X

We detected that you're visiting our site from the UK. Would you like to visit the ChaCha UK website?

Allergy

Allergy

Allergies are hypersensitive disorders of the immune system. People have allergic reactions to all sorts of things from pollen and dust, to pets, to food and insect stings. Allergic reactions happen when usually harmless substances found in the environment called allergens react with your immune system and trigger a predictable, rapid response. Depending on the allergy and the severity, the body could respond with asthma, a runny nose and itchy eyes, to hives, to anaphylactic shock or death. Treatments for allergies include anti-histamines, steroids, and immunotherapy. While it is not sanctioned in anyway by the FDA, there is some talk of hookworms, a small parasitic worm that lives in the human gut, being used to suppress the auto-immune system resulting in almost no allergies. However, too many hookworms and the body becomes anemic.

Top Questions Asked on ChaCha.com for Allergy

In the Last:
Day | Week | Month

  1. How do you get allergy tested?

    Allergy testing involves having a skin or blood test to find ...

  2. Is it bad to drink after taking allergy pills?

    Many allergy medications when mixed with alcohol can have sid...

  3. What are allergy symptoms?

    Allergy symptoms include nasal congestion, sneezing, runny no...

  4. How to calm down allergies?

    There are lots of allergy treatment options. Over-the-counter...

  5. Can Equate allergy medication get you high and how many pills would it take?

    Reports of hallucinations have been made after taking 12-15 a...

  1. What increses during allergy attacks?

    The IgE antibody provokes the release of chemicals that cause...

  2. How do you get allergy tested?

    Allergy testing involves having a skin or blood test to find ...

  3. What does an allergy attack feel like?

    An allergy attack is any of the following: attacks of sneezin...

  4. Will allergy pills make you drowsy?

    Allergy drugs include antihistamines, decongestants, combinat...

  5. Can Equate allergy medication get you high and how many pills would it take?

    Reports of hallucinations have been made after taking 12-15 a...

  1. How do you get allergy tested?

    Allergy testing involves having a skin or blood test to find ...

  2. Does peanut allergy causes headaches?

    Yes, food allergies often cause headaches, which is an overlo...

  3. Is that like an allergy?

    Salicylates are chemicals found naturally in plants and are a...

  4. Why does allergy testing hurt so bad?

    An allergy test shouldn't hurt very much at all. Most of the ...

  5. Mechanical allergy?

    We cannot find a definition for the word [mechanical allergy]...

Top Questions Asked on ChaCha Mobile for Allergy

In the Last:
Day | Week | Month

  1. What are allergy symptoms?

    Allergy symptoms include nasal congestion, sneezing, runny no...

  2. Can you develop an allergy?

    Allergies can develop at any age,typically in children but al...

  3. Can you take allergy medicine and MDMA together?

    With the increased heart rate and blood pressure from the MDM...

  4. What are some allergy medicines?

    Benadryl, Claritin, and Clarinex are some drugs that treat al...

  5. How do they do allergy testing?

    Allergy testing involves having a skin or blood test to find ...

  1. Can u use allergy eye drops when u have contacts in?

    Your contact lenses should be removed before the use of aller...

  2. Can you get high off allergy pills?

    Some kids have been known to overdose on cold pills with dext...

  3. What are allergy symptoms?

    Allergy symptoms include nasal congestion, sneezing, runny no...

  4. How can I get rid of an allergy?

    The thing about getting rid of allergies, though, is that you...

  5. What are some symptoms of a gluten allergy?

    Common symptoms of gluten (wheat) allergy are: hives, eczema,...

  1. Can you develop an allergy?

    Allergies can develop at any age,typically in children but al...

  2. What allergy medicine makes you drowsy?

    Benadryl Allergy medicine contains the histamine-blocker diph...

  3. What are symptoms of a food allergy?

    Symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pa...

  4. What are the symptoms of a latex allergy?

    Irritant contact dermatitis, allergic contact dermatitis, and...

  5. What to do about itchy allergy eyes?

    The most common "treatment" is to avoid what's causing your e...

About Allergy

An allergy is a reaction to foreign substances by the immune system, which is the body’s system of defense against foreign invaders, particularly pathogens. The substances that trigger an allergic reaction are allergens. Some examples include pollen, dust mites, mold, dander, and certain foods. People prone to allergies are allergic or atopic.

Although allergies can develop at any age, the risk of developing allergies is genetic. If neither parent is allergic, the chance for allergies is about 15 percent. If one parent is allergic, the risk increases to 30 percent, and if both are allergic the risk is greater than 60 percent.

Symptoms result from the inflammation of the tissues that line the inside of the nose (mucus lining or membranes) after allergens are inhaled. Adjacent areas, such as the ears, sinuses, and throat can also be involved. The most common symptoms include: runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, nasal itching, itchy ears and throat, and post nasal drip.

Allergies are diagnosed by matching the onset of symptoms to the exposure to possible allergens. Allergy is suspected if the symptoms presented are characteristic of an allergic reaction and this occurs repeatedly upon exposure to the suspected allergen.

A large number of prescription and over-the-counter drugs are available for the treatment of immediate hypersensitivity reactions. Most of these medicines work by decreasing the ability of histamine to provoke the symptoms. Other drugs counteract the effects of histamine by stimulating other systems or reducing immune responses in general. Avoiding allergens is the first line of defense to reduce the possibility of an allergic attack.

Recent Allergy Questions

PREV 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ... NEXT
20,619 Answers
Advertisement
›
›
›
›
Allergy