Many things labeled allergy are not really allergies at all.
Think about it.
A true allergy would result in Anaphylaxis.
Allergies happen when the body responds to something normal as if it were a foreign invader.
It kicks up the immune response in reaction to this "invader.
" Our eyes tear, our stomachs might hurt, we might experience swelling, and sneezing.
Anaphylaxis is the body's extreme reaction to a property introduced into the body that the body misperceives as a foreign invader.
In such cases, the body alerts the immune system to create antibodies.
In the most severe cases, Anaphylaxis leads to death.
Most of us who say we have an allergy to something have, more correctly, a sensitivity to something.
Regardless, there are several ways to handle the body's responses to such things and understanding one's options is key.
This article will begin a four-part look into allergies and the options available for treatment.
Some allergens rarely cause Anaphylaxis, which is most common in food-borne pathogens.
The first step to food allergy relief is determining the root of the allergy.
Sounds fairly straight forward, but this, in itself may require some detective work.
Food sensitivities cause particular difficulties sometimes because what we think might be triggering them might not be accurate at all.
For example, this particular author was convinced that he had an allergy to a certain nutrient.
This would have, indeed, been a rare allergy.
Upon further investigation, the allergy was not to the nutrient at all.
The nutrient manufacturer used a common excipient, an ingredient that had nothing to do with the actual nutrient, but rather a part of the production of the nutrient (binders and fillers are common excipients).
Step one of our food allergy detective work is a fairly simple step, but one that will require some diligence on the part of the allergy sufferer, namely, a food journal.
A food journal requires you to write down what you ate and, potentially, any symptoms you might have experienced.
The idea is to do this for a minimum of one week to establish patterns.
While the most common food allergies are to things like nuts, shellfish, and dairy, more people are sensitive to things like wheat and gluten then they realize.
Step two requires not only diligence, but determination.
Eliminating foods thought to be allergy producing is the most important and the toughest step.
One continues with the food journal though, since, as we have mentioned, oftentimes something perceived to cause the allergic reaction might not actually be the trigger.
If one has eliminated the suspect foods and the allergy response continues after a period of about a week, then more drastic steps might be needed.
Several researchers promote a bland diet.
Generally, in a bland diet, one eliminates all foods, except for a few, traditionally non-allergy producing foods.
A BRAT diet (bones, aka meat, rice, applesauce, and toast) is a standard bland diet.
After a week or so of this type of a diet with no ill effect, one can gradually reintroduce foods back into the diet, noting all the while which are producing a reaction.
Again, ridding one's body of allergens can be difficult and time consuming, but may permanently relieve a person of the symptoms associated with allergies and improve one's general health.
One must establish known allergens by first determining allergy-producing foods through things like a food journal and then remove those foods systematically from one's diet in a process that is painstaking but effective.
Think about it.
A true allergy would result in Anaphylaxis.
Allergies happen when the body responds to something normal as if it were a foreign invader.
It kicks up the immune response in reaction to this "invader.
" Our eyes tear, our stomachs might hurt, we might experience swelling, and sneezing.
Anaphylaxis is the body's extreme reaction to a property introduced into the body that the body misperceives as a foreign invader.
In such cases, the body alerts the immune system to create antibodies.
In the most severe cases, Anaphylaxis leads to death.
Most of us who say we have an allergy to something have, more correctly, a sensitivity to something.
Regardless, there are several ways to handle the body's responses to such things and understanding one's options is key.
This article will begin a four-part look into allergies and the options available for treatment.
Some allergens rarely cause Anaphylaxis, which is most common in food-borne pathogens.
The first step to food allergy relief is determining the root of the allergy.
Sounds fairly straight forward, but this, in itself may require some detective work.
Food sensitivities cause particular difficulties sometimes because what we think might be triggering them might not be accurate at all.
For example, this particular author was convinced that he had an allergy to a certain nutrient.
This would have, indeed, been a rare allergy.
Upon further investigation, the allergy was not to the nutrient at all.
The nutrient manufacturer used a common excipient, an ingredient that had nothing to do with the actual nutrient, but rather a part of the production of the nutrient (binders and fillers are common excipients).
Step one of our food allergy detective work is a fairly simple step, but one that will require some diligence on the part of the allergy sufferer, namely, a food journal.
A food journal requires you to write down what you ate and, potentially, any symptoms you might have experienced.
The idea is to do this for a minimum of one week to establish patterns.
While the most common food allergies are to things like nuts, shellfish, and dairy, more people are sensitive to things like wheat and gluten then they realize.
Step two requires not only diligence, but determination.
Eliminating foods thought to be allergy producing is the most important and the toughest step.
One continues with the food journal though, since, as we have mentioned, oftentimes something perceived to cause the allergic reaction might not actually be the trigger.
If one has eliminated the suspect foods and the allergy response continues after a period of about a week, then more drastic steps might be needed.
Several researchers promote a bland diet.
Generally, in a bland diet, one eliminates all foods, except for a few, traditionally non-allergy producing foods.
A BRAT diet (bones, aka meat, rice, applesauce, and toast) is a standard bland diet.
After a week or so of this type of a diet with no ill effect, one can gradually reintroduce foods back into the diet, noting all the while which are producing a reaction.
Again, ridding one's body of allergens can be difficult and time consuming, but may permanently relieve a person of the symptoms associated with allergies and improve one's general health.
One must establish known allergens by first determining allergy-producing foods through things like a food journal and then remove those foods systematically from one's diet in a process that is painstaking but effective.
SHARE
