonal, outdoor allergens like tree, grass, and weed pollen, and year-round indoor allergens including dust particles, animal dander, and indoor mold. Most people usually can be cured by various treatments. Many people are curious why they are allergic and others are not. The answer to this is that allergies are genetic in almost all cases. Scientists and researchers believe that people inherit a tendency to be allergic, although not to any specific allergen. Children are much more likely to develop allergies if their parents have allergies. Interestingly, people with year-round (perennial) allergies commonly develop the problem as adults, and are more likely to be women than men. Symptoms can lessen as you get older, but they rarely completely disappear without treatment. Patients who usually have allergies suffer from many symptoms due to the allergic reaction(s). Normally, your immune system protects you against invading agents such as bacteria and viruses. Otherwise harmless allergens (allergy-producing substances) cause your body to react as if they were dangerous invaders. In effect, your immune system is responding to a false alarm. Some of the common allergens that disrupt the immune system are animal dander, molds, and dust mites. When you first come into contact with these allergens, your immune system treats the allergen as an invader and mobilizes an attack. The immune system does this by generating large amounts of a type of antibody (a disease-fighting protein) specific to the particular allergen you're allergic to. In the case of pollen allergy, the antibody is specific for each type of pollen: one antibody may be produced to react against oak pollen and another against ragweed pollen. This antibody attaches itself to certain cells in your body. The next time you come into contact with the allergen, the allergen attaches to the antibody like a key fitting into a lock, causing the release of powerful inflammatory chemicals, including histamine. These chemicals move into various parts of your body, such as your respiratory system, to cause allergy symptoms including runny nose, itchy eyes, and sneezing, am ong others. Patients who suffer from allergies usually have some serious disadvantages. Allergy patients usually have trouble sleeping, breathing, and sometimes even eating or drinking depending on the allergy.