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
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News tagged with allergy
Physicians knowledge of childhood food allergies needs room for improvement
Dec 09, 2009 |
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With an estimated four to six percent of children in the U.S. suffering from food allergies, a new study shows that pediatricians and family physicians aren't always confident they have the ability to diagnose or treat food ...
Microbes help mothers protect kids from allergies
Dec 07, 2009 |
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A pregnant woman's exposure to microbes may protect her child from developing allergies later in life. Researchers in Marburg, Germany find that exposure to environmental bacteria triggers a mild inflammatory response in ...
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Nanotech treatment gets boost with GSK licensing agreement
Nanotechnology / Bio & Medicine
Dec 17, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- GlaxoSmithKline and Ann Arbor-based NanoBio Corporation announced today that they have signed an exclusive over-the-counter licensing agreement for NanoBio’s unique nanoemulsion treatment for cold sores in ...
Naturally skinny people have their own challenges
Dec 15, 2009 |
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Nancy Brueheim wishes she could break 100 pounds. Without working at it, Brueheim, who is 71 and stands 5-foot-2, fluctuates between 95 and 98 pounds.
Cold war - Fighting the threat of latent TB (w/ Podcast)
Dec 15, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists are making breakthroughs in studying the latent form of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. This work could revolutionise the treatment of TB.
Soldiers get mass swine flu shots before holidays
Dec 11, 2009 |
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(AP) -- Thousands of Army recruits in training must line up at least once more before heading home for the holidays, this time for mass inoculations by the hundreds against swine flu.
Article Traces History of Darwinian Medicine
Dec 10, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Despite being a founding principle of modern biology for 150 years, evolutionary theory has played a limited role in the field of medicine. Only in the last 20 years has Darwinian medicine emerged as a discipline ...
Dutch PhD develops fast method for preparing flu vaccine
Dec 07, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- A shortage of flu vaccines may soon become a thing of the past. Researcher Manon Cox has designed an alternative process for producing large quantities of safe and effective vaccines at twice to four times ...
New York autopsies show 2009 H1N1 influenza virus damages entire airway
Dec 07, 2009 |
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In fatal cases of 2009 H1N1 influenza, the virus can damage cells throughout the respiratory airway, much like the viruses that caused the 1918 and 1957 influenza pandemics, report researchers from the National Institutes ...
Quitting smoking can reverse asthma-inducing changes in lungs
Dec 07, 2009 |
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Asthmatic smokers may be able to reverse some of the damage to their lungs that exacerbates asthmatic symptoms just by putting down their cigarettes, according to research out of the University of Groningen in the Netherlands.
Grooving down the helix: Researchers show how proteins slide along DNA to carry out vital biological processes
Dec 03, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- A team of scientists has made a major step in understanding how molecules locate the genetic information in DNA that is necessary to carry out important biological processes.
New study measures HIV anti-retroviral regimens' safety and efficacy
Medicine & Health / HIV & AIDS
Dec 01, 2009 |
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A study in the New England Journal of Medicine released on World AIDS Day reports that viral failure, the point at which medication can no longer suppress the HIV infection, was twice as likely and happen ...
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