Posted on May 13, 2008 in Latest News
Most of us very often face itchiness, runny nose, sneezing, watery eyes, and redness in eyes that we know as the most common allergic reactions. These symptoms of allergies are actually recurrent visitors and that is why we need to lean the techniques of living with allergies.
Basically, the most efficient and effective way to combat the particular allergen is allergy shots or immunotherapy. You may wonder whether allergy shots are going to be right for you or your kid. Actually there are several things those need to be considered.
Definition of Allergy Shots
An allergy shot consists of a little amount of the substance to which you are actually allergic. Normally, common allergens include pollen from grasses and mold, ragweed and trees. So, for instance, if you are actually allergic to grass pollen, then a small amount of pollens from grass will be put into the shot.
How Do Allergy Shots Work?
Basically, the allergy shots don’t treat the symptoms; rather, the immune system is treated by the allergy shots.
An allergic reaction occurs when the body is exposed to an external substance that is antigen which the immune system interprets to be harmful and a foreign invader to our In allergic individuals, our immune system then makes an unusual response that actually harms our body and which is called as an allergic reaction.
Here are few important points about allergy and allergy shots.
- Our white blood cells create an antibody to the antigen that is called immunoglobulin E. This is known as sensitization.
- As soon as the antibody comes in touch with the antigen, it starts releasing of certain chemicals those are called mediators. These chemicals come into affected tissues. For example, histamine is also a mediator.
- These are the effects of mediators on our organs and cells that actually cause the symptoms of any allergic reactions.
- This overreaction to any harmless substance is called a hypersensitivity reaction.
- Allergy shots basically desensitize your body by turning down all of these immune responses to the antigen.
- As a result of immunotherapy, our white blood cells are no longer able to respond strongly to the antigen, and consequently the immunoglobulin E antibody is produced less.
- Then the body stops producing allergic antibodies, and therefore no allergic responses occur when our body gets exposed to the allergens.
- These changes, those are done by allergy shots, can last for several years even after stopping allergy shots.
- Recent research studies show that allergy shots are able to prevent individuals from developing any kind of new allergies, and it also minimizes the risk of developing asthma in kids with nasal allergies.
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