In Germany suffers about a quarter of the population below an allergy - about half of them to hay fever. Allergies have become a real social disease has become increasingly common and it also meets young people and children.
More and more people are becoming increasingly sensitive to react rather harmless substances in the normal things of everyday life and the environment, such as pollen, house dust, animal hair, the sun, food or chemicals. Why the immune system reacts are hypersensitive to certain substances and which can themselves do to protect itself?
What is an allergy?
Allergy is acquired hypersensitivity (hypersensitivity) of the body to substances of the environment. The allergic reactions are in fact quite normal immune responses, but these are fehlgesteuert. The immune system can not distinguish between harmful and harmless substances differ, and also produces too many antibodies, so that there is an excessive allergic reaction. The immune system thus damaging their own bodies. Each new contact with the allergen (allergy-product) continues this reaction again in motion.
The defensive processes
To deal with unwanted and potentially dangerous invaders such as viruses or bacteria to be done, the body has several defense strategies. One of them is the invaders (antigens) with antibodies to capture and then render.
Antibodies are proteins the body in the blood, the body exactly to the respective antigen votes. In the case of an allergic reaction is called the antigen and allergen. During the first contact, the antibodies are produced only once - otherwise nothing happens. Attackers and defenders (the immune system) must first learn, so to speak.
The second contact, however, a violent defense roll shaft. The antibodies not only circulate in the blood, they migrate into the tissue. In the lymphatic system, in the nose and mouth into the airways and in the gut take on another kind of immune cells, the mast cells. These contain numerous granules, in which mediators such as histamine are stored. On their surface, they contribute to antibody binding sites (receptors). On a single mast for up to 100,000 square antibodies. An antibody is like a Ypsilon. He has one leg and two arms. The leg binds to a mast, the arms start invaders (antigens) and hold it firmly. If two antibodies one and the same intruder caught, so that he as a bridge between the two depends antibodies, the mast cells in the stored grain of neurotransmitters released.
These messengers are quite aggressive. Move them from the mast cells in the surrounding tissue, they cause little inflammation there. Moreover, expanding the blood vessels. Depending on where this process is just playing, there will be a variety of complaints: itching, Niesreiz, runny nose, burning, watery eyes, skin reactions etc.
What are allergies?
Depending on how the allergens enter the body, the following types of allergy are distinguished:
Inhalation allergy (via inhalation, such as pollen, feces of dust mites, mold, chemicals such as in flooring, dust, animal protein in hair or feathers; medications or essential oils for inhalation)
Ingestionsallergie (via the mouth and gastrointestinal tract, mostly as food allergy, for example, by animal proteins in eggs or milk, soy, nuts, citrus fruits, spices, a very rare allergy medicines by drugs such as penicillin),
Contact allergens (through the skin, such as animal hair, metals such as nickel, latex): usually occurs as an acute skin changes within 12-48 hours at the site of contact on
Injection of allergens (by injection, such as insecticides of wasps or bees, contrast or narcotics)
Guide for tree allergens and grass pollen fly mainly February to May or April to September.
Molds need about 80% humidity and a temperature around 20 ° C. They are most active in spring and autumn, when the rooms are heated and the weather is humid.
Mites feel most comfortable when the humidity is 70-75% and the temperature in the range of 20-25 ° C. Especially at night, patients suffering from allergic symptoms.
Even in food hide many allergens, as is often milk and egg white can be processed. Diets in which certain foods are deliberately excluded, show the way here.
Especially dangerous: Allergic Shock
Depending on how strong the response of the immune system to the allergen is, the complaints range from annoying to life-threatening. Particularly dangerous and can have an allergic reaction, if the bronchial circulation or react violently. The narrowing of the bronchi leads to the typical costs of asthma are shortness of breath. The cycle may be an allergic reaction within a short time collapse. One then speaks of a - life - allergic or anaphylactic shock.
Allergic reactions can be sent to all interfaces and surfaces of the body and held there acute and chronic inflammations. This is the range of possible allergic reactions big and unspecific. You can see - regardless of the type of allergens - from skin reactions, on gastro-intestinal discomfort and shortness of breath to allergic shock. That is why the search for the triggers often so difficult.
How are allergies treated?
Number and origin of the allergenic substances are hardly discernible. Today there are approximately 20,000 substances, which can trigger an allergy. According difficult medical diagnosis. If there is suspicion of an allergy, you should in any case, speak with your doctor. What is important is a targeted treatment of allergies, because allergies can lead to chronic diseases. What triggers the allergic substance can in many cases by an allergy test to be clarified.
First and most important step: Avoid contact with the allergenic substance.
Often it is also a so-called hyposensitization possible. With this method, the patient increasingly higher doses of allergen administered, the body to tolerate the substance.
Run as allergies allergy always a passport with them, so that you are in emergency situations can be.
Schnellwirkende antiallergics help in acute cases.
Calcium tablets to help prevent allergies and reduce the allergic reaction.
Even with hay fever, there are good drugs for prevention.
form: kireading_health
No comments:
Post a Comment