Allergic reactions can be worsened by Estradiol, a type of estrogen, claim scientists.
Researchers from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), found that the estrogen boosts the levels and activity in mice of an enzyme that drives life-threatening allergic reactions.
Quiz on Allergy
Every season can be an allergy season, depending on what you're allergic to. - Clara Chung
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The study results may help explain why women frequently experience more severe allergic reactions compared to men. Furthermore, the results reaffirm the importance of accounting for gender in the design of animal experiments.
Anaphylaxis is an allergic reaction triggered by food, medication or insect stings and bites. Immune cells, particularly mast cells, release enzymes that cause tissues to swell and blood vessels to widen. As a result, skin may flush or develop a rash, and in extreme cases, breathing difficulties, shock or heart attack may occur. Clinical studies have shown that women tend to experience anaphylaxis more frequently than men, but why this difference exists is unclear.
![Allergy - Symptom Evaluation]( "Allergy - Symptom Evaluation")
An allergic reaction may be mild or severe. It usually involves the skin, respiratory system, eyes, digestive system or blood pressure.
In the current study, researchers found that female mice experienced more severe and longer lasting anaphylactic reactions than males. When the researchers blocked eNOS activity, an enzyme that causes some of the symptoms of anaphylaxis, the gender disparity disappeared. In addition, giving estrogen-blocking treatments to female mice reduced the severity of their allergic responses to a level similar to those seen in males.
Source: ANI
Allergy - Symptom Evaluation
An allergic reaction may be mild or severe. It usually involves the skin, respiratory system, eyes, digestive system or blood pressure.
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In the current study, researchers found that female mice experienced more severe and longer lasting anaphylactic reactions than males. When the researchers blocked eNOS activity, an enzyme that causes some of the symptoms of anaphylaxis, the gender disparity disappeared. In addition, giving estrogen-blocking treatments to female mice reduced the severity of their allergic responses to a level similar to those seen in males.
Source: ANI
Higher Maternal Age at Delivery May Cause Food Allergy in the Child
A recent study reveals that male infants and infants born to older mothers are at an increased risk for food allergies.
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 Pets and Siblings May Ward Off Egg Allergy in InfantsExposure to siblings and pet dogs in the first year of life may decrease the incidence of egg allergy in infants, found researchers from Australia. | Advertisement
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