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Allergies
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  1. eHow
  2. Family Health
  3. Allergies & Sensitivities
  4. Histamine

Histamine

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  • What Are Histamines?

    The American Academy of Allergies, Asthma and Immunology, known as AAAAI, estimates that nearly 50 million Americans suffer from allergies. This common condition is a result of a biochemical response to what your body perceives as an invasion. Histamine is one of the chemical substances responsible for the uncomfortable symptoms associated with allergies. It also plays an important role in the body's normal immune response.

  • How a Histamine Works

    The body's histamine release is responsible for reactions to a host of allergenic materials, including pollen, mosquito bites and bee stings. This activity can damage affected cells, incurring the need for antihistamine treatments.

  • Excess Histamine Causes

    Many people suffer from allergies when in the presence of certain allergens, such as hair, pollen or dust. Your body will release excess histamines in its effort to fight what it perceives as a bacteria or virus. This, in turn, causes symptoms like a runny nose, sneezing and watery eyes. In order to control the amount of histamine your body produces, there are a number of allergens you should try to avoid.

  • How to Stop a Histamine Response

    A histamine response is your body's reaction to an allergy such as pollen or food. It is an overreaction to foreign particles that causes your body to dilate blood vessels. This can create excess mucus, swollen sinuses, a closed up throat, rashes and other conditions. Some of these histamine responses are not dangerous and will stop within a short time, but others can be life threatening. It is always best to try to stop the histamine response to improve body function.

  • Histamine Imbalance

    A histamine imbalance is another way of saying that there is too much or too little of the histamine chemical in the brain. Because our bodies require a specific amount to function properly, histamine imbalances have both mental and physical side effects.

  • Histamine And Muscles

    Histamine is a chemical released by the body as part of an allergic reaction and also occurs naturally in foods, such as cheese, fish and meat. During an allergic reaction, histamine causes typical allergy symptoms -- itching, sneezing, swelling -- but it can also affect the behavior of muscle tissues.

  • Uses of Histamine

    Histamine not only is an irritating chemical that can cause allergic reactions and prompt you to swallow antihistamine pills; it also plays an essential role in your everyday survival. Histamine serves as a neurotransmitter, transferring neurological information that helps your brain function. Histamine is also important for your digestive and immune systems. Physicians use histamine as a diagnostic tool to evaluate cognitive, digestive and immunological functions.

  • Histamine Phosphate Product Information

    Histamine phosphate is an FDA-approved diagnostic tool used to test the production of acid in the stomach. It is also used to test for allergies, by administering a scratch test on the skin. Histamine phosphate must be administered only by a doctor.

  • Histamine Diseases

    Histamine is often associated with allergies when it triggers an inflammatory response to allergens that attack the body. Histamine controls various bodily functions and is also an indicator of some serious diseases.

  • What Are the Functions of Histamine?

    Histamine is a biological amine such as serotonin, tryptamine or acetylcholine. This amine triggers pathways to the brain by binding with histamine receptors H1, H2, H3 and H4, which belong to the receptor family which is coupled with G proteins. Expressions of the H1-H4 receptors include endothelial, epithelial and mesodermal cells. Histamine has various physiological functions within the human body.

  • How to Correct My Histamine Levels

    Histamine is found in all human tissue and is released from the body cells as part of an allergic reaction. It can also be released due to trauma, infection, and as a reaction to some medications. It stimulates gastric secretion, causes capillary dilation, constricts the bronchial muscles and decreases blood pressure. Histamine makes tiny blood vessels dilate, causing symptoms such as as runny nose and watery eyes.

  • Histamine Release Symptoms

    Histamine is a chemical in the body that is released when the body is exposed to an allergen. Allergens may include airborne allergens (such as pollen and dust mites), certain foods (such as peanuts and shellfish) or insect venom. Histamine is released in an effort to protect the body from an allergen; however, sometimes an overload of histamine can result in life-threatening symptoms.

  • What Is a Histamine Reaction?

    A histamine reaction can be triggered by a vast number of allergens, including pet dander, mold and dust mites. Certain types of foods and insect bites can also aggravate the body's immune system and cause a histamine reaction. Some of these reactions can be so severe, a call to 911 may be necessary.

  • What Is a Histamine Blocker?

    Histamines are biologically activated chemicals released by our bodies as a response to an allergen. Histamines cause capillaries to expand, sending excess fluid to the skin. The excess fluid results in swelling and the increased capillary size causes the skin to turn red. Many people who suffer from allergens avoid such reactions by taking a medication known as a histamine blocker.

  • How to Reduce Histamines

    Histamines irritate the cells in your body by attempting to attach to them, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians. Histamines are responsible for the common symptoms experienced by allergy sufferers, such as watery eyes, sneezing, runny nose and itching. The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology estimates that about 50 million people in the United States suffer from some form of allergic illness. Reducing histamines typically involves interruption of the immune response and the use of medications that prevent histamines from binding to mast cells in the body.

  • How Does Histamine Work?

    Histamine is a neurotransmitter and amine used in your body to keep it balanced and healthy. Unfortunately, sometimes histamine levels can become too high, causing the symptoms seen with allergies, or too low, causing serious problems such as anaphylactic shock.

  • The Effects of Histamine

    Allergies effect large cross sections of the population throughout the world. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), as many as 12.2 million Americans seek physician services in hospitals and doctors offices each year for allergies. The severity of an allergic reaction depends largely on histamine in the body.

  • What Is Histamine?

    Histamine is a substance present in cells of the immune system. It is released when tissue is damaged and during an allergic reaction. Anaphylaxis, hay fever and hives are common reactions involving histamine. Though it is associated with itching, runny noses and other annoyances, histamine is an important part of the body's defenses.

  • Purpose of Histamines

    Histamines are potent chemical compounds found naturally in the body. One function is to increase blood supply to an injury or a foreign substance. Though histamines aren't harmful, negative reactions can occur. Some people have an irritating, allergic response such as redness, itching and swelling. Histamines have also been linked to schizophrenia, sexual response, sleep and immune system disorders.

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