Allergy — Flashcards

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Allergy is a reaction of the immune system to a substance that usually does not cause harm in most people. This reaction can cause symptoms like sneezing, skin rash, or breathing trouble.

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Clemens Von Pirquet, a Viennese pediatrician, introduced the concept of allergy in 1906 after noticing that some patients were hypersensitive to normally harmless substances.

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In Greek, allergy means "other work." This name was given to describe a different kind of body reaction to harmless substances.

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An allergen is a substance that causes an allergy. Common allergens include dust, spores, pollen, insect stings, certain clothes, and food.

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The immune system makes immunoglobulin proteins, also called antibodies, that bind to the allergen and then to white blood cells. This triggers the release of histamine, which causes allergy symptoms.

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Histamine is an inflammatory chemical released during an allergic reaction. It causes symptoms such as inflammation, skin rash, and constriction of the bronchioles.

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Histamine causes the symptoms of allergy. It is responsible for inflammation, skin rash, and narrowing of the bronchioles in asthma.

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Allergens can enter through the skin, mouth, and nose. These are the main routes by which allergic substances affect the body.