Why do allergies occur? This is due to the fact that in a person susceptible to an allergic reaction, the immune system does not work correctly when faced with certain elements that are individual to each person. Ideally, the immune system, when working, releases special antibodies in quantities sufficient to destroy a foreign harmful substance.
Important! In the body of an allergy sufferer, upon contact with an allergen, the immune system does not work correctly and releases an excessive amount of antibodies to fight this almost always harmless element.
Such an abundance of them negatively affects the body, expressed in the form various symptoms, both characteristic of all types of allergic reactions, and purely individual.
Symptoms of allergic reactions
There are mild and severe forms. For light form characteristic:
frequent sneezing; lacrimation; eye itching, redness; skin irritations.
Frequent sneezing is one of the symptoms of allergies
For severe allergies, the symptoms are:
difficulty breathing, up to suffocation; atopic dermatitis, peeling of the skin; anaphylactic shock; conjunctivitis, redness of the eyes; runny nose, sneezing, bronchial asthma; itching in the eyes and nose; cough; swelling; nausea; diarrhea; vomit.
In this case, urgent medical attention is required.
How and why does an allergy appear? There are many substances whose use or contact can cause further development allergies. The most common category is food allergies. Food allergies can be caused by almost any substance. Consumption of these products may for a long time does not express itself in any way in the form of symptoms, but with constant, prolonged or excessive use it can develop into a severe allergic reaction. Also, an unusual immune system reaction may occur due to contact with cleaning products, laundry detergents and fragrances, conditioners and shampoos. It is better to avoid resting on a bed made with sheets washed with powder containing your allergen.
One of the most aggressive allergens is ragwort pollen.
Allergies to pets are common. It is mistakenly believed that such an allergy occurs due to the pet's fur, and therefore a pet without hair will be hypoallergenic. But the truth is that allergies manifest themselves not so much from wool, but from dead pieces of the skin, elements of vital activity. If you have this type of allergy, avoid being in the same room as pets or areas where these animals live. Because even in their temporary absence, the air in such houses is full of particles of animal origin.
Meet and specific types allergies that seem crazy at first glance. For example, this includes an allergy to the sun, to sun rays - scientifically such an allergy is called photodermatitis. Its cause is a special sensitivity to ultraviolet rays.
One of the most aggressive allergens is ragwort pollen. Each specimen of such a plant produces more than a billion grains of pollen during the summer period and can be carried by wind currents over distances of more than 400 km. Why does an allergy to ragweed occur? Ragweed pollen is an asthma stimulant and is one of the most dangerous plants in terms of the breadth of influence of its pollen on human mucous membranes and skin.
Why did allergies appear if they didn’t exist before?
Important! Even a person who has never suffered from an allergic reaction can become allergic for life if he stays for a long time near the suspected allergen with its direct impact on the body.
When the same ragwort pollen is found in the air in huge quantities, the human immune system, which previously worked normally, may fail.
Binge eating, overuse one type of food can cause allergies
Why do allergies appear in adults? Prolonged contact with an allergen on the mucous membranes, eyes, skin and when inhaling air full of allergens, a person’s sensitivity to this type of allergen increases. Even if there was no allergy to this substance before, or to any substance at all, then special antibodies begin to be produced to fight in excessive quantities, thereby causing an allergic reaction. An allergy that appears under such conditions may be incurable. Therefore, even in the absence of such a disease, it is worth taking care to ensure that it does not occur in the future. To do this, you need to limit contact with the elements, and not excessively consume foods that most often become allergens.
Why do allergies occur?
Other causes of an allergic reaction may be:
Heredity - that is genetic predisposition. If one of the parents or their parents suffered from an allergy to any product or substance, then the allergy may also appear in their child or grandchild. However, it is not a fact that it will be the same substance or product. The allergen can be completely different; the predisposition itself is important. Bad habits– yours or your parents’ doesn’t matter. Drinking alcohol or smoking weakens immune system, thereby disrupting its operation. Allergies can begin due to problems with gastrointestinal tract(for example, food that takes a long time to digest creates stress and causes an allergic reaction). This type of allergy can be cured without consequences or recurrence of exacerbation. Overeating, excessive consumption of one type of food - one product eaten in large quantities can cause rejection by the body, as well as an allergic reaction. To avoid this, you should diversify your menu and not eat more food than required, no matter how tasty it is.
The only reason why drinking alcoholic beverages can affect the body like an allergy can be due to improper production of this alcohol
Why does an allergy to alcohol occur?
Drinking alcohol may cause symptoms similar to those of an allergic reaction. But this does not mean that the source of this allergy is alcohol itself. The only reason why drinking alcoholic beverages can affect the body like an allergy is the improper production of this alcohol. That is, an allergen in in this case foreign substances appear that according to the standard should not be there. Therefore, the appearance of such an allergy is possible only when drinking cheap, probably self-made, drinks. Drinking this is extremely dangerous, even without taking into account the likelihood of exacerbating an allergic reaction. If symptoms appear, consult a specialist and stop any contact with the source of the allergen.
