Description

Immunology and Allergy Diseases (Chest Diseases)

Allergy

The immune system, which normally protects our body, also responds excessively to some substances that are not harmful in some people. These reactions are called allergies. The antigen that causes an allergic reaction is also called an allergen. Allergic reactions are not uniform; They occur in many ways, can occur in different parts of the body, and can be of varying severity.

What is atopy?

Atopy is used to mean having an allergic body. When our organism encounters foreign substances at the beginning of our lives, our immune system learns to recognize and memorize them. It then responds by producing antibodies against these foreign substances, which we call antigens. Whenever the same antigen is seen in the organism, the same response starts due to the feature of remembering. Atopic individuals tend to genetically produce antibodies of the IgE type. These IgE antibodies also start an allergic reaction by interacting with the normally harmless allergens (pollen, house dust, etc.) in the environment.

Allergic Substances

There are thousands of allergenic substances. The most common are:

Grass and tree pollen

House and dust mites

The skin or hair of pets

Fungal or mold spores

Various foods (milk, eggs, soy, seafood, fruit and nuts)

Cockroaches

Bee stings

Some medications

Latex

Chemical resins, rubber, nickel

How is the diagnosis made?

Skin test (Prick test) and blood test are used in the diagnosis. The most common allergens are used in skin testing; The skin reaction of the person is measured. In the blood test, the level of IgE antibody created by the body in the blood and if there are allergic symptoms to a certain substance or substances, the specific IgE level is measured.