The concept of allergy, and allergen in particular, is familiar not only among medical specialists. Many people in the world are faced with allergic reactions and their consequences. So what is an allergen? An allergen is exactly what is the cause of this very allergic reaction. This issue should be considered in more detail.
What is an allergen?
First, you need to consider a term such as sensitization. This is the hypersensitivity of the body to a certain kind of substance and the resulting allergic reaction. Allergens lead to this condition. Penetrating into the human body, these substances cause a violent reaction of the immune system, accompanied by inflammatory processes.
A variety of substances can act as allergens: from elementary chemical elements to their complex compounds. The method of penetration into the body of these substances can be divided into two types: exogenous and endogenous. The former penetrate from the outside, and the latter, also called autoallergens, are synthesized by the human organs. Exogenous can be divided into non-infectious and infectious, respectively. The non-infectious type of allergens include:
- household dust;
- animal hair;
- medical preparations;
- chemical substances;
- plant pollen;
- various allergen products.
As for infectious diseases, they are various pathogens, fungi and substances associated with their vital functions. Routes of exposure to exogenous allergens can be very different. Allergenic substances that enter the body exogenously are usually divided into several groups.
Biological
An allergen having such an origin is medicines (on a serum basis or vaccines), intestinal parasites (pathogens of helminthiasis), pathogens (microbes, viruses), fungal formations. The vast majority of pathologies of an infectious nature are accompanied by allergic reactions. This type of allergy is called infectious, and pathologies caused by pathogens and the symptoms of which are exacerbated by allergic reactions, are infectious and allergic.
Often their appearance is caused by microorganisms and fungi, constantly present on the skin, the surface of the respiratory tract and gastrointestinal tract. Focal inflammatory processes can also be the cause of an allergic reaction : pulpitis, sinusitis, cholecystitis and others. Allergic reactions in the presence of helminthiasis are caused by absorption by the walls of the gastrointestinal tract of the products of decay and metabolism of intestinal parasites.
Medicinal
As the name implies, a drug allergen is a component of a medicine. Almost every drug can act as a catalyst for an allergic reaction. The first lines in the list of such drugs are penicillins, acetylsalicylic acid, codeine, sulfanilamides, drugs based on novocaine, some vitamins and the like.
Medicines containing penicillin most often cause serious allergies. Even a slight excess dose can contribute to this. Before taking any medication, it is advisable to consult a doctor and study the instructions for use. The danger also lies in the fact that allergies may not occur when you first take the drug.
Household
Household allergens can be divided into two groups: dust and epidermal.
Dust
One of the main household allergens is common household dust. Its composition is not as banal as the name, and includes many ingredients: dust microparticles from floor and wall coverings, personal items, furniture, fungal formations, parts of insects living in the house, such as bedbugs, bed mites, and so on. And this mixture has to be breathed in the house.
Also a component of dust are synanthropic mites, an allergic reaction to the presence of which has become widespread in recent years. The elevated temperature in insulated houses is a catalyst for their reproduction. With insufficient ventilation, the conditions for these microparasites become even more favorable. Synanthropic ticks prefer warm places with high humidity and are indistinguishable to the naked eye. In most cases, they are present in large numbers in beds, bedding, furniture and plush toys. The main source of food for them is exfoliating particles of human skin. By the way, they are the main part of the dust mass.
In this case, the allergens are not the microscopic parasites themselves, but the waste products of their vital functions. The extremely small size of these secretions allows them to be present in the air for a very long time, which causes their frequent entry into the lungs of the person through the respiratory system. Allergies in the airways may have signs of hay fever and asthma. Skin signs of allergic reactions to synanthropic ticks manifest as eczema. The vast majority of allergy sufferers are susceptible to this particular type of allergy.
Epidermal
The epidermal group also belongs to the household group of allergens. They include other people's hair, animal hair and dander. Fish food, especially dry, has a strong allergenic effect. Unfortunately, pets are one of the most powerful sources of allergenic substances. Although it should be said that the animals themselves do not emit allergens, the danger lies in substances for which wool and other pet excretions are an excellent habitat and breeding:
- discharge of salivary glands;
- excrement;
- blood;
- exfoliated skin;
- urine.
The most common form is an allergic reaction to the feline. Allergies to artiodactyls and rodents become the most severe along the course.
In recent years, allergies to the components of household chemicals, such as dishwashing detergents, washing supplies, have begun to appear more and more often. Allergic reactions in such cases are for the most part represented by asthmatic manifestations and inflammatory processes in the nasopharynx.
Pollen
A pollen allergen is the pollen of some representatives of the flora, mostly from the species of wind-pollinated. Allergic reactions appear in the form of inflammation of the respiratory tract, conjunctivitis and other signs of hay fever.
The smallest particles that make up pollen are spread by wind or by insects involved in pollination processes. If it enters the mucous membrane of the eye or nasopharynx, manifestations of hay fever are possible. And having got on lung tissue, pollen is able to cause exacerbation of asthmatic diseases. Each pollen sample of different representatives of the flora corresponds to its own time, due to this it is possible to identify the pollen of which particular plant the human body reacted so.
Food
On the first lines in the list of food products, which more often than others lead to the occurrence of allergic reactions, are:
- dairy products;
- eggs
- meat products;
- Fish and seafood;
- Tomatoes
- some berries (strawberries, strawberries);
- chocolate;
- citrus.
If we talk about which allergens in children most often cause an allergic reaction, then age affects it. Up to 5 years, the most allergenic foods will be dairy products, in particular cow's milk, egg proteins, citrus fruits and cocoa products. In children after 5 years, the main allergen products are most often nuts, some fruits and vegetables, and various seafood. An allergic reaction can be expressed as a slight reddening of various parts of the skin, and serious attacks, sometimes even life-threatening. Food allergy in most cases appears with gastrointestinal dysfunction. Children are more likely to experience it as a result of overfeeding.
Industrial
Recently, the number of household and industrial products incorporating various chemical compounds has increased several times. This, in turn, has led to frequent reactions such as allergic contact dermatitis.
The same group includes substances used in hairdressing and cosmetology: hair dye, mascara, lipstick, perfume and deodorants. Photoreagents can also cause an allergic reaction.
Physical factors
In a special group we can distinguish allergens of a physical nature - temperature fluctuations, mechanical effects. Although it would be more correct to say that the action of these factors contributes to the production of various substances, some of which can cause allergic reactions. For example, one of the rarest and most exotic factors that can cause allergies is a magnetic field.
Allergy treatment
A systematic treatment that will completely cure allergies does not exist. One type of therapy is the neutralization of antibodies to allergens, that is, the suppression of an allergic reaction and associated inflammatory processes. This is achieved by the systematic administration of anti-allergic and antihistamines.
Another way is to treat allergens. This is the so-called allergen-specific immunotherapy (ASIT). The principle of therapy is as follows: first you need to donate blood to allergens. Then, increasing doses of the extract of the substance to which the allergic reaction is present are injected into the patient’s body. Properly conducted ASIT helps to reduce the immune response to an allergen in the body, that is, to reduce the intensity of an allergic reaction. This will reduce the need for antiallergic drugs in the patient.
Allergy is a very unpleasant phenomenon, which can also occur at the most inopportune moment. And given how many allergens exist, it would be most reasonable to find out which organism reacts violently to them. If possible, you need to exclude him from the environment or be prepared for his appearance.