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Encyclopedia entry: allergy
- Article from:
- The Oxford Companion to the Body
- Author:
Copyright© The Oxford Companion to the Body 2001, originally published by Oxford University Press 2001. (Hide copyright information)
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allergy
Every spring and summer, many people suffer from hay fever, a very common form of allergy. The symptoms include itchy eyes, sneezing, and congested nostrils. Most of these symptoms can be controlled by antihistamine or steroid nasal spray. Unfortunately, in some forms of allergy, violent reactions may take place leading to serious or even fatal consequences —
anaphylactic shock
— as seen in allergies to seafood, nuts, or certain drugs such as penicillin.
In the realm of immunology, substances that cause immune responses or allergic reactions are known as antigens. Specific antigens that provoke an allergic reaction are called allergens. Typical allergens include ...