Allergic Asthma: IgE and Your Immune Response

If asthma is still affecting your daily life, you should know more about IgE (Immunoglobulin E).

IgE is the key to understanding allergic asthma. This antibody is produced by the immune system to protect against foreign substances and plays an early role in the immune response that causes allergic asthma.

If you have allergic asthma, inhaling an allergen such as mold or dust mites sets off a complex process:

• Your body may respond by producing too much IgE, which combines with the allergen.
• This causes the allergic-inflammatory process, a series of chemical reactions that cause swelling and inflammation of your airways.
• As a result, you may experience asthma symptoms and attacks.

Click the thumbnail illustration to see a full diagram of the allergic response and how various medications act on this process.

Reducing your IgE level may help prevent symptoms and attacks before they start. To determine if IgE is a contributing factor for you, see your asthma specialist for a simple IgE blood or skin test.