What is an allergic
reaction? And how might wood smoke cause
it?(Hayley)
An allergic reaction according to the
medical dictionary is ‘A local or generalized reaction of an
organism to internal or external contact with a specific allergen to which the
organism has been previously sensitized.’
Allergies can include such things as animal fur, dust, food types and
penicillin to name a few.
An allergic reaction can occur when
through exposure to antigens enter the body through the mouth, noes, eyes or
even through the skin. The immune system mistakes the harmless allergens as
threats and the process of phagocytosis begins. The T cells produce proteins
(antibodies) specific to the allergens. Antibodies then attach to the other
immune cells causing them to be more sensitive to this particular allergen. The
immune cells attack and histamine is produced causing the physiological effects
such as redness swelling, sores, itching and sneezing. The worst type of an
allergic reaction is anaphylaxis. This is where the allergic reaction causes
the tongue to swell and the wind pipe to constrict causing difficulty breathing
this can be treated with an epi-pen containing adrenaline which can be a
lifesaver.
Wood smoke is made up of carbon
monoxide, benzene and sulphur dioxide to name but a few. This wood smoke
effects up to 2% of the population causing them to have an allergic reaction.
The allergic reaction Is actually caused by chemicals called quinones which are
produced to protect the tree from fungi and predators. These quinones bind to
skin proteins and because they are foreign to the body they are then attacked
by the immune system causing the symptoms above.
Not the are you at risk of allergies
from wood smoke but the tiny particulate matter 1/20th the size of a
raindrop is most harmful especially within young children and the elderly.
Inhaling these particles into the lungs increases the likelihood of respiratory
problems such as asthma, emphysema and bronchitis reducing life expectancy.
Sources Used
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3bOgdvV-_M
http://burningissues.org/pdfs/WoodSmBroharris.pdf
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