Redbridge For Mental Health

It seems in recent years that more and more people seem to be suffering from allergies. These allergies can be to medicine, foods, or environmental factors. Dealing with the effects of the body’s intolerance to some substances can be very difficult for many people. There are several measures that can be taken to make coping with these allergens easier.

It is recommended that a person should see an allergist if they feel like they have intolerance to a particular or unknown substance. An allergist can perform a series of tests to identify exactly what the specific allergens are as well as the severity of those sensitivities. Some allergies can be life threatening and the allergist will carefully instruct the individual on the precautionary life saving measures that could be necessary should a bad reaction occur. Reactions to insect stings, medications and peanuts are commonly found to be very severe and will need to be taken very seriously.

Once the allergist has identified the specific areas of hypersensitivity, there are a number of things that should be done to help a person to cope with their allergies. For instance, the doctor may want the patient to begin a course of allergy injections. These injections will work in the body to reduce the reactions that the patient has to specific allergens. Injections can be given for hypersensitivities to animals, plants, environmental irritants, and many other allergens.

Other Coping Measures

There are several other measures that can be taken to cope with allergies. If a person is intolerant to airborne irritants, an air purifier or filtration system in the home may prove to be very helpful. These systems can be very inexpensive to purchase and generally provide great relief if used as instructed. There are many small units in the marketplace that can be placed in the room where the sufferer spends the majority of their time. There are even small desktop units that can be placed in a person’s work environment.

For people who find that they are allergic to their pets, the best thing to do is to try to find new home for the pet. Though this may be hard for a family or person to even consider, it may be necessary if the allergy is severe. If the allergy isn’t too severe, you may be able to live with the pet provided the home is kept well vacuumed and is dusted regularly. Also, bathing and brushing the pet as often as necessary will help solve the problem in most cases.

There are a number of available medications that can help with allergies. Antihistamines can be purchased over the counter and taken daily to help with allergen relief. Some of these antihistamines were only available by prescription a few years ago, but have now been approved by the FDA for direct consumer purchase. If the over the counter medications do not seem to relieve the symptoms, there are stronger medications available by prescription if your physician believes they are necessary.

Two new studies help to show the power of nutrition to assist allergies and asthma. In one study people with higher levels of folic acid in their blood had had fewer IgE antibodies, fewer reported allergies, less wheezing and lower likelihood of asthma. In another study researchers found that lower blood levels of vitamin D in children were linked to allergy and asthma severity.

There is a national epidemic of asthma in children, in part due to obesity and in part due to the overuse of antibiotics that has caused an overgrowth of Candida, in turn causing excessive production of airway inflammatory signals coming from the Candida.

Nutrients are certainly important and low levels of key nutrients may allow such problems to manifest. Magnesium has long been known to be lacking in individuals with allergies and asthma. Vitamin C and bioflavonoids, especially quercetin, are of immense help.

In the new folic acid study researchers look at medical records of 8,000 people ages 2 to 85, comparing folic acid blood levels to levels of IgE antibodies, a key immune system marker that elevates to an allergen. People with higher blood levels of folate had fewer IgE antibodies, fewer reported allergies, less wheezing and lower likelihood of asthma. The researchers believed that folic acid was acting to help reduce inflammation.

“Our findings are a clear indication that folic acid may indeed help regulate immune response to allergens, and may reduce allergy and asthma symptoms,” says lead investigator Elizabeth Matsui, M.D. M.H.S., pediatric allergist at Hopkins Children’s.

In the new vitamin D study the researchers found that “children with lower vitamin D levels were significantly more likely to have been hospitalized for asthma in the previous year, tended to have airways with increased hyperreactivity and were likely to have used more inhaled corticosteroids, all signifying higher asthma severity. These children were also significantly more likely to have several markers of allergy, including dust-mite sensitivity.”

It appears that nutrient deficiencies of common nutrients set the stage for excessive inflammatory reactions, which include allergy and asthma. Parents should obviously improve the quality of the diet of any child with such a problem.

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