Allergic reaction
pathology
Allergies are caused by the overreaction of the immune system to a specific substance. The immune system acts as if the allergic substance is dangerous, even though this should not be the case. It sends out a bunch of immunoglobulin E cells to battle with the substance. Other cells are injured in the process, resulting in a wide variety of symptoms collectively known as an allergic reaction.
This is called a histamine response, and antihistamines are designed to combat these effects. Allergies can range from a mild rash to a severe response that lowers the blood pressure or stops respiration or both. Some people with these severe anaphylactic responses carry epinephrine in an auto-inject device, which delivers epinephrine, also called adrenaline into the muscle where it’s distributed into the blood to take effect. While not an antihistamine, epinephrine can counteract the effects of certain types of allergic responses such as anaphylaxis. Other common reactions include vomiting, hives and swelling.
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