An allergen is any substance (antigen), most often eaten or inhaled, that is recognized by the immune system and causes an allergic reaction.

No comprehensive list of allergens is currently possible. Sensitivities vary from one person to another and it is possible to be allergic to an extraordinary range of substances.

Dust, pollen and pet dander are all common allergens, but it is possible to be allergic to anything from chlorine to perfume. Food allergies are not as common as food sensitivity, but some foods such as peanuts (really a legume), nuts, seafood and shellfish are the cause of serious allergies in many people. A few people have even been recorded to be allergic to certain chemicals found in almost all water. Poison ivy (and other plants, like poison sumac or poison oak) is a plant that will cause an allergic reaction for anyone, given enough repeated contact -- like any allergy, the human body must learn to fight the allergen, some bodies learn slower and will appear to be "immune" to poison ivy.

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L.A. Times - Home & Garden

A modern relic: 1932 hacienda updated in Santa Monica
Sat, 16 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700
The homeowners, 'complete modernists,' wanted to maintain the ranch-style home's simplicity and add their own contemporary touch. Skylights and wider floor space set the tone. THERE IS no state-of-the-art media room, no marble spa bathroom, nor some of the other luxuries one might expect at the home of “High School Musical” creator Bill Borden and modern architect Melinda Gray . Their Santa Monica house is a simple ranch, a 100-foot-long rectangle fronted by a loggia, its seven archways formed of fat bricks salvaged from an old kiln. "Our kids go to the same school as Jamie Lee Curtis', and when she came over, she said, 'You're like hippies who made enough money to buy a big house,' " Borden says. "It's just not a fancy house."
This L.A. enclave near the Arroyo Seco is close-knit
Sat, 16 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700
Hermon experiences a renaissance as businesses move in and homes are remodeled. Though its history stretches back more than a century, in recent decades the northeast L.A. neighborhood of Hermon had all but lost its identity, overshadowed by nearby South Pasadena and Highland Park. Now, this tiny, peaceful community on the edge of the Arroyo Seco is rediscovering its past -- and taking control of its future.
How to build a dog ramp
Sat, 16 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700
Seven pieces of plywood, some tread and carpeting may give your pet a leg up on a good night's rest. MOST DOGS know the best bed in town is the one their humans sleep on. But what if a dog's legs are too short or too old to make the mighty leap?

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