Are Allergies An Autoimmune Disease

Certain Features Of Allergies Are Explained Below

Association Between Ad And Rheumatoid Arthritis

Five studies reported the prevalence and three cohort studies reported the incidence of rheumatoid arthritis in patients with AD. The prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis was higher in AD compared to control . The incidence was also higher in AD compared to control, with an average RR of 1.38 , which meant AD could increased the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis.

Pathophysiology Of Allergic And Atopic Disorders

When allergen binds to IgE-sensitized mast cells and basophils, histamine is released from their intracellular granules. Mast cells are widely distributed but are most concentrated in skin, lungs, and gastrointestinal mucosa histamine facilitates inflammation and is the primary mediator of clinical atopy. Physical disruption of tissue and various substances can trigger histamine release directly, independent of IgE.

Histamine causes the following:

• Local vasodilation

• Increased capillary permeability and edema

• Vasodilation of surrounding arterioles mediated by neuronal reflex mechanisms

• Stimulation of sensory nerves

• Smooth muscle contraction in the airways and in the GI tract

• Increased nasal, salivary, and bronchial gland secretions

When released systemically, histamine is a potent arteriolar dilator and can cause extensive peripheral pooling of blood and hypotension cerebral vasodilation may be a factor in vascular headache. Histamine increases capillary permeability the resulting loss of plasma and plasma proteins from the vascular space can worsen circulatory shock. This loss triggers a compensatory catecholamine surge from adrenal chromaffin cells.

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Specialized Care For Allergies And Autoimmune Disease

An allergy is your bodyâs response to a substance or food it sees as a threat. This response can lead to mild or sometimes life-threatening symptoms.

Our board-certified allergy specialist has received extra training in the diagnosis and treatment of allergies. This allergist works with other physicians to care for people affected by conditions caused by an autoimmune response, including:

• Food allergies: When something you eat, such as peanuts, triggers an immune system response
• Environmental allergies: When tiny substances in the air, such as ragweed, trigger inflammation and other symptoms
• Eczema: Red, sometimes scaly skin patches
• Asthma: Airway inflammation that can make it hard for you to breathe
• Rhinitis: Congestion and inflammation in the nose
• Sinusitis: Inflamed sinuses, near your forehead and cheeks

At our institute, different autoimmune specialists work together to get you world-class care conveniently. They provide comprehensive testing and treatment for these conditions.

Often, avoiding an allergen is the best treatment. We also offer allergy shots and an oral immunotherapy treatment that has helped many people outgrow certain environmental and food allergies.

If we think you have an autoimmune disease in addition to an allergy, our specialists closely collaborate to diagnose your symptoms. Then, they provide the best treatment for your circumstances.

Autoimmune Diet & Lifestyle

Focus on quality proteins, healthy fats, and an abundance of nutrient-dense fruits and vegetablesorganically grown, if possible. These will provide you with the micronutrients you need to keep inflammation in check and balance your immune response.

In addition, here are some helpful immune supplements to consider:

• Inflammation modulating functional foods like turmeric and ginger
• Immune supportive blends containing astragalus

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More Exposure Not Less Hygiene

Support for the hygiene hypothesis is varied and extensive. Of course, it was never intended to suggest we should be less hygienic this would only increase the rate of infectious disease. Rather, we should be encouraging childhood exposure to natural immune challenges. It is clear that antibiotic use should be avoided, especially in young children. But this will require a culture shift in many industrialised countries children can now expect to receive at least one course of antibiotics per year in their first two years of life. For disease treatment, it is becoming increasingly apparent that personalised medicine, specifically tailored to an individuals associated microbial community, may hold the key for reversing incidence trends. By identifying microorganisms that are directly involved in allergic disease,, we now have the basis for developing microbial treatments to complement allergen de-sensitisation. The hygiene hypothesis may not be about hygiene per-se, but the underpinning research has shown us that perhaps the best we can do for our childrens health is simple and effective: provide a balanced, diverse and high-fibre diet, and allow them to get grubby outside with their pets.

