Could you have an inhalant allergy?

[Guest guest]

prohealth.com Treatment & Research Information

Could You Have an Inhalant Allergy? Dr. Myhill Describes the Signs of

Various Invisible Irritants, and How to Deal With Them

by Dr. Myhill, MD*

ProHealthNetwork.com

01-15-2008 `Invisible' inhalable irritants such as dust mites, mold,

danders and pollens cause a variety of physical problems. Dr.

Myhill, MD - a UK-based preventive medicine and fatigue specialist -

offers some basic advice on the signs of these sensitivities and how

to deal with them. Excerpted with permission from Dr. Myhill's

extensive patient education website (www.Drmyhill.co.uk).

_________________________

INHALANT ALLERGY – DUST MITES, MOLD, DANDER, HAY FEVER, etc.

One can be allergic to anything under the sun, including the sun. For

practical purposes, allergies are split up into allergies to foods,

chemicals (includes drugs), and inhalants (pollens and micro-

organisms such as bacteria, mites, etc.). Inhalant allergies usually

present with problems in the airways - rhinitis, sinusitis, itchy

palate and/or throat, or asthma with cough, wheeze and shortness of

breath. Contact sensitivity in the eyes causes conjunctivitis and on

the skin, eczema.

Diagnosis of Inhalant Allergy

This is best done by taking a careful clinical history. Reactions to

inhalants are usually type I allergies - abnormal reactions to

protein substances that occur naturally - which are relatively easy

to test for [except for mold sensitivities, as explained below].

Blood tests can be done, as can skin tests, but these are not totally

reliable.

That is because the skin reacts differently compared to the airways,

which react differently compared to the gut. Furthermore, there are

lots of different animal danders with different breeds - it is

possible to react to one dog but not another. And people may react

differently to saliva or urine. It is not uncommon for people working

with laboratory animals to sensitize to rat urine.

So while the tests are a guide, clinical history is the most critical

aspect.

Timing of Symptoms

Broadly speaking, symptoms worse in:

Winter - suggest house dust mite allergy.

Spring - suggest tree pollen

Last week of May to the first two weeks of July - suggest grass

pollen

August to the autumn - suggest molds.

MOLD SENSITIVITY

I am increasingly finding that patients who are not responding to my

standard work-up are suffering from mold sensitivity. This is not an

easy diagnosis to make because tests for mold allergy are notoriously

unreliable. They do not give immediate skin test reactions.

Furthermore it is uncertain whether symptoms are due to allergy to

molds or sensitivity to mold fumes. This is a little bit like yeast

overgrowth in the gut. For some people this causes a problem because

they are allergic to yeast, and for some because they react to the

products of fermentation.

In the early stages of mold allergy one often gets local symptoms

such as rhinitis (runny nose with thin clear secretions and

sneezing), conjunctivitis (the white of the eye may have a

cobblestone appearance with redness and watering), and sore throat,

but as the symptoms become more systemic they can present with foggy

brain and chronic fatigue.

Patients who come to see me usually present with the latter symptoms.

Diagnosing Mold Allergy

History is key here and if patients are improved in a mold free or

low mold environment, then this is highly suggestive that molds are a

problem.

In order to survive, molds have to get their water from air,

therefore they do not exist either:

In very dry climates (which may be hot dry or cold dry),

Above three thousand feet, where the air is too thin to hold

sufficient moisture,

Or on sea fronts where the prevailing winds are onshore (and since

molds do not live in oceans, their spores are constantly blown

inland).

I'm Afraid You'll Have to Go on Holiday...

Therefore, to diagnose mold allergy I currently recommend that people

have a two-week holiday in such an environment. One may have already

done this and not realized that one's improvement was actually due to

mold allergy, ascribing improvement instead to other factors such as

freedom from stress, or sunshine, or whatever.

Coming Home

Being free from molds in a temperate climate is extremely difficult.

To reduce mold counts in houses:

Remove obvious sources, such as house plants or a damp problem.

Then, reduce the humidity inside the house to less than 40% using a

dehumidifier and this will kill any molds living in the house.

Reducing the humidity is helped by trying to avoid moisture-creating

activities such as drying clothes (inside), boiling pans and kettles,

etc.

Once the atmosphere is dried up, an air filtration system helps to

get rid of the molds in the air.

Getting the relative humidity below 40% is critically important, and

one can now buy a little gadget called a hygro thermometer. [You can

search for sources online] and it will tell you if you have got the

humidity down to an acceptable level.

DUST MITES

The fundamental problem with house dust and mites is that they live

on human skin scales. We constantly shed dead skin onto our clothes,

carpets, soft furnishings and bed clothes, and the mites flourish on

this free supply of food. Furthermore, a centrally heated home

provides the perfect temperature and humidity for house dust mites to

multiply.

Shoo!

Getting rid of mites means attacking on several fronts:

n The single most important aspect to tackle is humidity. House dust

mites cannot survive in dry air, which is why a combination of

excellent ventilation and warmth will clear them. The bedroom window

should always be open for free circulation of air. Background heating

will further dry bedclothes. Always draw back the bed covers in the

morning so the bed can thoroughly dry (or leave the electric blanket

on). On good days hang the duvet/blankets out of the windows (like

the continentals do).

n Remove as much soft furnishing as possible so that the mites have

nowhere to hide and can be sucked up by the vacuum cleaner - soft

toys are often the worst offenders.

n Kill the mites by extremes of temperature (either a hot wash or

pushing the blankets/duvets/pillows into the deep freeze).

