Basic background on allergies

[Guest guest]

I received a question offlist about allergies. Because so many people are

bothered by allergies, I'm posting some material on them.

 

The first thing to is to learn all you can about allergies and what you're

allergic to. There is no one treatment for allergies for everyone. This

includes Western medicine as well as TCM.

 

The classice allergic reaction involves immonoglobulin-E (Ig-E), mast cells,

and the allergen (substance capable of stimulatin an allergic reaction).

The Ig-E attaches to the mast cells, and when they encounter an allergen the

Ig-E antibodies are programmed for, the mast cells become altered and

release histamine and other substances. The histamine is responsible for

many of the unpleasant effects of allergies - the runny nose, the sneezing,

the red eyes, the welts, the breathing problems, the edema, the

inflammation, the contraction of smooth muscles, etc., and just plain

feeling rotten.

 

When allergies are suspected, the doctor often will do a blood test to check

for Ig-E level. Ig-E will be elevated in classic allergic reactions. The

doctor may also take a smear of the nasal secretions. When classic

allergies are present, special cells called eosinophiles will be elevated.

(Neutrophils predominate when the runny nose is coming from bacterial

infection. Lymphocytes and monocytes increase in cases of viral infection.

Eosinophilia increase in case of collagen diseases, allergies, and when

intestinal parasites are present. These are types of white blood cells.)

 

But sometimes a person has allergies or allergy-like symptoms when Ig-E and

eosinophiles are not elevated. Some allergy researchers believe that in

these cases there is another mediator besides Ig-E. Substance P (which also

is a culprit in pain) has been looked at as a possible mediator in some

allergic reactions. Allergy specialists argue among themselves as to what

actually constitutes an allergy. Some say if Ig-E isn't involved, it's not

really an allergy. Others say that there may be other mediators, like for

example substance P. In addition, some other things may cause allergic-like

symptoms. These variations can provide insight into successfully bringing

allergies under control.

 

Special T-lymphocytes called suppressor cells produce a substance called

suppressor factor that stops the production of the antibodies needed for the

allergic reaction. Helper T-cells turn various immune responses on;

suppressor T-cells turn them off. (I'm simplifying here.) Some people with

allergies have abnormally low levels of suppressor T-cells in relation to

helper T-cells. The immune response doesn't get turned off like it should.

In some cases a good treatment for allergies are immune system regulator

herbs like echinacea. Contrary to popular belief, echinacea is NOT an

immune system booster. It's an immune system regulator. It works to make

the immune system function properly as needed. It revs the immune system up

when it needs to be more active, and calms it down when it needs to be less

active. For this reason echinacea often is used in the treatment of

allergies as well as treating infection. It's an especially good herb when

a person has both allergies and an infection.

 

An autoimmune disorder is one in which antibodies are being produced against

the person's own tissue. Another term for autoimmune is autoallergy.

 

The most common conventional treatment for allergies is the use of

antihistamines. Antihistamines block the effects of histamine. There are

several classes of antihistamines. Some tend to make people drowsy, some

tend to agitate people, and some supposedly do neither. Antihistamines are

far better for the treatment of seasonal allergies than chronic allergies.

They leave a lot to be desired for chronic allergies, plus they can have

some nasty side effects. Some people are sensitive to antihistamines.

Antihistamine reactions can mimic the symptoms of adrenal tumors and

hyperactivity. They are useless in cases of anaphylactic shock (a severe,

life-threatening allergic reaction). A decongestion is a drug which shrinks

nasal passages.

 

Sometimes doctors prescribe cortisone for allergies. Cortisone is far

better for short-term treatment than long-term because it can have some very

nasty effects when taken long-term - bone deterioration, high blood

pressure, weight gain, etc.

 

In cases of chronic allergies, desensitization shots may be prescribed.

These shots are used for people who are allergic to so many different things

that the person is miserable in various degrees year-round.

 

First the doctor will perform tests to determine is the patient is allergic

and to what and how bad. There is a lot of debate among allergy doctors as

to which are the best tests. All the allergy tests have various drawbacks,

and false positives and false negatives are possible with any of them. The

skin test is the best known and most used. A tiny amount of each test

substance is applied at various places on the back and sometimes the arms.

If there is a reaction (redness, swelling, etc.) the person may be allergic

to that particular substance. The doctor also will note how bad the

reaction is. If it's mild, this often means the allergy to that substance

is mild. If the reaction is worse, that usually means that the person is

more allergic to that substance than to others. Once the doctor determines

what the patient is allergic to, s/he orders a vial with a very, very dilute

concentration of the various substances the patient is allergic to. Over

time, the strength of the concentration of the allergens is increased.

Allergy shots should only be given in an allergy clinic or in a doctor's

office because of the risk of anaphylactic shock.

 

Skin tests work best for external allergens like pollens, animal dander, and

molds. They're of questionable effectiveness in evaluating food allergies.

An elimination test is better for testing food allergies than a skin test.

The person eliminates the suspected foods from his/her diet. One by one

they're reintroduced. When a person has been off an offending food for a

while and reintroduces it, the reaction often is quite marked.

 

This is some basic background info on allergies. Part 2 will deal more with

specific allergies and treatments.

 

Victoria

 

 

 

 

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