Allergies Essay, Research Paper

Allergies what is the true meaning .

Allergy, what does it mean . An Allergy is a condition of hypersensitivity to substances that are harmless to most people. The immune system of an allergic person produces antibodies that react with normally harmless substances such as dust , pollen , and certain foods or medicines . The reaction causes the release of chemicals including histamine . Allergies may produce sneezing and running noses , it may also cause contraction of the air passages , leading to wheezing , coughing , and difficulty in breathing , as in asthma . Some allergies may also be the cause of itching spots , hives, or welts (urticaria) on the skin . An allergic reaction in the blood may cause severe serum sickness.

Treatment of allergies usually involves avoiding substances that cause them . Drugs such as antihistamines or , in more serious cases , steroids may be used to decrease the reaction . Symptomatic treatment such as drugs to relax spasms in the bronchi of asthmatics , decongestants for hay fever sufferers , or local ointments to relieve itching of hives may also be useful . Desensitization by injection of gradually increasing doses of the causative substance is used to lessen reactions .

Allergies usually first appear in childhood , adolescence, or early adulthood , but may appear for the first time later in life . Sometimes psychological factors , stemming from emotional conflicts , play an important role in allergies . Allergies do not discriminate , they go for any age , size ,weight , race and religion .

There are even a few allergies out there that may of led to the death of many friends and family members .To name on allergy that is capable of doing that is asthma . Asthma effects the lungs mostly and the rate of breaths per second ,and during an asthma attack that rate slows down rapidly to a near stand-still . If not receiving medical attention in the necessary amount of time for a serious asthma attack , it will then lead to a short torture type death, when all that you want to do is just breathe one more breath .

Allergies the fact behind it all

Did you know that One out of every five Americans suffers from allergies ,and that people with allergies have extra-sensitive immune systems which react to normally harmless substances . Allergens that sometimes produce this reaction include plant pollen , dust mites , or animal dander . plants such as poison ivy ; certain drugs , such as penicillin , and certain foods such as eggs , milk , nuts , or seafood .

The tendency to develop a particular kind of allergy is inherited , and allergies usually begin to appear in childhood , but they can show up at any age . Common allergies for infants include food allergies and eczema (patches of dry skin) . Older children and adults may often develop allergic rhinitis (hay fever) , a reaction to an inhaled allergen , common symptoms include nasal congestion , runny noses , and sneezing .

The best course of action is to avoid contact with the allergen , but this is not always feasible . In some cases , drugs such as antihistamines are used to decrease the reaction , and there are treatments aimed at gradually desensitizing the patient . Other effective allergy treatments include decongestants , eye drops , and ointments .

Some people with allergies also have asthma , and allergens are a common asthma trigger . Asthma is a complex disease involving constriction of the passages that carry air into and out of the lungs . It is most often seen in children , but can develop at any age .

People with asthma have inflamed , supersensitive airways that tighten and become filled with mucus during an asthma episode . Wheezing , difficulty in breathing , painless tightening of the chest , and coughing are common symptoms. Asthma can progress through stages to become life-threatening if not controlled . Emergency symptoms of asthma include a bluish cast to the face and lips , severe anxiety , increased pulse rate , and sweating .

Besides common allergens , tobacco smoke , cold air, and air pollutants can trigger an asthma attack , as can respiratory infections or physical exercise that taxes the breathing . Of course , an accurate diagnosis by a physician is important . Besides avoidance of triggers , treatment for asthma includes preventive drugs and allergy immunotherapy , as well as bronchodilators and anti-inflammatory agents to better control the breathing.

My statistics

For the research I have done , I have made charts and graphs to account for my survey results . All of my graphs were base on a number of 50 students , which consist of 25 males and 25 females all which are in the same age range which is 14 -16 years of age. To make sure there would of not been any out-side variables other that the parents and the siblings they were asked to describe the type of home they live in , either if their room was kept clean or not , things such as that was all taken in precautions to make sure everything went in the process that it was meant to be in .

All together it took me 4 and 1/2 weeks to complete my survey of 50 of my peers . When then done , I tallied up all of the answers to all of the questions to be then placed in several graphs .These graphs show all of the necessary information needed to state and prove everything that I have done in these past weeks . To bring my research paper to an end , is an outstanding accomplishment for me even though I might not prove anything new or win any contest I now am more aware of things that effect my life almost everyday because I myself have asthma so this research paper is more than an assignment it s an everyday part of my life .