The Rise In Food Allergy Cases
The number of people with food allergies has risen sharply over the past few decades and, although the reason is unclear, other allergic conditions such as atopic dermatitis have also increased.
One theory behind the rise is that a typical child’s diet has changed considerably over the last 30 to 40 years.
Another theory is that children are increasingly growing up in “germ-free” environments. This means their immune systems may not receive sufficient early exposure to the germs needed to develop properly. This is known as the hygiene hypothesis.
Side Effects Of Immunotherapy Injections
Some patients develop a localised swelling at the site of the injection. This can be treated with non-sedating oral antihistamines or ice packs and if painful, Paracetamol. If the swelling is significant, your doctor may need to reduce the next dose.
More severe reactions are uncommon, however predicting who might have the serious reactions is difficult. Patients are normally advised to:
- Remain in their doctor’s surgery for at least 30 minutes after injection.
- Avoid exercising for at least 3 hours afterwards.
- Avoid some heart and blood pressure medications . Must be discussed with the prescribing doctor.
- Taking a non-sedating oral antihistamine before the injection may reduce the risk of side effects and may be recommended by your doctor.
It is important to inform your doctor about any reactions you may have experienced after your last injection and any new medications you are taking , or if you become pregnant.
Patients who are pregnant , are not routinely commenced on allergen immunotherapy until after they have given birth. If the patient is on maintenance doses of allergen immunotherapy and then becomes pregnant, the injections can be continued , but the supervising specialist should be contacted to discuss relevant safety issues.
Treatment Of Allergic Reactions
Omalizumab is a monoclonal antibody . Omalizumab binds to immunoglobulin E IgE One of the body’s lines of defense involves white blood cells that travel through the bloodstream and into tissues, searching for and attacking microorganisms and… read more , an antibody that is produced in large amounts during an allergic reaction, and prevents IgE from binding to mast cells and basophils and triggering an allergic reaction. Omalizumab may be used to treat persistent or severe asthma when other treatments are ineffective. If hives recur frequently and other treatments are ineffective, it may be helpful. When it is used, the dose of a corticosteroid can be reduced. It is given by injection under the skin .
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Similarities Between Allergies And Autoimmunity
The main similarities between the two are as follows:
- Both symptom results in a general feeling of fatigue and sickness.
- Itching is a common symptom of both allergies and autoimmune diseases.
- Both the allergies and autoimmune diseases cause some sort of redness or swelling, due to the higher immune response.
Herbal Remedies For Low Immunity By Planet Ayurveda
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Curcumin is known as “haridra” in Sanskrit, scientifically known as Curcuma longa. It is used in every kitchen in India since ages as a spice and as medicine to combat wear and tear of tissues to enhance immunity. Researchers have proven that curcumin is very safe, natural antioxidant and immunomodulating agent. The curcumin capsules by Planet Ayurveda contain standardized extract of Curcuma longa. These capsules are purely vegetarian, nontoxic and possess therapeutic properties such as analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anti diabetic, antiseptic, anti hypothermic. It removes the toxins from the body. It is effective against vitiated vata and kapha. Vitiated kapha clogs the channels in the body resulting accumulation of endotoxins, haridra effects wonderfully on kapha by stimulating liver and giving strength to the intestines.
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What Things Cause Allergies
Common Airborne Allergens
Some of the most common things people are allergic to are airborne :
Common Food Allergens
Up to 2 million, or 8%, of kids in the United States are affected by food allergies. Eight foods account for most of those: cow’s milk, eggs, fish and shellfish, peanuts and tree nuts, soy, and wheat.
Other Common Allergens
- Insect allergy. For most kids, being stung by an insect means swelling, redness, and itching at the site of the bite. But for those with insect venom allergy, an insect sting can cause more serious symptoms.
- Medicines. Antibiotics are the most common type of medicines that cause allergic reactions. Many other others, including over-the-counter medicines , also can cause allergic reactions.
- Chemicals. Some cosmetics or laundry detergents can make people break out in hives. Usually, this is because someone has a reaction to the chemicals in these products, though it may not always be an allergic reaction. Dyes, household cleaners, and pesticides used on lawns or plants also can cause allergic reactions in some people.
Some kids also have what are called cross-reactions. For example, kids who are allergic to birch pollen might have symptoms when they eat an apple because that apple is made up of a protein similar to one in the pollen. And for reasons that aren’t clear, people with a latex allergy are more likely to be allergic to foods like kiwi, chestnuts, avocados, and bananas.
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How Do I Know If I Have An Allergy
Most people believe in the classical symptoms like runny nose, sneezing, sore throat and watery eyes. There are plenty of other symptoms that are overlooked by us. The congestion of mucus invites the bacteria to come and linger on that makes your life miserable. If you feel any of the following symptom it can be due to allergy:
- Chronic fatigue
- Difficulty in concentrating
- Lack of exercise endurance
It is a well known fact, even healthcare professionals can fail to identify these lesser known allergy symptoms. Resulting in misdiagnosis which can delay treatment and further weaken an already under pressure immune system.
