Allergy Pathology

Many people worldwide suffer from an allergic reaction at one time or another. Allergic reactions are the immune system's response to a foreign substance entering the body. The body reacts to the foreign substance, and the reaction can often cause uncomfortable symptoms. During severe allergic reactions, the symptoms can be life threatening.

Causes

• According to Merriam Webster, pathology is the study of the nature of diseases and especially of the structural and functional changes caused by them. An allergy is a reaction of the body's immune system to a foreign substance. The immune system produces antibodies made of proteins that protect the body from foreign substances that could cause illness. During an allergic reaction, the body produces protein antibodies for a nondangerous foreign substance. In a sense, the body treats the innocuous foreign substance as something that could make the body sick, even though it would not. The production of antibodies against this harmless foreign substance triggers the release of histamine, which induces an allergic reaction.

Symptoms

• The symptoms of an allergic reaction depend on the substance to which the body is reacting. An allergic reaction can elicit a small response, such as watery eyes, a stuffy nose and sneezing, but it can also elicit a major reaction, called anaphylaxis. The body's organs go into shock, causing nausea, vomiting, blocked air passages, rapid and weak pulse and possibly loss of consciousness. Anaphylaxis is life threatening.

Types

• Allergic reactions can be elicited from a number of sources. Common allergies include pollen allergies, eczema (the skin's reaction to chemicals in lotions, detergents or fabrics), food allergies, insect stings or bites or allergies to medications and drugs.

Treatments

• For mild allergic reactions, there are several medications available to mitigate symptoms such as watery eyes, stuffy nose and sneezing, including Claritin and Benadryl. For more severe or chronic reactions, immunotherapy is quite popular. Physicians administer shots that contain small amounts of the purified allergen. By exposing a patient to the allergen intentionally, the immune system will grow to recognize the allergen as a mild substance, and will not react. Finally, for severe allergic reactions, an EpiPen, a single dosage of epinephrine, will mitigate life-threatening symptoms such as swelling airways.

Warning

• If you or someone you know begins to vomit incessantly, has difficulty breathing, has a rapid, weak pulse or loses consciousness, call 911 or your local emergency number immediately.