Why does a child develop allergies?
In children, the immune system is not yet fully formed, and therefore they are more susceptible to allergies.
Important! Allergies in children will not necessarily accompany them throughout their lives and may go away completely without future recurrences by the age of three.
If you are predisposed to milk allergies, you should not use infant formula when feeding.
Why does a child develop allergies? The first reason is heredity. If the baby's parents or grandparents had this disease, it may also appear in their heir. Although a completely different substance can become an allergen. Allergies can also occur due to diet. For example, if you are predisposed to milk allergies, you should not use infant formula when feeding. Most of them use milk in their production, so it is better to foresee this moment in advance and take only hypoallergenic mixtures. Maternal nutrition is also very important factor, since the child’s condition directly depends on it. If breast milk itself is hypoallergenic, then proteins from the milk the mother drinks can be transferred to the baby during breastfeeding and cause allergies. Therefore, you should monitor the diet of both mother and child. On the advice of experts, you can keep a special diary about the products you consume, so that if there are signs of allergies when introducing new products to the menu, you can immediately understand the reason for the body’s incorrect reaction and exclude this product from the diet of both mother and child.
Why does allergy appear, and how to deal with it? There are many reasons for allergies, and even healthy man with prolonged contact can become its owner. It is considered a disease of civilizations and is most widespread in countries with developed infrastructure. But there are not many methods for treating it yet, and getting rid of it completely can be extremely difficult, sometimes impossible.
There are many reasons for allergies, and even a healthy person with prolonged contact can become its owner.
In any case, with an allergy, no matter what it started from, the first thing you need to do is find out what kind of allergen caused the reaction, how long ago its influence has been occurring, and stop any contact with it. Contact a specialist, he will explain all further steps. Perhaps, if it really is an allergy, he will prescribe antihistamines to help fight it and remove its consequences. There is also a longer, but also more expensive option - therapy. Its meaning is the slow introduction of minimal portions of the allergen into the body, so that the immune system gets used to it and develops the correct reaction to contact with this allergen. It can be carried out outside the time of exacerbation of allergies, but such therapy can take years.
Avoid contact not only with your own allergens, but also with substances that many causing allergies. This applies not only to people who already have it, but also to completely healthy people. Prevention is better than cure.
When we really dislike some person, we can say in our hearts: “I’m allergic to him, I can’t see him.” Is this really possible or is it just an expression in a figurative sense?
What is an allergy
An allergy is an unexplained malfunction of the body in which defense mechanisms the body begins to work against itself. That is, the body sees a threat not in viruses and bacteria, but in ordinary and harmless things, such as flowers, fruits or water.
The list of substances that can cause allergies is practically endless; they are called antigens.
There are five types of allergies:
- atopic;
- cytotoxic;
- immunocomplex;
- delayed;
- stimulating.
The most common type is the atopic type, which is actually considered an allergy. When the body comes into contact with some new substance, the immune system always greets it with antibodies. Upon first contact with a new, harmless substance, the body should normally recognize it as safe and stop producing antibodies to it. But during a malfunction, called a hypersensitivity reaction in scientific circles, they continue to be produced, and the more of them are formed, the stronger the reaction will be. At this point, the situation can go in two ways: either everything will return to normal and resistance to the substance will develop, or sensitization to the substance will occur in the body. With the first one, a person will not even know that this happened in his body, and will be able to calmly continue contact with the substance. But in the second case, when a person comes into repeated contact with the substance, allergy symptoms will appear. And the strength with which they manifest themselves directly depends on how many antibodies were produced by the body upon first contact.
Human allergies - myth or reality
IN Lately Cases of hypersensitivity reactions have become more frequent, especially in children. And unfortunately, human allergies are quite a reality. Most often, allergies occur in men, since they excretory system works more actively.
The reaction can be caused by either close contact or simply being in the same room. That is, an allergy to a person can be caused even by breathing the same air as him. And since few people have heard of this phenomenon, it is often quite difficult to guess what is happening.
What exactly is the reaction?
In the case of an allergy to a person, a reaction occurs to his secretions, for example, the following:
- saliva;
- sperm;
- urine;
- female genital secretions.
Moreover, both for the discharge of a specific person, and for a specific discharge in principle.
Medicine has encountered such rare cases as allergies to any sperm or someone else's sweat. There have even been cases where spouses lived for years and did not know that one of them was allergic to sperm and female secretions, and continued to have sex, aggravating the situation.
Research has proven that there is a hereditary predisposition to allergies specifically to humans. Therefore, it is imperative to warn your children about this. If you give birth to a child from a person to whom you are allergic, there is a very high probability that he will be allergic to his father or mother, and quite severely.
Symptoms
The symptoms of an allergy to a person are no different from the symptoms of an allergy to something more common. It affects organs and tissues that come into direct contact with the external environment:
- skin covering;
- liver;
- mucous membranes;
- respiratory system.
