Allergies

An allergy is an abnormal reaction or increased sensitivity to certain substances or "allergens." The allergic individual produces symptoms when exposed to these substances which are harmless to non-allergic people. Numerous allergens may cause symptoms of allergic rhinitis: pollens are most common in the spring, grasses in the summer, and ragweed in the fall. Dust and household mites may produce year-round symptoms. Air pollution is also a factor.

When your immune system is exposed to allergens, it produces antibodies that attach themselves to certain cells in your body. These cells are found in your respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts, in your skin, and also in your blood. As part of the allergic reaction, these cells release potent chemicals such as histamine. This produces many of the familiar allergic symptoms seen in hay fever.

Anaphylaxis is an acute allergic reaction which affects the whole body and requires immediate medical attention. Many people who are severely allergic to something may have this reaction. Symptoms include anxiety, itching of the skin, headache, nausea and vomiting, sneezing and coughing, abdominal cramps, hives and swelling of tissues such as lips and joints, diarrhea, shortness of breath and wheezing, low blood pressure, convulsions, and loss of consciousness. A quick, decisive epinephrine injection can be a life-saver in the case of exposure to an allergen that has previously caused an anaphylactic reaction.

The substances or environmental factors responsible for the allergy must be identified. These causative factors must be eliminated from the immediate environment, whenever possible. Irritation, inflammation, and congestion in the body must be reduced (i.e., with antihistamines, nasal sprays, decongestants, corticosteroids, and other medications). In some cases, the allergic individual may undergo "desensitization" or immunotherapy, a process whereby he or she is given injections of the allergen in increasing doses to acclimatize his or her body to the offending substance. This is usually done in cases where the allergen cannot be avoided.

If you notice tongue swelling, difficulty swallowing, difficulty speaking, or shortness of breath in yourself or others, this may be a severe allergic reaction requiring emergency care from a physician. Get help immediately.

Exercise 7. Answer the following questions:

What is an allergy?

What are common outdoor allergens?

What are common indoor allergens?

What is anaphylaxis?

Which symptoms of anaphylaxis do you know?

What can you do to prevent allergies?

What is "desensitization"?

Exercise 8. Convert the phrases below into reported speech:

1. He said to her, "I have a terrible headache."

2. "I saw María in the clinic yesterday," said Carlos.

3. "We've lived here for three years," he said.

4. "I'll bring a vial," said the nurse.

5. "Mark's going to perform this operation," said Miranda.

6. "They found the corpse here," said the policeman.

7. "Jenny can't speak French," said Pierre.

8. "I first met my wife in Odessa," he told us.

9. "I want your homework handed in by tomorrow," he said.

10. "Our students made these mistakes," said the teacher.

11. "I'm feeling tired now," said David.

Exercise 9. Find English equivalents for the following words and word combinations in the text:

Определённые вещества, безвредный, домашние клещи, загрязнение воздуха, сенная лихорадка, острая аллергическая реакция, обморок, кожный зуд, тревожность, аллергик

Exercise 10. Explain the terms in English: allergy, anaphylaxis, desensitization

Exercise 11. Chose the best way to complete the sentences:

1. You should always _____ healthy food.
eat eaten eating shall eat was eating
2. The manager _____ soon.
will arrive is arriving has arrive arrives arrived
3. The bus _____ before I reached the bus-stop.
will arrive have arrive had arrived arrived arrive
4. The baby _____ usually well behaved.
were shall is has are
This exercise is brought to you by

5. She _____ to London yesterday.
will go went had went gone go
6. She _____ cooking food daily.
has liked is liking like likes liking
7. She never _____ late to school.
is coming came coming comes come
8. She caught them while they _____.
were talking was talked talked is talking did talked
9. Scientists _____ a new planet.
had just discover has just discover have just discover have just discovered will just discovered
10. Look! The boy _____ the hill.
climbing were climbed was climbing is climbing climbs

Exercise 12. Make up 4 different types of questions to the following sentences:

The substances or environmental factors responsible for the allergy must be identified.

These cells are found in your respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts, in your skin, and also in your blood.

The allergic individual produces symptoms when exposed to these substances which are harmless to non-allergic people.

Exercise 13. Point out the suffixes or prefixes in the words and translate the words into Russian:

Unhappy, unknown, unexpected, enlarge, enrich, reconstruct, reread, retell, renovate, remove, usually, successfully, severely, abnormal, shortness, consciousness.

Exercise 15. Give the summary of the text.

TEST

1. An allergy is an abnormal reaction or increased sensitivity to ….

a) insect bites;

b) allergens;

c) flowers.

2. Numerous allergens may cause symptoms of allergic…

a) itching;

b) coughing;

c) rhinitis.

3. When your ….. system is exposed to allergens, it produces antibodies.

a) immune;

b) nervous;

c) cardio-vascular.

4. A quick, decisive epinephrine injection can be ….

a) a fatal one;

b) a life-saver;

c) unnecessary.

5. The substances responsible for the allergy must be ….

a) identified;

b) avoided;

c) produced.

6. …… is an acute allergic reaction.

a) itching of the skin;

b) tongue swelling;

c) anaphylaxis.

7. Immunotherapy is a process whereby a person is given

a) necessary medications;

b) injections of the allergen;

c) proper treatment for low blood pressure.