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Common Allergens |
What are some common Allergens?
There are two types of environmental allergens:
Seasonal -These are mainly outdoor allergens and include pollens from grasses, trees and weeds, and also some moulds.
Perennial -These are usually indoor allergens, and cause symptoms all year round. The commonest is the house dust mite. These reside in nests such as carpets, bedding and upholstered furniture. House dust mites proliferate in humid homes. They are the commonest triggers for perennial rhinitis and allergic asthma. |
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Other perennial allergens include domestic pets, especially cats. The actual allergen is a protein component of dander, the shed scales of the skin. The same allergens are also found in the animal"s saliva and urine. Hair on fur can also collect other allergens, such as pollens, moulds and dust mites.
Food Allergens:
Only about six foods account for more than 90% of all confirmed food allergies. These are
milk, eggs, peanut & other nuts, wheat, soy and fish.
Drugs:
Aspirin & other anti-inflammatory drugs and antibiotics like penicillin account for most of
the allergic reactions due to drugs.
Insects:
Each year about 40 people die in the USA from Anaphylaxis to insect (bee, wasp & fire ants
venom) sting.
Latex:
Over the last 15 years immediate hypersensitivity (IgE-mediated allergy) to latex has been
increasingly recognized as a rapidly emerging public health problem. Latex is widely used
in the manufacture of medical devices (gloves, catheters, anaesthetic masks, and dental
dams) as well as a variety of everyday articles. Reactions from latex range from annoying
skin rashes to life-threatening anaphylaxis. |
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