Allergies.

An allergy is an abnormal reaction or increased sensitivity to certain substances or "allergens." The allergic individual produces symptoms when exposed to these substances which are harmless to non-allergic people. Numerous allergens may cause symptoms of allergic rhinitis: pollens are most common in the spring, grasses in the summer, and ragweed in the fall. Dust and household mites may produce year-round symptoms. Air pollution is also a factor.

When your immune system is exposed to allergens, it produces antibodies that attach themselves to certain cells in your body. These cells are found in your respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts, in your skin, and also in your blood. As part of the allergic reaction, these cells release potent chemicals such as histamine. This produces many of the familiar allergic symptoms seen in hay fever.

Anaphylaxis is an acute allergic reaction which affects the whole body and requires immediate medical attention. Many people who are severely allergic to something may have this reaction. Symptoms include anxiety, itching of the skin, headache, nausea and vomiting, sneezing and coughing, abdominal cramps, hives and swelling of tissues such as lips and joints, diarrhea, shortness of breath and wheezing, low blood pressure, convulsions, and loss of consciousness. A quick, decisive epinephrine injection can be a life-saver in the case of exposure to an allergen that has previously caused an anaphylactic reaction.

The substances or environmental factors responsible for the allergy must be identified. These causative factors must be eliminated from the immediate environment, whenever possible. Irritation, inflammation, and congestion in the body must be reduced (i.e., with antihistamines, nasal sprays, decongestants, corticosteroids, and other medications). In some cases, the allergic individual may undergo "desensitization" or immunotherapy, a process whereby he or she is given injections of the allergen in increasing doses to acclimatize his or her body to the offending substance. This is usually done in cases where the allergen cannot be avoided.

If you notice tongue swelling, difficulty swallowing, difficulty speaking, or shortness of breath in yourself or others, this may be a severe allergic reaction requiring emergency care from a physician. Get help immediately.

Exercise 7. Answer the following questions:

What is an allergy?

What are common outdoor allergens?

What are common indoor allergens?

What is anaphylaxis?

Which symptoms of anaphylaxis do you know?

What can you do to prevent allergies?

What is "desensitization"?

Exercise 8. Convert the phrases below into reported speech:

1. He said to her, "I have a terrible headache."

2. "I saw María in the clinic yesterday," said  Carlos.

3. "We've lived here for three years," he said.

4. "I'll bring a vial," said the nurse.

5. "Mark's going to perform this operation," said Miranda.

6. "They found the corpse here," said the policeman.

7. "Jenny can't speak French," said Pierre.

8. "I first met my wife in Odessa," he told us.

9. "I want your homework handed in by tomorrow," he said.

10. "Our students made these mistakes," said the teacher.

11. "I'm feeling tired now," said David.

Exercise 9. Find English equivalents for the following words and word combinations in the text:

Определённые вещества, безвредный, домашние клещи, загрязнение воздуха, сенная лихорадка, острая аллергическая реакция, обморок, кожный зуд, тревожность, аллергик

Exercise 10. Explain the terms in English: allergy, anaphylaxis, desensitization

Exercise 11. Chose the best way to complete the sentences:

1. You should always _____ healthy food. eat  eaten  eating  shall eat  was eating  2. The manager _____ soon. will arrive  is arriving  has arrive  arrives  arrived  3. The bus _____ before I reached the bus-stop. will arrive  have arrive  had arrived  arrived  arrive  4. The baby _____ usually well behaved. were  shall  is  has  are  This exercise is brought to you by 

5. She _____ to London yesterday. will go  went  had went  gone  go  6. She _____ cooking food daily. has liked  is liking  like  likes  liking  7. She never _____ late to school. is coming  came  coming  comes  come  8. She caught them while they _____. were talking  was talked  talked  is talking  did talked  9. Scientists _____ a new planet. had just discover  has just discover  have just discover  have just discovered  will just discovered  10. Look! The boy _____ the hill. climbing  were climbed  was climbing  is climbing  climbs 

Exercise 12. Make up 4 different types of questions to the following sentences:

The substances or environmental factors responsible for the allergy must be identified.

These cells are found in your respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts, in your skin, and also in your blood.

The allergic individual produces symptoms when exposed to these substances which are harmless to non-allergic people.

Exercise 13. Point out the suffixes or prefixes in the words and translate the words into Russian:

Unhappy, unknown, unexpected, enlarge, enrich, reconstruct, reread, retell, renovate, remove, usually, successfully, severely, abnormal, shortness, consciousness.

Exercise 15. Give the summary of the text.

TEST

1. An allergy is an abnormal reaction or increased sensitivity to ….

a) insect bites;

b) allergens;

c) flowers.

2. Numerous allergens may cause symptoms of allergic…

a) itching;

b) coughing;

c) rhinitis.

3. When your ….. system is exposed to allergens, it produces antibodies.

a) immune;

b) nervous;

c) cardio-vascular.

4. A quick, decisive epinephrine injection can be ….

a) a fatal one;

b) a life-saver;

c) unnecessary.

5. The substances responsible for the allergy must be ….

a) identified;

b) avoided;

c) produced.

6. …… is an acute allergic reaction.

a) itching of the skin;

b) tongue swelling;

c) anaphylaxis.

7. Immunotherapy is a process whereby a person is given

a) necessary medications;

b) injections of the allergen;

c) proper treatment for low blood pressure.

22. H E A D A C H E

Exercise 1. Practice the pronunciation:

Migraine ['mi:grein], atherosclerosis [æθərəusliə'rəusis], crisis ['kraisis], yawning ['jɔ:niŋ], consciousness ['kɔn∫əsnis], myocardium [maiəu'ka:diəm], peculiarity [pikju:li'æriti], encounter [in'kauntə], psychiatric [saiki'ætrik], fatiguability [fəti:gə'biliti]

Exercise 2. Topic vocabulary:

To encounter – встречать(ся)

Value – значение

On the background – на фоне

Indisposition – нездоровье, легкое недомогание

Formidable yawning – сильное зевание

Fatiguability – утомляемость

In particular – в особенности, в частности

To arise – возникать

To omit – пропускать

Peculiarity – особенность

Appropriate - соответствующий

To be inclined to – быть склонным к

Exercise 3. Give Russian equivalents;

A great value, the so-called vascular variant, brain vessels, infectious inflammatory processes, sensation of weakness, throbbing pain, pressing pain, squeezing pain, appropriate treatment, increased fatiguability, moderate headache, internal organs, insufficiency of brain circulation, prolonged attack, cervical radiculitis.

Exercise 4. Translate the sentences paying attention to the Participles:

The blood coming from the lungs is rich in oxygen.

The accompanying symptoms of the flu are high temperature, muscular pains and vomiting.

The count made a week ago was normal.

Scarlet fever is characterized by rash covering the whole trunk.

The excised mass measured 2 cm in diameter.

The patient operated on yesterday complained of a severe headache.

Exercise 5. Read and translate the text: