Allergies are disorders of the immune system, which when a
foreign substance that is normally harmless in most people
causes an extreme reaction within the body. Contact can be with
the skin, lungs, oesophagus, mouth, stomach and intestine and
can cause a reaction to those organs plus the musculo-skeletal,
genoto-urinary system, bowel, cardio-vascular, nose, eyes and
brain. The substances that cause these reactions are called
allergens and the person who suffers from this, is said to be
allergic to the substance.
When an allergen comes into contact with the body, the immune
system believes it is under attack and produces antibodies
called IgE to fight it. The antibodies trigger chemicals (the
main one being histamine) to different organs of our body from
mast cells which causes the symptoms of an allergic reaction.
The most common allergies are to dust mites, pollen, animal
dander in household pets, insect bites, food and drink - the
most common being milk, wheat, eggs, fish, soy, citrus fruits,
seafood and peanuts, washing powder, cosmetics, toiletries,
jewellery, mould and mould fungus, latex and rubber and certain
drugs such as antibiotics and anesthetics.
Every individual has their own target organ that has more of an
allergic reaction than the others organs. Whatever the substance
that causes the reaction, the symptoms occurs in the weak target
organs whether this is the same point of contact or not. The
symptoms as a result from the allergic reaction will be
dependant on the function of the afflicted organ and whether it
is depressed or excited.
The main organs that are affected are the brain, eyes, ears,
nose, lungs, heart, skin, bowel, genoto-urinary system and
musculo-skeletal system.
The brain is the most sensitive of the body’s organs and is
easily affected by allergies. Mild forms can be as simple as
forgetfulness and severe forms can be as serious as dementia.
‘Woolly brain syndrome’ is a common symptom described by most
people who suffer from allergies and this is why most people
consider it normal. Other afflictions to the brain are anxiety,
depression and panic attacks. The eyes can be affected by
becoming watery, red and itchy and also afflicted by
conjunctivitis. The mastoid glands in the ears can become
affected producing pain and infection. When the nose is affected
it can show symptoms such as hay fever, rhinitis, catarrh,
blocked nose, sinus pain, sneezing and a running nose. The mouth
and throat can be affected by swelling of the lips and tongue,
sore throat and coughing. The heart can be affected which can
cause hypertension, palpitations and irregular heartbeats.
Asthma (wheezing and shortness of breath) and bronchitis can be
cause by the lungs being affected and bowel can be affected with
Crohn’s disease, colitis, diarrhea, bloating, abdominal pain and
vomiting. The skin can be affected becoming itchy, inflamed and
having a red rash as with eczema, dermatitis, psoriasis and
urticaria. Urticaria (hives or nettle rash) can be caused by
allergies to bee stings, medicines, animals and foods. The
genoto-urinary system can be affected with PMT, cystitis,
impotency and frigidity. Arthritis, Myalgia and fibrosis can
affect the musculo-skeletal. The most extreme allergic reaction
is anaphylaxis.
The target organ can change as the body changes, for instance, a
child may have eczema as an infant which then changes to hay
fever later in childhood which then can change again to migraine
attacks in the teenage years which then can change again to
arthritis in old age.
In the UK, 1 in 3 people will suffer from one or more type of
allergy, 1 in 5 suffer from hay fever, 1 in 5 school children
suffer from asthma and 6 million people have eczema.
Natural substances such as mould, spores, pollen, dust mites,
animal dander and insects usually cause an allergic reaction in
the upper respiratory systems. They cause redness, itching and
fluid in the form of water and mucous and can affect the eyes,
nose, sinuses, throat, lungs and bronchial tubes.
A person can be allergic to any food, wheat, milk, eggs, corn,
yeast, coffee and chocolate are the most common. Food allergies
mostly affect the nervous, respiratory, gastrointestinal and
skin areas.
Allergic reaction can be caused by food additives and
environmental chemicals such as chemical sprays, pesticides,
hydrocarbons, tobacco smoke plus thousands of others.
Allergies to certain foods are associated with certain symptoms.
For example, headaches are associated with chocolate and wheat,
migraine headaches are associated with milk, eggs, nitrates,
alcohol, cheese, chocolate, citrus fruit, nuts, wheat, tomatoes
and MSG, eczema is associated with eggs, tomatoes and citrus
fruits, hay fever is associated with milk, wheat, cola drinks,
chocolate and sulfites, hives are associated with strawberries,
nuts, pork, mangoes, tomatoes, eggs, chocolate and shellfish,
asthma is associated with wheat and eggs, cerebral symptoms are
associated with wheat, corn and Soya beans and childhood
allergies are associated with fish, beef, rye, milk, wheat,
eggs, peanuts, artificial colourings and flavourings and
salicylates.
Other factors that can contribute to allergies are bad feeding
habits in the baby’s first year of life, poor digestion, excess
or repeated contact of a particular substance or food, low
nutrients level, presents of candida albicans, parasites, worms
or other bacteria, stress and environmental toxins.
To help eliminate or reduce the symptoms of allergies it is best
to consume lots of still mineral water, brown or white rice,
fruit juices except citrus fruit juices, lots of vegetables
except corn and tomatoes, fish except shellfish, turkey and
almonds, sunflower seeds and walnuts.
In conclusion, good nutritional health is vital to support our
immune systems to help ward off allergic reactions to foods and
environmental chemicals. Once a person knows they have an
allergy, it is best to avoid that food or chemical, improve
nutrition and exercise regime, combat stress and generally
support the immune system. It is best not to ignore allergic
reactions, as they can lead to further more serious illnesses.