Hypersensitivity appears the following symptoms:
- conjunctivitis;
- runny nose and swelling of the nasal cavity;
- peeling and eczema;
- decreased intestinal motility;
- indigestion;
- nausea;
- cough, in severe cases turning into asthma.
All these symptoms can be manifestations of a wide range of diseases, so allergies should be diagnosed exclusively by an allergist-immunologist for adults. Since the mechanism of the hypersensitivity reaction in children is somewhat different.
Why allergies are dangerous
While the first signs may seem like just an inconvenience, it can get worse. The swelling of the nasal cavity can be so severe that it becomes difficult to breathe. And pulmonary edema is fraught with Quincke's edema, in which death can occur so quickly that ambulance he just won't have time to arrive. Another strong and terrible manifestation of allergies is anaphylactic shock. Therefore, if there is the slightest suspicion of an allergy, it is very dangerous to ignore it; no one knows what a particular case may lead to.
There are immediate and delayed allergic reactions. Their main difference is that in the first case the reaction occurs within a couple of hours, and in the second it can appear after a day or more.
Diagnostics
Sometimes identifying what exactly you are allergic to can be quite difficult. If this is an immediate allergic reaction, then it is easiest to determine. In the case of slow motion, difficulties often arise.
If you suspect an allergy, you should contact an allergist-immunologist for adults directly, bypassing the general practitioner. First, the specialist will examine the patient to determine external manifestations. Next, he will ask him a series of standard questions: has he eaten a lot of fruit, has he been to exotic countries, and has he changed his usual skin care products, cosmetics, or household chemicals. At the end of the visit, he will tell you what tests to take for allergies to make sure that this is it. The fact is that when a hypersensitivity reaction is active in the body, the level of neutrophils in the blood will be increased.
If something unusual is revealed at the appointment, then the allergist receives a recommendation to remove everything suspicious from the diet and everyday life approximately once every 3 days, which is exactly how much is needed for the allergic reaction to begin to subside. Usually at this stage the allergen is detected. But it happens that contact with everything new and unusual is completely excluded, but the symptoms only intensify. Then they decide to do an allergy test. To do this, several incisions are made on the arm or back and essence with one of the most popular allergens is dripped into each of them.
Causes of allergies
Doctors have not yet reliably determined the exact reasons for its appearance, but the following are considered the most likely:
- environmental degradation;
- drug intervention in the immune system;
- vaccination;
- heyday chemical industry.
The causes of allergies to humans, most likely, also lie in poor ecology, because the toxicity of a person’s secretions is directly related to what he eats and what he breathes.
But this is only an assumption and many questions remain regarding the mechanism of allergy. For example, why can some people be in contact with certain substances all their lives and nothing happens, while for others the slightest contact is enough for the strongest manifestation.
Treatment
The most the best treatment Allergy is the elimination of the allergen by complete refusal from further contact with him. Then the allergist will simply prescribe medications that will help quickly neutralize all symptoms. But it happens that this is impossible, then new generation antiallergic drugs come to the rescue. And if you can still stop eating something or using household chemicals, then leaving your loved one because he has such a reaction to him is quite difficult morally. Any allergy only gets worse over time, and when severe forms continuing to interact with this person without taking antihistamines could be fatal.
The famous “Suprastin” will not help against allergies of such strength, because it is only a first-generation drug. That is, it simply blocks symptoms for a period of no more than 5 hours. And drinking it constantly is quite harmful.
Second-generation drugs, such as Claritin, Fenistil and Zodak, have fewer side effects, but are contraindicated for heart patients.
Zirtec and Cetrin are third-generation drugs and have a minimal list of side effects. Approved for use by people with cardiovascular diseases.
And finally, antiallergic drugs of the new generation, that is, the fourth. These are Levocetirizine, Cetirizine, Erius and many others. They relieve allergy symptoms quickly and for a long time. They have a minimum of contraindications.
Prescribing drugs from previous generations may also be advisable. It is up to the allergist to decide what exactly the patient will be treated with. A person without appropriate education and experience cannot take into account all the nuances.
There is a chance to get rid of the disease completely. There is such a method as allergen-specific immunotherapy. The patient's body is exposed to allergens in a certain way, thereby causing resistance to them. This therapy does not always work, but it gives hope to such couples for a normal life together.
Psychological reason
There is such an unusual phenomenon as a psychological allergy to a person. That is, one person literally cannot be near a person who is unpleasant to him. And the reason lies precisely in personal hostility, in the fact that a person brings negative emotions. In this case, sometimes a smart organism gives such a strange, but, oddly enough, protective nervous system reaction. When a person begins to smell the smell of someone who is very unpleasant to him, a huge amount of hormones are released into his blood, which give a reaction similar to an allergy.
“Suprastin” is unlikely to help against allergies of this type. Here you need to either somehow accept the inevitability of communication with this person and work through it with a psychologist, or simply exclude communication completely. Since this only happens when interacting with people who are truly unpleasant, it may be difficult to do this only for social reasons. For example, if it is the child’s boss or teacher. But more often than not, this issue can be resolved.
