Allergies 101

An allergy, in layman's terms, is an immune system reaction to something it doesn't like. When a histamine enters your system the body tries to fight back, making you feel weak. The histamine is what makes you sneeze and have itchy and watery eyes.

Hey Fever

• Hay fever is an allergic reaction to pollen. This affects people who are allergic to flowers, plants and weeds. Pollen allergies are normally only suffered during the months when things are coming into bloom or when they are dying and their pollen is being lost.

Hives

• Hives is an allergic reaction that happens to the skin. Hives is a reaction to histamine that irritates the skin and causes little bumps that are red and itchy. Generally, hives results from touching something the body is allergic to.

Food Allergens

• Some people are allergic to foods. This can cause swelling of the throat and even possible death if someone eats a food he is allergic to. Common food allergens are wheat, lactose, soy and nuts.

Others

• Anaphylaxis is a severe reaction to an allergen, where the throat can close up. This generally happens with food allergens or with bee stings. Asthma can be caused by allergic reactions also.