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| HEALTH TRIBUNE | Wednesday, August 7, 2002, Chandigarh, India |
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Truth
about allergies & allergens INFO CAPSULE
Multiple
chemical sensitivities and environmental illness Eat less,
live longer |
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Truth about allergies & allergens
THERE
is worldwide increase in allergic diseases like asthma, allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis and food allergies. Allergic rhinitis (AR) or allergic inflammation of the nose is a common condition. About 70 per cent of patients develop allergic rhinitis before they are 30 years of age. Adolescent children have greater incidence, the peak occurs between 15-25 years of age. There is genetic predisposition to develop allergies, but many people develop it even without such a predisposition. If one parent or a sibling has allergy one-third of the children may develop AR; if both parents have allergies two-thirds of the children develop AR. Allergic rhinitis can occur alone or concomitantly with other allergies. The allergic inflammation occurs when an allergy producing substances or allergen is inhaled by a sensitised person and the body’s immune system behaves or reacts abnormally. The allergen binds to immunoglobulin E (lgE) antibodies attached to cells which produce and release histamine and other chemicals. These chemicals stimulate blood vessels, glands and nerves in the nose causing symptoms like sneezing, itching, running nose, blockage of nose, watering of eyes etc. Allergic rhinitis can be of acute or chronic variety. Symptoms are seasonal (occurs during the same period every year) or perennial. In our region, seasonal symptoms occur mostly from March to May and from mid-August to mid-November. These are caused by pollens from wind-pollinated trees, weeds and grasses or mold or fungal spores. On the other hand, the perennial AR is caused by allergens found year-round like house dust, house dust mites (in some parts of our country), cockroach, animal dander or mold spores. Sometimes a commonly consumed food may also be responsible for perennial symptoms of allergic rhinitis. Some perennial cases also experience seasonal increase in symptoms as they are also sensitive to pollen or outdoor mold spore. It is not a life-threatening disease. But it is annoying and significantly affects the quality of life by causing discomfort, impairment of functioning at work, school and home. It also takes fun out of relaxation activities like outings, sports and picnics. Allergic rhinitis is not all a simple disease. Almost 20-50 per cent of patients with AR go on to develop asthma. In patients with both rhinitis and asthma, symptoms of AR often precede those of asthma. Exacerbation of asthma can occur. AR is a risk factor to develop asthma. A large number of children who start with asthma also develop AR. AR can be complicated by sinusitis, ear problems and headaches. Many patients develop watering, itching and redness of the eyes, collectively known as allergic rhinoconjuctivitis. Due to secretions of nose draining in the throat patients may develop a tendency to clear the throat repeatedly. Breathing disturbance during sleep, mouth-breathing, hearing and speech problems, fatigue, loss of smell and taste may be experienced by some. Other clinical situations can mimic AR, viral infections, (the most common cause of rhinitis), irritants (smoke, perfumes, strong smells, air pollutants) and temperature changes. Irritants and temperature changes can also bother patients with AR. Intake of alcoholic drinks like wines and beer, chlorine in swimming pool water, drugs like birth control pills, female hormone preparations, some drugs used for blood pressure control, aspirin and chronic use of decongestants in the nose can produce rhinitis. Cocaine users can also present with chronic nose symptoms. A detailed clinical history of patients’ illness will identify the likely cause of rhinitis. If it suggests AR, history itself will help to point to the probable allergens. Specific testing with relevant allergens as applicable to individuals mostly identifies the allergen. The management consists of allergen avoidance. As most of the allergens are present in outdoor or indoor air we breath, total avoidance is not possible but all appropriate measures should be taken in minimise exposure. Drugs are used if avoidance measures do not significantly control symptoms. Preventive and symptomatic treatment is helpful to the patients. Specific therapy to modify the body’s reaction to allergen can be used in some selected individuals where allergen avoidance is not possible and drugs are unable to control symptoms to satisfaction, or a patient experiences side-effects from medications. This form of therapy may prevent the onset of asthma in some patients of allergic rhinitis. The writer is a former Professor and Head of the Department of Paediatrics, PGI, Chandigarh. She is now in charge of the Allergy and Immunology Centre at Chetanya Hospital, Chandigarh.
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INFO CAPSULE New York: Researchers have found another reason to watch your waistline: being even modestly overweight increases the chances of developing heart failure. Extreme obesity has already been linked to heart failure, but whether that was true for milder weight problems wasn't as firmly established. A US study of 5,881 men and women published in New England Journal of Medicine showed that the risk of heart failure is double in obese people and 34 per cent bigger in those overweight, compared with those of normal weight. Researchers also determined that the risk rose gradually with weight levels. AP Mice ovaries
San Francisco: Japanese researchers have removed ovaries from fetal mice and matured the eggs in a test-tube, a technique that someday could save the fertility of girls being treated for cancer. The scientists removed genetic material from the immature eggs and transferred it into mature eggs. Those eggs were then fertilised and the embryos were inserted into the wombs of surrogate mothers. Of the 64 embryos 16 pups or 25 per cent were produced by seven adult mice. None of the offspring displayed abnormalities, and all were fertile following development. Details of the experiment appear in the current issue of the journal Nature.