Prevention
Prevention of any hypersensitivity reaction means living in the most favorable areas from an environmental point of view and eating food that is as clean as possible from nitrates and growth hormones. In conditions modern life this seems unlikely.
But drink fewer pills at the slightest reason, everyone can buy higher-quality vegetables and meat, and give up instant food products.
Other unusual allergies
Milk and medicine will surprise no one. But there are types of allergies that are truly amazing. For example, there are allergies to the following:
- Water. Long-term exposure to the skin causes peeling and atopic dermatitis.
- Sports and fitness, otherwise called “physical exertion anaphylaxis.” When playing sports, a certain set of hormones are released into the human body, and a reaction occurs to them.
- sunlight. Burns from prolonged exposure to the sun are familiar to many, but for a small number of people such burns occur instantly.
- Plastic. In this case, you will have to surround yourself exclusively with natural materials, but outside the home it is quite problematic to avoid contact with plastic things in the 21st century.
- Metal. One thing that saves us is that there are a large number of types of metal and you cannot be allergic to everything at once, since the composition of different alloys is strikingly different.
It is quite difficult for a person to live with some types of allergies, but medicine does not stand still, and scientists do not lose hope of finding a cure for allergies that will be 100% effective.
To the question Tell me, why does a person become allergic to something if he didn’t have one before? given by the author Caucasian the best answer is There's a first time for everything.
in recent years there has been an increase in people suffering from allergies - this is our ecology
Answer from Lumbago[guru]
Allergic diseases have been known since ancient times. Even Hippocrates (5-4 centuries BC) described cases of intolerance to certain foods, leading to stomach disorders and urticaria, and Galen (2nd AD) reported a runny nose caused by the smell of roses. In the 19th century hay fever was described and proven to be caused by inhalation of plant pollen. The term “allergy” was proposed in 1906 by the Austrian pediatrician Pirquet to designate the unusual, altered reaction of some children to the introduction of therapeutic purpose anti-diphtheria serum.
Widespread occurrence of A. is associated with pollution environment exhaust gases, industrial waste emissions, with the increasing use of antibiotics and other medicines; the rapid development of the chemical industry, which resulted in the appearance of a large number of synthetic materials, detergent dyes and other substances, many of which are allergens. Psychoemotional overload, physical inactivity, and poor nutrition contribute to the development of A. Allergens can be various compounds. Some of them enter the body from the outside (exogenous allergens), others are formed in the body itself (endogenous allergens, or autoallergens). Ecadogenic allergens are non-infectious (household dust, animal hair, medicines and other chemicals, plant pollen, animals and plants food products) and infectious (bacteria, viruses, fungi and their metabolic products) origin. There are biological, medicinal, household, pollen, food and industrial allergens.
Biological allergens include bacteria, viruses, fungi, helminths, serums, vaccines and insect allergens. The development of many infectious diseases (brucellosis, leprosy, tuberculosis, etc.) is accompanied by allergies: such allergies are called infectious. Diseases caused by bacteria, fungi or viruses, in the pathogenesis of which A. plays a major role, are called infectious-allergic. Sources of allergens are also foci of chronic infection in the body - carious teeth, tonsillitis, inflammation of the paranasal sinuses, etc. Serums and vaccines administered parenterally can cause various allergic reactions, including the most severe, for example anaphylactic shock. With helminthiasis, A. develops in connection with the absorption of metabolic products and decay of helminths.
Almost any drug can be an allergen. Thus, when using codeine, allergic reactions are observed in approximately 1.5% of cases, acetylsalicylic acid- about 2%, sulfonamides - about 7% Often allergic reactions occur in response to the administration of novocaine, vitamin B1 and many other drugs. Antibiotics most often cause allergic reactions, primarily penicillin (up to 16% of cases). The frequency of these reactions increases as courses of treatment are repeated. Penicillin and novocaine are more likely than other drugs to cause allergic reactions with fatal outcomes.
Among household allergens, the main role is played by house dust - dust particles from carpets, clothes, bed linen, particles of domestic insects, fungi (in damp rooms), bacteria. The main allergenic component of house dust is microscopic mites (live, dead, their moult skins and excrement), especially the species Dermatophagoides pteronyssimus. This group also includes the so-called epidermal allergens - hair, fur, animal dander.
A special group consists of physical factors, for example, heat, cold, as a result of which the action in the body without the participation immune mechanisms Allergy mediators may be formed (see Mediators) and pseudoallergic reactions may develop (see Pseudoallergy).
In response to the introduction of an allergen into the body, allergic reactions occur, both specific and nonspecific (pseudo-allergic, n
Answer from User deleted[newbie]
(I myself have bronchial asthma due to food allergies. (from birth, really))
in your case, I think you just overate (if food)
in other cases, you should still go to the doctor
Answer from Zi_!![guru]
They have already written so much to you that it is impossible to read and re-read. Study. But in nature there is also a cumulative factor, the so-called cumulativeness, but this is not necessary to remember. The bottom line is that the vessel gradually fills and then... once and an explosion, if the immune system is also damaged, that is, there is no one to help.