What Are The Types Of Diseases Caused By Autoimmunity

Typically, autoimmunity can involve the following diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel movement and multiple sclerosis

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Aetiopathogenesis Of Allergic Diseases

The incidence of allergic diseases in the world is increasing, both in developed and developing countries. According to the World Health Organisation , allergic rhinitis caused by IgE-dependent mucositis affects 400 million people. It is also estimated that about 235 million people suffer from bronchial asthma, which significantly affects the quality of life of patients and their families and their socio-economic situation. Sensitisation of exogenous allergens occurs in 40% of the population. In addition, allergies not only cause a long-term dysfunction of the immune system, but also contribute to systemic inflammation as a primary developmental factor for other non-infectious diseases .

Etiology Of Allergic And Atopic Disorders

Complex genetic, environmental, and site-specific factors contribute to development of allergies.

Genetic factors may be involved, as suggested by familial inheritance of disease, association between atopy and specific human leukocyte antigen loci, and polymorphisms of several genes, including those for the high-affinity IgE receptor beta-chain, IL-4 receptor alpha-chain, interleukin -4, IL-13, CD14, dipeptidyl-peptidase 10 , and a disintegrin and metalloprotease domain 33 .

Environmental factors interact with genetic factors to maintain type 2 helper T celldirected immune responses. TH2 cells activate eosinophils, promote IgE production, and are proallergic. Early childhood exposure to bacterial and viral infections and endotoxins may normally shift native TH2-cell responses to type 1 helper T cell responses, which suppress TH2 cells and therefore discourage allergic responses. Regulatory T cells , which are capable of suppressing TH2-cell responses, and IL-12secreting dendritic cells, which drive TH1-cell responses, are perhaps also involved. But trends in developed countries toward smaller families with fewer children, cleaner indoor environments, and early use of antibiotics may limit children’s exposure to the infectious agents that drive a predominantly TH1-cell response such trends may explain the increased prevalence of some allergic disorders.

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Living With Autoimmune Disease

Although most autoimmune diseases dont go away, you can treat your symptoms and manage your disease so you can live your life to the fullest. People with autoimmune diseases can lead active lives your life objectives shouldnt have to shift.

However, its critical to see a doctor who specializes in these diseases, get a formal diagnosis, adhere to your treatment plan, and make healthy lifestyle choices.

Managing flares is a major part of living well with autoimmune disease. You may notice that certain triggers, such as stress or exposure to sunlight, cause your symptoms to worsen. Knowing your triggers, sticking to your treatment plan, and visiting your doctor on a regular basis can help you avoid flares or prevent them from becoming severe.

Autoimmune disease can have an impact on your daily life, so it’s critical to have a team of medical professionals on your side to help you manage your symptoms. When you choose Rheumatology and Allergy Institute of Connecticut, LLC, you’re in capable and compassionate hands.

to schedule an appointment for comprehensive evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment.

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Allergy Treatment During Pregnancy And Breastfeeding

For pregnant women with allergies, avoidance of the allergen is the best way to control symptoms. If symptoms are severe, an antihistamine nasal spray is recommended. An oral antihistamine should be used only if antihistamine nasal sprays are inadequate.

During breastfeeding, nonsedating antihistamines are preferred. Sedating antihistamines can be used, but they may cause drowsiness and irritability in the infant. If a sedating antihistamine is required, the infant should be monitored for these effects.

Antihistamine nasal sprays are preferred to oral antihistamines. If oral antihistamines are essential for controlling symptoms, they should be taken immediately after breastfeeding. Cyproheptadine is contraindicated during breastfeeding because it lowers prolactin levels and thus may reduce lactation.

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Points To Remember About Autoimmune Diseases

• Autoimmune diseases refer to problems with the immune system, which usually fights off viruses, bacteria and infection. The problem causes your immune cells to attack your body by mistake.
• These diseases can affect almost any part of the body.
• In most cases, your doctor will prescribe medications to reduce redness, pain, and swelling.

