Hope For Allergy Sufferers With A Simple Blood Test
Since the beginning of time, mankind has be a victim of allergies. The following is an overview of allergies:
What Is An Allergy?
An allergy is a sensitivity to a certain substance which, in similar quantity, is tolerated by non-allergic people.
The allergen is the specific protein substance that a person is allergic to. The presence of this allergen in the body causes a series of chemical reactions in the immune system which result in individual signs & symptoms.
The tendency to be allergic is inherited; the actual allergy is not inherited.
Our body’s immune system helps keep us healthy by producing disease-fighting antibodies. These antibodies are capable of destroying harmful foreign substances like viruses and bacteria that cause disease. In people with allergies, these antibodies are overstimulated and react to normally harmless substances.
The air we breathe. The food we eat. The things we touch. They can all trigger an allergic reaction. If your daughter is horse-crazy, and horses make her break out in hives, she is probably willing to live with the itching even though she might not have to. On the other hand, if you are so allergic to the tiniest speck of peanut butter that your throat swells shut within a few minutes, it is, to paraphrase Winston Churchill, a situation up with which you cannot put.
CAUSES OF ALLERGIES
IMMUNOGLOBULIN E, (IGE) THE SUPER ANTIBODY
Everyone has antibodies in their blood. The job of an antibody is to attack harmful substances - intruders like viruses. They help us get better when we’re sick and they help us stay healthy. In people with allergies, antibodies go haywire and attack normally harmless substances.
If you have allergies, when you are exposed to an allergen, your own personal early warning system places your body’s defenses on red alert. Deciding it’s time to bring out the big guns, an antibody called immunoglobulin E (IgE) is summoned and sent throughout your bloodstream. It’s the reaction to this allergen/antibody “war” that causes the majority of allergic reactions.
Since allergies can mirror chronic cold and flu symptoms, people often mistake one condition for the other. A simple blood test can measure the amount of IgE produced in response to specific allergens, which will tell your doctor whether you’re really allergic - and just what you’re allergic to.
Everyday activities can start an allergic reaction to IgE, can be triggered by:
Ingestants: substances that enter the body by mouth
Inhalants: the allergen is breathed in through the nose or mouth
Contact Allergies: enter the body through the skin
Other Factors: may aggravate the allergy
Ingestants
Three main ingestants are:
food
drugs
environmental toxins
Inhalants
Inhalants are protein substances breathed in through the nose or mouth. There are different kinds of inhalant allergens:
Pollens
Molds
Animal Secretions
House Dust Mite
Contact Allergies
These allergens enter the body through the skin. They include:
powders
lotions
some metals such as cheap jewelry, jean snaps and clips on bras
latex
Other Factors
Non-specific factors that may aggravate an allergy include:
weather changes
heat
cold
humidity
barometric weather changes
infections
second hand smoke
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF ALLERGIES
There are a wide range of potential signs and symptoms of allergies, and they depend on many factors:
type of allergy
level of exposure
individual’s reaction
Because these signs and symptoms may indicate the presence of another disease rather than an allergy, they should be investigated by your physician.
THE MAIN SYMPTOMS ARE:
Our bodies come into contact with allergic triggers through the air we breathe, the foods we eat and the things we touch. As a result, allergic reactions may occur in any part of the body and at almost any age. These are the most common symptoms associated with allergies:
The eyes
Itching, redness, swelling and tearing may signal allergic conjunctivitis. Chronic sinus inflammation may result in “allergic shiners,” dark circles that form under the eyes.
The nose
An itchy, runny, stuffy nose and excessive sneezing are symptoms of allergy often called “hay fever,” clinically known by the unfortunate name “allergic rhinitis.”
The lungs
Shortness of breath, wheezing and chest tightness are symptoms of asthma. The digestive tract, Stomach cramps, bloating, vomiting and diarrhea may be the result of food allergies and not necessarily an evening of eating, drinking and being way too merry. Infants as well as adults can be affected.
The skin
Itchy rashes, red blotches, welts or hives can appear after exposure to foods, medicines, household chemicals, animals, plants or insect stings.
Caution: Just because you have some of these symptoms, don’t assume you’re allergic. Several conditions have the same symptoms. Only a diagnostic test and examination by a physician can tell for sure.
CATEGORIES OF ALLERGIES
It’s a jungle out there!
If you’re not being attacked by ragweed, it’s Russian thistle. If bermudagrass and Kentucky bluegrass aren’t itching to get at you, you find yourself surrounded by oak, elm, maple, mountain cedar and walnut trees.
Quick! Run in the house and shut the door! Now, don’t worry about a thing. Except dust mites, pet dander, latex, some insects, mold spores and other household allergens. Oh, and peanuts, milk, eggs, wheat, soy, fish, shellfish and corn, just to mention a few food allergens.
More than 75 million Americans suffer from some form of allergy. Some allergies come and go with the seasons, while others last year-round. Most allergies fall into one or more of these four categories:
Animal
About 15 percent of the population is allergic to cats or dogs, but many other common household pets and farm animals can bring on allergy symptoms. The allergen most likely to trigger animal allergies is flakes of skin called dander; the hair, fur or feathers of the animal are usually not the problem.
Food
Many people are confused about food allergies because it may be common to have a reaction to food at one time or another. The reaction you have to liver may be heartfelt, but it isn’t necessarily an allergy. A true food allergy occurs when the immune system is involved in producing antibodies to a particular food.
Household
Dust mites, tiny creatures that live in mattresses, pillows and other surfaces, are the cause of many allergy symptoms. The dust around your house may contain other allergens such as mold spores, pollen and animal dander. Allergies to household materials are major triggers of asthma, and you should know what you’re allergic to. Common household irritants may include cleaning products, latex gloves, tobacco and, occasionally, your spouse.
Outdoor
More than 35 million Americans suffer from allergic rhinitis, or “hay fever.” This type of allergy is most often caused by pollen produced by trees, grasses and weeds. Mold is another cause of offending allergies. Like pollen, molds trigger allergic reactions when they become airborne in large numbers.
Chances are if you are allergic, you have allergies in more than one of these categories, but probably not in all of them.
TESTING & DIAGNOSIS OF ALLERGIES
Family background, personal history and a physical examination will help your physician determine if an allergy is likely. If your doctor does suspect allergy, only an allergy test can tell for sure. Steps can then be taken to narrow down the specific allergens triggering your symptoms. Two types of tests can be used to confirm an initial allergy diagnosis - blood testing and skin testing. Both methods measure how sensitive you are to different allergens. While both tests can give you answers, the two methods do differ in regard to comfort and convenience.
Blood testing is done in a laboratory and is therefore referred to as in vitro (in glass) testing or IgE blood testing. One blood sample can tell your doctor if you’re allergic, and exactly what you’re allergic to. This is done by measuring the amount of IgE in your blood through a simple blood draw that is considered routine for most general practitioners. You can be tested for dozens of different allergens at the same time and from just one blood sample. Yes, it’s the blood draw they take from your arm.
ImmunoCAP Allergy Blood Test is the latest technology in allergy testing. ImmunoCAP is cleared by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is endorsed by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the American Academy of Asthma, Allergy and Immunology (AAAAI) and other health organizations. Leading institutions such as Johns Hopkins, the Mayo Clinic and the Cleveland Clinic use ImmunoCAP for their patients.
Skin testing is done by applying suspected allergens directly to the skin (usually on the forearm or back) with a skin-prick device or needle. That means one prick or poke for each and every allergen for which you’re being tested. The appearance of a raised welt or other irritation means you’re sensitive to the test, but it doesn’t always mean you’re allergic. Skin testing carries a risk of reaction, because the process requires that allergy triggers be injected directly under the skin. Skin testing is performed routinely by allergists.
Can you answer YES to any of the following questions?
Do you suffer from a runny nose, itchy and watery eyes, nasal congestion or postnasal drip?
Do you sneeze and cough in the morning?
Do you have difficulty breathing through your nose?
Do you experience sore throat or hoarseness?
Sounds like a cold, doesn’t it? That’s why diagnosing allergy is so difficult. Allergy can look just like all the other things that cause sniffles and sneezes.
It’s important to find out for sure. Once you know, you and your doctor can make the right decisions for your treatment.
Now there’s a remarkable new test that your doctor can use to tell if you have allergies and just what you’re allergic to - the ImmunoCAP Allergy Blood Test. Because this test is new to primary care, your doctor may not be aware of it.
TREATMENT OF ALLERGIES
There are 3 main steps in the treatment of allergies:
Avoid the specific allergen.
Medication - drugs can be taken for the target organ affected.
Allergy shots, or immunotherapy, are appropriate in some, but not all, allergy conditions.
NASAL ALLERGY TREATMENT
An example of specific medication used for the target organ affected involves the types of medications used in the treatment of nasal allergies:
Steroids
- reduce the inflammation or swelling of the nasal tissue. These are available with a prescription from your doctor.
