Ads Hay fever is the most clear-cut case of allergy. The drug, cromolyn, blocks mast cell degranulation and can prevent the whole allergic cascade from developing. Antihistamines, prostaglandin and leukotriene inhibitors knock out a fraction of the subsequent responses. Once underway, corticosteroids are the only drugs that block the late and delayed phase responses. Repeated antigenic stimulus then prolongs tissue inflammatory events toward chronic disease.
Food antigens can trigger the mast cell mechanism at any point in their journey through the body.
Lip, tongue, throat burning and swelling are most obvious. Acute abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea follow. Antigen may not react in GIT but activate Type 1 responses in blood or target organs, especially lungs and connective tissue. By introducing tiny amounts of suspected antigens into the skin, a local wheal and flare reaction, similar to a mosquito bite, is produced if reactive IgE is present on skin mast cells. Allergy shots are immunological treatments.