Understanding Allergies (Type I)

Now that allergy season is here, I think it is time to understand what is happening in our bodies that causes an allergic reaction to all those who have allergies. First off let's define allergies.  Allergies is an abnormal way of your immune system responding to a substance (also termed hypersisity reaction), be it pollen, grass, insect venom, food, or even a type of clothing (I have a friend who has an allergic reaction to jean!). A substance that causes an allergic response is called an allergen; thus pollen, for example, is an allergen.

There are 4 types of hypersensity reaction: Type I (Immediate), Type II (Cytotoxic), Type III (Immune Complex), and Type IV (Delayed-Type). I will be discussing Type I since it is the most common. Type 1, or immediate, reaction is one that occurs immediately after the immune system is exposed to an allergen.  Type I can also be called IgE-mediated hypersensity, IgE are antibodies.

Whenever I study for my biology classes I watch videos online because they help me so much with understanding the topic and I can always pause and rewind while taking notes. I put up a viedo which will give a better understanding of how Type 1 reaction occurs in the human body.