• Home

Home > Medical Reference > Encyclopedia (English)

Toggle: English / Spanish

Allergen

• Overview

Definition:

An allergen is a substance that can cause an allergic reaction. Allergens are substances that, in some people, the immune system recognizes as "foreign" or "dangerous" but cause no response for most people.

Information:

Common allergens include:

• Bacteria, viruses, and animal parasites
• Chemicals
• Dust
• Drugs (such as antibiotics, serums)
• Foods (such as milk, chocolate, strawberries, wheat)
• Perfumes
• Plants
• Pollen
• Smoke

See also:

• Allergies
• Allergic reaction
• Food allergy
• Allergy to drugs
• Antigen
• Antibody

• Review Date: 2/15/2007
• Reviewed By: Donald Accetta, MD, MPH, President, Allergy & Asthma Care, PC, Taunton, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is the first of its kind, requiring compliance with 53 standards of quality and accountability, verified by independent audit. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial process . A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics (www.hiethics.com) and subscribes to the principles of the Health on the Net Foundation (www.hon.ch).

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. Copyright 1997-2007 A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.