AP
Schizophrenia drug
New York: A new drug used to treat adults with schizophrenia also curtails serious behavioural problems in children with autism, a study shows. Older medications used to treat troublesome conduct can have severe side effects, according to a recent study. A drug, Risperdal, was tested in 101 children with autism who had aggressive behaviour, temper tantrums or hurt themselves. Sixtynine per cent of the children who took Risperdal showed a positive response by the end of the eight-week test, compared to 12 per cent of the children who were given a dummy pill. The drug, also known as risperidone, continued to be effective for six months in most of the children who benefited, said Lawrence Scahill of the Yale Child Study Center, the lead author of the study done in five cities.
AP
Breast cancer
London: Recent research suggests that breastfeeding can afford some protection from breast cancer. Fortunately, for those women seeking a more practical approach, help is at hand. Several studies show that diet can have an important influence on the risk of this condition. A class of compounds known as phytoestrogens have been the focus of much attention for their potential to reduce breast-cancer risk. Within the body, phytoestrogens have an action similar to, though weaker than, the female hormone oestrogen, which is known to be a potent factor in the development and growth of many breast tumours. Phytoestrogens are believed to block the effects of oestrogen on breast tissue, reducing its cancer-inducing potential.
Guardian
Hepatitis-B vaccine
New Delhi: At a time when Hepatitis-B has emerged as one of the major public health concerns worldwide, India is set to take a leap by providing free vaccine to infants. The government, for the first time, would offer free hepatitis-B vaccines in slums in 15 cities and 32 districts across the country beginning September. With the launching of the programme, the government hopes to control the deadly Hepatitis-B which results in the death of 1,00,000 Indians annually.
UNI |
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Multiple
chemical sensitivities and environmental illness Common symptoms:
Always feeling “under the weather” regardless of how much sleep you get; brain fog and mental sluggishness; abnormal metabolism; learning and behaviour disabilities; skin rashes; chronic respiratory infection; ringing in the ears; nausea;
diarrhoea; headaches; low immune response. Drug reactions: Mimic allergy reactions but usually don’t involve the immune system (IgE antibodies). Common causes:
Repeated exposure and sensitivity to toxic chemicals like chlorine, dry cleaning chemicals, latex, plastic food containers, synthetic perfumes, solvents, mercury dental fillings, aspirin; and environmental pollutants like auto-exhaust, pesticide sprays and smoke; inherited tendency (affecting more women and children than men). Diet and superfood therapy: Nutritional therapy plan: (1) Go on a short blood purifying programme to being toxin release. Have the following daily: a glass of fresh carrot juice, a carrot-beet-cucumber juice, a cup of soup with greens, and a bowl of high-fibre cereal to bind/eliminate toxins in the G.I. tract. (2) Eat organically grown foods as much as possible. Avoid canned foods. Avoid caffeine (which inhibits the liver filtering function) and foods sprayed with colorants, waxes or ripening agents. (3) Eat legumes and sea greens to excrete lead. Have an apple a day if you work in a polluted area. Apply pectin removes metal toxins. (4) Lower badly saturated and trans fats; add good omega-3 fats with essential fatty acids: greens, flax and olive oils for resistance. Lifestyle measures: Avoid contaminants. Seek out trees to live around. Trees produce oxygen and remove many air pollutants. Avoid antacids; they interfere with enzymes, and your body’s ability to carry off chemical residues. Invest in an air filter. Pay attention to unhealthy air alerts. Stay indoors if you have chemical sensitivities. Do not exercise near freeways. Outdoor sports and picnics are better. Avoid as much as possible the following smoking and secondary smoke, pesticides and herbicides, phosphorous fertilisers, fluorescent lights, aluminium cookware and deodorants, electric blankets and microwave ovens. Hand reflexology:
Press webbing between the thumb and the index finger. The writer is an allergy specialist and paediatrician based in Chandigarh. For free guidance on every Wednesday patients may contact her at Phone Numbers 562239, 892226, 782766. |
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Eat less, live longer Washington Mr George S. Roth and his colleagues at the National Institute on Aging say they have preliminary evidence that biological changes that help create superaged rodents may also work in humans. The biological markers — lower temperature, lower insulin levels and a steady level of a steroid hormone called DHEAS — all occur in restricted-diet rodents that live about 40 per cent longer than fellow rodents on a normal diet, said Mr Roth. The same biological markers have now been found in men who are living longest in a continuing study in Baltimore on aging.
AP |
