Bihar Board Class 10 · English · Matric exam 2027
Chapter 2: Allergy — notes
The chapter’s 7 parts in the book’s order — the first idea of each and the points Medha Ma’am writes on the board — and the summary at the end. The full lesson and a check question for each part are in the app.
1. Meeting Prem Shankar and his problem
Okay, so let's start with a little story.
- • Prem Shankar woke up with itching pain all over his body
- • He went to a clinic
- • Doctor: 'It's just an instance of allergy'
- • Doctor explains what allergy is
2. What allergy actually is
Okay, so let's understand what allergy actually is.
- • Allergy = malfunction of immune system
- • Violent reaction against harmless substances
- • Harmless substances = 'allergens'
- • Reaction -> inflammation -> symptoms (hay fever, eczema, asthma)
- • Risk factors: genetic + environment (smoking, pollution)
- • Need exposure twice: to sensitise, then to trigger
3. How allergy grows: the allergy march
Okay, so let's see how allergy can quietly build up and get worse over time.
- • Allergy often starts mild: e.g. hay fever
- • Builds up over years before symptoms show
- • Can become sudden anaphylactic shock
- • Eczema/gastrointestinal problems -> can evolve into asthma
- • Asthma symptoms: hyper-reactivity, airway obstruction
- • This path = 'the allergy march'
4. IgE antibody and medicines for asthma
Okay, so let's see how scientists came to understand allergy better.
- • IgE = Immunoglobulin E, discovered 1967 (Uppsala & Baltimore)
- • IgE antibodies: specific for hundreds of allergens
- • Anti-histamines: relieve symptoms, not inflammation
- • Inhaled steroids: anti-inflammatory, but overtreatment risky
- • ECP (Eosinophilic Cationic Protein): monitored via Phadia test
5. Treatment of allergies: three approaches
Okay, so now let's talk about how doctors actually treat allergic diseases, like allergic rhinitis.
- • 3 approaches to treat allergic diseases:
- • 1. Avoidance of the allergen
- • 2. Medication to relieve symptoms
- • 3. Allergy shots
- • Doctor's assessment: family history, physical exam, differential diagnosis
- • Early treatment can change course of disease
6. Seasonal and perennial allergens
Okay, so allergens are of two types — seasonal, and perennial.
- • Allergens: Seasonal + Perennial
- • Seasonal: pollens, outdoor mold spores
- • Tree pollen: April-May; Grass pollen: May-June; Ragweed: August-October
- • Mold spores most prominent: July-November
- • Perennial: house dust mites, animal dander, cockroaches, indoor mold spores
- • Dust mites thrive in humidity > 50%
7. Ways to avoid allergens
Finally, you learn practical suggestions to avoid allergens.
- • Wear pollen mask while mowing/cleaning
- • Stay indoors in morning & on windy days
- • Keep windows/doors closed in pollination season
- • Remove indoor plants, mildew; no dander animals
- • Use cotton/synthetic bedding; wash in hot water (130 F)
- • Afford: air conditioner, air filters, dehumidifier
Summary
Okay, so let's recap this chapter together. It started with Prem Shankar waking up with an itching sensation. Remember, a doctor explained allergy to him — it's a malfunction of the immune system, causing a violent reaction to normally harmless allergens. This leads to inflammation, and symptoms like hay fever, eczema and asthma. We also saw how allergy can quietly build up over years. Sometimes it turns into sudden, life-threatening anaphylactic shock. Or it moves from eczema into asthma — the chapter called this 'the allergy march'. You learnt about the antibody IgE, discovered in 1967. You also saw how medicines like anti-histamines and inhaled steroids are used, with ECP monitored to keep the dosage safe. There were three approaches to treatment — avoidance, medication, and allergy shots. We also looked at how doctors assess how severe an allergy is. Then came the allergens themselves — seasonal ones, like pollens and mold spores, and perennial ones, like dust mites and dander, each with its own season and conditions. And finally, some very practical suggestions — pollen masks, keeping windows closed, washing bedding in hot water — all to help avoid allergens. So, out of everything we covered, which part do you remember most clearly?
Ask Medha · Medha Ma’am — Bihar Board Class 10 English, Chapter 2. Written from the textbook, checked twice.
Questions parents and students ask
- How do I get the "Allergy" notes as a PDF?
- Press "Save as PDF" — the phone’s print sheet opens; choose "Save as PDF" there. The PDF holds the notes only.
- Where are these notes written from?
- From the chapter’s own textbook text, part by part, in the book’s own terms; a second, independent model then checked every part against the book. The full lesson, a check question for each part and the practice are in the Ask Medha app.
The same preparation, with Medha Ma’am — on your phone
Every question of every chapter with its model answer, practice questions in the board’s own shapes, 45 minutes of class a day, written answers marked, a test every Sunday and a WhatsApp report to parents.
Medha Ma’am is an AI teacher, not a live tutor. Every answer is checked twice; a person takes responsibility.