What are allergies?
Allergies are a hypersensitive immune response to substances that come in contact with the body. The body recognizes these substances as threats and therefore tries to rid the body of them. The over reaction to the pathogen can result in inflammation, swelling, airway constriction, and skin rashes.
What is Asthma?
Though allergies and asthma often go hand-in-hand, Asthma is a disease itself. Asthma is a disease characteristic of chronic airway inflammation and constriction. It causes difficulty breathing, wheezing and coughing, and an increased production of mucous. Asthma is an incurable illness, though it can be well maintained if treated properly. Symptoms can also be triggered by an allergen, exercise, or other stressors.
The role of oxidative stress…
Increasing evidence is showing that oxidative stress mediates allergies and allergic disorders. Inflammation is characteristic of both allergies and asthma, due to the production of histamine. Histamine is produced when the allergen attaches to the immune system’s mast cell, which promotes inflammation and initiates the signaling cascade of the immune response. In asthma, histamine causes inflammation that ultimately constricts the bronchioles. During inflamed states, the body has an increased number of reactive oxygen species (ROS) which prolong inflammation and cause downstream destructive reactions to occur. OPCs (oligomeric proanthocyanidins) have antioxidative as well as antihistamine activity to help reduce inflammation and prevent allergic reactions. By inhibiting the enzyme that produces histamine, inflammation is blocked at the source, and ROS are prevented to leave you in the best of health.
If you or someone you know struggles with asthma or allergies, check out OptiHealth Product’s very own Isotonic Super Antioxidant Formula, OPCXtra. OPCXtra will help to eliminate free radicals and reduce free radical damage.