Answer from NORD[expert]
Why allergies occur
Allergy - a disease of the 21st century?
Allergies are certainly not uncommon. Every third person suffers from its various manifestations, and in the last 20 years the number of allergy sufferers has been growing especially rapidly.
An international study (ISAAC) showed that the incidence of allergic rhinitis is 20-25% of the population, and has tripled in the last 25 years.
Height allergic diseases worldwide is explained by both factors external environment as well as changes in behavior and habits. This explains why the frequency of allergies varies across different countries and even in different cities.
What is an allergy?
The term "allergy" is used for an unreasonably strong reaction of the body to some substance coming from the outside. Our body has a "protection system" from external aggressive factors which is called the immune system. Substances foreign to the body, called antigens, when ingested, provoke a reaction from the immune system, which begins to produce antibodies to neutralize the antigen. This reaction is absolutely necessary when, for example, a virus enters the body. With allergies, the immune system begins to react strongly to harmless substances. ordinary person substances known as allergens.
This overreaction or hypersensitivity sets off a chain of reactions in internal organs and tissues of the body in which inflammation occurs, and from certain cells (they are called “mast cells”) a substance is released - histamine, which in turn causes clinical manifestations of allergies. These manifestations may vary depending on different people, which are sometimes regarded as different diseases.
Thus, an allergy patient is a person who is biologically sensitive to allergens, with certain symptoms that occur periodically or exist constantly.
Answered these and other questions Chief allergist-immunologist of the Moscow Department of Health Irina Sidorenko.
"AiF": - Can allergies transform? For example, if a patient previously had all signs of allergy disappear with the onset of winter, and the period of remission lasted until August, but now sneezing and runny nose do not stop throughout the year. Tell me, is there any chance of recovery at all?
I.S.:- If allergies have become year-round, then an allergy to house dust cannot be ruled out. But it happens that this is a sign of autumn hay fever associated with the flowering of autumn herbs. You need to see an allergist. We must understand that it is impossible to cure with medications. In general, no one in the world can cure allergies. But long-term remission (improvement of symptoms or complete disappearance) can be achieved by treating with allergens. Children experience spontaneous remission of symptoms in adolescence. But after 20 years, symptoms may return. Therefore, treatment with allergens using different schemes and combinations is used all over the world. Unfortunately, there are contraindications to this method. Accordingly, if there are contraindications, then you will have to select antiallergic or symptomatic drugs, but for this you need to contact an allergist.
“AiF”: - Why can a child have allergies from birth? Does it happen that the medications the mother took during pregnancy are reflected in this way?
I.S.:- If your child has an allergic reaction, but it is usually not due to medications or antibiotics. The question is that some children have a peculiarity of immune response, which manifests itself in allergic reactions. The child must be examined, the main allergens identified and taught to live with these allergens. In this case, it must be connected local therapy skin: moisturizing creams, atopic steroids. It is necessary to decide on treatment methods together with an allergist.
"AiF": - Is there an allergy to water? For example, sea or river?
I.S.: - Unexpected allergic reactions occur. For example, last summer was special. Perhaps some chemicals from the smog dissolved in the water. If this does not happen again, the problem will go away on its own. Many patients experienced worsening allergic reactions last summer. In such situations, you need to take an antihistamine.
“AiF”: - What can cause an allergy, especially if it has never happened before?
I.S.:- Sometimes people confuse a runny nose and an allergy. We can assume that he is allergic. It is necessary to visit an otolaryngologist and an allergist. The diagnosis can only be made after consulting a doctor.
By the way, advertising natural cosmetics- a scary thing for allergists, because any product, if it actually contains plant components, can cause an allergy that can last a lifetime. You need to be very careful and think before you take any medications, including herbal ones!
“AiF”: - What is an allergy to smells and how to deal with it?
I.S.:- Firstly, you need to avoid “smelling” stores. Secondly, it is important how things are at home: is there sneezing, itching in the nose. If yes, then you definitely need to go to an allergist. It seems alarming to me - headache. Migraines and headaches can be manifestations of allergies. You need to treat yourself carefully and evaluate your symptoms outside of stores.
“AiF”: - At what age does allergies most often appear?
I.S.:- Allergies can begin at any age, although they most often occur in childhood or at a young age. IN spring period allergies usually occur to tree pollen. You need to find a site that has a pollen level count, for example, www.allergology.ru. It indicates the concentration of pollen of the main plants and spores molds to date and historical data for previous years.
At a certain level of pollen in the air, symptoms begin allergic rhinitis, conjunctivitis, bronchial asthma. During pollen monitoring, if there are reports that tree pollen has appeared, it is time for you to take antihistamines. This is conditional prevention, but starting next year the issue of possible holding allergen-specific therapy.
