What is Allergy
An allergy is the response of the body’s immune system to normally harmless substances, such as pollens, foods, house dust mite. Whilst in most people these substances (allergens) pose no problem, in allergic individuals their immune system identifies them as a’ threat’ and produces an inappropriate response.
When you have an allergic reaction there may be a combination of the following allergy symptoms:
sneezing, wheezing, nasal congestion, coughing, itchy, watery eyes. runny nose, itchy throat, stomach ache, itchy skin, hives, fatigue, irritability.
The most common causes of allergic reactions are:
Dust mites, Pollen, Foods such as peanuts, cow’s milk, soy, seafood, eggs, Cats and other furry or hairy animals such as dogs, horses, rabbits, Insect stings, Fungus, Medicines etc.
Allergy is a local problem as the causative allergens vary from place to place both qualitatively as well as quantitatively. India is vast country with wide variations in climate factors in different geographical areas. As the incidence of allergic disease such as bronchial Asthma and allergic rhinitis is quite high in our country, there is an ever increasing demand of allergen extracts for Diagnosis and immunotherapy of these orders.
In recent years this demand has increased due to increasing incidence of allergy in the country and also as more and more physicians have started Allergy clinics in various part of country. The quality of allergens extracts used for diagnosis and treatment has a direct bearing of the diagnostic and therapeutic efficiency.