How an Individual's Allergic Response May be Modified

If there is one thing one of my kids and I hate about summer, it is that when it's nearing its end, ragweed begin to release their windblown pollens to which both of us - and many others, I'm sure - are extremely allergic. Allergy, as we know, is the human body's response to the presence of certain irritating substances known as allergens. An individual's allergic response to a specific allergen may differ from that of another person's, so that while ragweed pollens make me and my kid sneeze a lot and give us both itchy throat and teary eyes, others in the household are hardly affected.

One thing is common in all allergens, whether these are protein or carbohydrate substances or those that are chemically related to the fats: they spur a sensitive individual to respond by producing antibodies. This allergic response results from complex chemical processes, such as enzyme reactions; it is akin to the processes by which immunity is developed.

There are cases when an individual becomes immune to a specific germ whose products have served as allergens. This is a common form of allergic response. In cases when the antibodies - which a certain allergen produces - remain within a group of the body's cells instead of being free in the bloodstream, the cells in which the antibodies are situated may be adversely affected when left open to the action of this specific allergen.

There are at least three ways by which an individual's allergic response may be prevented or modified. The simplest one is to prevent the aggravating allergens from entering the body. Those who suffer from hay-fever (seasonal allergic rhinitis), for example, can often prevent the allergic assaults by staying indoors during the time of year when certain plants bloom. This should make you keep in mind the tree pollens during spring, the grass pollens during summer, and the ragweed pollens before the onset of fall and on throughout that season. If these allergen-producing plants are confined to a specific place, then the hay-fever sufferer should stay away from that place.

Allergic response to a particular drug can be prevented by not using that drug. If the allergy is to some food, exclude that food from your diet. For those who are sensitive to a particular dust, wearing a filtering mask can be helpful. For asthma and hay-fever sufferers, air-conditioning systems with air filters can bring relief.

Another way of modifying or preventing allergic response is through the use of antihistamine drugs. These drugs block the effects of histamine, a chemical the body's tissues release in response to the presence of allergens. These drugs come in many varieties; trying out as much of these as possible may be necessary to determine which of them will provide the greatest benefit. This medication should be taken before one's exposure to an allergen; otherwise, the drug won't relieve reactions the person may already be suffering from.

Desensitization is the third way of how allergic response may be modified. This method calls for the building up of an individual's tolerance to a particular allergen, with a doctor injecting preparations of that allergen into the person, starting with very small doses and gradually increasing until the person's tolerance has reached the level at which he no longer develops symptoms when exposed to that allergen. For a lot of persons who used to suffer from hay-fever and certain types of asthma, this method has proved completely successful. [Read the Original Article]