The concept of allergy, and allergen in particular, is familiar not only among medical specialists. Many people around the world experience 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, we need to consider the term sensitization. This is the hypersensitivity of the body to a certain kind of substances 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 wide 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 dividedinto non-infectious and infectious, respectively. Non-infectious allergens include:
- household dust;
- animal wool;
- medicines;
- chemicals;
- plant pollen;
- various food allergens.
To infectious - all sorts of pathogens, fungi and substances associated with their vital activity. Ways of getting into the body of exogenous allergens can be very different. Allergenic substances that enter the body exogenously are usually divided into several groups.
Biological
An allergen of this origin is medicines (serum-based or vaccines), intestinal parasites (causative agents 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 aggravated by allergic reactions are infectious-allergic.
Often their appearance is caused by microorganisms and fungi that are constantly present on the skin, the surface of the respiratory tract and the gastrointestinal tract. Focal inflammatory processes can also become 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 decay products and metabolism of intestinalparasites.
Medicinals
As the name suggests, drug allergens are components of medicines. Almost every drug can act as a catalyst for an allergic reaction. The first lines in the list of such drugs are occupied by penicillins, acetylsalicylic acid, codeine, sulfonamides, drugs based on novocaine, some vitamins, and the like.
Drugs containing penicillin are the most common cause of serious allergic reactions. Even a small overdose can contribute to this. Before taking any medication, it is advisable to consult a doctor and read the instructions for use. There is also the danger that the allergy may not show up the first time you take the drug.
household
Household allergens can be divided into two groups: dust and epidermal.
Dust
One of the main household allergens is banal house 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 that live in the house, such as bed bugs, bed mites, and so on. And it is this mixture that you have to breathe 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. Increasedthe temperature in insulated houses is a catalyst for their reproduction. With insufficient ventilation, the conditions for these microparasites become even more favorable. Synanthropic mites prefer warm places with high humidity and are indistinguishable to the naked eye. In most cases, they are present in huge quantities in beds, bedding, furniture and plush toys. The main source of food for them is exfoliated particles of human skin. By the way, they are the main part of the dust mass.
Allergens in this case are not the microscopic parasites themselves, but their waste products. The extremely small size of these secretions allows them to be present in the air for a very long time, which is the reason for their frequent entry into the lungs of a person through the respiratory system. Allergies in the respiratory tract can have signs of pollinosis and asthmatic diseases. Skin signs of allergic reactions to synanthropic mites appear as eczema. The vast majority of allergy sufferers are prone to this type of allergy.
Epidermal
Epidermal allergens also belong to the household group of allergens. They include the hair of other people, wool and animal dander. Fish food, especially dry food, has a strong allergenic effect. Sadly, pets are one of the strongest sources of allergenic substances. Although it should be said that the animals themselves do not emit allergens, the danger lies in the substances for which the hair and other excretions of petsare excellent habitat and breeding:
- salivary gland secretions;
- excrement;
- blood;
- exfoliated skin;
- urine.
The most common form is an allergic reaction to felines. Allergies to artiodactyls and rodents become the most severe in course.
In recent years, more and more cases of allergies to components of household chemicals, such as dishwashing detergents, laundry accessories, have begun to appear. Allergic reactions in such cases are mostly represented by asthmatic manifestations and inflammatory processes in the nasopharynx.
Pollen
Pollen allergen is the pollen of some representatives of the flora, mostly from the wind-pollinated species. 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 insects involved in pollination processes. If it gets on the mucous membrane of the eye or nasopharynx, manifestations of hay fever are possible. And once on the tissues of the lungs, pollen is able to exacerbate asthmatic diseases. Each sample of pollen from various representatives of the flora corresponds to its own time, thanks to which it is possible to identify which plant pollen the human body reacted to in such a way.
Food
On the first lines in the list of productsThe foods most likely to cause allergic reactions are:
- dairy products;
- eggs;
- meat products;
- fish and seafood;
- tomatoes;
- some berries (strawberries, strawberries);
- chocolate;
- citrus.
If we talk about what allergens in children most often cause an allergic reaction, then age affects here. Until the age of 5, the most allergenic foods will be dairy products, in particular cow's milk, egg whites, citrus fruits and cocoa-containing 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 areas of the skin, as well as serious attacks, sometimes even life-threatening. Allergy to food in most cases appears with gastrointestinal dysfunction. Children are more susceptible to it as a result of overfeeding.
Industrial
Recently, the number of household and industrial products containing various chemical compounds has increased several times. This, in turn, has led to frequent reactions such as allergic contact dermatitis.
This group also includes substances used in hairdressing and cosmetology: hair dye, mascara, lipsticks, perfumes and deodorants. Photoreactives can also cause an allergic reaction.
Physical factors
To a special groupallergens of a physical nature can be distinguished - temperature fluctuations, mechanical influences. 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
There is no systematic treatment that will completely cure allergies. One of the types 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 use of antiallergic and antihistamine drugs.
Another way is to treat with allergens. This is the so-called allergen-specific immunotherapy (ASIT). The principle of therapy is as follows: first you need to donate blood for allergens. Then, increasing doses of the extract of the substance to which the allergic reaction is present are introduced into the patient's body. Properly performed ASIT helps to reduce the immune response to the allergen in the body, that is, to reduce the intensity of the allergic reaction. This will reduce the patient's need for antiallergic drugs.
Allergy is a very unpleasant phenomenon, which, moreover, can occur at the most inopportune moment. And given how many allergens there are, it would be most reasonable to find out which of them the body reacts violently to. If possible, it should be excluded fromenvironment or be prepared for it.
