What happens throughout your body, particularly the digestive system, when you h!
Question: HELP!!!
Answers: HELP!!!
ok the question you have asked is little more than a beast. allergies come under the category of immunology, which is to do with your immune system; the system responsible for fighting infection. and this system is the second most complicated system in the body only to the neurological system.
there are 4 types of 'allergies' or hypersensitivites, which is the term ill continue to use. for most intense and purposes these are interchangable.
Im going to explain only the commonest type, and perhaps the one most people know about, which is classed as a type 1 hypersensitivity reaction. most people would know about this type because it encompasses hypersensitivity to shellfish and nuts, and hayfever!
so about the digestive tract. nothing really out of the ordinary happens here, other than the breakdown of the food to which you have an allergy to. the breakdown of these foods results in a protein from that food being absorbed (this is not the same protein for all foods) and it is this protein that causes all the bother of a hypersensitivity reaction.
once in your blood, this protein then links with cells called mast cells, which then breakdown and cause release of histamine. in people who dont have an allergy to this food, the protein is still present in the body, but it cant link to mast cells and therefore no histamine is released.
the histamine is released in vast quantities and quantities which are excessive. one of the changes histamine mediates is to increase how permeable (how freely things can pass through it) capillaries are. this means that there is mass fluid build up in places where there shouldnt be. this causes you to become dehydrated because the fluid is in the wrong place, and causes swellling, which can compress your airway and cause you to suffocate, which is why its life threatening.
if this happens, it is called an anaphylactic reaction, which requires prompt treatment, with administration of adrenaline (epinephrine if your american), which is contained in epipens. anyone who has been diagnosed with an allergy to shellfish or peanuts should carry an epipen.
you should also dial 999 or 911 if this happens because it does require medical attention as well.
there are three other types of hypersensitivity reactions, but type 1 is the only one that can kill. the other types are just a pain in backside! one thing to mention, is that penicillin reactions are also type 1, so dont be callous about being allergic to it.
sorry this is long, and a bit complicated, but so its the answer to your question!!
Well, my brother is allergic to shellfish and he was mistakenly given it once and his throat closed and he had trouble breathing and he started vomiting...