| FAQ Allergy |
What is an Allergy?
An allergy is an over reaction by the immune system in response to a substance that is normally harmless to most other people. The immune system is the body's own defence mechanism against foreign substances invading the body. It fights infections and foreign bodies by producing antibodies that destroy the invaders. An allergic reaction can range from a runny nose to a potentially fatal anaphylactic shock. Some of the more commom causes of anaphylaxis are; nuts, some drugs, latex, bee or wasp stings, some fruits or seafood, dyes and other chemicals in clothing, cosmetics, soaps and detergents. These allergy producing substances are called allergens. Common symptoms of an allergic reaction include:
The parts of the body that are most likely to react to allergy include; eyes, nose, skin, lungs and stomach. What makes some people more susceptible to allergies is still the subject of much debate. It is thought that genes play a part and there may be an inherited predisposition for some people who suffer from allergies. Researchers have suggested that diet is to blame and children are not eating sufficient amounts of fresh fruit and vegetables to receive enough essential vitamins. Others suggest that there maybe an imbalance in certain types of fat with too much vegetable oil and too little fish oil weakening the immune system. Then there is the idea that we are too clean and our environment is too sanitised for our immune systems to become resistant to harmful substances as well as the more common irritants. For every piece of research however there is another that refutes these findings. In the last thirty years, the number of children who have the common allergic condition, eczema, has trebled. A popular theory to explain this, is that unless the immune system is exposed to adequate challenges during childhood, it does not develop properly, therefore it kills off harmless invaders as well as the more harmful ones, later in life. Children come into contact with far fewer infections today and tend to be given antibiotics when they do, rather than allowing their own immune systems to fight the invaders. Common allergic disorders are:
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