The topic of allergic food reactions is undoubtedly one of the most confused of clinical immunology. The term ‘allergic’ is frequently used inappropriately to describe all conditions where reproducible reactions are triggered by food ingestions, disappear on an elimination diet and recur on a blind challenge. ‘Food intolerance’ is the appropriate term to define the entirety of these conditions.
Allergic food reactions should be confined to those cases where an immune mechanism can be demonstrated. Most instances of food intolerance are not explained by a clear immunological mechanism, being caused by toxics (spices, sulphites) and pharmacological (caffeine, sodium nitrite) stimuli or by enzymatic deficiencies (lactose deficiency in some cases of milk intolerance). In these non-immune food reactions, however, many of the manifestations may be accounted for by activation of the alternative complement pathway.
It is postulated that this pathway is triggered by non-immune stimuli such as food contaminants, leading to formation of anaphylotoxins such as C5a.
In the first year of life, food intolerance is relatively common, with cow’s milk being the most frequent initiating stimulus. It appears as gastrointestinal symptoms and possibly wheezing. In adults the foods most frequently involved in intolerance are milk, eggs, fish, nuts, wheat and chocolate. These food reactions frequently have an allergic pathogenesis. Symptoms include urticaria, angioedema, asthma, anaphylaxis and less frequently, nausea and vomiting. Such manifestations, but even more those comprising the oral allergy syndrome-swelling of the lips within minutes of food ingestions and tingling in the mouth and the throat-closely correlate with the presence of specific IgE and implicate a type I hypersensitivity as the mechanism responsible for the clinical manifestations.
Involvement of type I hypersensitivity can be documented by the detection of specific IgE using the RAST or, less expensively, with a skin prick test. The prick test, unfortunately, is only as good as the antigen it uses.
Therefore, while antigenic preparations from eggs, milk or shellfish may provoke a positive skin reaction in sensitized individuals, highly purified preparations from apple are rarely do, even if a hypersensitive subject gives strikingly positive reactions when challenged with cruder preparations from apple juice or apple peel.
The main diagnostic procedure in food intolerance is an elimination diet from which suspect foods are gradually removed until symptoms disappear. A positive diagnosis is made when symptoms reappear upon reintroducing a specific food. This challenge should be done in a double-blind manner using placebo controls.
The challenge should be avoided, however, if the food is suspected to have caused systemic anaphylaxis in the past.
by: Wong Lai Teng
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
How to Relief with Allergies?
An allergies is an abnormal reaction to ordinarily harmless substance or substances. These sensitizing substances, called allergens, may be inhaled, swallowed or come into contact with the skin.Substances that cause allergic reactions, such as certain foods, dust, plant pollen, or medicines, are known as allergens.
An allergy is actually a malfunction of the immune system, which attacks invaders or antibodies.Allergic reactions can be mild, like a runny nose, or they can be severe, like difficulty breathing.Allergic asthma caused by allergens such as mites and pollens, and stinging insect allergy.Allergic reaction to something that is breathed into the lungs in a person who is susceptible.
Medications such as pills or nasal sprays are often used to treat allergies.Many effective medications are available to treat common allergies.
AANGAMIK DMG:
AANGAMIK DMG is the only pure DMG product that contains no fillers or binders and is therefore pure and non-allergenic.
Allercetin Allergy & Sinus:
Allercetin is a Bio-Aligned Formula that utilizes natural homeopathic remedies for the treatment of allergies.
Allergiemittel AllerAide:
Allergiemittel AllerAide temporarily relieves minor allergic symptoms such as sneezing, itching, runny nose, watery eyes, eczema, wheezing, and shortness of breath caused by allergies.
How to care with Allergies?
1.Wear a mask whenever dusting or mowing a lawn Stop smoking.
2.Keep family pets out of certain rooms, like your bedroom, and bathe them if necessary. 3.Avoid using aspirin, which has been reported to allow food allergens to be more effectively absorbed by the body.
4.Remove carpets or rugs from your room.Install an air-purification system at home.
Author By Michal John
An allergy is actually a malfunction of the immune system, which attacks invaders or antibodies.Allergic reactions can be mild, like a runny nose, or they can be severe, like difficulty breathing.Allergic asthma caused by allergens such as mites and pollens, and stinging insect allergy.Allergic reaction to something that is breathed into the lungs in a person who is susceptible.
Medications such as pills or nasal sprays are often used to treat allergies.Many effective medications are available to treat common allergies.
AANGAMIK DMG:
AANGAMIK DMG is the only pure DMG product that contains no fillers or binders and is therefore pure and non-allergenic.
Allercetin Allergy & Sinus:
Allercetin is a Bio-Aligned Formula that utilizes natural homeopathic remedies for the treatment of allergies.
Allergiemittel AllerAide:
Allergiemittel AllerAide temporarily relieves minor allergic symptoms such as sneezing, itching, runny nose, watery eyes, eczema, wheezing, and shortness of breath caused by allergies.
How to care with Allergies?
1.Wear a mask whenever dusting or mowing a lawn Stop smoking.
2.Keep family pets out of certain rooms, like your bedroom, and bathe them if necessary. 3.Avoid using aspirin, which has been reported to allow food allergens to be more effectively absorbed by the body.
4.Remove carpets or rugs from your room.Install an air-purification system at home.
Author By Michal John
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