Text I. Allergic manifestations in children

Within recent years numerous apparently diverse conditions such as asthma, hayfever, eczema, urticaria, migraine and other minor affections have been shown to have a similar etiologic basis, a hypersensitivity on the part of the sufferer to many usually harmless articles commonly encountered in his diet or environment. To this group of diseases the term “allergic” has been applied; the individuals manifesting such an exaggerated susceptibility to substance innocuous to normal persons in the amount commonly encountered are said to be “allergic” to those articles; and the agents giving rise to those reactions in such apparently minute doses are termed “allergens”. As for the origin of these allergic responses they arise in one of two ways: either as a definite inheritance of a predisposition to manifest specific hypersensitiveness, or acquired as the result of tissue damage or excessive irritation.

Though the allergic tendency is prenatal in origin the actual manifestations and causative allergens generally depend upon postnatal factors. The site and type of reaction are frequently consequent upon some local strain or injury, and selectivity of the allergen generally follows repeated or continuous contact with some factor of diet or environment.

Allergic diseases have several characteristics in common the determination of which proves of the utmost importance in diagnosis. They are essentially periodic in nature with apparent intervals of freedom. The symptoms frequently have their onset at night or are most distressing during those hours. With the exception of hayfever the different manifestations have their maximum onset during childhood or adolescence, and each manifestation appears to have definite sex and seasonal variations. In addition, allergic conditions are definitely affected by varied states of health of the sufferer, by intercurrent diseases, such as fever, exanthemata or climatological factors, locality, altitude or environment.

Varied manifestations of disease in childhood have been shown to fall into the allergic category. The commoner of these include such respiratory symptoms as recurrent bronchitis and asthma; such cutaneous eruption as eczema, flexural pruritis, urticaria including the popular and giant types, and purpura; such abdominal conditions as food-upsets, colic and recurrent vomiting, hayfever, migraine, enuresis and reactions to therapeutic serums and physical agents.

Much can be done to prevent the development of allergic symptoms in children. The homes should be as free from dust and allergens as possible. New foods should be tried one at a time, at least a week apart, to see if symptoms occur. Asthmatic children should be guided away from dusty occupations. Exposure to colds should be minimized. Psychosomatic factors, if present, should be given proper attention.

9. Answer the questions using the text:

15. Why may we say that allergic diseases have a similar etiologic basis?

16. What individuals are said to be allergic to different articles?

17. What term is applied to the agents giving rise to allergic reactions?

18. What are the two ways in which allergic manifestations occur?

19. When do allergic symptoms occur most often?

20. What factors may influence the frequency and severity of allergic attacks?

21. What diseases have been shown to fall into the allergic category?

22. What measures should be taken to prevent or minimize the onset of allergic symptoms?

10. Give the English equivalents to the word combinations in brackets. Translate the sentences:

1. (Чувствительность к определенным видам) of pollen, food, stings, latex products and drugs can produce an allergic response. 2. (После сильного приступа бронхиальной астмы) the child falls asleep unless a similar attack. 3. On condition the child is susceptible to respiratory symptoms (аллергического происхождения), the clinical picture may become a constant feature of the child’s health. 4. (Благоприятный исход) to mother can be easily expected provided each individual case is carefully studied. 5. Supposing some inhalant materials or foods have periodically caused (раздражение слизистой бронхов), this may lead to the fixation of a constant pathological condition. 6. Ephedrine and adrenaline will produce satisfactory results (при бронхиальной астме), if given in adequate dose. 7. Local (повышенная чувствительность) activated by injury to tissues, blood vessels and nerves may be followed by necrosis. 8. Non-allergic (крапивница) may be caused by drugs, parasites, physical allergies, and the psychogenic agents. 9. Atopic dermatitis is often associated with asthma and (сенная лихорадка). 10. One of the most complex questions in the study of allergy is why some individuals show (повышенную восприимчивость) to definite substance.

11. Choose the definitions corresponding to the following terms:

Allergy, hayfever, urticaria, migraine, exanthema, susceptibility, adolescence, pruritis, enuresis, purpura

Capability of being affected by a disease; periodic headache, often one-sided; an abnormal reaction to union of a specific antigen and the cellular antibody; intense itching; rash on the skin; incontinence of urine during sleep; annually recurring acute allergic conjunctivitis and rhinitis followed by bronchitis, and asthma; a disease characterized by formation of purple (багровый) patches on the skin and mucous membranes; a skin disease marked by transient appearance of wheals; the age period between childhood and adulthood.