Antihistamines
- counteract the histamine released in the body which causes the many symptoms. They may cause drowsiness and may make the congestion worse.
Decongestants
- reduce the congestion. They may have limited effectiveness. People with increased blood pressure and heart problems should not use decongestants.
Always read the label to find out the complete list of ingredients when buying over-the -counter medications.
LIFE-THREATENING ALLERGIES
ANAPHYLACTIC SHOCK
Anaphylactic shock is a severe allergic reaction
Time is of the essence: death may occur within minutes
The first sign of anaphylactic shock is usually itchiness
In anaphylactic shock, the chemicals that are released overwhelm the body, causing some or all of the following symptoms:
itchiness
swelling of the throat and/or various parts of the body
hives
dyspnea, wheeze, chest tightness
faintness
feeling of apprehension
collapse
death if untreated
EMERGENCY TREATMENT
Epipen® or Anakit®
Seek immediate medical aid
The best possible treatment is avoidance of the known allergy. Unfortunately, this is not always possible. All persons with a known life-threatening allergy or a history of very severe symptoms should own and carry an adrenaline kit (and know how and when to use it).
Make sure you have discussed how and when to use your emergency kit with your physician before you need to use it.
CAUSES
A wide variety of things can cause an anaphylactic reaction, including:
food - peanuts and shellfish are the most common, although any food can be responsible.
drugs - penicillin and vaccines are common causes
insect stings - from wasps, bees or hornets
rarely, strenuous exercise in combination with another factor (e.g. exercise & celery; exercise & shellfish)
Remember: anything has the potential of causing a life threatening allergy
PRECAUTIONS
Always carry an unexpired Anakit® or Epipen®
Inform immediate family & caregivers
Wear a MedicAlert® bracelet
Adrenaline deteriorates in sunlight. If the adrenaline is cloudy or discolored, this indicates loss of potency. Always check the expire date on the Epipen® or Anakit®, and replace prior to the date.
All people involved in the care of a child with a life threatening allergy, must be informed. This includes school teachers, day care workers, the babysitter, the coach, etc. An emergency plan of action must be discussed with all those involved in the child’s care, especially if the person in charge is not comfortable accepting responsibility for giving the adrenaline.
IMMUNOTHERAPY
has proven to be effective for venom allergies such as bee or wasp stings. This is because the antigen used is purified.
most other mixtures currently used are very crude, not very pure but do work well with pollen induced allergies.
IMMUNOCAP ALLERGY BLOOD TEST
The most advanced allergy testing available through your family doctor is called the ImmunoCAP Allergy Blood Test. This simple blood test can be done quickly and safely through your family doctor’s office. A small blood sample is sent to a laboratory to determine the precise amount of IgE antibodies present in the blood for each specific allergen. A single blood sample can be used to test for dozens of allergens at one time, ensuring rapid, accurate diagnosis. The test can be done on just about anyone, and it is not affected by medications.
ImmunoCAP Allergy Blood Test can assist physicians in detecting IgE antibodies, with greater accuracy and precision than other technologies, such as RAST. Unlike skin-allergen testing, the ImmunoCAP tests are conducted in a lab, where a sample of the patient’s own blood is tested for sensitivity. ImmunoCAP elliminates the guesswork. Once your physician knows exactly what is causing the allergic response, a proper alternative medical approach can be formulated to put you back on track to a healthy life, free from allergies.
DOES YOUR DOCTOR KNOW ABOUT …”ImmunoCAP”…?
If you would like to find a doctor in your area who is approved for the “ImmunoCAP Allergy Blood Test” program, The Ash Center for Comprehensive Medicine can help you find one in your region. Or if you would like to make sure your doctor is aware of the ImmunoCAP Allergy Blood Test, just click here to send Dr. Ash an email. All he needs is your doctor’s telephone number and The Ash Center’s staff will do the rest. If you would like to give Dr. Ash additional information regarding your doctor; name, address etc., he would be delighted to receive it. If not, the telephone number is sufficient.
Why suffer any longer or watch your loved ones suffer? The ImmunoCAP program can be your road to recovery and to be free from allergies.
DOES YOUR DOCTOR KNOW?
If you would like to make sure your doctor is aware of the ImmunoCAP Allergy Blood Test, just click here to send us an email. All we need is your doctor’s telephone number and ashmd.com’s staff will do the rest. If you would like to give us additional information regarding your doctor, name, address etc., we would be delighted to receive it. If not, the telephone number is sufficient.
