• disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world
    70·
    6 days ago

    *Histamines. Antibodies are far less disruptive. Histamines protect us from larger invaders like worms and other parasites. Antihistamines antagonize histamines at receptor sites, preventing the itchy, red, swelling reaction we associate with an allergen.

    • K[r]ukenberg@lemmy.world
      19·
      6 days ago

      Acktually – IgE(/antibodies) are bound to the surface of mast cells. Antigens/allergens bind to the IgE receptor and actives the mast cell, releasing histamines. Allergy can actually be treated with anti-IgE (monoclonal) antibodies (Omalizumab)!

    • yetAnotherUser@discuss.tchncs.de
      11·
      6 days ago

      Are you sure histamines are larger than antibodies?

      That’s 17 atoms if I can count correctly.

      Antibodies are made of proteins and should therefore be much larger.

      • disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world
        6·
        6 days ago

        I just confirmed. They’re only 17 atoms in size. My memory failed me. I edited the comment. Thanks for the correction!

  • doug@lemmy.todayEnglish
    10·
    6 days ago

    Anyone have experience with the shots you can get to mitigate allergies/immunotherapy? I was thinking about getting them to temper my chronic sinusitis, and I don’t want to take Claritin for life.

    • HeyJoe@lemmy.world
      4·
      6 days ago

      Not me, but my friend recently got approved for Dupixent and although he hates that he needs to even do this he says it’s night and day from before. Basically lived his entire life with not being able to breath. He got surgery, and it helped for a bit, but over time it came back. He says just being able to breathe normal is worth it.

    • thingAmaBob@lemmy.world
      3·
      6 days ago

      Currently in my (I think) 4th year out of 5. I took them because I kept getting adenoid infections and wanted to avoid two surgeries. Has been a major improvement, but I still have to take an allergy pill every day and the occasional nasal spray. Hadn’t had another infection since year 1. You have to get shots every 3-7 days for several months and then they slowly spread it out over time. I’m once a month now. If you don’t have insurance it’s very expensive, especially the first year.

  • Novaling@lemmy.zipEnglish
    4·
    6 days ago

    Reading this as my body went fucking nuclear on me the moment my allergy meds wore off and I was a fucking tears and snot fountain at 1am until I took a Zyrtec until it chilled by 2. Even then, I still have fucking drop going on in the back of my throat… ugh…