Allergies may be seen as an nonstandard reaction by a body to something that is harmless. In essence, it is a mistake. The body’s immune system has mis-identified a substance as an enemy, whereas it is really friendly or at least neutral. This is not the fault of that substance.
The substance that is the cause of the allergy is known as an allergen. Not everyone who has an allergy has an allergy to the same allergen, because not everyone’s body makes the same errors.
Potentially anything can be an allergen to somebody and probably is. My uncle is allergic to cotton wool but not to cotton. However, the most common allergens are dust, pollen, pet hairs, medicine, cosmetics and washing powder.
It seems that when the body comes across something that it distrusts, it produces certain chemicals to protect itself. One of these is histamine, which can have an adverse impact on the respiratory system, the digestive system and or the skin.
The body then ‘remembers’ that this safeguard worked because the substance did not win the battle and so reacts in the same manner every time it encounters the substance in the future. An allergy is born, even though the substance was not a threat in the first place.
Not everybody who is allergic to the same substance reacts in the same manner. If you have two people who are allergic to dust, one might get a runny nose whereas the other might suffer something comparable to an asthma attack.
Most allergens cause quite mild reactions, but some can kill. Bee stings and peanuts may kill those who are allergic to them.
Because allergies are a function of the immune system, juveniles are more affected than older people. This is because the immune system of younger people ’still has a lot to learn’. Most allergies wear off as the body becomes more ‘educated’. However, some allergens produce worrying reactions in young people like asthma and eczema.
One of the most common allergies is caused by dust and dust mites. Much of household dust is the dead skin of insects, mites and us humans. This dead skin can be microscopic to quite ‘large’, but cause trouble with individuals when they are inhaled.
Dust mites also live in each bed, eating our dead skin. The larger ones are just about visible by most people at 0.4 mm in length. However, baby dust mites (nymphs) are obviously a lot smaller.
People are not normally allergic to the dust mites themselves but to their faeces and the stomach enzymes that are still present in those faeces. An allergenic mattress cover and pillow covers can help here.
Why some bodies mistake friendly to neutral substances as enemies is not completely understood, but the two most common suggestions are heredity and over-hygiene. There is lots of evidence to show that allergies run in families.
it is also thought that if a child grows up in a sterile environment, it is not being gradually exposed to substances that other people become used to. This is because we decontaminate our houses, schools and offices too well.
Owen Jones, the writer of this article writes on several topics, but is at present concerned with allergenic mattress covers. If you would like to know more, visit our website at Bed Infestation.