If we talk about other levels of prevention, or if the patient is planning children, then a child under 4 months should receive only breast milk, of course, in the absence of allergic reactions to breast milk. This is the only method of preventing allergies. Everything else is conditional. Treatment with allergens is the prevention of exacerbations of allergic diseases. Methods such as diets without indications do not play any role. You need to see a doctor, choose immediate treatment medications seasonal allergies, and then the most important, proven treatment method is allergen therapy.
The choice of allergens is very large. We treat seriously ill patients who are allergic to house dust, animals, birch pollen, etc. in a hospital. You can live with allergies if you follow your doctor's recommendations. If a patient has registered bronchial asthma and requires specific medications for the treatment of asthma, in Moscow such patients are treated free of charge, receiving anti-asthmatic drugs at their place of residence, regardless of the presence of disability.
"AiF": - Does it happen that allergens change over time? How to track this process?
I.S.:- Allergens do not change so much as accumulate. The reaction to some allergens may weaken with age. It is possible that the clinical response to animal allergy decreases during adolescence. It happens that to a pet the reaction subsides, but you shouldn’t count on it; it’s better to part with the animal. As a rule, the range of allergens expands. If we treat with allergen-specific immunotherapy, we interfere with the immune response. International Studies showed that then the spectrum of allergens does not expand so quickly. Allergies require certain efforts on the part of the patient. It is impossible to get rid of allergies completely and forever, but to live full life any patient should, using treatment and self-control programs that will be developed jointly with allergists. All over the world, there are more and more people suffering from allergies. This is also associated with the appearance food additives, and with the environment, and with changes in nutritional structure, and with the use of drugs in large quantities, not always justified. For example, many immunomodulators are contraindicated for patients with allergies. There is no need to get carried away with unnecessary drugs. In developed civilized countries there are a lot of people with allergies.
“AiF”: - Is it possible to somehow get rid of allergies or is it for life?
I.S.:- If allergies appear in childhood, then the baby should be taken to an allergist. Milk contains several allergens; your doctor will be able to tell you which types of dairy products can be given to your child and which ones cannot. Milk allergies often go away with age. Egg allergies may improve, but are much less common. Fish is a very complex allergen. Classic set atopic march- food allergies, bronchial asthma, urticaria. If the child is a Muscovite, we can treat asthma and achieve good control of symptoms.
I am not sure that with such a set of allergens, we will be able to treat the child with allergens. But children should definitely be treated by an allergist. If there are problems, or the child lives in the region, on the website of the Moscow Department of Health there is a section on how nonresident patients can get to our institution. We are resolving this issue. But one-time consultations do not always lead to the desired result. I know a lot of good allergists throughout Russia.
District clinics are responsible for patients, and the doctors there are very responsible. If an issue requires special treatment, let me remind you that district allergists resolve it together. It seems to me that we know all the complex patients in the city.
I have never had a pronounced congenital allergy to anything. Once, when I was six years old, I got all over me because I ate too much strawberries - that’s all I can tell you about my allergic reactions. Some of my friends had allergic reactions to the flowering of certain plants (poplar fluff) already in adulthood, and for some the allergies stopped bothering them after 13 years.
Why does this happen, how to protect yourself from it, is it possible to avoid it and what to do if it is hereditary?
Allergy (ancient Greek ἄλλος - other, other, alien + ἔργον - impact) is the hypersensitivity of the body's immune system upon repeated exposure to an allergen on an organism previously sensitized by this allergen.
How allergies occur is still unclear
Scientists have not yet come to a common denominator and cannot say exactly where allergies come from, but the number of people suffering from one form or another is growing. Allergens include: latex, gold, pollen (especially ragweed, amaranth and cockleweed), penicillin, insect venom, peanuts, papaya, jellyfish stings, perfume, eggs, house mite feces, pecans, salmon, beef and nickel.
All you have to do is launch these substances chain reaction, as your body sends its response with a fairly wide range of reactions - from an annoying rash to death. A rash appears, lips swell, chills may begin, a stuffy nose and a burning sensation in the eyes. Food allergies can cause vomiting or diarrhea. For a very unlucky minority, allergies can result in a potentially fatal reaction known as anaphylactic shock.
There are medications, but none of them can cure allergies forever. Antihistamines relieve symptoms, but at the same time cause drowsiness and other not very pleasant side effects. There are drugs that really save lives, but they need to be taken for a very long time, and some types of allergies can only be treated using integrated methods, that is, one medication option is clearly not enough.
Scientists will be able to find a medicine that will rid us of allergies once and for all only if they understand the main causes of this disease. But so far they have only partially deciphered this process.
Allergy is not a biological mistake, but our defense
It is this fundamental question that concerns Ruslana Medzhitova, a scientist who has made several fundamental discoveries related to the immune system over the past 20 years and has received several major awards, including a 4 million euro Else Kröner Fresenius Award.
On this moment Medzhitov studies a question that could revolutionize immunology: why do we suffer from allergies? No one has an exact answer to this question yet.
Medzhitov believes that this is wrong and that allergies are not just a biological mistake.
