Allergy (cont.)
Who is at risk and why?
Allergies can develop at any age, possibly even in the
womb. They commonly occur in children but may give rise to
symptoms for the first time in adulthood. Asthma may
persist in adults while nasal allergies tend to decline in
old age.
Why, you may ask, are some people "sensitive" to certain
allergens while most are not? Why do allergic persons
produce more IgE than those who are non-allergic? The
major distinguishing factor appears to be heredity. For
some time, it has been known that allergic conditions tend
to cluster in families. Your own risk of developing
allergies is related to your parents' allergy history. If
neither parent is allergic, the chance that you will have
allergies is about 15%. If one parent is allergic, your
risk increases to 30% and if both are allergic, your risk
is greater than 60%.
Although you may inherit the tendency to develop
allergies, you may never actually have symptoms. You also
do not necessarily inherit the same allergies or the same
diseases as your parents. It is unclear what determines
which substances will trigger a reaction in an allergic
person. Additionally, which diseases might develop or how
severe the symptoms might be is unknown.
Another major piece of the allergy puzzle is the
environment. It is clear that you must have a genetic
tendency and be exposed to an allergen in order to develop
an allergy. Additionally, the more intense and repetitive
the exposure to an allergen and the earlier in life it
occurs, the more likely it is that an allergy will
develop.
There are other important influences that may conspire
to cause allergic conditions. Some of these include
smoking, pollution, infection, and hormones.
What are common allergic conditions and their symptoms and signs?
The parts of the body that are prone to react to
allergies include the eyes, nose, lungs, skin, and
stomach. Although the various allergic diseases may appear
different, they all result from an exaggerated immune response
to foreign substances in sensitive people. The following
brief descriptions will serve as an overview of common
allergic disorders.
Next: Hay Fever »
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