What Is Allergy And What Causes It

To be allergic means to be extremely sensitive to one or more ordinary matter. It could be food, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, even an ordinary house dust or particles that fall off the cat, dog or horse.

Substances that cause allergies are called allergens. Why allergens have an impact on some people, and others do not? This medicine has not yet been explained. It is now thought that heritage has a role in the emergence of allergies. In many families, grandparents, parents and children are susceptible to the same substance. However, sometimes the only one family member is allergic. It is also believed that fear, anger or concern enhancing allergic attack.

What is going on in the body when someone has an allergy? It is believed that the allergen, when gets into the body, stimulates cells to produce antibodies. Antibodies are one of the defense forces of the organism. But when it comes to allergies, it results in adverse reactions.

It is believed that allergic substance together with antibodies whose creation provoked, causing in the body release of chemical substances – histamines. Histamine, acting on the blood vessels and the lungs, causing allergic phenomena. The amount of histamine is very small, and histamine is found only in the affected parts of the body, because histamine is not found in the blood of people who have allergic attacks. As you can see, there are still many things to learn about the allergy.

Foods that commonly cause allergies are cow’s milk, eggs, fish, crustaceans and shellfish, wheat, soy, peanuts, walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts and strawberries. In adults, approximately 90% of allergic reactions caused by peanuts, nuts, fish and shellfish, and for children eggs, milk, soy and flour. It is known that due to the cross reactivity in patients who are allergic to pollen may occur allergic reactions to food, and vice versa. In patients allergic to birch pollen allergy is a common apple, raw potatoes, carrots, celery, peas, kiwi.

Food allergies often are caused by food additives, preservatives and colors. Reactions to food additives occur in about 1% of children and in the 0:01 to 0:23% of adults. It is considered that the frequency response to food additives actually higher, but due to the non-standardized tests it prove less. Some of these substances are: sodium benzoate, color tartrazine (yellow colored drinks, sweets, etc.), a sweetener aspartame…

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