science

List of allergens

List of allergens is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand List of allergens rather than just read about it. In short: This is a list of allergies, which includes the allergen, potential reactions, and a brief description of the cause where applicable. An allergy is a misguided type-I hypersensitivity response triggered by binding of an allergen to immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies.

Key takeaways

List of allergens belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect List of allergens to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of List of allergens from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

This is a list of allergies, which includes the allergen, potential reactions, and a brief description of the cause where applicable. An allergy is a misguided type-I hypersensitivity response triggered by binding of an allergen to immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies. Antibody reactions require a molecule of sufficient size. As a result, most allergens are large biomolecules such as proteins and carbohydrates, many of which can be removed or broken down by food processing. A smaller molecule may still become allergenic by binding to a larger molecule to form an epitope of sufficient size; such a small molecule is called a hapten. This list also includes some other forms of hypersensitivity reactions, especially so-called allergic contact dermatitis (ACD), a type-IV hypersensitivity response. Such a response is not associated with IgE action, but T-cell activation. The prototypic example is Urushiol-induced contact dermatitis. Allergens are categorized on this page by origin for minimal redundancy. Symptoms typically depend on route of exposure, which is not yet sorted cleanly here. The World Health Organization and International Union of Immunological Societies (WHO/IUIS) Allergen Nomenclature Sub-Committee maintains a webpage listing every protein (as well as some carbohydrates) that have elicited a confirmed IgE reaction in any human. Readers seeking a more reliable list are advised to visit their website.

Plant

Balsam of Peru

Routes Oral (food), Skin contact Symptoms Redness, swelling, itching, allergic contact dermatitis reactions, stomatitis (inflammation and soreness of the mouth or tongue), cheilitis (inflammation, rash, or painful erosion of the lips, oropharyngeal mucosa, or angles of their mouth), pruritus, hand eczema, generalized or resistant plantar dermatitis, rhinitis, conjunctivitis, and blisters. Present in many foods, such as coffee, flavored tea, wine, beer, gin, liqueurs, apéritifs (e.g. vermouth, bitters), soft drinks including cola, juice, citrus, citrus fruit peel, marmalade, tomatoes and tomato-containing products, Mexican and Italian foods with red sauces, ketchup, spices (e.g. cloves, Jamaica pepper (allspice), cinnamon, nutmeg, paprika, curry, anise, and ginger), chili sauce, barbecue sauce, chutney, pickles, pickled vegetables, chocolate, vanilla, baked goods and pastries, pudding, ice cream, chewing gum, and candy. Present in many drugs, such as hemorrhoid suppositories and ointment (e.g. Anusol), cough medicine/suppressant and lozenges, diaper rash ointments, oral and lip ointments, tincture of benzoin, wound spray (it has been reported to inhibit Mycobacterium tuberculosis as well as the common ulcer-causing bacteria H. pylori in test-tube studies), calamine lotion, surgical dressings, dental cement, eugenol used by dentists, some periodontal impression materials, and in the treatment of dry socket in dentistry. A number of national and international surveys have identified Balsam of Peru as being in the "top five" allergens causing patch test reactions in people referred to dermatology clinics.

Buckwheat

Routes Oral (food), Nasal (inhalation) Symptoms Asthma, rhinitis, pruritus, gastrointestinal disturbances, urticaria, angioedema, shock, anaphylaxis Allergenicity is highest in Japan and Korea. It is estimated that buckwheat causes 5% of all immediate-type allergic reaction cases (from food) in Japan. Hazard extends to inhalation of milled flour particles (aeroallergen). Irrespective of the nomenclature, it is not a wheaten cereal; the name refers to its viability as a pseudocereal. Relating or conflating buckwheat allergy with wheat allergy or Triticeae hypersensitivities should be avoided.

Celery

Routes Oral (food) Symptoms Abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, oral allergy syndrome, urticaria, neck or facial swelling, severe asthma symptoms, exercise induced anaphylaxis, potentially fatal anaphylactic shocks Higher risk of provoking life-threatening reactions compared to most other food allergies. Celery seeds and celeriac are more allergenic than celery stalks. Some individuals become cross-sensitized to other spices and herbs in the parsley family. Prevalence is high among adults in Central Europe. It is estimated that two-fifths of all Swiss food-allergy patients react to celery tubers and nearly a third of severe food allergy reactions in France may be due to celery.

Fruit

Routes Oral (food) Symptoms Mild itching, rash, generalized urticaria, oral allergy syndrome, abdominal pain, vomiting, anaphylaxis A wide range of fruits may cause allergy. Mango, strawberries, banana, avocado, and kiwi are common problems. Severe allergies to tomatoes have also been reported. Some cross-react with latex allergy. Stone fruits are highly cross-reactive with one another, as are the rosaceae fruits Reaction to hot peppers, a kind of botanical berry, is another specific type of fruit allergy.

Garlic

Routes Oral (food) Symptoms Dermatitis, rhinitis, asthma, urticaria, asymmetrical pattern of fissure, thickening/shedding of the outer skin layers, rarely anaphylaxis Very few garlic allergens have been reported, and garlic allergy has been rarely studied. Some garlic-allergic individuals may cross-react with leek, shallot and onion (other Allium). Garlic that has been heated/cooked is less allergenic than raw garlic.

Oat

Routes Oral (food), inhalation Symptoms Dermatitis, respiratory problems, anaphylaxis Risk extends to respiratory inhalation. Oat is not a triticeae cereal but it is possible for individuals with gluten-related disorders to be misdiagnosed as having a hypersensitivity to pure oat because cross-contamination is very common in the western world.

Wheat (and other cereals)

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with List of allergens

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what List of allergens claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to List of allergens before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about List of allergens ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of List of allergens

In research: List of allergens appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses List of allergens in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: List of allergens is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Allergology, Dermatology-related lists, Effects of external causes, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for List of allergens outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study List of allergens in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what List of allergens means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain List of allergens out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is List of allergens in simple terms?

Why does List of allergens matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study List of allergens?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on List of allergens.