Take Control of that allergy

It is no secret that seasonal weather changes have a strong impact on human health and some of us are prone to theses changes taking hold of our respiratory system. A person is said to be allergic to a substance if he/she overly reacts to the substance more than a normal person, whereby the body’s immune system is reacting to something it recognises as being foreign. Substances that result in allergic reactions are called ‘allergens’ and include pollen, dust, mould, certain foods, certain medicines or vaccines, cosmetics and environmental pollutants.

In response to an allergen, mast cells release chemical mediators such as histamines, prostaglandins, leukotrienes and kinin that cause dilation and increased permeability of blood vessels, increase contraction of smooth muscles in the airway of the lungs and increased mucous secretion. The allergic person in response to these changes may experience inflammatory responses, difficulty in breathing because of constricted airways and runny nose because of excess mucous secretion.