What is Allergy and is it curable?

Some people become ill after coming in contact with substances which have no effect on most other people. This is called an allergic reaction. Or you can say that the person has 'an allergy' to the substance.

One can have an allergic reaction on  breathing or eat or have physical contact with the substance you are allergic to. An allergic reaction can show itself in different ways, such as:

• sneezing
• an itchy or runny nose
• red eyes
• breathing problems and coughing
• common skin problems such as hives or eczema

The substances which cause these reactions are known as allergens. Common examples of allergens that affect the lungs include:

• pollen from grass and trees
• house dust mites
• animal fur

Some people - between a quarter and a third of us - have a tendency to develop allergies. This runs in families. However, not all the people with this tendency will actually get allergy problems. Allergic problems should not be ignored. Though, it cant be cured but there are good medicines to control and measures to attenuate allergic responses.

Understanding and treatment of allergy in medical science have grown beyond anti-allergic these days. Patients with severe, intractable or life threatening allergies have other options like anti-IgE antibodies, immunotherapy and organ targeted treatment modalities.

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Diagnosing OSA (obstructive sleep apnea)

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder characterized by abnormal pauses in breathing or instances of 

abnormally shallow breathing, during sleep. Each pause or cessation in breathing is called an apnea,

 can last from a few seconds to minutes, and may occur 5 to 30 times or more an hour. Similarly, 

each abnormally low breathing event is called a hypopnea. Sleep apnea is diagnosed with an 

overnight sleep test called a polysomnography, or "sleep study".

Diagnosis of OSA usually happens at a sleep clinic. Sleep study is simple test requiring no needle prick or pain. It is done with few probes overnight when the person sleeps.

Bronchoscopy: an important aid to make appropriate pulmonary diagnose

Bronchoscopy is a procedure that allows the doctor to look inside patient’s lungs (airways). During the procedure, a thin, flexible tube called a bronchoscope is inserted into patient nose or mouth and passed down the throat into the airways. The patient will be given medicine to make feel relaxed and sleepy during the procedure. The sedation makes patient undergo the procedure with no discomfort.

Bronchoscopy can help find the cause of a lung problem. For example, during the procedure, the doctor may see

·         A tumor or narrowing

·         Signs of infection

·         Excess mucus in the airways

·         Site of bleeding & Foreign body such as a piece of food in patient airway 

Bronchoscopy is a same day out-patient procedure. It is a safe procedure. Side effects and complications usually are minor.