Allergy, exaggerated and sometimes harmful reactions to external substances, called allergens. Allergy may result from exposure to such common allergens as plant pollens from grasses, trees, or ragweed; animal danders, which are tiny scales shed from the skin and hair of cats and other furred animals; arachnids and insects, such as house dust mites, bees, and wasps; and drugs, such as penicillin. The most common food allergies are caused by crustacean shellfish, eggs, fish, milk, peanuts, soybeans, tree nuts, and wheat. Researchers estimate that at least 24 million people in the United States suffer from allergies—about 19 percent of the population.
In an allergic reaction, the immune system mistakenly interprets a harmless substance as a harmful one. The immune system responds by producing antibodies called immunoglobulin E (IgE). These IgE antibodies are designed to help neutralize specific parasitic invaders and protect the person from future exposures. Upon first exposure to an allergen, no allergic symptoms develop. But when the person is exposed to the same substance at a later time, the IgE antibodies against the allergen activate an allergic reaction.
Allergy symptoms may include itching, sneezing, a stuffy nose, watery eyes, inflammation of the airways in the lungs and wheezing (known as asthma), and even allergic shock and death in rare situations.
Allergic reactions
After allergy antibodies have been formed in a person's body in response to a particular allergen, an allergic reaction can occur when the person comes in contact with that allergen. Depending on the substance, allergens can be inhaled, eaten, injected, or contacted by the skin. When allergy antibodies are activated by an allergen, they cause body cells to release a substance called histamine, a chemical that dilates blood vessels, promotes fluid secretions, and stimulates nerves that cause muscles to spasm. These reactions create various allergy symptoms.
To a person with hay fever, for example, pollen allergens cause a number of symptoms. When pollen is breathed in through the nose, the release of histamine in the nasal passages causes violent, repetitive sneezing, release of watery fluids, and itching. Sometimes pollen triggers tissue swelling, which can cause blocked nasal passages, with consequent loss of smell and taste. When pollen allergens affect the eyes, they become itchy, red, and watery.
Allergens that affect the lungs cause secretion of mucus and inflammation, swelling, and narrowing of the airways, resulting in asthma. Symptoms include spasms of the airways and sudden difficulty in breathing.
Allergic reactions can also be triggered throughout the entire body, rather than in one specific location. Called allergic or anaphylactic shock, this response occurs when many cells throughout the body react simultaneously to an allergen, such as bee sting venom. The person may experience hives or welts on the skin, itching all over the body, asthmatic spasms in the lungs, or a sudden drop in blood pressure.
Researchers have identified a definite genetic predisposition to allergies. For example, if one parent has allergies, there is an increased risk that some of the children will also have allergies, although the children may not be sensitive to the same allergens as the parent. If both parents have allergies, the risk that the children will develop allergies is even greater (70%). The most typical time for allergies to develop is in young adulthood, although allergies can develop in a person of almost any age, even within a few months after birth. Allergies in infants are most commonly associated with foods and viral respiratory infections. For reasons that are not clearly understood, children with allergies tend to outgrow them. The child's body somehow readjusts its response to allergens, even those that cause severe reactions, such as food, drugs (ex.penicillin) and stinging insects.
Treatment
In many cases the best allergy treatment is the removal, if possible, of the offending allergens from the patient's environment. For example, the best way to deal effectively with an allergy to cats is to remove cats from the patient's surroundings, although desensitizing injections containing cat extracts are being tested. Unfortunately, some allergens, such as plant pollens, are impossible to avoid, since they float freely through the air. Contact with pollens can be reduced by keeping windows closed and using air conditioners to filter and cool indoor air. House dust mites, a common allergen, can be minimized by frequent cleaning with safe chemicals. Immunotherapy is also effective for severe hay fever.
DynOrgan is a depurative and cleanser for the vital organs (liver, spleen, pancreas, kidneys, gall-bladder), it also stimulates their functions and helps some patients with severe, chronic allergic asthma.
with the following objectives:
• Ensure efficient elimination of toxins
• Improve the overall metabolism and general condition of those internal organs
ImmunoVie is a complex compound of medicinal plants with antioxidant properties which preserve and reinforce the immune defences, allowing the body to resist to the various external invaders (bacteria, viruses, pollens) that may cause diseases and allergic reactions.
