Allergen
A material against which the body responds with an allergic reaction. An allergen to a given person does not trigger a reaction in most people. For example, in a patient having milk allergy, milk is an allergen for this person.
Anaphylaxis
An extreme and life-threatening allergic reaction having at least two of: difficulty breathing, blood pressure drop, itchy rash.
Angioedema
A type of allergy with very significant swelling.
Antibody
A protein that specifically recognizes and binds to another molecule. In the case of allergy, it is the IgE antibody which links the allergen and the mast cells resulting in the release of histamine among other substances. Histamine is responsible for the majority of allergy symptoms: redness, swelling, itching.
Anti-histamine
A category of drugs that block the histamine receptor and preventing in a given degree the binding of histamine and its receptor, thus reducing the intensity of the allergic reaction.
Atopic
Describes a process with an allergic nature.
Autoimmune diseases
Disease in which the body attacks itself.
Conjunctivitis
An inflammatory process in the conjunctiva (the membrane covering the white part of the eye). It may be allergic or non allergic.
Dermatitis
An inflammatory process of the skin, which may be allergic or non allergic in nature.
Histamine
Material released from mast cells after identifying the allergen. The release of histamine activates, through histamine receptors on the cell surface, a number of activities resulting in swelling, redness and itching.
Idiopathic
Means that the cause is not known or is only partially understood.
Immune diseases
Diseases in which there is improper functioning of the immune system, which can be a deficient functioning or an abnormal functioning.
Inhaled allergens
Allergen that enter the human body through breathing.
Mast cells
Key cells of the immune system, especially in the context of allergy, which produce histamine and release it along with other substances upon binding of an allergen to the IgE antibodies on its surface.
Rhinitis
An inflammatory process in the nasal mucosa (the internal membrane of the nose). It may be allergic or non allergic.
Urticaria
Itchy rash.