Biological sensitization ( lat. Sensibilis , fr. Sensibilisation - sensitive ) - the acquisition by the body of a specific hypersensitivity to foreign substances - allergens , increasing its sensitivity to the effects of irritants.
This phenomenon underlies the group of allergic diseases. The sensitization process makes the body very susceptible to specific substances that can be caused by bacteria and viruses (their antigens and toxins ), chemicals, including many drugs , industrial poisons , etc. Repeated exposure to irritants provokes a number of allergic reactions, for example, urticaria , anaphylaxis , etc.
Upon contact with the pathogen, antibody production occurs, that is, immunity can withstand a specific disease.
Most often, however, sensitization occurs when the immune system perceives harmless substances as pathogens and opposes them. The most acute reactions are observed with asthma , food allergies and hay fever .
The period of sensitization is the time between the first contact with the stimulus and the occurrence of increased sensitivity to it. This period can last from several days to several years. In a child, sensitization sometimes develops simultaneously with immunity.
Literature
- Ado A.D. General allergology. - M. , 1970 .;
- Immunological diseases. - 2nd ed. - Boston, 1971.