Investigating allergies
Something that happened earlier this year has intrigued me about allergies and how your body works when you are allergic to something, how this develops and whether you can become allergic to something you've had lots of before. I also want to relate this specifically to food :)
Firstly in regards to the science of what happens when you are allergic to something. An allergy is an immune response to a substance that is generally harmless to most people, this can be food, medicines, commonly bee/wasp stings, pollen or penicillin. It is the body's release of certain chemicals that results in the discomfort, tissue damage or even severe reactions in some cases such as anaphylactic shock. Allergies produce certain hypersensitivity reactions depending on the substance and the symptoms, It is described that there are 4 classifications of hypersensitivities based on how quickly the reaction presents itself. Type 1-2 presents the reaction within minutes to hours after exposure, whereas type 4 is often delayed (24-72 hours) after exposure. The presence of the antibody IgE is an indication if a reaction has/is occurring.
In regards to drug allergies it has been made clear that in most cases symptoms are not due to an allergic reaction (as a result of your immune system) but are a side effect of the drug. This means when tested for presumed allergic substance in skin prick immunology testing it is likely that nothing will result from such small quantities (because the reaction was a result of side effects to the drug not an immune response). It is thought that an real allergy to a drug is more uncommon (5-10% likelihood) compared to having side effects. Nevertheless symptoms due to side effects of a drug could be just as serious/harmful as symptoms due to an allergy.
I am particularly interested in how you can develop a serious reaction to something you have had lots of before, like a type of drug, does your immune system get overloaded and reject the substance? Can it be that the reaction was always present right from the start but develops worse and worse as you continue to take the drug? It's interesting but trying to research these questions there seems to be little insight into the reasons for this. Maybe nobody really knows what's going on? I have spoken to several people (some who are nurses) and they know that you can have delayed responses to substances but know one seems to know why.
Anyway, went on a little tangent there, but next relating allergies to food. It's important to distinguish that there is a difference between an allergy and an intolerance. Again like the drug reactions an allergy means it involves your immune system whereas with an intolerance it usually doesn't. May people make this mistake with gluten or lactose, thinking they are allergic when actually they could just be intolerant, it's described that the symptoms are usually less severe in an intolerance compared to an allergy. For example somebody who is intolerant to lactose may experience bloating and discomfort but an allergy to lactose is more serious and may produce symptoms such as rashes and difficulty breathing.
It's interesting to find out that food allergies have a strong link with genetics, if your parents/ grandparents are allergic to something it is more likely you will be too (this is thought to be a 75% likelihood). Other suggestions include the consideration of the western world's focus on having everything as clean as possible, meaning our immune systems are less exposed to substances, causing alterations and negative effects. It is also suggested that introducing new foods at a too early an age can overstimulate the gastrointestinal tract, causing allergic reactions.
In regards to drug allergies it has been made clear that in most cases symptoms are not due to an allergic reaction (as a result of your immune system) but are a side effect of the drug. This means when tested for presumed allergic substance in skin prick immunology testing it is likely that nothing will result from such small quantities (because the reaction was a result of side effects to the drug not an immune response). It is thought that an real allergy to a drug is more uncommon (5-10% likelihood) compared to having side effects. Nevertheless symptoms due to side effects of a drug could be just as serious/harmful as symptoms due to an allergy.
I am particularly interested in how you can develop a serious reaction to something you have had lots of before, like a type of drug, does your immune system get overloaded and reject the substance? Can it be that the reaction was always present right from the start but develops worse and worse as you continue to take the drug? It's interesting but trying to research these questions there seems to be little insight into the reasons for this. Maybe nobody really knows what's going on? I have spoken to several people (some who are nurses) and they know that you can have delayed responses to substances but know one seems to know why.
Anyway, went on a little tangent there, but next relating allergies to food. It's important to distinguish that there is a difference between an allergy and an intolerance. Again like the drug reactions an allergy means it involves your immune system whereas with an intolerance it usually doesn't. May people make this mistake with gluten or lactose, thinking they are allergic when actually they could just be intolerant, it's described that the symptoms are usually less severe in an intolerance compared to an allergy. For example somebody who is intolerant to lactose may experience bloating and discomfort but an allergy to lactose is more serious and may produce symptoms such as rashes and difficulty breathing.
It's interesting to find out that food allergies have a strong link with genetics, if your parents/ grandparents are allergic to something it is more likely you will be too (this is thought to be a 75% likelihood). Other suggestions include the consideration of the western world's focus on having everything as clean as possible, meaning our immune systems are less exposed to substances, causing alterations and negative effects. It is also suggested that introducing new foods at a too early an age can overstimulate the gastrointestinal tract, causing allergic reactions.
The sources I used to research my information was from my University's library database, using real journal articles and research studies.
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