Allergens are substances of plant or animal origin that cause an allergic reaction in humans.

There are different types of allergens: Inhalation allergens, ingestion allergens, contact allergens and injection allergens.

 

Inhalation allergens can be, for example, plant pollen, house dust mites, animal epithelium, fungal spores, feather, flour and wood dust. They are inhaled by humans and cause respiratory problems (asthma and hay fever) and skin irritation.

 

Ingestion allergens can be berries, nuts, dairy products, fish or medicines that are ingested by the body. They can cause constipation, diarrhoea, colic and respiratory and skin complaints.

 

Contact allergens can be wool, leather and metals (jewellery) that come into contact with the skin. In most cases, a delayed reaction in the form of redness and itching occurs at the relevant skin site.

 

Injection allergens are not only injected into the bloodstream in the form of medicines (penicillin) and vaccines, but are also insect venoms (bees, wasps), jellyfish, fire coral and sea anemone venoms. They enter the bloodstream through stings, bites or injections and cause a range of localised skin reactions as well as circulatory failure or anaphylactic shock.