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ALLERGY AWARENESS |
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| 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
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