The BEST Way to Beat ... Allergy

Arwel Jones MB BCh Dip.Phyt. DIHom

Veryfied Limited -- published 2004

Your free example chapter follows:

What is Allergy?

Allergyis basically an inappropriate response to a normally harmless substance, or allergen. This abnormal response can range from an occasional mild reaction through to severe – or even fatal – anaphylactic shock (Spickett G & Lewis I 1994).

The term allergy was coined by a paediatrician in 1906 called Clemens von Pirquet from the Greek word ‘allos’ (different) and ‘ergos’ (work or action) (Mygind N et al 1996). Hippocrates – considered to be the father of medicine – observed that milk could cause gastric upset and urticaria, and as far back as 200AD Galen described an allergic reaction to goat’s milk (Murray M & Pizzorno JJ 1999).

The German physician Georgius Agricola (1494 – 1555) was the first to associate exposure to environmental pollution with respiratory symptoms (Simons, F E R 1994). Imagine what he would think of today’s polluted cities!

However, allergy was almost unknown in those years, although an enlightened Italian physician Jerome Cardan (1501 – 1576) successfully cured the Archbishop of St Andrews in Scotland of asthma by suggesting that he avoided sleeping on a feather bed (Simons, F E R 1994)!

In 1565 an Italian born Frenchman – Leonardo Botallo described a condition termed as ‘rose catarrh’ – headache, sneezing and an itchy nose in the presence of roses, but it was not until the 19^th century that investigators were able to correlate pollen counts with the onset and severity of hay fever and asthma (Simons, F E R 1994). A connection between asthma and the ingestion of wine was observed in 1679, but it was not until the 1920s that stronger links were made between foods and an allergic response (Murray M & Pizzorno JJ 1999).

Allergy is classically associated with rhinitis, conjunctivitis, eczema, asthma, urticaria, angioedema and anaphylaxis (Gamlin L 2002). These reactions are triggered by substances that are known as ‘allergens.’

Allergens can include almost any harmless substance, but commonly include house dust mite, pollens, pet dander, drugs, milk and eggs (Mygind N et al 1996).

However, it is becoming increasingly recognised that many substances – particularly foods – can cause an abnormal response, which has more recently been termed ‘intolerance’as opposed to allergy.

The commonest food groups – responsible for 90% of food allergies and intolerance – are milk, eggs, peanuts, nuts from trees (Brazil, hazelnut, almond, walnut), fish, shellfish, soya and wheat (CAM 2004 May).

These reactions are often implicated in conditions such as migraine, joint aches and pains, inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, irritable bowel, fatigue (including chronic fatigue syndrome or CFS) and many other conditions (Gamlin L 2002).

Allergy places a huge burden on our immune system, making people more susceptible to other factors such as toxic substances (such as metals or pollutants), stress and infections. It has been said that allergy is often the ‘forerunner of cancer’ (Erasmus U 1993).

It is more difficult in these conditions to make the link between the offending substances – or allergens – and the symptoms or the conditions themselves. Often there is a delay between exposure and the development of symptoms, which may be several hours, or even a day or two (Murray M & Pizzorno JJ 1999).

It is more difficult therefore to ascribe these conditions to allergy.

Allergy always involves the immune system, with the production of abnormally high levels of a chemical known as IgE – Immunoglobulin E, which causes the release of other chemicals that cause inflammation and the development of symptoms. These chemicals include histamine, prostaglandin, and many other complex chemicals.

Intolerance does not always involve the immune system in the same way, although it is often found that certain reactions involve a different immunoglobulin – IgG – particularly in food allergy or intolerance (Murray M & Pizzorno JJ 1999).

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Page updated 29/04/2008

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