Antinuclear Antibodies In Allergic Disease Development

The functioning of the immune system is impaired in cases of allergic and autoimmune disease occurrence . The presence of selected antibodies in some allergic disorders suggests their autoimmune origin . Recent scientific evidence confirms the presence of antinuclear antibodies in patients with allergic diseases . However, a small amount of data does not allow for a clear definition of the relationship between autoimmunisation and allergic diseases. Therefore, the coexistence of allergy with the presence of antinuclear antibodies synthesis remains a matter of further research.

High ANA levels are not always associated with connective tissue disease. Examples are anti-DFS70 antibodies. Their presence was confirmed, inter alia, in patients with atopic dermatitis . Western blot analysis showed a positive correlation between the signal of IgG and IgE antibodies against anti-DFSF0 in patients with atopic dermatitis . The mechanism of ANA action and its association with allergic diseases is not well understood. There is some evidence that inflammation results from an increased cellular apoptosis and the resulting products induce the autoimmunisation process .

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Nih Scientists Find Link Between Allergic And Autoimmune Diseases In Mouse Study

Scientists at the National Institutes of Health, and their colleagues, have discovered that a gene called BACH2 may play a central role in the development of diverse allergic and autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, asthma, Crohn’s disease, celiac disease, and type-1 diabetes. In autoimmune diseases, the immune system attacks normal cells and tissues in the body that are generally recognized as self and do not normally trigger immune responses. Autoimmunity can occur in infectious diseases and cancer.

The results of previous research had shown that people with minor variations in the BACH2 gene often develop allergic or autoimmune diseases, and that a common factor in these diseases is a compromised immune system. In this study in mice, the Bach2 gene was found to be a critical regulator of the immune systems reactivity. The study, headed by researchers at the National Cancer Institute and the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases , both part of NIH, and their colleagues appeared online in Nature, June 2, 2013.

The finding that a single component of the immune system plays such a broad role in regulating immune function may explain why people with allergic and autoimmune diseases commonly have alterations in the BACH2 gene, said NCI researcher Rahul Roychoudhuri, M.D. “This may be the first step in developing novel therapies for these disorders.”

NIHTurning Discovery Into Health®

Allergic Autoimmune Diseases Linked To Functional Gi Disorders

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Patients with allergic or autoimmune diseases are at higher risk for functional gastrointestinal disorders independent of psychological distress, according to research published in Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics.

Nicholas J. Talley, MD, PhD, of the faculty of health & medicine at the University of Newcastle in Australia, and colleagues wrote that immune activation appears to be a significant factor in the development of FGIDs.

Evidence for innate immune activation in the mucosa in and has been observed, but the prevalence of immune activation in FGIDs is uncertain, they wrote.

Talley and colleagues randomly selected 3,542 people from the Australian population and mailed them a survey that included questions about diagnosed autoimmune or allergic conditions. The questionnaire also assessed psychological distress and Rome III criteria for FD or IBS.

Researchers found that asthma, food, pollen and animal allergies, as well as psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis were independently associated with IBS and FD. After controlling for age, sex and psychological distress, they found that psoriasis , food allergy and rheumatoid arthritis were independent risk factors for IBS, while asthma and food allergy were risk factors for FD.

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Hidden Food Allergiesindigestion Inflammation And Auto Immune Disease

More than 50 percent of our immune system is found in our digestive tract, which is why it is important to have a properly functioning digestive system. Unfortunately, most doctors don’t recognize how food sensitivities and food allergies can affect those who suffer with irritable bowel, celiac, Crohn’s, rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, eczema, psoriases, fibromyalgia, lupus, MS and heart disease.

People who struggle with bloating, gas, indigestion, reflux and other irritable bowel problems may not realize the root cause may be associated with hidden food allergies. These unknown allergens, if allowed to continue, will trigger inflammation and weaken our immune system. It is this constant exposure to allergens that overworks and confuses our immune system. The ultimate result can be autoimmune and heart diseases.

