Immune System Disorders Trivia

1. It's possible to get allergies later in life, even into your 60s or 70s. Roughly 18 million Americans have hay fever, also known as what?

From Quiz Allergies and Older Folks

Answer: allergic rhinitis

A sudden high exposure to allergens can set off the symptoms. That's something that might happen if you moved to another part of the country with a particularly higher count of some specific allergen. Hay fever produces symptoms similar to the common cold: congestion, itchy eyes, runny nose, sneezing and pressure on the sinuses. Hay fever, however, is not the result of a virus, which the common cold is.

From Quiz Brazil... Nuts!

Answer: An allergy involves the immune system, an intolerance doesn't

An allergy is a reaction to a substance that isn't normally harmful to humans. The immune system produces chemicals and attacks the substance as though it were dangerous. Intolerances cause symptoms (like diarrhea) when the digestive system cannot digest particular substances. These reactions don't involve the immune system. Sensitivity is another type of reaction to a substance. A sensitivity to something, such as caffeine, means that the normal symptoms the substance causes will be exaggerated.

From Quiz Living with Celiac

Answer: immune system

The immune system is the system in the body that helps it to naturally fight off diseases and keeps us healthy. Celiac is an autoimmune disease based in the small intestine.

From Quiz Lupus: A Serious Yet Little Known Illness

Answer: Autoimmune disorders

Every type of lupus is an autoimmune disorder. The body's own immune system mistakenly attacks parts of the body.

From Quiz Brazil... Nuts!

Answer: Hay fever

An allergy to pollen is sometimes called hay fever or allergic rhinitis. It is most common between spring and autumn, depending on the type of pollen a person is allergic to. All pollen is different, so unless they're incredibly unlucky, someone with hay fever will only experience symptoms for a short while - not the whole of spring, summer, and autumn! Tree pollen is most common in spring and grass pollen is more common in summer months. Weed pollen is common towards the end of summer and at the start of autumn. As each plant's pollen is slightly different, a person may be more sensitive to one than another (a birch tree might cause a more severe reaction than an oak tree, for example).

From Quiz Living with Celiac

Answer: gluten

Gluten is a protein composite found in wheat and other sources. Gluten comes from the Latin word "gluten" which means glue.

From Quiz Test your AllergIQ

Answer: Winter

Dust mites are a year-round allergy, but cases tend to increase during the winter months.

From Quiz Allergies and Older Folks

Answer: oral corticosteroids

Treatment of an allergy can be tricky for older folks because some of the medications that might normally be prescribed, might cause problems for other conditions. Antihistamines can cause sedated reaction times, and dry mouth and dry eyes. Decongestants can increase blood pressure. Corticosteroids can lead to what's called steroid diabetes. People on steroids at a high risk for type 2 diabetes are susceptible to developing steroid induced diabetes. Steroids can spike blood sugar levels by causing insulin resistance.

From Quiz Scleroderma--It Isn't Just Hard Skin

Answer: collagen

Clearly a case of "too much of a good thing", with scleroderma the balance of collagen formation and breakdown is altered so that too much collagen builds up. Collagen makes up an astounding one third of our bodies' proteins. It's the basic component of scar tissue and an abnormal accumulation is called fibrosis.

From Quiz For Pete's Sake

Answer: the immune system

The immune system of the human body reacts inappropriately to the presence of a substance that it considers threatening. The body's antibodies react to the allergens and chemical substances are released. Histamine is a common chemical that is released in this type of situation. Foods are often the cause of this allergic reaction; common foods that cause this are walnuts, cashews, peanuts, shellfish, and eggs. Penicillin, bee and wasp stings can also lead to such an allergic reaction.

From Quiz Lupus: A Serious Yet Little Known Illness

Answer: Women age 20-40

For reasons not yet understood, 90% of lupus sufferers are women. Disease onset usually occurs between the ages of 20 and 40. However lupus can start outside this age bracket and some men are also affected. Afro-Caribbean people also have a much higher incidence of the disease.

