ASTMA IN CHILDREN:THE IGE ANTIBODYThe primary function of the IgE antibody was to provide protection against parasites. Through evolution, the IgE antibody has become harmful. It now overreacts to common everyday substances in the environment.Some individuals who inherit a tendency to overprodtice IgE antibodies, develop an allergic condition such as asthma, hay fever, or food or drug reaction.If a person who produces excessive amounts of antibodies becomes allergic, the IgE antibodies attach themselves to certain cells called mast cells. Millions of these mast cells line our skin, nose, intestines, and bronchial tubes. These mast cells are like a loaded gun waiting to explode. When an invader (antigen or allergen) enters the body and comes into contact with the IgE antibody on the surface of the mast cells, the cells explode, releasing powerful chemicals, also called mediators, into the surrounding tissues. The surrounding tissues get inflamed and swollen.When the mast cells explode, and inflame the surrounding tissues,… in the nose, we sneeze… in the skin, we itch or get hives… in the lungs, we wheeze or develop asthma.The release of this chemical (mediators) causes muscle Contraction, oedema or swelling, and increased mucus secretions in the bronchial tubes. At the same time a signal is sent attracting more cells like eosinophils to the wall of the bronchial tube. This leads to further inflammation, muscle scarring, contraction and even tissue destruction. The bronchial tube becomes sensitive to just about everything that comes into its contact. Such a stage of hypersensitivity is called hyperresponsiveness.Any kind of inhaled stimulus, such as air pollutants, chemical odours, and tobacco smoke, causes the hyperresponsive bronchial tubes to react, thus triggering cough and/or wheeze.*16\260\8*

Grasses cause three times as many allergies as trees because they grow almost anywhere in the world (from the frozen North to the equator), even though they thrive best in moderate climates. There are many kinds of grasses, some of which, like sugar cane, wheat, rye, corn, bamboo, and rice, are planted so far from human habitations that they rarely cause allergies. Timothy, Johnson orchard, Bermuda, blue, and June are the names of grasses which can cause allergies. They grow in meadows and lawns in and around densely populated areas and pollinate in the United States from May to August.

Allergy to grasses is easily diagnosed because the pollen of all grasses looks the same when seen under a microscope; as a result, the pollen of any kind of grass can be used for testing or desensitization. (There are two exceptions to this rule: Bermuda and Johnson grasses, which have importance only in limited localities.)

In subtropical countries like Israel, grasses pollinate all year around and are the main cause of pollen allergy.

Characteristics of the Weeds That Cause Allergies

The most common cause of pollen allergy in the United States is weeds.

Some weeds, like English plantain, pollinate in June and July, while ragweed pollinates from the middle of August to the first frost. There is a short variety of ragweed, a tall variety, and a giant one. The short variety reaches a height of one to five feet and has hairy green stems, parted leaves, and long green-to-yellow spikes. The giant variety may reach a height of fifteen feet and has either three-lobed or simple leaves.

Both plants can live in the poorest of soils and can resist all severe weather conditions but snow. About mid-August, a photochemical reaction (which depends upon the balance between daylight and darkness) causes all ragweed plants to produce flower spikes which contain pollen. After a day or two, pressure builds up in the spikes, they burst open, and the pollen is thrown out into the air. It lands on the plant’s leaves, dries up, and is then carried away by the wind for hundreds of miles. All ragweed pollen looks and acts very much alike, no matter what variety of ragweed plant originated it.

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There are several ways in which psychosomatic symptoms can be generated. One major route is via the autonomic nervous system which regulates the bodily functions that are not under conscious control, such as digestion, circulation of the blood, breathing and sweating. The autonomic system consists of two parts, the parasympathetic and the sympathetic, which have largely opposing effects. The parasympathetic is responsible for the day-to-day running of the body, for keeping things ticking over nicely. The sympathetic system comes into force when there is an emergency to deal with. It increases the heart rate and blood pressure, and mobilizes glucose, the body’s energy source. It diverts blood from the gut and increases the flow to the muscles, preparing the body for action. The sympathetic system can also cause bowel movement so that the contents of the gut are voided promptly, making the body lighter and therefore faster-moving. The benefit of these reactions have to be understood in terms of life in the wild, where fighting off predators, or fleeing from them, may literally be a matter of life or death. The reactions produced are often summed up as the flight or fight response.

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While she dressed after the examination she began to talk more about how she had not enjoyed intercourse for the last few months, and how she had to force herself for her husband’s sake. They were both keen church members who believed that sex was an important part of the bond between them. When the doctor asked if there had been any change in her life at the time the pain started there was a long silence, and then amid tears, Mrs X. told how her 20-year-old son had announced that he was a homosexual. Despite a great effort to be understanding, both she and her husband were having difficulty coming to terms with the news.

Until that moment with the doctor Mrs X. had not put the two problems together in her mind. Now she could begin to understand how the shock had effected her ability to get in touch with her own sexual feelings. It seemed that whenever she began to relax sexually, images of her son came into her mind. After discussion she seemed easier and decided to continue with the progestogen-only Pill.

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