Allergies Flashcards
allergy
immune system reacts to something it’s not supposed to react to
- adverse reaction to a harmless material
allergy symptoms
- cold-like symptoms
- cough
- geographic tongue
- contact dermatitis (hives, rash, blisters)
poison ivy
blisters don’t touch the area, the oil can spread
Latex
From rubber tree sap
- gloves, condoms
Nickel
Common
added to other metals to make them stronger: belt buckle, button, money
piercings!! -> stainless steel
Henna
allergy to henna tattoos - sap from a plant
dust allergy
allergic to mite droppings
- mattresses get heavier
Pet allergies
most reactions are to pet saliva
Food allergy vs. Intolerance
Allergy: The immune system reacts to the food (4% of adults)
Intolerance: substances in the food produce an adverse reaction (30% of adults
Lactose intolerance
unable to digest one of the sugars in milk (lactose)
supplement = lactase which converts lactose to glucose, lactate breaks it our so you don’t have the issue
What are some physical signs of allergy?
dark under-eye bags
- Long-term stimulation of an inflammatory response which produces the darkness/puffiness
Gluten
it is a filler/thickener
- protein found in cereal
- in wheat (1 in 500 people)
- processed foods
Celiac disease:
- <1% of pop
- most undiagnosed
- gluten-free diet: lifelong, strict adherence
people now choose to have a gluten-free diet even without ana llergy
Peanut allergy
Common in NA only
- maybe the way we prepare peanuts in different
- we introduce it to children later on around 2-3 yrs old
peanut-free school in the last 30 yrs
Where are allergies most seen?
In the developed world
- rates have doubles since 1980, they increase each year
ex: Hay fever was rare in 1900, but now it’s the most common allergy - allergies are new in the last 50 yrs
hygiene hypothesis for allergy
we are too clean, we have eliminated a lot of diseases so our immune system doesn’t have anything to do anymore, reacts to harmless things
- reduced infection = increased allergy
children in daycare = less likely to have allergies
children in large families = less likely to have allergies - older children may have them, but younger ones don’t
east + west berlin -> west berlin was cleaner so more allergies
do alergies require memory?
yes it requires prior exposure and immune memory
Mast cells display IgE antibodies, allergins contact the IgE molecules (which act more like a receptor) - when it binds to an allergin it sends info to the mast cell which then explodes and releases histamine which produces the symptoms of the allergy
allergy tests
look for reactions, an allergin substance is scrapped on the skin and the pattern of the rash will determine the allergy
what’s the best thing to do to avoid food allergy?
AVOIDANCE
processed foods contain a lot of ingredients that may cause allergies ex: the source of starch can vary
making a log book is good and its best to leave OUT processed foods
What is antihistimine?
a histamine antagonist - changes shape + blocks the action of histamine
Benedryl
Diphenhydramine
- cheap to produce
- makes you sleepy - not always bad, but unintended
What is a cool feature of antihistamines?
reduce nausea
GRAVOL:
diphenhydramine = reduces nausea
8-chlorotheophyliine = stlimulant to counteract sleepy
first generation vs. second generation
1st: enters the brain which causes the drowsiness and anti-nausea
2nd: circulate the body which don’t make u sleepy but there’s no benefit for nausea
Loratadine = 2nd generation
Claritin
it is converted into desloratadine
- prodrug -> converted in the liver
this desloratadine is in aerius which works the same way as claratin
What was the first non-drowsy antihistimine?
seldane - contaning terfenadine
Drug-drug interaction with Ketoconazole
seldane and keto caused an issue
terfenadine was also a prodrug which converted to fexofenadine
keto deactivates the liver so when terfen couldn’t be converted, it became toxic
how can the toxic result of drug-drug interaction be eliminates?
just using the fexofenadine as the drug (allegra)
what does reactine contain
cetrizine
prices of allergy medecine
generic are more expensive than name brand
COSTCO = MUCH cheaper
how could generics jack up the price?
they put them in a package with a fewer number of pills than the name brand to give you the illusion that its chapter
they make sire the number of pills in the package arent easily dividable
Buying in BULK is the best value
What other drug can you take for allergive (stuffy)
decongestants - pseudoephedrine
-> SUDAFED prescription
What if decongestants dont work?
steroid decongestant
- quiet down the immune system - prescriptions
FLonase = over the counter
- very safe, steroid cause its a 4 ring structure
anaphylaxis
very serious! life threatening
- body tries to protect itself and becomes infammed
what is used to help anaphylaxis?
Epi-pen + get to hospital quickly
will calm down for a bit, but doesn’t remove it completely
know how to use it, blue to the sky, orange to the thigh
price: 600US for 2 injectors
what percentage of allergies progress to asthma?
50%
Asthma drugs:
target nerve signals - adrenaline agonist
adrenaline = fight or flight nervous system - airways = important
the drug binds and changes shape of receptor which lets info get transmitted, amplifies information
inhalers amplify the signal to open up airways
what is a downside to a high dose of inhaler
increase heart rate which can lead to heart attack
more than 4 pumps a day
what type of inhaler cotrols doses?
Flovent
what can be used instead of inhalers?
steroid decongestants
- Singulair is a leukotriene antagonist which blocks athsma
Singulair
one pill a day - steroid for acute attacks
