What is Allergy?

What is allergy?
Allergy is a genetic condition causing the body to respond to harmless substances in the environment as though they were dangerous invaders. This response produces symptoms that may be mild to life-threatening in susceptible people.

What causes the abnormal response?
When the allergic person comes in contact with the offending substance, his body’s immune system rushes to his rescue and begins to produce antibodies to fight off the invader. These antibodies alter the way in which the body reacts, and may produce allergic symptoms.

Is there a name for these offending substances?
They are called allergens.

What kinds of things are allergens?
Anything to which a person becomes allergic is an allergen. Certain substances, because of their physical and chemical structure are more likely to become allergens than others. Prime examples are ragweed and other pollens, and penicillin. Others are dust, mold, spores, animal dander, feathers, cereal grains, some airborne chemical pollutants, drugs, and insect venom.

What are the most common allergic symptoms?
The most common allergic symptoms are hay fever, asthma, and eczema.

Are allergies inherited?
While specific allergies themselves are not inherited, the tendency toward allergies is. The more allergic one’s family is, the more likely one is to develop allergies. Though the trend to develop allergies may not appear in all members of a family or even in every generation of a family, the tendency is still there.

At what age is a person most likely to develop an allergy?
It is most common for allergies to begin in childhood, but it is quite possible for allergic symptoms to make their first appearance at any age. You’re never too old to develop an allergy.

What is the first treatment for allergies?
First of all, a careful history of the allergic person is taken. The most basic treatment, once an allergen has been determined, is to eliminate it. This may mean giving away a pet, avoiding certain jewelry and cosmetics, deleting specific foods from the diet, and alerting physicians about drug allergies.

What if the allergen can’t be eliminated?
In the case of an allergen in the environment, such as dust, pollen, and mold, a thorough house cleaning, along with other careful preventive measures, will cut down on the exposure. However, if the allergen is seasonal pollen, moving may not be the solution since there might be tree or weed pollens in the new location that could bring about the development of another, equally distressful, allergic reaction.

Then are drugs the answer?
Drug treatment has long been a cornerstone of allergy treatment. Antihistamines and/or decongestants (for the nose) and bronchodilators (for asthma) counteract the symptoms caused by the main chemical released by the body’s immune system in an allergy attack. There are other drugs, both pills and nasal sprays, that can prevent the release of these inflammatory chemicals or suppress the immune reactions themselves.

What about cortisone?
Steroids of the cortisone family can suppress allergic reactions, but often, there is the risk that the patient will develop significant side effects. Newer steroid nose sprays will often relieve allergies and not cause the side effects.

What about allergy shots?
Injections (immunotherapy) have been a satisfactory treatment for many inhaled allergens (that is, pollens, dust, molds and animal dander) and for bee stings. Before immunotherapy is begun, allergy tests are done in order to determine the offending allergens.

What do the allergy shots involve?
The patient is given small doses of his allergens by injection on a regular basis, usually weekly.

Is there a standard dosage for everyone?
No. The appropriate allergens and their doses must be determined individually for each patient. Skin testing (placing a minute amount of the allergen under the skin) and the RAST method (blood test for specific allergens) are both widely used for this purpose. Both detect the substances to which a person is allergic as well as the degree of sensitivity, which helps determine the initial treatment dose.

How long will I have to take shots?
The injections can bring significant relief within a few months but may require longer. They usually are continued for 2 to 3 years. In some cases, unfortunately, it may be necessary to continue the treatment indefinitely.

How successful is the treatment?
Over 80% of the patients who receive regular shots experience significant improvement or complete relief of their symptoms.