General Concepts in Allergy

When Do Allergies Usually Come On, And Will They Go Away During Adulthood?

Usually, eczema (atopic dermatitis) develops in the creases of the arms and behind the knees in the first year of life and signifies that a child will be an allergic individual. Approximately half of children with atopic dermatitis will go on to develop allergic rhinitis and/or asthma in the next 5 to 10 years. Of [...]

If My Spouse Or I Have Allergies, What Are The Chances That Our Child Will Have Allergies?

There is a strong genetic component in determining which individuals will develop allergy. If one parent has an allergic disease, including asthma, rhinitis, atopic der-matitis, or food allergy, there is an approximate 40% chance that the child will have some form of allergy; with both parents having an allergic disease, the risk rises to 60%. [...]

What Has Caused The Recent Increase In Allergic Diseases?

These alarming increases are not completely understood. However, one popular explanation has been labeled the hygiene hypothesis. This theory stipulates that all humans are born with an allergic predilection. As grow-ing infants encounter new environmental challenges, such as viruses and bacteria, their immune systems shift away from the allergic profile toward one that is capable [...]

Has There Been An Increase In Allergic Diseases?

Over the past 2 decades, a significant portion of the world, particularly the United States, western and north-ern Europe, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, has witnessed a substantial increase in allergic diseases. Approximately 2 decades ago, 3% of the American pop-ulation had asthma; today the prevalence is closer to 7%. Similarly, during the same time [...]

What are the Allergic Diseases, And How Common are they?

The primary allergic diseases include allergic asthma,allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, anaphylaxis, and food hypersensitivities . Asthma is a disease of the lungs in which the bronchial mucous membrane is chronically irritated and inflamed. This inflammation makes the airways more hyperreac-tive to a variety of provocative stimuli, including allergens, cold air, exercise, and viral infections, leading [...]

What is an Allergy?

The word allergy refers to a reaction to an environmen-tal substance, either by breathing it, eating it, or having contact with the skin. The most common mechanism by which an environmental substance causes this kind of reaction involves antibodies, which are proteins formed by the immune system. The normal function of anti-bodies is to protect [...]