The House

n Windows open.

n Avoid carpets - go for wood, linoleum, stone or tile floors. Do not

have too much furniture (which accumulates dust).

n If you can afford it, consider buying [a vacuum cleaner that

filters out dust and mites. You can search for these online.]

n Keep pets out of the house.

n Keep wet out - dry clothes outside if possible, cook with the

window open to let steam out, air the bathroom thoroughly after use.

The Bedroom

This is the main difficulty because we spend almost a third of our

lives in a warm bed - ideal for breeding dust mites. However, it does

take a while for the population of mites to build up, and this is the

key to keeping numbers down.

n Bedding - Have two sets which you alternate between. Use a hot wash

to kill the mites in bedding, then either hang out to dry on a windy

day to blow away the debris, or use a tumble drier to blow the dead

particles away.

n Pillows, duvets and blankets - can be put into the deep freeze to

kill the mites, then hung out to air, or put through the tumble

drier. Each night put a fresh clean towel over your pillow to reduce

inhalation of mites.

n Mattresses - are a problem. Ideally these should be covered with

plastic to stop mites penetrating them. To prevent sweating put a

blanket on top (which is treated in the same way as bedding above).

n Dust-mite-proof bedding – [A number of products in cotton and other

fibers that claim to be mite-proof are available and can be searched

online. Until recently it was believed that feather or down pillows

harbored more dust mites, but recent studies show they perform better

in this regard than synthetic pillows. One theory is that the casing

of feather pillows can offer a more effective barrier.]

n Soft toys - Put through the wash, or if this causes offense, into

the deep freeze when the owners are at school.

HAY FEVER – THE CLASSIC

The classic example of inhalant allergy is hay fever [associated with

pollens] -

n This may cause itchy conjunctivitis (the white of the eye may have

a cobblestone appearance), with redness and watering.

n In the nose there is rhinitis with thin clear secretions and

sneezing.

n There may also be blockage and loss of the sense of smell with

sinusitis.

n Pollen in the nose, mouth and throat may cause itching.

n In the lungs, asthma.

These effects are all mediated by the release of histamine.

Conventional treatment of hay fever is about symptom suppression

with:

Antihistamines (block the effect of histamine),

Sodium cromoglycate (stabilizes the allergy cells)

And steroid sprays or tablets (these turn off all immune reactions,

good and bad).

THE ENVIRONMENTAL APPROACH TO PREVENTION

This is about avoidance and desensitization.

Avoidance. This is most important for house dust mite sensitivity.

[As discussed above.] A dry climate often brings relief from house

dust mite and mold sensitivity.

Desensitization. My preference is to desensitize, and I use enzyme

potentiated desensitization (EPD). This has been proven in many

trials to be effective in treating hay fever. See " Enzyme Potentiated

Desensitization – How it works. " [Note: EPD involves injections using

low doses of antigens " potentiated " by the enzyme beta glucuronidase.

It is available in different " mixes " used to desensitize against a

variety of inhalants such as pollens, molds, pet danders, mites,

perfumes, and more. Currently, EPD is available in the UK and Canada,

but not in the U.S., where an American-made injection called LDA (Low

Dose Allergens) formulated by a compounding pharmacy may be

prescribed, according to Dr. WA Schrader, MD, at the Santa Fe Center

for Allergy & Environmental Medicine http://www.drshrader.com.]

Only one EPD injection is needed before the hay fever season starts

(no later than May 1st), and because EPD is in the homeopathic range

there are virtually no side effects.

Neutralization. Neutralization also works well. (For details, go to

http://www.drmyhill.co.uk/article.cfm?id=25.) Ideally, the

concentration of vaccine should be worked out before the season

begins, but neutralization can be used to turn off symptoms during

the season. In this respect it is superior to EPD. For allergies

which are perennial, I also use EPD, but injections need to be given

regularly - the gap between injections runs: 6-8 weeks; 2 months; 2

months; 3 months; 3 months; 4 months; then play it by ear. [Note that

neutralization or 'desensitization' appears to be based on

homeopathic theory. As Dr. Myhill explains, she is happy to use

an 'alternative' method in combination with conventional medicine, if

she has found it effective and safe.]

* * * *

To read more of Dr. Myhill's articles on various types of allergies,

chemical sensitivity, autoimmune disorders, and more, go to

http://www.drmyhill.co.uk/articles.cfm?subject=Allergies

____

* This material is reproduced with permission from Dr. Myhill's

patient-information website (http://www.Drmyhill.co.uk). R

Myhill Limited, Registered in England and Wales: Reg. No. 4545198.

Note: This information has not been evaluated by the FDA. It is

generic and is not meant to prevent, diagnose, treat, ameliorate or

cure any illness, condition, or disease. It is essential that you

make no decision about additions to or changes in your healthcare

plan or health support regimen without first researching and

discussing it in collaboration with your professional healthcare

team.

Now this really fascinates me as when they tested me for allergies

last year they did not find any but my ENT thinks I have them. I am

always the worst in the fall, especially October and also anytime

there is a lot of rain which means constant problems this winter. I

am going to take this article and go see my ENT! Maybe this would

help me with my sinus problems.

sue in ohio