Allergies

Allergies involve unusual sensitivity to various irritants (antigens). Certain immune system cells in people with allergies are overly-sensitive to the causative antigen and this accounts for the symptoms of allergies. Specifically, the overly-sensitive cells of the immune system implicated in allergies are mast cells and basophil cells. When mast cells are exposed to antigens they release histamine into surrounding tissues. This histamine release causes the small blood vessels to dilate (widen), permitting fluids to pass from the blood stream into sourrounding tissues, resulting in the symptoms of allergies - nasal congestion, runny eyes, itching eyes, itching ears, itching throat, inflammation and rashes of the skin.

Approximately 38% of the population of the Western world are prone to allergies.

Sometimes specific ailments can be the underlying cause of increased susceptibility to allergies. Ailments known to increase susceptibility to allergies include:

• Leaking capillaries (know medically as microangiopermeability) permit otherwise inert antigens to gain entrance into the bloodstream where they can provoke allergic reactions.
• "Leaky gut syndrome" (excessive permeability of the intestines) permits antigens to pass through the intestinal tract.
• Impairment of the immune system can result in a high helper T-cells to suppressor T-cells ratio. This is a risk factor for allergies.
• Underfunctioning of the thyroid gland (hypothyroidism) is a common (although rarely diagnosed by orthodox medical practitioners) underlying cause of allergies.

Some researchers have proposed chronic dehydration as an underlying cause of allergies.

Allergies can be the underlying cause of many other ailments including:

• Celiac disease (which is caused directly by food allergies to a protein named gliadin).
  
• Colic (which is caused by food allergies).
  
• Duodenal ulcers (some cases)
  
• Bed wetting in children.
  
• Cancer (some types).
  
• Bacterial & viral infections (allergies increase the burden on the immune system and divert immune system resources away from fighting bacteria, fungi and viruses).
  
• Fatigue.
  
• Backaches can occur as a result of the release of histamine by mast cells that occurs within the body as a response to allergies.
  
• Rheumatoid arthritis (food allergies exacerbate the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis).
  
• Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) patients are commonly found to have food allergies - many researchers have therefore speculated that food allergies may be an underlying cause of ADD.
  
• Migraines are a commonly triggered by food allergies.
  
• Multiple sclerosis patient have a higher-than-average incidence of food allergies.
  
• Tinnitus.
  
• Asthma (food allergies are a common underlying cause of asthma).
  
• Chronic bronchitis (occasionally).
  
• Emphysema (occasionally).
  
• Hay fever is always caused by allergies.
  
• Sinusitis.
  
• Dermatitis/eczema/hives.
  
• Psoriasis.
  

Strategies for avoiding/reversing your potential for allergic reactions involve:

Avoiding the antigens that cause the allergy: common antigens that cause allergies are specific foods (see the list at the end of this page for common food allergens), wind-borne tree pollens, grass pollens, wheat pollens, fungus spores, mold spores, dust and cat dander.

and/or

Employing the nutritional/herbal therapies offered by Inspiredwellbeing.com.au that can help your body’s immune system control the allergic and inflammatory responses.