Dealing with an Allergic Reaction

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Dealing with an Allergic Reaction

Saturday, February 7th, 2009 Subscribe To Our Feed

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An allergic reaction can occur at anytime and happen to almost anyone. Those who have experienced reactions before are very well aware of what the signs and symptoms are. However, those who have never had an allergic reaction may not be aware of how quickly and how life altering they can be. Information is the only way that most people are going to know what to do if they or someone close to them has an unexpected reaction.

When an allergic reaction occurs, the body undergoes a complex set of events, but to better understand one’s body, the events may be a crucial element to understanding what is happening. The first reaction that the body has is to produce an antibody called IgE. According to Web MD, this antibody will then attach to “a form of blood cell called a mast cell. Mast cells can be found in the airways, in the GI tract, and elsewhere.” Web MD also states that when the allergens attach to the IgE, this will cause the mast cells to trigger a reaction that will then activate the body to produce a variety of chemicals including histamine. This histamine release is what causes the allergic reaction that many face, such as itchy eyes and a runny nose. If the allergic reaction is severe, one can experience loss of consciousness or one’s airways may close up, resulting in difficulty breathing. In severe cases, an allergic reaction can be bad enough to even cause death.

Sometimes people who suffer from an allergic reaction have never suffered from allergies before in their life. This is a rare occurrence. The majority of people who have reactions do so because their parents suffered from allergies. Allergies are hereditary, and if the parents are not carriers, then a person more than likely does not ever have to worry about experiencing an allergic reaction.

An allergic reaction can be a difficult thing to deal with unless a person is fully prepared. One thing that an individual can do is to keep certain health tools on hand at all times, such as Benadryl. Those who suffer an allergic reaction and have never experienced one before may be very confused. They should keep up with what exactly occurred, so when they go and visit their doctor, they can give a full report as to what happened.

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