Allergy and Asthma

Allergy

In some people, the immune system that protects our body overreacts to certain substances that are not harmful. These reactions are called allergies. The antigen that causes the allergic reaction is called allergen. Allergic reactions are not monotype. They may arise in many ways and they may occur in different severity in different parts of the body. 



 

What is Atopy?

Atopy means having an allergic structure. At the beginning of our lives, our organism encounters foreign substances and our immune system learns to recognize and memorize them. Then it produces antibodies against these foreign substances, which we call antigen. When the organism remembers seeing the same antigen, it gives the same response. Genetically Atopic individuals tend to produce IgE-type antibodies. These IgE antibodies initiate an allergic reaction by interacting with allergens (pollen, house dust, etc.) which are found harmless in the environment.

Allergic Substances

There are thousands of allergic substances. The most common ones are:

• Grass and tree pollen
• House dust mites
• Pets' skins or feathers
• Mushroom or mold spores
• Various foods (milk, eggs, soy, seafood, fruit and nuts)
• Cockroaches
• Bee stings
• Some drugs
• Latex
• Chemical resins, rubber, nickel    

How is it diagnosed?

It is diagnosed with skin test and blood test. By using the most common allergens the skin reaction of the person is measured with skin test. The blood test measures the level of IgE antibody in the blood. If there are allergic symptoms to a particular substance or substances, the specific IgE level is measured.