eli5: what happens on a cellular level when someone has an allergic reaction?
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An allergic reaction is your immune system reacting to something that is otherwise not dangerous.
Pollen or pet dander getting in your nose or eyes? Better crank up mucus and tears to collect all of that foreign material to get rid of it.
Nickel on your skin? Better make a rash so my body gets away from it.
Penicillin in my body? Better get all the troops out to fight it off (anaphylaxis).
Antihistamines are usually used to treat mild allergies because histamines are the part of your immune system that responds to it. As for anaphylaxis, I’m not really sure what’s going on other than a lot of swelling.
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