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What to do about Allergies

Food allergies, hayfever, skin allergies, and reactions to pet dander: the symptoms of these allergies are different but the cause is the same: your immune system is over reacting to an ordinarily harmless substance. Whether you get skin rashes, itchy eyes, wheezy airways, or a runny nose, an allergic response is no fun and sometimes dangerous. With that said, it’s good to know that the science of allergy treatment has come a long way. Doctors now understand the allergic response on a molecular level, producing better ways to diagnose and treat all kinds of allergies from hay fever to food reactions. Learn to identify your allergic symptoms, pinpoint your triggers, distinguish between intolerance and allergy, and choose the best treatment for your particular allergic type of allergy.

Prepared by the editors of Harvard Health Publications in consultation with John J. Costa, M.D., Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Medical Director for Allergy & Clinical Immunology, Brigham & Women’s Hospital. 44 pages. (2009)

  • What to do about allergies
  • Why are you allergic?
    • Your genes
    • Your environment
  • What is an allergic reaction?
    • Immediate hypersensitivity reactions
    • Delayed hypersensitivity reactions
    • Serum sickness
    • Treatment implications
  • Pinpointing your allergic triggers
    • Tell it like it is
    • Skin testing for immediate hypersensitivity reactions
    • Skin testing for delayed hypersensitivity reactions
    • Blood testing (RAST)
    • Elimination diets and food challenges
    • Drug challenges
    • Complementary and alternative diagnostics
  • The changing world of allergy treatments
    • Allergy shots
    • Antihistamines
    • Decongestants
    • Anti-inflammatory medications
    • Anticholinergics
    • Theophylline
    • Immunomodulatory medications
    • New meds on the block
  • Controlling common allergic conditions
    • Allergic rhinitis (nose)
    • Allergic conjunctivitis (eyes)
    • Allergic asthma (lungs)
    • Atopic dermatitis (eczema)
    • Contact dermatitis (skin)
    • The itchies: Urticaria (hives)
    • All puffed up: Angioedema
    • Anaphylaxis (allergic shock)
    • Latex allergy
    • Drug hypersensitivities and allergies
    • Vaccine allergies
    • Seminal fluid allergies
    • Insect allergies
    • Food allergies
  • Special Section: Self-help strategies
    • Pollen: Sized for a special job
    • Molds and other fungi
    • Dealing with dust mites
    • Roaches on the run
    • Pouncing on pet dander
  • Glossary
  • Resources

If you’ve never been stung by a bee, the first time will cause pain but won’t cause an allergic reaction. For many people, however that first sting causes the immune systems to arm itself against further bee pollen attacks. If so. the next time you get stung severe allergy symptoms may appear. Here’s how it works:



The first sting: A normal reaction includes pain and swelling at the site of the sting. In some people, certain immune cells called B plasma cells produce IgE antibodies against the bee venom. The IgE antibodies stick to immune cells called mast cells. This process, called sensitization, sets the stage for an allergic reaction the next time a bee stings.

The next sting: The IgE antibodies on the mast cells bind to the bee venom, prompting the mast cells to release substances that trigger allergic symptoms and inflammation, such as swift-acting histamine, slower-acting tryptase, prostaglandins, and leukotrienes.

Bee stings can cause allergic shock (anaphylaxis). This happens when mast cells are activated and two IgE antibodies bound by two neighboring IgE receptors are cross-linked (chemically connected) by an antigen, such as bee venom protein. Once the IgE antibodies are cross-linked, reactions can occur very quickly with even a very small amount of allergen.

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