Asthma & Allergy Center | Dr.Berna Dursun

Allergic diseases affect more than 20% of the population and are the leading cause of chronic diseases. Allergic rhinitis (allergic fever) leads to approximately 16.7 million office visits to health care center every year. Asthma causes almost 2 million emergency department visits each year.

Allergies and asthma cause deaths each year. Almost 100 persons die from food allergy related anaphylaxis, 40 die from insect bite induced anaphylaxis in United States every year. Asthma alone leads about 4300 deaths every year.

WHAT IS ALLERGY?

The term allergy is used to describe a response, within the body, to a substance, which is not necessarily harmful in itself, but results in an immune response and a reaction that causes symptoms and disease in a predisposed person, which in turn can cause inconvenience, or a great deal of misery.

What causes an Allergy ?

Allergic reactions are caused by substances in the environment known as allergens. Almost anything can be an allergen for someone.

The most common allergens are:
pollen from trees and grasses, house dust mite, moulds, pets such as cats and dogs, insects like wasps and bees, industrial and household chemicals, medicines, and foods such as milk and eggs.

Less common allergens include nuts, fruit and latex.
There are some non-protein allergens which include drugs such as penicillin.

The most common symptoms are:
sneezing , runny nose, itchy eyes and ears, severe wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, sinus problems, a sore palate and nettle-like rash.

It should be understood that all the symptoms mentioned can be caused by factors other than allergy. Indeed some of the conditions are diseases in themselves.

Who are tend to be allergic?

In the same environment with the same amount compared to the same article but not all individuals develop allergic reactions. The main reason given against this allergen reaction of the mother and / or an allergic predisposition is inherited from the father. Most important indicator for familial predisposition to allergic diseases in the children of parents with allergic disease than children in traditional society is seen in high frequency. For example, in general, in a society frequency of allergic diseases and risk as the total (allergic asthma, hay fever ....) Average of 20% as is being observed, allergic disease, which has a child's risk of 45%, if both mother and father with allergic disease, while the risk of % 70 stands out.