Allergy
hideAllergy is a disorder of the immune system often also referred to as atopy. Allergic reactions occur to normally harmless environmental substances known as allergens; these reactions are acquired, predictable, and rapid. Strictly, allergy is one of four forms of hypersensitivity and is called type I (or immediate) hypersensitivity. It is characterized by excessive activation of certain white blood cells called mast cells and basophils by a type of antibody known as IgE, resulting in an extreme inflammatory response. Common allergic reactions include eczema, hives, hay fever, asthma, food allergies, and reactions to the venom of stinging insects such as wasps and bees.
Mild allergies like hay fever are highly prevalent in the human population and cause symptoms such as allergic conjunctivitis, itchiness, and runny nose. Allergies can play a major role in conditions such as asthma. In some people, severe allergies to environmental or dietary allergens or to medication may result in life-threatening anaphylactic reactions and potentially death.
A variety of tests now exist to diagnose allergic conditions; these include testing the skin for responses to known allergens or analyzing the blood for the presence and levels of allergen-specific IgE. Treatments for allergies include allergen avoidance, use of anti-histamines, steroids or other oral medications, immunotherapy to desensitize the response to allergen, and targeted therapy.
For more information about Allergy, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.
News tagged with allergic reactions
Six bad reactions to swine flu vaccine in Canada: official (Update)
Medicine & Health / Medications
Nov 24, 2009 |
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Six severe allergic reactions to swine flu vaccinations have been observed in Canada, health authorities said Tuesday, adding that all of the individuals are feeling better.
China investigates 2 deaths after flu vaccinations
Nov 14, 2009 |
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(AP) -- Two people in China who received swine flu vaccinations died in the past week but at least one death appears unrelated to the vaccine and the other was being investigated.
Sweet -- sugared polymer a new weapon against allergies and asthma
Nov 19, 2009 |
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Scientists at Johns Hopkins and their colleagues have developed sugar-coated polymer strands that selectively kill off cells involved in triggering aggressive allergy and asthma attacks. Their advance is a significant step ...
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Scientists discover cells that control inflammation in chronic disease
Nov 17, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- A new type of immune cell that can be out of control in certain chronic inflammatory diseases, worsening the symptoms of conditions like psoriasis and asthma, is described for the first time ...
Computer predicts reactions between molecules and surfaces, with 'chemical precision'
Chemistry / Analytical Chemistry
Nov 06, 2009 |
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Good news for heterogeneous catalysis and the hydrogen economy: computers can now be used to make accurate predictions of the reactions of (hydrogen) molecules with surfaces. An international team of researchers, headed by ...
Surface bacteria maintain skin's healthy balance
Nov 22, 2009 |
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On the skin's surface, bacteria are abundant, diverse and constant, but inflammation is undesirable. Research at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine now shows that the normal bacteria living on the ...
New chemical reaction offers opportunities for drug development
Nov 12, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists at University College Dublin have solved a chemistry problem which has stumped researchers worldwide for more than a decade. The results have earned the group the cover story of the leading scientific ...
Kill the cancer, not the patient: New toxicity testing approach could make chemo drugs safer
Nov 18, 2009 |
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For cancer patients on chemotherapy, the "cure" can be as deadly as the disease itself. Adverse drug reactions are one of the leading causes of death among patients receiving cancer treatment.
New chemical reaction offers opportunities for drug development
Nov 26, 2009 |
5 / 5 (1) |
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Researchers led by Conway Fellow, Professor Pat Guiry have solved a chemistry problem that has stumped researchers worldwide for more than a decade. The results have earned the group the cover story of the leading scientific ...
Lose the fat: Targeting grease to curtail sewer overflows
Nov 23, 2009 |
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Sewer overflows are a nasty business, posing dangers to human health and the environment. North Carolina State University is launching a new project with funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that targets ...
Use of rib cartilage grafts in rhinoplasty results in patient satisfaction, few complications
Nov 17, 2009 |
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Rib cartilage from human donors is well tolerated as a grafting material in nasal plastic surgery and yields positive functional, structural and cosmetic results, even in complex cases, according to a report in the November/December ...
Rich Ore Deposits Linked to Ancient Atmosphere
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Nov 19, 2009 |
4.3 / 5 (3) |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Much of our planet's mineral wealth was deposited billions of years ago when Earth's chemical cycles were different from today's. Using geochemical clues from rocks nearly 3 billion years old, a group of ...
New evidence supports 19th century idea on formation of oil and gas
Chemistry / Analytical Chemistry
Nov 04, 2009 |
4 / 5 (2) |
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Scientists in Washington, D.C. are reporting laboratory evidence supporting the possibility that some of Earth's oil and natural gas may have formed in a way much different than the traditional process described ...
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