ConceptsWhat is Allergy?
Que es la alergia
Imagen: stock.xchng		 Allergy symptoms are the end of a chain reaction starting in the immune system

Allergy is a far too much body response when it enters in touch with some enviromental particles.

It is a malfunction of the body defense system (immune system), where substances are targeted as harmful when they are not really a threat to the body.

Every substance able to elicit an allergic reaction is known as an allergen. After the body gets in touch with the allergen, a defense response is started and it is the responsible of the characteristic symptoms of the allergic disease.

The immune system produces in excess a special kind of antibody known as Immunoglobulin E (or "IgE" in short). Every human body produce IgE normally, but the allergic patient over produces it and address it against the allergen(s)
Atopy is the tendency to develop sensitization and to produce antibodies



Allergic rhinitis affects roughly 20% of the population and this figure is growing, specially in western countries.


More information

FAQ on allergy.

Pollution and allergic diseases