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Understanding Food Allergy
What are Allergies?
Von Pirquet, a Viennese physician, first used the word allergy in 1906 to mean “altered reactivity.” He described allergic people as having excessive responses to something in their environment. These environmental allergens, which are virtually limitless in number, can trigger our immune system into battle, and give rise to allergic (or hypersensitivity) reactions. In fact, almost anything can stimulate our immune system into action. Certain foods, pollens, animal dander, molds, yeasts, and bacteria, as well as many chemicals, are the most commonly recognized allergens.
The Relationship between Allergy and Health
The relationship between the many common symptoms (including fatigue, headache, anxiety, as well as itchy runny nose and puffy eyelids) and the allergies that caused them may go unrecognized for years or mistakenly attributed to passing viral infections or recurrent “colds”. Increased stress, recurrent infections or declining health may add to the burden of chronic allergies. Over the years, arthritis, gastrointestinal disorders, autoimmune disease, eczema, and migraines, to name a few serious conditions linked with food allergies, can develop into chronic conditions if the offending allergens are not discovered and removed from the diet.
Who has allergies?
Conservative estimates imply that as many as 25 percent of the population have significant allergies to some types of foods, chemicals, or inhalants. The true incidence of allergy and intolerance may be considerably higher if we include the less dramatic symptoms of occasional anxiety, joint aches, generalized fatigue, and water retention as well.
Possible Symptoms Associated with Food Allergies
| Affected Parts |
Possible Symptoms |
| Digestive System |
Indigestion, Gas & Bloating, Diarrhea, Mouth sores, Constipation, Cramping pain, Hiccup, Vomiting, Gastroxia, Gallbladder Disease |
| Skin |
Eczema, Skin Rashes, Urticaria, Dry Skin, Psoriasis, Herpetiformis, Hair Follicle Inflammation |
| Cognitive & Psychological |
Anxiety, Learning Disabilities, Hyperactivity, Autism, Depression, Food Cravings, Poor Concentration, Anorexia |
| Muscle & Joints |
Joint Pain, Joint Inflammation (Arthritis), Rheumatoid Arthritis, Muscle Aches |
| Ear & Eyes |
Auditory Vertigo, Ear Effusion, Tinnitus, Itchy Eyes |
| Cardiac & Vascular System |
Hypertension, Migraines, Hypotension |
| Others |
Giddiness, Headaches, Head Swelling, Insomnia, Abnormal Blood Sugar Level, Weight Fluctuation, Chronic Fatigue, Water Retention, Obesity, Overweight |
Types of Allergic Reactions and their Mediators
Allergic Reactions can be divided into two categories:
 Immediate Onset Reactions (mediated via IgE antibodies typically)
Delayed Onset Reactions (mediated via IgG antibodies typically)
Immediate Onset Reactions
This type of allergic reaction, mediated via IgE antibodies typically occurs immediately after contact with an allergen. High levels of IgE antibodies reacting to specific allergens can cause serious health problems. This type of allergy is easily recognized because it involves quick and dramatic symptoms.
Delayed Onset Reactions
The delayed type of reaction is much less obvious and thus more difficult to discover; the reaction may occur up to several hours or days after contact with the allergen. This type of allergy is often considered “hidden allergies”. Chronic fatigue, arthritis, hives, eczema, headaches, water retention, irritable bowel, and many other chronic symptoms are often the legacy of unrealized and untreated IgG mediated allergic reactions.
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Food Allergy Test
