What is an Allergy?

An allergy is an overreaction of the immune system to an inappropriate stimulus, such as dust, pollen, grass, pet dander, mold, etc. The immune system believes it is being invaded by a parasite rather than a harmless allergen in the environment, and therefore it rallies its defenses to fight off the enemy.

Allergy Symptoms

The list of symptoms caused by allergies is longer than you might think. Primary signs of allergies include:

Mental problems such as confusion, slow thinking, depression and forgetfulness.
Respiratory effects including endless colds, chronic cough, recurrent bronchitis.

Of course, there are many possible reasons for these symptoms. The only way to know if they are caused by allergies is to take an allergy test. Doctors Express Portland offers a pain-free skin test that provides answers in just 15-minutes; results are read on the spot.