Allergen - what is, definition and Common Allergens

What is Allergen and definition

Allergen - a harmless substance, also called a hapten, that causes an exaggerated response from the IMMUNE SYSTEM called a HYPERSENSITIVITY REACTION. For reasons researchers do not fully understand, the immune system produces antibodies for the substance that result in the IMMUNE RESPONSE perceiving the substance as a foreign invader. When the allergen contacts or enters the body, the antibodies attack it. Nearly any substance can be an allergen. DESENSITIZATION is a treatment for allergies that exposes the person to progressive doses of the allergen to increase the body’s tolerance for the presence of the allergen and diminish the hypersensitivity reaction.

Common Allergens

See also ALLERGY; ALLERGY TESTING; ANAPHYLAXIS; ANTIBODY; ANTIGEN; ASTHMA; LIVING WITH ALLERGIES; MULTIPLE CHEMICAL SENSITIVITY SYNDROME.

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