Allergy is a defense against harmful chemicals. Protection that helped our ancestors for tens of millions of years and still helps us today.
He admits that his theory is quite controversial, but he is confident that history will prove him right.
But sometimes our immune system harms us
Healers Ancient world knew a lot about allergies. Three thousand years ago, Chinese doctors described an “allergic plant” that caused runny noses in the fall.
There is also evidence that the Egyptian pharaoh Menes died from a wasp sting in 2641 BC.
What is food for one is poison for another.
Lucretius,
Roman philosopher
And only a little over 100 years ago, scientists realized that such different symptoms may be the heads of one hydra.
Researchers have discovered that many diseases are caused by bacteria and pathogens, and our immune system fights these invaders with an army of cells that can release deadly chemicals and highly targeted antibodies.
It has also been found that, in addition to protection, the immune system can cause harm.
At the beginning of the 20th century, French scientists Charles Richet(Charles Richet) and Paul Portier(Paul Portier) studied the effect of toxins on the body. They injected small doses of sea anemone venom into dogs and then waited a few more weeks before administering the next dose. As a result, the dogs suffered anaphylactic shock and died. Instead of protecting the animals, the immune system made them more sensitive to this poison.
Other researchers have noticed that some medications caused a rash and other symptoms. And this sensitivity developed progressively - a reaction that is the opposite of the protection against infectious diseases that antibodies provide the body.
Austrian doctor Clemens von Pirquet(Clemens von Pirquet) was studying whether the body can change the body's response to incoming substances. He coined the word “allergy” to describe this work, combining the Greek words alos (others) and ergon (work).
For the immune system, the allergic process is an understandable thing
In subsequent decades, scientists discovered that the molecular steps of these reactions were remarkably similar. The process was triggered when the allergen was on the surface of the body - skin, eyes, nasal passage, throat, respiratory tract or intestines. These surfaces are filled with immune cells that act as border guards.
When the “border guard” encounters an allergen, it absorbs and destroys the uninvited guests, and then supplements its surface with fragments of the substance. The cell then localizes some lymphatic tissue, and these fragments are passed on to other immune cells, which produce special antibodies known as immunoglobulin E or IgE.
These antibodies will cause a response if they encounter the allergen again. The reaction will begin immediately after the antibodies activate the components of the immune system - mast cells, which cause a whole barrage of chemicals.
Some of these substances can catch nerves, causing itching and coughing. Sometimes mucus begins to be produced, and contact with these substances respiratory tract may cause breathing problems.
Shutterstock/DesignuaThis picture has been painted by scientists over the last century, but it only answers the question “How?”, but does not explain at all why we suffer from allergies. And this is surprising, since the answer to this question is quite clear for most parts of the immune system.
Our ancestors faced exposure to pathogenic organisms, and natural selection left behind mutations that helped them fend off these attacks. And these mutations are still accumulating so that we can give a worthy rebuff.
Seeing how natural selection could create allergies was the hardest part. A strong allergic reaction to the most harmless things was hardly part of the survival system of our ancestors.
Allergies can also be quite strangely selective.
Not all people are prone to allergies, and only some substances are allergens. Sometimes people develop allergies when they are already quite an adult, and sometimes childhood allergies disappear without a trace (we say “outgrown”).
For decades, no one could really understand why IgE was needed in the first place. He didn't show any special abilities that could stop the virus or bacteria. It's more like we've evolved to have one particular type of antibody cause us a lot of trouble.
The first clue came to us in 1964.
During his internship, Medzhitov studied the theory of worms, but after 10 years he began to have doubts. According to him, this theory made no sense, so he began developing his own.
He was mainly thinking about how our bodies perceive the world. We can recognize photon patterns with our eyes and air vibration patterns with our ears.
According to Medzhitov's theory, the immune system is another pattern recognition system that recognizes molecular signatures instead of light and sound.
Medzhitov found confirmation of his theory in the work Charles Janeway(Charles Janeway), an immunologist at Yale University (1989).
Advanced immune system and overreaction to invaders
At the same time, Janeway believed that antibodies had one big drawback: it took several days for the immune system to develop its response to the aggressive actions of a new invader. He suggested that the immune system may have another line of defense that works faster. Perhaps it could use pattern recognition to detect bacteria and viruses faster and begin eliminating the problem faster.
After Medzhitov contacted Janeway, scientists began working on the problem together. They soon discovered a new class of sensors on the surface of certain types of immune cells.
When faced with invaders, the sensor wraps around the intruder and sets off a chemical alarm that helps other immune cells find and kill the pathogens. This was a fast and accurate way to recognize and eliminate bacterial invaders.
So they discovered new receptors, now known as toll-like receptors which showed a new dimension in immune defense and which were hailed fundamental principle immunology. It also helped solve a medical problem.
Infections sometimes lead to catastrophic inflammation throughout the body - sepsis. In the United States alone, this affects millions of people every year. Half of them die.
