What term describes agents that can cause an allergic reaction after repeated exposure?

What term describes agents that can cause an allergic reaction after repeated exposure?

• A. Carcinogens
• B. Sensitizers/Allergens
• C. Irritants
• D. Convulsants

Answer: (B)

Sensitizers, also known as allergens, are substances that can trigger an allergic reaction only after the immune system has become sensitized through prior exposure. The first exposures may not cause noticeable symptoms, but they teach the immune system to recognize the substance. Then, with subsequent exposures, the immune system reacts, producing allergic symptoms such as dermatitis or asthma. This immune-memory mechanism distinguishes sensitizers from irritants, which cause irritation without a specific immune allergy, and from carcinogens or convulsants, which cause cancer risk or seizures rather than allergic reactions. In HazMat awareness, identifying sensitizers helps prioritize controls and PPE to prevent sensitization and subsequent reactions.

Sensitizers, also known as allergens, are substances that can trigger an allergic reaction only after the immune system has become sensitized through prior exposure. The first exposures may not cause noticeable symptoms, but they teach the immune system to recognize the substance. Then, with subsequent exposures, the immune system reacts, producing allergic symptoms such as dermatitis or asthma. This immune-memory mechanism distinguishes sensitizers from irritants, which cause irritation without a specific immune allergy, and from carcinogens or convulsants, which cause cancer risk or seizures rather than allergic reactions. In HazMat awareness, identifying sensitizers helps prioritize controls and PPE to prevent sensitization and subsequent reactions.