Allergies
What is allergy?
Allergy literally means 'altered reaction'. Allergies cause the body to 'overreact' to what are normally harmless substances. Examples are house dust mite allergy, hay fever and food allergy. The immune system regards certain substances as intruders, against which it must 'arm' itself, resulting in a hypersensitivity reaction which can take various forms.
The history of allergy in a nutshell
The first allergy report dates back to about 3,000 years BC. It would, however, take a few millennia before the first accurate description appeared. It was not until 1800 that an English doctor described hay fever as 'a summer cold'. Hay fever was not associated with other allergies until almost a century later.
The last hundred years have seen an enormous increase in the number of people with allergic disorders. The causes have not yet been specified. It is likely that our different lifestyle, industrialisation and other environmental factors play a role. The last century has also seen a tremendous increase in knowledge about allergy, enabling people to be treated more effectively.
Causes
Some 15 to 20% of the global population suffers from allergic symptoms: an estimated 1.3 billion people!
Immune system
Our immune system defends our body against foreign substances, thus protecting it against all manner of pathogens and other unwanted intruders.
Clinical Conditions
Do you know how many types of allergy there really are? Hay fever and pet and house dust mite allergies are very common.
Allergens
Allergens are harmless substances in themselves, but the immune system regards them as dangerous.
Diagnostic
If you suspect that you have an allergy, you can visit your doctor, who will review your case history...