From Quiz Test your AllergIQ

Answer: saliva

One is not allergic to cat hair, one is allergic to cat saliva. The hair only acts as the medium for the saliva to reach your system when cats lick themselves. That's why most people do not react to hairless cats, there is no medium flying around the house for the saliva to reach their system.

From Quiz Allergies and Older Folks

Answer: antihistamines

Antihistamines, taken orally in pill form, are a common prescription for mild allergy symptoms. Diphenhydramine is the medical term for a common type like the Benadryl brand. Some people also find that saline nasal rinses are effective for treating allergy symptoms related to congestion. I've tried using a saline rinse and have found them to be a little uncomfortable but perhaps other folks won't mind the process, but that's why I think I find the pill form easier to handle.

From Quiz Scleroderma--It Isn't Just Hard Skin

Answer: 2 & two

Localized scleroderma affects the skin and related tissues and can also affect muscles but internal organs are unaffected. The second type, systemic sclerosis (SSc), not only affects the skin but also blood vessels and major organs.

From Quiz Brazil... Nuts!

Answer: Protein in their saliva

If someone is allergic to cats, it's usually protein in the cat's saliva, urine, and dander (dried flakes of skin) that is causing the problem. Some cats are branded 'hypoallergenic', usually because they shed less, have shorter hair, or are completely hairless. Cats often lick their fur, transferring the proteins to their hair. Cats with less hair may limit a sufferer's exposure to the allergens, but as it's not actually the hair that causes the problem; any cat will pose a risk.

From Quiz Living with Celiac

Answer: endoscopy

An upper endoscopy is the common test given to test for Celiac. This is where a tube with a type of camera is stuck down your throat and into your stomach area. This allows doctors to see what is going on inside, and to know if your small intestine is not doing its job.

From Quiz Lupus: A Serious Yet Little Known Illness

Answer: They can't be transmitted

Lupus of any type is a non-contagious disease and cannot be transmitted. It is an autoimmune disease where the body mistakenly produces antibodies to its own tissue. This causes the immune system to attack the patient's own body. These antibodies are harmless to other people. However there is evidence that genetics plays some role in the development of the disease. People with relatives with lupus or with a family history of any type of autoimmune illnesses are more likely to develop the disease.

From Quiz Scleroderma--It Isn't Just Hard Skin

Answer: organ

Limited scleroderma usually has a gradual onset and is restricted to certain areas. Diffuse scleroderma has a much more sudden onset. Thick skin develops quickly and can cover much of the body and is typically symmetrical. Additionally, major organs can become damaged.

From Quiz Brazil... Nuts!

Answer: A severe reaction to an allergen

Anaphylaxis is also known as anaphylactic shock. It can occur suddenly and very quickly gets worse. Normally, during an allergic reaction the body releases histamines to deal with what it perceives to be a threat. Anaphylaxis happens when lots and lots of histamines are released. It can cause swelling in the mouth and throat, lightheadedness and difficulty breathing, among other things. Anaphylaxis is a medical emergency and always needs immediate medical treatment. Even if someone appears to be coping with the reaction, it can get worse incredibly quickly and cause a loss of consciousness.

From Quiz Living with Celiac

Answer: cross-contamination

Cross-contamination is a concern for people with severe Celiac. If for example the cook is making something involving wheat flour and then makes your food, the gluten on their hands can contaminate your food. For some this is not an issue, but for others this cross-contamination is enough to make a person very sick.

From Quiz Lupus: A Serious Yet Little Known Illness

Answer: heart disease

When lupus (systemic lupus erythematosus) affects vital organs, it is called severe systemic lupus. Although any organ can be affected, the most common is the heart, and this leads to heart disease being the most common cause of death.

From Quiz Brazil... Nuts!

Answer: Adrenaline

People with diagnosed severe reactions are usually prescribed an adrenaline (also known as epinephrine) auto-injector. As soon as anaphylaxis begins, an adrenaline auto-injector should be used. There are different brands which work in slightly different ways, so if you ever have to administer adrenaline, make sure you know how to use the injector correctly (there are usually instructions in the packet or on the pen itself). The NHS started to prescribe multiple auto-injectors because one isn't always enough to stop anaphylaxis. Any time adrenaline is used, an ambulance should be called. Even if adrenaline was used mistakenly or the allergy symptoms go away, adrenaline can have an effect on the heart rate and cause problems by itself.

