What is an allergic reaction? And how might wood smoke cause it?

What is a an allergic reaction? And how might wood smoke cause it?

The term allergy is used to describe a response, within the body, to a substance, which is not normally harmful within itself. An allergy is a hypersensitivity disorder of the immune system. Allergic reactions occur when an allergen comes into contact with that come into contact with the skin, nose, eyes, respiratory tract, and gastrointestinal tract. They can be inhaled into the lungs, swallowed, or injected. An allergic reaction can affect a small area of the body or ma affect the entire body. The most severe form of allergic reaction is called anaphylaxis. Although first-time exposure may only produce a mild reaction, repeated exposures may lead to more serious reactions. Once a person has had an exposure or an allergic reaction (is sensitized), even a very limited exposure to a very small amount of allergen can trigger a severe reaction. An allergy is everything from a runny nose, itchy eyes and palate to skin rash. It aggravates the sense of smell, sight, tastes and touch causing irritation, extreme disability and sometimes fatality. It occurs when the body's immune system overreacts to normally harmless substances. Allergy is widespread and affects approximately one in four of the population in the UK at some time in their lives. Each year the numbers are increasing by 5% with as many as half of all those affected being children.

Wood smoke is made up of a complex mixture of gases (carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and carbon dioxide, among others) this wood smoke causes an allergic reaction in around 2% of the population. People working in the wood industry have a predisposition to this kind of allergy.

A wood allergy is an adverse reaction by the immune system caused by chemicals called, quinones (a class of organic compounds that are formally "derived from aromatic compounds). Compounds from these chemicals then bind with skin proteins (also known as the immune system), upon contact the immune system produces antibodies called Immunoglobulin E or IgE. The symptoms of the reaction vary between patients but generally the allergic reaction to wood resembles contact dermatitis with blisters, swelling, redness and irritation. Allergic reactions from wood smoke occur due to the very small particles in the smoke and soot. There are over 100 different chemicals in wood smoke, many of which are harmful and potentially carcinogenic. 


The fine particulate matter in the wood smoke is the most dangerous component, the most harmful particulates being those that are 10 microns or less in diameter (a human hair is 70 microns in diameter). These particles can be inhaled deep into the alveoli (small air sacs) in the lungs where oxygen is supposed to enter the blood. Not only can wood smoke provoke an allergic reaction but it causes permanent lung damage, increases cardiovascular problems. It can also have profound effects on respiratory diseases like asthma, emphysema, and bronchitis, which sometimes results in premature deaths.

An allergic reaction to sawdust.
Jess (24/02/2012)