Allergies

You are more likely to get an ‘allergy’ if you have a family history of them, if you have other allergies, such as hay fever, or other medical conditions, such as eczema and asthma.

The symptoms to look out for which may signify an allergy are:

·       Runny, blocked or itchy nose

·       Itchy or swollen lips, mouth, tongue or throat

·       Sore, red, swollen or itchy eyes

·       Sneezing

·       Wheezing, coughing, noisy breathing or shortness of breath

·       Finding it hard to breathe or talk

·       Some kind of skin reaction eg hives (itchy bumps on the skin), rash, flushed skin

·       Diarrhoea, feeling sick, vomiting

·       Bloating (swollen tummy)

There are many potential triggers. These are known as allergens. The most common food-based allergens are: cow’s milk, eggs, wheat/gluten, yeast, soya, peanuts and other nuts, fish, blue mussel and shellfish.

The symptoms can also be caused by environmental triggers. The most common environmental allergens include: pollen, aspergillus, other moulds, dust mites, grass mix, bee/wasp venom, latex, animal dander and penicillin.

An allergy or an intolerance?

Often when we say we have an ‘allergy’, it is actually an intolerance. This is slightly complicated to explain. A true allergy is a reaction by the immune system, which produces antibodies (specifically immunoglobulins called IgE) against the triggering ‘allergen’. There is usually a fast onset of symptoms following exposure to the allergen.

A severe allergic reaction is called anaphylaxis which is when the person has difficulty breathing, wheezing and their mouth or lips begin to swell. This can be life threatening and requires emergency medical treatment. Call 999 immediately if this happens. 

Usually our ‘allergies’ are actually intolerances, which are much more common. This is when we have a reaction but it is not always triggered by the immune system so no IgE antibodies are produced. Typically there is a slower onset of symptoms, sometimes hours later, which can make it harder to identify the trigger. 

This is the complicated part. Some intolerances can get so bad that they produce a reaction as severe as that from an allergy. This is because the reaction may worsen over time with repeated exposure to the allergen ie say you have a reaction to gluten, the more bread and pasta you eat the worse your reaction gets over time. Then a different type of antibodies may be involved (IgG4). These are not usually life threatening and may not be lifelong. 

How can you get a diagnosis?

The best thing to do is to keep a food and symptoms diary for at least 2 weeks. Make a note of what you eat (you have to include all the ingredients) and then monitor your symptoms over the course of the day. You should also be aware, and make a note, of any stress or anxiety that is being experienced at the same time as these can interfere. You should then go and see a nutritional therapist or a doctor.

A word about allergy testing

There are a variety of blood, skin-prick or patch tests available to help you identify and confirm which allergens are producing the reaction and symptoms. However, unfortunately these tests are currently not reliable, producing both false positives and false negatives. They can also be very expensive. The food allergen tests are the least reliable. These tests are more useful in the case of true allergies than for intolerances, ie where there is a very clear symptomatic response. 

Treatment and Prognosis

Your nutritional therapist or doctor will help you create an elimination diet based on their analysis of the findings. 

If it is a true allergy, especially those to nuts and shellfish, it is likely to be lifelong and the allergen should be carefully avoided. 

Intolerances are often caused by factors connected to your digestive system. These can range from eating an unvaried diet, not chewing enough, eating too quickly, a lack of quantity or diversity of good bacteria in your gut, some form of microbial infection or overgrowth or intestinal permeability (commonly known as ‘leaky gut’). In these cases your nutritional therapist will support you with a diet plan and gut repair protocol which may aid resolution of the intolerance. These can also improve tolerance to ‘true’ allergies. 

Similarly, children often grow out of their ‘allergies’ as their digestive system develops, particularly ones triggered by cow’s milk, wheat, soya and eggs.