Allergies

Allergy Doctor, Atlanta, Peachtree City, Georgia

An allergy occurs when your body’s immune system responds to a harmless substance (allergen) similarly to how it would attack a germ or pathogen.  In the presence of an allergen, your immune system releases an antibody called Immunoglobulin E (IgE), which causes cells to release chemicals that can irritate the skin, nose, sinuses, throat, lungs, and sometimes stomach.   Symptoms can range from something as small as a stuffy nose, to something as large as a whole-body reaction called anaphylaxis.  The most common allergens include pollen, dust, food, insect stings, animal dander, mold, medications and latex. Read More.

Allergy Facts

  • Allergic Rhinitis often called hay fever, is a common condition that causes symptoms such as sneezing, stuffy nose, runny nose, watery eyes and itching of the nose, eyes or the roof of the mouth.
  • Allergic diseases, which include asthma, are the fifth most prevalent chronic diseases in all ages, and the third most common in children.
  • 8.3 million American children have respiratory allergies.
  • An estimated 9.5 million American children have skin allergies.
  • Food allergies in children are on the rise, affecting nearly 6 million or 8% of children.

Learn More

Source: American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Allergy Facts. 2014. http://www.acaai.org/allergist/news/Pages/Allergy_Facts.aspx.

Video #1 Courtesy of American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology
Video #2 Courtesy of PBS