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Does An Allergy Test Hurt
Usually these tests donât hurt, but can cause mild pain in patients who have positive allergic reactions. Some people’s skin is very sensitive and they can feel the itching and red bumps after exposure to particular substance they are allergic to which disappear within a few days. It happens very rarely, that there is a possibility of asthma attacks during allergy testing.
What Is Allergic Rhinitis
Nasal allergy symptoms and hay fever are referred to as allergic rhinitis. Seasonal allergic rhinitis is nasal allergies that change with the seasons because of pollen from plants . Seasonal symptoms arise during the pollinating seasons for particular plants. Because you can be allergic to more than one thing, your symptoms may get worse at different times throughout the year, or may be constant.
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Fight Allergies With A Pro
Logging hours at the gym and eating your vegetables aren’t going to cure or completely prevent seasonal allergies. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle can certainly minimize the effects of allergy symptoms though, as well as a host of other conditions. “If someone is in great shape, exercises, and does all these great things, they can withstand the impact of allergies better than someone who’s got all kinds of other problems,” Dr. Mardiney noted. One word of caution, though: If you are sensitive to outdoor allergens like pollen, you may want to take your exercise routine indoors when levels are at their highest, or take your allergy medication before you start out.
Learn More About The Link Between Allergies And Immune Health
From stress to poor diet, there are many factors that may contribute to a weak immune system. This may lead to an increased frequency of colds and flu, but could allergies be a sign of a weak immune system too? I look at this question in more detail here, plus I offer some tips to support both allergies and the immune system.
Louise Baillie
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What Is The Difference Between Food Allergy And Food Intolerance
Physical reactions to some foods can be the same, but most of them are caused by food intolerance and not by food allergy. Food intolerance creates some of the same signs that would be caused by food allergy. Thus both get confused.
A food allergy causes an immune system reaction that leaves its effect on a number of organs of the body. It has a number of symptoms, it can also cause severe reactions that for you can prove to be life threatening.
In food intolerance the symptoms are less serious and mostly cause digestive troubles. If you have food intolerance, you might be able to eat the foods that are triggering symptoms in small amounts without much trouble. You also may be capable of handling a reaction. For example if you have lactose intolerance, you may be able to drink lactose-free milk or consume a lactose enzyme pill to support digestion.
Can Allergies Weaken Your Immune System
Summer season is here, and with the heat comes the usual threat of some seasonal allergies. This is also the time when many people are wondering, can allergies weaken your immune system?. A direct answer to this question is yes allergies can indeed weaken your immune system.
Although having allergies doesnt cause you to have a cold or flu, your allergy treatment is a factor that makes you vulnerable to other sicknesses. Sometimes, its hard to differentiate between allergies and sickness. Lets say that youre sneezing, have a runny nose, and a sore throat. You may be mistake these symptoms of allergy for a cold. The only time youll realize that its more than just an allergy is when you suffer from a fever or headache. In addition, a cold may last only for a week or so, while your allergies will stay for as long as you get exposed to the allergen.
However, if youre suffering from allergies and they arent getting effective treatment, it could possibly weaken your immune system, making you more at risk on viruses and other bacterias. This can result in your allergies evolving into a sinus, ear, or infection in your upper respiratory.
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Are Allergies A Sign Of A Strong Immune System
Allergies affect more than 50 million Americans every year. They originate from the immune system which defends the body against harmful microorganisms such as viruses and bacteria by releasing antibodies that kill the invaders.
Allergic reactions occur when the body releases antibodies in response to harmless substances such as dust and pollen. Allergies cause different discomforts, ranging from wheezing to itchy eyes. Allergy testing Los Angeles will help you know the exact substances causing your allergy and what to do.
Do Allergies Benefit Your Health?While allergies indicate that the immune system is not functioning correctly, a group of researchers suggests otherwise. They argue that these allergies could be the bodys mechanism of getting rid of toxic substances and that allergies are indicators of strong immune systems. The concept is:
- Allergy symptoms keep unhealthy irritants out of the body. For instance, if you inhale an undesirable substance such as pollen, you may sneeze to exhale it or produce extra mucus.
- Allergic reactions are the bodys means of warning you to avoid toxic substances. Undoubtedly, if you sneeze or cough a lot when exposed to dust, you are likely to avoid dusty environments.
Currently, there are different studies about allergic reactions. Some indicate that allergies are more robust defenses against certain cancers.
Immunotherapy Injections Versus Sublingual Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy has been given by injection for more than 100 years and many studies prove that it is effective. A number of studies published in the last five years have shown that very high dose sublingual immunotherapy , where allergen extracts are retained under the tongue for a few minutes, then swallowed, can also be effective. SLIT has a longer history of use in Europe than in Australia and New Zealand, where it is used more commonly than injected immunotherapy.
