There are a wide variety of substances that may cause allergic reactions in some people. Allergy testing is the procedure used to determine which particular substance (allergen) is responsible for provoking an allergic reaction.
A wide range of symptoms can be associated with allergies.
Some of the common symptoms associated with allergies include:
- Skin rashes - eczema (atopic dermatitis) or hives (urticaria);
- Swelling - angioedema;
- Sneezing and running nose - allergic rhinitis (hay fever);
- Headache, stiffness in the neck or muscles;
- Teary, red, itchy eyes - allergic conjunctivitis;
- Nausea and vomiting - food allergy;
- Sleepiness or Fatigue;
- Asthma ;
- Anaphylaxis - severe allergic reaction, which causes serious breathing problems and can be life threatening.
Allergies can sometimes mimic the symptoms of colds and flu like illnesses, and many people believe that they are involved in behavioral as well as physical illness.
People can be allergic to almost anything, they can be born with it, can become allergic suddenly or it can develop as they grow older. Some of the common causes of allergy are:
- Plant pollens (Hay fever) including rye grass, ragweed, timothy grass, birch trees;
- Mold spores;
- Drugs including penicillins, sulfonamides, salicylates (also found naturally in numerous fruits) , local anaesthetics;
- Foods (food allergy) including nuts, seafood, egg (typically albumen, the white), peas, beans, peanuts, soybeans and other legumes, soy, milk, wheat. corn or maize;
- Insect stings including bee sting venom, wasp sting venom;
- Animal products (animal allergy) including Animal hair and dander, cockroach calyx, dust mite excretion;
- Other causes can be Exercise or Cold
For some people allergies can be life threatening peanut and bee sting allergies are often associated with Anaphylaxis, while in certain disease conditions such as Celiac disease the allergy can lead to life threatening eating disorders.
Not all Medical Systems view allergies in the same whey nor do they all use the same procedures to diagnose. Some of the therapies that are commonly used to diagnose or treat allergies are Traditional Chinese Medicine, Naturopaths, Homeopaths, Kinesiologists, Herbalists and Nutritionists.
More Information
Other approaches to allergies.
http://www.acupuncture.com/conditions/allergies.htm
http://www.tcmpage.com/food_allergy.html
http://www.naturaltherapycenter.com/vega_allergy_testing/
http://www.nutritionaustralia.org/Food_Facts/Fact_Sheets/food_allergy_and_intolerance_fs.asp
http://www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info/
http://www.test4allergies.co.uk/
