Monday, December 31, 2007
ALLERGY AWARENESS
| Hello world...here in OZ we are just hours away from all New Year's Eve party preparations, some are already probably kicking off! I am here for a different purpose- A diva sister had an allergic reaction to some cream cheese and is still recovering! The really sad part is she had pre-warned the kitchen of this particular restaurant of her 'allergy', and yet the cheese was still added! I won't list the side-affects, but it has taken a few weeks for her to heal! So, the following is a list of terms, taken from the Community Board at my official website which is aimed at raising 'allergy awareness'...please take the time to read, it is useful information! http://www.deliberatelydebbie.com/community.htm ALLERGY AWARENESS Acute: means a short medical history or duration of a disease. It denotes fast progress and short action of a disease. Compare Chronic. Allergen: is any substance capable of causing an allergy. (The definition sort of goes round in circles doesn't it?) Allergy: we define allergy as being an altered state or response by the body to any substance. IgE mediated responses we prefer to call Atopy rather than allergy. Atopy: is a greek word meaning 'a strange disease'. Modern usage tends to confine it to IgE mediated allergic responses. Most often manifested as a skin or mucous membrane response as against a generalised body response. An atopic individual is generally considered to be a person who has a genetic disposition to allergy. Chronic: means a long medical history or duration of a disease. It denotes slow progress and long continuation of a disease. Compare Acute. Desensitisation: This is a medical procedure where antigen in controlled quantities is injected under the skin. This enables the body to develop resistance to the antigen. It is a form of vaccination. Disease: is literally dis-ease or lack of ease. Medically it is a disfunction of any of the organs, tissues or systems of the body. Patch test: This is an allergy test where a special "patch" of test material is placed upon the skin and the allergy response tested Prick test: This is an allergy test where an allergen is placed pricked onto the skin and the allergy response tested RAST: is an acronym for radioallergosorbent test, a specific type of serum test performed in a laboratory Sign: is any abnormality which indicates the presence of a disease and found by the doctor on his examination of a person. It is an objective symptom, whereas a symptom itself is subjective. Symptom: is any abnormal function of the body, including appearance or sensation, experienced by a person and that indicates a diseases process. Syndrome: is a particular set of symptoms that define a particular disease and are always associated with that disease. Vaccine: This is an antigen made up to in controlled strength and used to desensitise the body. Also known as desensitisation. Courtesy of The Allergy Centre 03 9874 4144 |