The allergen extracts currently available in Australia and New Zealand for oral and injected therapy are very potent, and are NOT the extremely weak and ineffective extracts used by some medical practitioners ten or more years ago.
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What Is The Role Of The Immune System In Allergy
Both the inborn and adaptive immune systems play a role in allergy, which occurs as a result of sensitization to substances that are harmless in the environment , and hypersensitive reactions upon consistent exposure to these particles. The inborn, also called non-specific, immune system acts in response to all foreign particles entering the body.The immune system that can be further divided into innate or adaptive sections, is the bodyâs key mechanism of protection against infection, but also the system is responsible for pathological allergic reactions to substances, which are totally harmless.
Role Of Regulatory T Lymphocytes
Natural Treg cells of a CD4+CD25+ phenotype are best characterized by an intracellular marker, a transcription factor Foxp3, playing an essential role in development and activity of these cells . Inducible regulatory T lymph cells arise as a result of activation of mature T cells in the settings lacking an optimal exposure to antigen or costimulation as well as in the environment of inhibitory cytokines and are characterized by IL-10 and TGF production. Naïve CD4+ T cells may also develop into Tr1 cells in the presence of chronic stimulation with allergens infectious and tumor antigens. However, the suppressive function is not strictly Treg-specific and all CD4+ T cells exhibit suppressive activity in different degree. Mechanisms determining types of immune response and their mutual relationship as a result of transcription factors and cytokine activities towards CD4+ T cell subsets are displayed on .
Mechanisms determining types of immune response and their mutual relationship as a result of transcription factors and cytokine activities towards CD4+ T cell subsets.
For T regulatory lymphocytes, the following nonexclusive functions are proposed: prevention of autoimmunity by establishing and maintaining immunological tolerance to self-antigens, induction of maternal tolerance to the fetus, induction of tolerance against alimentary antigens, and suppression of pathogen-induced immunopathology .
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What Is Wheat Allergy
Wheat allergy usually happens to the kids who have to attain the age of three. Mostly it gets all over by the time when they grow past 12 years. About 65% are believed to
- Often wheat allergy doesn’t have a cure and you have to control your diet. Most of the kids outgrow food allergies. Usually wheat allergy affects toddlers.
- There are certain ways that are not approved but still tried and tested. Small doses of wheat are supplied initially, which are increased day by day. Then there is another way by injecting small doses of wheat into your body. Another version is to hold a small amount of wheat under your tongue for 1 or 2 minutes and then swallow to make its immunity wake up. These techniques are showing some positive responses.
How Can Allergy Tests Help In Your Treatment
Looks like you are allergic to something. If the test is done by an expert, he/she can surely tell you what triggers your symptoms and what doesn’t. For example if your cat has mold and is responsible for your wet eyes and makes you sneeze quite frequently, now you will know how to maintain distance from your cat. Once you become aware exactly about what you are allergic to, you and your doctor will be able to make a treatment plan to reduce or eradicate your allergy symptoms completely.
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Is Allergy Genetic Or Not
Everybody in his/her life has suffered from one allergy or another or he/she may have been friendly with someone who has suffered from an allergy. Its symptoms have an irritating effect that ranges from mere skin rash to life threatening respiratory troubles. Some people believe that environmental factors or some food that we had eaten during our childhood are responsible for causing allergies, while others believe genetic factors are responsible for causing allergies. Many did research on twins, and found nothing common. If both twins reacted the same way to a particular food, then it was a fact that allergies are genetic.
Gluten And Immune System Function
If you are just getting started on your gluten free journey, its important to remember, that years of damage from gluten on your immune system is often what delays recovery. Remember that your immune system needs time and the right nutrition to function optimally. Gluten can cause inflammation in any tissue in the body. For this reason many people have been put on multiple medications to suppress the symptoms of gluten induced damage. Removing gluten from the diet can remove the damaging trigger, but the body still has to repair the inflammation, and rebuild a healthy functioning immune system. Simply put, this takes time. Watch the video below to learn more about gluten and immune system function.
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How Does Ayurveda Consider The Allergy
A hypersensitivity reaction of the body towards a harmless substance is called an allergy. In an allergy,causes are predictable. The response that comes from the immune system ranges from a mild irritation to a fatal anaphylaxis.
Ayurveda sees allergy as malfunctioning of physical moods , particularly the Vata. It disturbs the Kapha. This leads to various disturbances in the body. Weakened Vata and Pitta cause rashes, and fever. All the 3 doshas get aggravated and cause hives and dizziness. Aggravated Vata and Pitta cause blockages in the bronchi, excessive secretion of mucus The main reason for all these disturbances is our diet and changing lifestyle.