From Quiz For Pete's Sake

Answer: September

If one is outdoors during the ragweed season of August to November it can be difficult to avoid, but the peak times are from 5 to 10 a.m. Pollen counts are most high on dry, hot and windy days so those who suffer from this irritant should try to do outdoor activities on other days if possible.

From Quiz Lupus: A Serious Yet Little Known Illness

Answer: Patients have very different symptoms

Because lupus can affect so many parts of the body, patients can have a varied and bewildering set of symptoms. It is often called the great mimic, since it can look like other illnesses. Very often multiple sclerosis is suspected instead. No two patients will be alike. Because of this, it can take a very long time to get a diagnosis, and patients see five doctors on average before getting diagnosed.

From Quiz Allergies and Older Folks

Answer: Stroke

Allergy attacks trigger an inflammatory response, which can possibly increase the risk of stroke. In a 2008 study by doctors to examine "the association of a reported history of hay fever to the development of stroke" they looked at 9272 participants meeting their criteria. In that group, 125 had strokes. "Of those with a history of hay fever, 2.2% had a stroke. Of those without a history of hay fever, 1.25% had a stroke." Using other controls for age, sex, race, whether they smoked, BMI, diabetes, hypertension, using alcohol, and hyperlipidemia, the doctors concluded that a history of hay fever appeared to be a risk factor for stroke, "and this association may be an area for future research and intervention."

From Quiz Scleroderma--It Isn't Just Hard Skin

Answer: Pulmonary fibrosis

The buildup of collagen thickens lung tissue and causes scarring (fibrosis) which inhibits the oxygen from entering the bloodstream. Further complications of pulmonary fibrosis can include pulmonary hypertension and blood clots in the lungs.

From Quiz Brazil... Nuts!

Answer: Cross-contamination

People with food allergies always have to be wary of cross-contamination. Certain food labels in the UK must state which allergens are contained in their product, but sometimes you might find the phrase 'may contain...'. Often, food products state that they may contain traces of an allergen if that allergen is present in the factory (or warehouse, or anywhere else). A factory producing cakes, for example, might use nuts in its fruit cake. As nuts are used on site, the manufacturers cannot guarantee that there are absolutely no nut traces in their sponge cake, even if nuts are not listed on the ingredient list. Cross-contamination can cause serious problems for people with allergies and intolerances. It's one of the reasons food hygiene is so important.

From Quiz Living with Celiac

Answer: celiac.com

Celiac.com is a popular website for people with Celiac. It gives information about Celiac itself as well as foods and other products that contain gluten. Check all sites carefully before taking any advice given. Your medical practitioner should be able to tell you the best way to control your condition.

From Quiz Lupus: A Serious Yet Little Known Illness

Answer: lack of understanding and awareness

All lupus (systemic lupus erythematosus) symptoms are difficult to deal with. Yet surprisingly, a recent study reported that systemic lupus patients find the lack of understanding and awareness hardest to deal with. Since most systemic lupus symptoms such as pain, fatigue, neurological symptoms, heart or kidney symptoms are not visible from the outside, they may look very healthy. Ironically, often the only visible symptom is a malar rash which is a pink rash over the cheeks, making the patient look even healthier. This makes it difficult for other people to appreciate how sick the person is. And since most people have never heard of systemic lupus, they don't know what symptoms the patient may be dealing with.

From Quiz Lupus: A Serious Yet Little Known Illness

Answer: It has flares and remissions

The disease usually has periods of greater activity and then better periods. However the more "minor" symptoms such as pain and fatigue are often always present. The illness can attack new organs at any time, so overall the disease can get much worse. Systemic lupus (systemic lupus erythematosus) may also cause permanent damage which will persist regardless of disease activity.

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Last Updated Dec 21 2024 5:54 AM

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