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Allergies
LifeExtension.com
Allergies are a global public health menace (Pawankar 2011). More than 500 million people worldwide suffer from food allergies. More than 300 million, or about 5% of the global population, now suffer from asthma(Chang 2011). Allergic rhinitis, a risk factor for asthma, affects up to 30% of adults and 40% of children (Wallace 2008).
Some scientists theorize that a potential cause of allergies in the modern world may be over-sanitation. Excess utilization of antibiotics and less frequent exposure to microbes like bacteria and viruses during childhood may impair development of balanced immunity, causing hyper-reactivity to allergens later in life, a phenomenon known as the “hygiene hypothesis” (Fishbein 2012; Jedrychowski 2011).
Relieving allergy symptoms in hopes of improving quality of life is the primary goal of treatment. However, patients often report that their conventional medications fail to provide relief (Li 2009; Metcalfe 2010). Also, corticosteroids and beta-2-agonists, drugs frequently used to treat allergic asthma, are fraught with potentially deadly side effects over the long-term.
Reliable allergy testing methods allow for a more guided treatment approach that includes identification and avoidance of troublesome allergens, as well as targeted immunotherapy with allergy shots, or via sublingual immunotherapy – an effective method underutilized in the United States, but which has been employed in Europe for decades (Lin 2011).
When you read this protocol, you will learn what causes allergies, how medical treatment can help relieve allergic reactions, and how allergy testing strategies can empower you to significantly reduce your allergic symptoms by identifying and avoiding the dietary or environmental culprits driving them. You will also read about several natural compounds with immunomodulatory properties that quell allergen-induced inflammatory responses to provide symptom relief.
What is an Allergy?
An allergy occurs when your immune system responds aggressively to a harmless environmental substance.
Common inhaled allergens include tree and flower pollen, animal dander, dust, and mold. Ingested allergens include medications (penicillin, for example) and foods such as eggs, peanuts, wheat, tree nuts, and shellfish. Nickel, copper, and latex can also cause allergies (AAAAI 2011; Kasper 2005).
These allergens can affect various parts of the body and elicit symptoms in the nasal passages (such as itchy, stuffy and/or runny nose, postnasal drip, facial pressure and pain); mouth area (tingling sensation, swollen mouth and lips, itchy throat); eyes (swollen, itchy, red eyes); respiratory (wheezing, coughing, difficulty breathing, shortness of breath); skin (hives, rashes, swelling); and gastrointestinal (stomach cramps, vomiting, diarrhea). Symptoms can occur within minutes to days after exposure and can range from mild to severe.
The most severe form of allergic reaction is called anaphylaxis. It is a potentially deadly condition that results in respiratory distress and swelling of the larynx, often followed by vascular collapse or shock (Kasper 2005). Anaphylaxis should be treated rapidly because death can occur within minutes or hours after the first symptoms appear. Many people prone to anaphylaxis carry self-injecting epinephrine pens in case of emergencies.
What Causes an Allergic Response?
The immune system normally functions to protect the body against viruses, bacteria, fungi, and other pathogens by targeting these substances for destruction upon recognition. However, an allergic response arises when your immune system mistakes harmless substances as potential pathogens and attacks them .Read more here
SOURCE : LIFE EXTENSION