For years, scientists have believed that bacterial toxins can cause the immune system to malfunction, but sepsis is just an exaggerated reaction. immune defense from bacteria and other invaders. Instead of acting locally, it activates a line of defense throughout the body. Septic shock- the result of these defense mechanisms being activated much more strongly than the situation actually requires. The result is death.
Home body alarm system that gets rid of allergens
Despite the fact that Medzhitov initially did not engage in science in order to treat people, the discoveries he made allow doctors to take a fresh look at the mechanisms that trigger sepsis, and thus find appropriate treatment that will be aimed at eliminating the real cause of this disease - overreaction of toll-like receptors.
The more Medzhitov thought about allergens, the less important their structure seemed to him. Perhaps what connects them is not their structure, but their actions?
We know that allergens often cause physical damage. They tear open cells, irritate membranes, tear proteins to shreds. Perhaps allergens cause so much harm that we need to protect ourselves from them?
When you think about all the major allergy symptoms - stuffy red nose, tears, sneezing, coughing, itching, diarrhea and vomiting - they all have one common denominator. They are all like an explosion! Allergies are a strategy for ridding the body of allergens!
It turned out that this idea has been floating on the surface of various theories for a long time, but each time it is drowned again and again. Back in 1991, evolutionary biologist Margie Profe(Margie Profet) claimed that the allergies were fighting toxins. But immunologists rejected the idea, perhaps because Profe was an outsider.
Medzhitov, with two of his students Noah Palm and Rachel Rosenstein, published his theory in Nature in 2012. Then he started testing it. First, he tested the connection between the damage and allergies.
Medzhitov and his colleagues injected mice with PLA2, an allergen found in bee venom (it ruptures cell membranes). As Medzhitov predicted, the immune system did not respond specifically to PLA2 at all. It was only when PLA2 damaged exposed cells that the body began producing IgE.
Another of Medzhitov's proposals was that these antibodies would protect the mice rather than just make them sick. To test this, he and his colleagues gave a second injection of PLA2, but this time the dose was much higher.
And if the animals had practically no reaction to the first dose, then after the second the body temperature rose sharply, even to the point of death. But some mice, for reasons that are not entirely clear, developed a certain allergic reaction, and their body remembered and reduced exposure to PLA2.
On the other side of the country, another scientist was doing an experiment that ended up further confirming Medzhitov’s theory.
Stephen Galli, chairman of the department of pathology at Stanford University, has spent years studying mast cells, mysterious immune cells, which can kill people as a result of an allergic reaction. He theorized that these mast cells might actually help the body. For example, in 2006, he and his colleagues discovered that mast cells destroy a toxin found in snake venom.
This discovery made Galli think the same thing Medzhitov was thinking - that allergies might actually be a defense.
Designua/Shutterstock Galli and his colleagues conducted the same experiments with mice and bee venom. And when they injected mice that had never encountered this type of poison with IgE antibodies, it turned out that their body received the same protection from potentially lethal dose poison, like the body of mice exposed to this toxin.
Until now, despite all the experiments, many questions remain unanswered. How exactly does damage caused by bee venom lead to a protective IgE response and how did IgE protect the mice? These are exactly the questions that Medzhitov and his team are currently working on. In their opinion, the main problem is mast cells and the mechanism of their work.
Jamie Cullen(Jaime Cullen) studied how IgE antibodies latch onto mast cells and cause them to become sensitive or (in some cases) hypersensitive to allergens.
Medzhitov predicted that this experiment would show that allergen detection works like a home alarm system. In order to understand that a thief has broken into your house, it is not at all necessary to see his face - a broken window will tell you about it. Damage caused by the allergen awakens the immune system, which collects molecules in the immediate vicinity and produces antibodies to them. Now the offender has been identified and next time it will be much easier to deal with him.
Allergies seem much more logical from an evolutionary point of view when viewed as home system alarms. Toxic chemicals, regardless of their source (poisonous animals or plants), have long been a threat to human health. Allergies were supposed to protect our ancestors by flushing these substances out of the body. And the discomfort that our ancestors felt as a result of all this may have forced them to move to safer places.
Allergies have more advantages than disadvantages
Like many adaptation mechanisms, allergies are not perfect. It reduces our chances of dying from toxins, but it still doesn't eliminate the risk completely. Sometimes, due to too strong a reaction, an allergy can kill, as has already been the case in experiments on dogs and mice. But still, the benefits of allergies outweigh the disadvantages.
This balance has shifted with the advent of new synthetic substances. They expose us to a wider range of compounds that can potentially cause damage and cause an allergic reaction. Our ancestors could avoid allergies by simply walking to the other side of the forest, but we can't get rid of some substances so easily.
Over the next few years, Medzhitov hopes to convince skeptics with results from other experiments. And this may lead to a revolution in the way we think about allergies. And he will start with a pollen allergy. Medzhitov does not hope for a quick victory for his theory. For now, he is simply happy that he manages to change people’s attitudes towards allergic reactions and they stop perceiving it as a disease.
You sneeze, and that's good, because that way you protect yourself. Evolution doesn't care at all how you feel.
Loading...