Allergies are all too common in today's society. More than 20 million Americans have some sort of allergic reaction to airborne or inhaled allergens such as cigarette smoke, household dust and pollens. In the US the cost of allergies is more than $10 billion a year, making it a concerning health issue.

What is an allergy?
An allergy means an overreaction of the immune system when in contact with certain foreign substances or 'allergens'. An allergen can be anything that causes an allergic reaction, such as household dust or mites, pet hair, molds, foods or bee stings. Symptoms of an allergic reaction can range from mild (such as itching, watery eyes, or hives) to severs (such as anaphylactic shock and swelling of the throat).

What causes an allergy?
The immune system overreacts this way because the allergen is seen as foreign and harmful. The immune system works to protect the body against foreign invaders by destroying them. When the immune system over-reacts it lets out a different kind of antibody (IgE) in the person with an allergy, whereas someone without an allergy would secrete another antibody (IgA, IgM, IgG and others). This means, that when someone with an allergy is exposed to their particular allergen, their immune system secretes this IgE antibody and causes an allergic reaction.

Who is at risk or developing an allergy?
Allergic reactions commonly occurs in childhood, but can occur at any age, even in the womb. Although the fundamental causes of allergies is not known, it is know that the major factor that predisposes someone to an allergy is your genes. If neither of your parents have an allergy your risk of developing an allergy is around 15%, but if one parent has an allergy your risk is about 30%, lastly, if both parents have an allergy your risk is greater than 60%. This doesn't necessarily mean you will develop the allergy, you may never have any symptoms.

How can you treat an allergy?
The easiest way to treat any allergy is to avoid the allergen that causes the reaction. But in case that does happen, allergic reactions are treated with medications. Medications for allergic reactions depend on the symptoms. For example, mild symptoms such as hay fever can generally be treated using antihistamines, decongestants, and nasal sprays. Where as a more sever reaction such as anaphylaxis needs epinephrine.

An allergic reaction varies from person to person, after all everyone is different. Knowing what to do in the event of an allergic reaction can be a lifesaver, and there is no harm in preparing yourself in the event of an emergency. It is possible to try to reverse the effects of an allergy with immunotherapy or allergy shots, but this can often be long term treatment and tiresome. Fundamentally, the best possible way to avoid an allergic reaction is to avoid the allergen that causes the reaction.

Sources:
www.medicinenet.com
www.healthscout.com

Learn more about this author, Claire Kernaghan.
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