What triggers cough, flu and itching?
THE itching often became worse and out of desperation, she would find a small stone and rub it against her itchy palms and feet. Priscilla Birungyi was only six years old when her parents discovered she was allergic to fish.
By Vicky Wandawa
THE itching often became worse and out of desperation, she would find a small stone and rub it against her itchy palms and feet. Priscilla Birungyi was only six years old when her parents discovered she was allergic to fish.
“I didn’t have to eat fish, just a whiff was enough to send me into terrible scratching and twice, I fainted.â€
Eighteen years later, she can at least stand the smell of fish but eating it will get her itchy, sore and in fainting spells.
Like Birungyi, a number of people may be extremely sensitive to the substances in the air they breathe, in the food they eat or in something they touch yet the same may be harmless to others.
Vincent Karuhanga, a general practitioner with Friends Poly clinic explains that this sensitivity is referred to as allergic reaction. It may be present from birth or could develop later in life.
An allergy may affect the skin in form of eczema which appears like itchy blisters or a skin rash. The eyes also turn red, itchy and watery. The mouth may also itch and swell, the nose could become stuffy and itchy.
The lungs tend to constrict, causing difficulty in breathing. The symptoms and signs therefore depend on the area which is affected by the allergy.
The common substances of allergy include pollen grains, proteins, extreme temperatures and strong scents, water, contact dermatitis for example allergies after contact with certain substances such as jewelry, condoms/latex and cosmetics.
How do allergies occur?
Karuhanga says: “The body usually reacts to prevent infection or dangerous chemicals called toxins, by producing antibodies. However, when the body reacts to substances that are harmless, this is called an allergy.â€
In other words, the reaction can be likened to a false alarm that the body has encountered dangerous substances. Allergies are also hereditary and can affect any one at any age.
Richard Byaruhanga says it is key to note that allergy is a genetic disease. “If a parent has an allergy, chances are some of their children will have it, although they do not display signs.â€
He adds that there are two onsets of allergies, the childhood onset and the adult onset during old age.
Hope rises for low allergy peanut
Researchers are working on peanuts that are low allergy, which could put an end to the problems the popular seed can cause.
Through mixing varieties, the US team has managed to remove or reduce key proteins thought to spark the allergy.
They stress the resulting peanuts are not genetically modified but the product of conventional cross-breeding.
Peanut allergies are relatively common and usually cause breathing problems. But at their most serious, they can lead to a potentially life-threatening anaphylactic shock.
Reduced reaction
The peanuts are still at a fledgling stage, but if further experiments are successful they could be used widely to prevent the risks associated with production lines.
The key issue will be whether the peanut missing these proteins will be able to produce naturally occurring seeds with the same reduced allergy potential.
In principle, children who consumed these low-allergy peanuts would be less likely to become allergic to all peanuts in the first place.
Reuters
THE itching often became worse and out of desperation, she would find a small stone and rub it against her itchy palms and feet. Priscilla Birungyi was only six years old when her parents discovered she was allergic to fish.
“I didn’t have to eat fish, just a whiff was enough to send me into terrible scratching and twice, I fainted.â€
Eighteen years later, she can at least stand the smell of fish but eating it will get her itchy, sore and in fainting spells.
Like Birungyi, a number of people may be extremely sensitive to the substances in the air they breathe, in the food they eat or in something they touch yet the same may be harmless to others.
Vincent Karuhanga, a general practitioner with Friends Poly clinic explains that this sensitivity is referred to as allergic reaction. It may be present from birth or could develop later in life.
An allergy may affect the skin in form of eczema which appears like itchy blisters or a skin rash. The eyes also turn red, itchy and watery. The mouth may also itch and swell, the nose could become stuffy and itchy.
The lungs tend to constrict, causing difficulty in breathing. The symptoms and signs therefore depend on the area which is affected by the allergy.
The common substances of allergy include pollen grains, proteins, extreme temperatures and strong scents, water, contact dermatitis for example allergies after contact with certain substances such as jewelry, condoms/latex and cosmetics.
How do allergies occur?
Karuhanga says: “The body usually reacts to prevent infection or dangerous chemicals called toxins, by producing antibodies. However, when the body reacts to substances that are harmless, this is called an allergy.â€
In other words, the reaction can be likened to a false alarm that the body has encountered dangerous substances. Allergies are also hereditary and can affect any one at any age.
Richard Byaruhanga says it is key to note that allergy is a genetic disease. “If a parent has an allergy, chances are some of their children will have it, although they do not display signs.â€
He adds that there are two onsets of allergies, the childhood onset and the adult onset during old age.
Hope rises for low allergy peanut
Researchers are working on peanuts that are low allergy, which could put an end to the problems the popular seed can cause.
Through mixing varieties, the US team has managed to remove or reduce key proteins thought to spark the allergy.
They stress the resulting peanuts are not genetically modified but the product of conventional cross-breeding.
Peanut allergies are relatively common and usually cause breathing problems. But at their most serious, they can lead to a potentially life-threatening anaphylactic shock.
Reduced reaction
The peanuts are still at a fledgling stage, but if further experiments are successful they could be used widely to prevent the risks associated with production lines.
The key issue will be whether the peanut missing these proteins will be able to produce naturally occurring seeds with the same reduced allergy potential.
In principle, children who consumed these low-allergy peanuts would be less likely to become allergic to all peanuts in the first place.
Reuters