Food allergens irritate and inflame our intestinal lining, which compromises our health and digestion. First, they reduce your ability to absorb the nutrients in your food. Just because you ate it, doesn’t mean you absorbed the nutrients in the food. This is a critical step in healing, because the only way to heal and strengthen our body is to nourish it. If our digestive system is compromised, we don’t provide the body with an adequate supply of nutrients.

Stress contributes to this ‘vicious’ cycle

The Inflammation connection

Calming down the intestines

Breaking the “vicious” cycle

What Causes Autoimmune Disease

For an autoimmune disease to occur, you typically need two things:

• a genetic predisposition
• a triggering event

Autoimmune diseases arise from a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Specific variations in genes set the stage for autoimmunity by altering the development or function of immune cells.

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Functional Medicine Therapies To Support Immune Function Include:

• IV Drip Therapy A simple and easy way to deliver nutrients directly to cells that need them. Youll find unique drips at CentreSpringMD to support immunity and boost antioxidant status.
• MTHFR testing For individuals with certain genetic variations which affect nearly 40% of the population, extra care is required for a healthy immune response involving methylation processes in the body. Your integrative doctor will help you navigate these factors.

Contact a provider to learn more about individualized autoimmune disease treatment. Remission is possible.

Prevention Of Allergic And Autoimmune Diseases By Infections

In a prospective study in Argentina, 12 patients with MS with high peripheral blood eosinophilia were followed. These patients presented parasitic infections and showed a lower number of MS exacerbations, increased interleukin -10 and transforming growth factor – secretion by peripheral blood mononuclear cells .

Similarly, deliberate administration of ova from the swine-derived parasite Trichuris suis, every 3 weeks for 6 months to 29 patients with active Crohn’s disease, improved symptoms in 21 of 29 patients with no adverse events . T. suis ova were also given to patients with active ulcerative colitis, with significant improvement .

Another helminth, Necator americanus, has also been used in Crohn’s disease, patients being inoculated subcutaneously with infective larvae. There was a slight improvement of symptoms, but the disease reactivated when immunosuppressive drugs were reduced .

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Is Dyshidrotic Eczema An Autoimmune Disease

Dyshidrotic eczema, or pompholyx, causes small, itchy blisters on the soles, palms, and edges of the fingers and toes. The cause is unknown, but many people living with the condition also have another form of eczema. In addition, doctors have noted that dyshidrotic eczema can run in families.

Some common triggers for flare-ups include:

• seasonal allergies, such as hay fever
• heat and humidity
• stress

Few studies have looked at the immune response in people with dyshidrotic eczema, so it is unclear if it has an autoimmune component.

Nummular eczema causes coin-shaped patches that are often itchy and sometimes oozing. The patches can appear anywhere on the skin. Experts do not know what causes nummular eczema, but they think it has links with:

• having dry or sensitive skin
• having other types of eczema
• metal allergies
• cuts, insect bites, or chemical burns
• low blood flow in the legs, if the patches appear there

No research has looked at whether nummular eczema could be an autoimmune disease.

Epidemiological Data Indicating A Direct Link Between The Decreasing Level Of Infectious Burden And The Rising Incidence Of Immunological Disorders

Several epidemiological studies have investigated the protective effect of infectious agents in allergic and autoimmune diseases. The presence of one or more older siblings protects against development of hay fever and asthma , of MS and also of T1D , as does attendance at day care during the first 6 months of life in the case of atopic dermatitis and asthma .

Interestingly, exposure to farming and cowsheds early in life prevents atopic diseases, especially if the mother is exposed during pregnancy . It has also been shown that prolonged exposure to high levels of endotoxin during the first year of life protects from asthma and atopy . However, these data have been contradicted by other studies showing an increased prevalence of asthma correlated with higher levels of endotoxins in urban housing . The level of endotoxins is higher in farms as compared to cities, and subjects are in contact with a greater variety of microbial compounds in farms, which could explain this discrepancy.

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