Allergic to Pets?

One Understanding Allergy and Asthma According to the World Health Organization, allergies are the most widespread chronic condition in the world. There is no question that allergies are a major problem in this country. They are so prevalent that they affect almost every household. A great number of Americans either have allergies or know someone who does. In the United States alone, it is estimated that the number of people who suffer from allergies in one form or another may be as high as 50 percent,1 costing them billions of dollars annually. And some doctors say these figures may be low estimates. What Is an Allergy? An allergy is a hypersensitivity or abnormal reaction to something that is ordinarily harmless to most people. Allergic reactions are caused by malfunctions of the immune system, the complex defense system that protects our bodies against invasion by bacteria, viruses, parasites, and other foreign substances or organisms that threaten our health. A multitude of common, otherwise harmless substances can trigger the susceptible immune system to overreact and produce a variety of allergic symptoms depending on the part of the body that is affected. Allergies can be inherited; if your parents or grandparents have a history of allergic sensitivities, you may develop allergy symptoms. If one parent has allergies, a child has a 20-40 percent chance of developing sensitivities; if both parents are allergic, a 40-60 percent chance. However, even though allergies can run in families, you can inherit just the tendency to be allergic, but not necessarily the same sensitivities that bother your parents. Allergies can also be influenced by a host of factors or conditions, such as geographical location, the time of the year, the climate and humidity, the pets you keep, the furnishings of your home or apartment, your housekeeping habits, what you eat or drink, the products you use, the drugs and medications you take, exercise, indoor and outdoor contaminants, and even your job. Some allergies occur only at certain times of the year, while others are present all the time. Seasonal allergies coincide with the seasons when trees, grasses, and weeds begin to pollinate. The duration of the season depends on geographic location. Perennial, or year-round, allergies are usually caused by something you come into contact with every day of your life, including animal allergens, mold, and the droppings of dust mites and cockroaches. Since it is possible to be allergic to more than one allergen, many people suffer from both seasonal and perennial allergies. When Do Allergies Begin? Allergies usually appear before twenty years of age, and there is a tendency for them to start during early childhood. Young boys are more likely to suffer from allergies than young girls, but the pattern reverses itself in adulthood to affect women more than men. Allergies may change, they may come and go with no regularity, symptoms may wax or wane in intensity, or shift from one part of the body to another as a person progresses through different life stages, but the tendency to be allergic seldom goes away. Many individuals improve as years go on, but some do not. The Immune System In her book What's in the Air?, Dr. Gillian Shepherd, clinical associate professor of medicine at Weill Medical College of Cornell University, has a most appropriate description for the human immune system. She calls it our body's "homeland defense system" and likens it to a giant network, similar to a road map showing many different routes, one of which leads to allergies. Every minute of every day, a myriad of foreign invaders enter our bodies with no detrimental effects. Any foreign substance that causes the immune system to react is called an allergen (doctors also call these "antigens"). Allergens can be taken into our bodies in several diffKalstone, Shirlee is the author of 'Allergic to Pets? ', published 2006 under ISBN 9780553383676 and ISBN 0553383671.