How to live with allergies – BBC

On the allergy has been known since ancient times. “Man is born healthy, but all diseases come with the products”, – wrote the legendary physician Hippocrates, the finding that after taking the fruit or vegetable, some people not only suffer from indigestion, but also covered with numerous red spots. But Avicenna in “Treatise on medicine” mentioned children of the feudal nobility, who after honey treats itching and comes in coughing. About allergies say, and in Russia – it was called hay lihomankoy and hives

It is interesting that Russian doctors occurrence of itching after consuming milk or honey can be easily explained: the cow has eaten poisonous grass or a bee. gathered nectar from poisonous plants

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The term ” allergy “was introduced only in 1906 by the Hungarian pediatrician Clemenson Pirke background. Dr. hypothesized that the basis of immunity and hypersensitivity reactions are the same mechanisms. The Hungarian was right allergy is nothing but a violent reaction of the immune system on a completely harmless substance, such as wool, feathers, or citrus. However, the allergen may make even the sperm (the irony is that the intolerance of the seminal fluid found not only among women but also among men).

Remove the mold away

So, what It happens when a human body gets allergies? The immune system starts to produce specific antibodies to neutralize it (exactly the same immunity resisted by ingestion of the virus or infection)

The cells release histamine -. Substance that causes dilation of the capillaries, lowering blood pressure, blood clots, cough and swelling.

in humans, whose cells secrete too much histamine, on top of that redden the eyes, ears pop, begins a strong shortness of breath and there is an acute headache .

it is believed that if at least one parent is allergic, the child will be born “hypersensitive”. However, allergies can develop at any person – on the condition that he lives in an environment rich in allergens (eg, in an area where a lot of plants, or a lot of mold)

The Dark Side of purity

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The world health organization (WHO) reports that over the past decade the number of allergy sufferers in the world increased by 20% . The figure will grow (knowingly dubbed Organization XXI century a century of allergies), and the doctors do not have a precise explanation for this trend. According to the “hygiene hypothesis” allergy develops more often due to the reduction of microbial antigenic load on the child’s body due to the reduced size of the family and the improvement of living conditions. The body needs to constantly fight with a number of threats, and when the threat is not enough, the immune system begins to resist even innocuous stimuli.

There is another hypothesis, according to which the number of allergy sufferers is growing due increasing the consumption of chemicals and chemical products that violate the immune system and cause it to adequately respond even oranges and dandelions.

However, there is a third theory, recently expressed immunologist Ruslan Medzhitova on Nature magazine. “We think that allergic hypersensitivity is the result of the evolution of the primary environmental analysis for harmful substances, – the scientist says. – After the first exposure immune system “remembers” the allergen and further responds to even a small amount. Such preventive immune response helps to minimize possible damage. This reaction also “motivates” a person to avoid an environment that contains a potentially harmful substance »

Honey and hypoallergenic cat

The most common allergy is considered to hay fever -. A seasonal disease that occurs due to inadequate response the body to pollen. If hay fever in humans often appears “extra” allergic to a number of food -. Carrot, honey, nuts, citrus fruit, sorrel

Second place is allergic to dust and dust mites, that inhabit the paper books, upholstered furniture, carpets and feed on particles of exfoliated human epidermis

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The third place is allergic to the medication. (most of all – to penicillin) and food

So, according to WHO, tens of millions of people suffer from food allergies, which It spreads primarily among children. “Only in the United States every three minutes someone is in the emergency room due to a severe allergic reaction to food, – writes the Ph.D. Alexander Panchin in his non-fiction book” The sum of biotechnology. ” – The most common allergy is to peanuts and other nuts, crab, shrimp and fish, but sometimes even apples. In many cases, it is known exactly what the protein allergy, can therefore create a genetically modified organism without this protein or its lower content. Such a body would be safe for people with allergies.

Developments to create hypoallergenic apples and some other products are already underway ».

By the way, scientists report that using genetic engineering can create even hypoallergenic pets for people with allergies to animals.

And what to do with allergies now, is no hypoallergenic milk or hypoallergenic chihuahua? From “hypersensitivity” can save, for example, the so-called antihistamines, which prevent the emergence of allergies. In addition, an allergist brought out a set of rules that can make life easier for people with allergies. For example, allergies during flowering is recommended not to leave the house without big sunglasses and a broad-brimmed hat, daily wet cleaning and do not go to bed without washing the nasopharynx. In addition, all books at home is best to keep the glass, and the bedding should not contain natural ingredients – down, feathers and wool. Also allergies is not recommended to have in the house of carpets with high pile, hang carpets on the walls and buy flowers.

Do not kiss the corpse of her boyfriend

Scientists have reported that sometimes it is not so easy to understand what causes allergy in humans. For example, last year, 48-year-old woman turned to the doctor complaining of swelling of the lips and intense itching, which bothered her for two weeks. As it turned out, an allergic reaction that began iz-za,

she kissed the corpse of her boyfriend’s funeral, and felt the first symptoms, took advantage of lip balm with vitamin E, which is only aggravated the situation.

A woman found allergic to formaldehyde used to preserve corpses, and her lip balm. Eliminating these substances from the environment, she soon recovered.

45-year-old heroine of the second story complained of itching and dryness of the scalp, as well as the face and neck, which are not held for several years. It was found that this reaction the first time she had started when she began to dye your hair blue, and causes its blue color. The woman ordered to avoid all products containing the substance, but she did not want to change his eccentric hair color.