|
|
| Allergies Home » Types of Allergies » Dust Allergies |
|
Dust Allergies |
|
Dust allergies are disorders of the immune system that is often called atopy. It happens due to the intake of dust particles in air by inhaling. After taking in dust particles people sneeze a lot and often feel uncomfortable which is sometimes accompanied by coldness and fever. Severe respiratory problems occur due to this and the persons suffering from dust allergies are advised to take the help of a physician. Allergic reactions occur due to environmental substances which are called allergens. These reactions are predictable, acquired and rapid. Strictly speaking, allergy is one of the four forms of hypersensitivity and is also called type I hypersensitivity.
It is followed by excessive activation of specific white blood cells called mast cells and basophils by a type of antibody which is called IgE, thus resulting in a condition of extreme inflammatory response. Some of the most common allergic reactions include hives, eczema, food allergies, hay fever, asthma, dust allergies and reactions to the venom of stinging insects like bees and wasps.
It is noticed in most of the cases that people sniffle or sneeze in dusty areas and this type of problem come under dust allergies. The ingredients of dust in house which can cause allergic reaction include molds, cockroach waste and pet and human dander. The dust mite that is found in ordinary house dust plays the most vital part in dust allergies. The dust mite is a spider-like, microscopic creature which is usually found in homes. It is basically present in mattresses, carpets and upholstered furniture and flourishes in warm and humid conditions. The dust mite preys on shed scales of the human skin. The waste products that these mites produce are highly allergenic and are able to cause severe allergic reaction. These waste products keep on causing allergic symptoms long after the mite that created them has died.
Like dust allergies there are also some mild allergies in the form of hay fever which is highly prevalent in the population of human beings and result in symptoms like runny nose and allergic conjunctivitis. Likewise, conditions like asthma are common and in this case allergy plays a key role. It is found in some people that severe allergies to environmental or dust allergies, dietary allergens or to medication, do occur resulting in grievous anaphylactic reactions and at times leads up to death.
|
There are lots of tests carried on now-a-days which diagnose dust allergies and various other types. These tests include the testing of skin for answers to known allergens or examining the blood for the levels and presence of allergen-specific IgE. Treatments for allergies are allergen avoidance, steroids or other oral medications, use of antihistamines, immunotherapy to desensitize the reaction to allergen, and targeted therapy.
The concept, allergy was firstly introduced in the year, 1906 by the Viennese pediatrician Clemens von Pirquet, after observing that a number of his patients were hypersensitive to normally innocuous entities like pollen, dust or certain foods. Pirquet named this phenomenon "allergy" from the Greek words allos, which means other and ergon meaning work.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
