Allergy

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An allergy is a long term condition in which the immune system mounts an abnormal reaction to an ordinarily harmless substance called an allergen.[1] Allergic reactions vary in severity from relatively minor symptoms to life-threatening anaphylactic shock.[1]

Allergic reaction[edit | edit source]

An allergic reaction occurs when the person's immune system produces Immunoglobulin E (IgE). When the person comes into contact with an allergen, the IgE travels to cells that release histamine and other chemicals; it is the histamine that causes the allergic reaction.[1]

A severe, systemic allergic reaction is called anaphylaxis or anaphylactic shock, and can be life-threatening.[2][3]

Prevalence[edit | edit source]

Symptom recognition[edit | edit source]

The onset of new allergies is a potential symptom of Long COVID in the World Health Organization's definition.[4]

Notable studies[edit | edit source]

  • 1988, Allergy and the chronic fatigue syndrome[5]
  • 1998, Chronic fatigue syndrome: identification of distinct subgroups on the basis of allergy and psychologic variables[6] (Full text)
  • 2015, Increased Risk of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Following Atopy: A Population-Based Study[7]

See also[edit | edit source]

Learn more[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Allergies Overview". American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
  2. "Anaphylaxis". National Health Service. October 20, 2017. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  3. "Definition of ANAPHYLACTIC SHOCK". Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  4. Soriano, Joan B.; Allan, Maya; Alsokhn, Carine; Alwan, Nisreen A.; Askie, Lisa; Davis, Hannah E.; Diaz, Janet V.; Dua, Tarun; de Groote, Wouter; Jakob, Robert; Lado, Marta; Marshall, John; Murthy, Srin; Preller, Jacobus; Relan, Pryanka; Schiess, Nicoline; Seahwag, Archana (October 6, 2021), A clinical case definition of post COVID-19 condition by a Delphi consensus, World Health Organization (WHO) clinical case definition working group on post COVID-19 condition, World Health Organization
  5. Straus, S.E.; Dale, J.K.; Wright, R.; Metcalfe, D.D. (May 1988). "Allergy and the chronic fatigue syndrome". The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 81 (5 Pt 1): 791–795. ISSN 0091-6749. PMID 2836490.
  6. https://www.jacionline.org/article/S0091-6749(98)70090-9/fulltext
  7. Yang, Tse-Yen; Kuo, Haung-Tsung; Chen, Hsuan-Ju; Chen, Chih-Sheng; Lin, Wei-Ming; Tsai, Shin-Yi; Kuo, Chua-Nan; Kao, Chia-Hung (July 2015). "Increased Risk of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Following Atopy: A Population-Based Study". Medicine. 94 (29): e1211. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000001211. ISSN 1536-5964. PMC 4603016. PMID 26200644.