Do you suffer from seasonal allergies? If so, it’s probable that you have spent a lot of time hanging around the drugstore aisles to find some relief. There is a wide range of medications available, such as OTC (over-the-counter) and prescription drugs for such allergies.
Allergies are the first signs of disorder affecting the immune system. Almost all kinds of allergic reactions result from a false alarm respond of the immune system. Whenever a harmless element like mold, pollen or dust enters the system of a person who is allergic, the immune system starts reacting dramatically to produce antibodies to attack the allergens (substances responsible for producing allergic reactions. Whenever an allergic substance enters the body of a person, it can cause symptoms like itching, wheezing, itchy or watery eyes, runny nose etc.
Disorders Affecting the Immune System
When a person has a compromised immune system or a system that doesn’t function properly, it makes a person more susceptible to host of diseases. Hypersensitivity and allergies are very commonly caused due to a dysfunctional immune system. Furthermore, the immune system also plays a key role in the process of rejecting transplanted tissues or organs.
Basically, your immune system works like the defense mechanism of your body, which prevents the body against various invading agents like viruses, bacteria, and parasites. These are known as antigens. Our body makes white blood cells, which work as the main defense.
How do Allergies affect the body?
What kind of allergies has affected you to date? Do you remember sneezing rampantly? How about itchy skin allergies that don’t go away? Basically, you could develop allergies from anything that goes against your body’s defense.
Allergens are either inhaled, ingested or they penetrate the skin. There are some commonly affecting allergic reactions like hay fever, hives, asthma, and these conditions are linked to a particular antibody called immunoglobin E or IgE. Each of these antibodies is usually very specific and they react against some pollens or allergens. To be precise, it is quite likely that a person may be allergic to only one type of pollen and not the others. Whenever a susceptible individual is exposed to a typical allergen, his body will start producing plenty of the corresponding immunoglobin E antibodies. As a result, symptoms of a reaction are also going to vary depending on the total amount of allergens encountered and the type.
Allergies could largely affect anyone, irrespective of gender, age, race, or status. In general, allergies are commonly seen in children because their immune system is at its infancy. Allergies may be commonly running in families.
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