target organs and allergies

The allergy-aware doctor today thinks in terms of target or ‘shock’ organs. The concept is really very simple: some part of the body, or a particular organ (for reasons which are not clear) receives more of an allergic reaction than the rest. Whatever the environmental stressor, whether it is a food, a chemical, a hidden infection or some other insult to the tissues, the symptoms appear at the weak point and are ‘referred’ to this organ, regardless of the actual trigger. Thus you may also hear the term “end-organ failure”. The symptoms experienced will depend largely on the function of this organ and whether it is excited (stirred up) or depressed (slowed down).

The allergy-aware doctor today thinks in terms of target or ‘shock’ organs. The concept is really very simple: some part of the body, or a particular organ (for reasons which are not clear) receives more of an allergic reaction than the rest. Whatever the environmental stressor, whether it is a food, a chemical, a hidden infection or some other insult to the tissues, the symptoms appear at the weak point and are ‘referred’ to this organ, regardless of the actual trigger. Thus you may also hear the term “end-organ failure”. The symptoms experienced will depend largely on the function of this organ and whether it is excited (stirred up) or depressed (slowed down).