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A member asked:
I'm curious as to what are allergens and what is allergy?
A doctor has provided 1 answer
Overactive immunity: An allergy is an overactive immune response to allergens (typically proteins that are found in dust, mold, pollens, dander, foods, etc) that do not affect most people. The immune response is via ige (the allergic antibody) that triggers the release of chemical mediators (including histamine) when the allergen comes into contact with ige on mast cells in the nose, lung, GI tract etc.
Answered 6/10/2014
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