Dispelling Common Beliefs About Allergies

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Dispelling Common Beliefs About Allergies

By Ranieri

As if suffering from an allergy isn't bad enough, many people plagued by

allergies also have to sort out lots of conflicting evidence and erroneous

advice. To set the record straight, here are some of the most common myths

about allergies—and the facts that debunk them.

Myth: Allergies are psychosomatic.

Allergies are very real—and in some cases, potentially

life-threatening—conditions rooted in heredity and the environment, yet the

mind plays a significant role in their behavior and emotions can trigger

allergic reactions.

" Allergy straddles the mind-body border, " explains Dr. Weil, a

Harvard-trained physician who is a leading authority on alternative

medicine.

" Emotional stress can precipitate allergic reactions, and relaxation

techniques can moderate them. A person who is strongly allergic to roses,

for example, may react to the sight of a plastic rose, demonstrating the

involvement of the mind and the brain. " Dr. Weil advocates hypnotherapy to

lessen or even prevent allergic reactions.

Myth: Children outgrow allergies.

Children are ten times more likely than adults to have food allergies. Some

researchers believe that as a person's gastrointestinal system develops, it

gets better at blocking the absorption of components that trigger food

allergies. Over time, children typically outgrow allergies to cow's milk,

eggs, wheat, and soybean products. However, allergies to peanuts, tree nuts,

fish, and shellfish can be lifelong. And some children will outgrow one

allergy only to develop another.

Myth: Allergies aren't life-threatening.

Although it rarely happens, allergies can kill. Some people have such an

extreme sensitivity to a particular substance that the allergen can trigger

an episode known as an anaphylactic shock. A sudden, potentially fatal

reaction, anaphylactic shock lowers blood pressure, swells the tongue or

throat, and constricts the airways of the lungs, making it difficult to

breathe.

Such a reaction requires immediate medical attention. Anaphylactic shock is

most often triggered by a food or drug, but it can also result from an

insect sting or even, rarely, from immunotherapy for an allergy. People with

a history of severe allergic reactions should always carry a pre-loaded

syringe of epinephrine (a synthetically produced form of the hormone

adrenaline), which can be administered in an emergency.

Myth: People who are allergic to pets are allergic to their fur.

A dog may be a man's best friend, but not if the man is among the estimated

10 to 15 percent of the population that suffers from pet allergies. The

allergen is a specific protein produced not in the animal's fur, but

primarily in its skin and—to a lesser extent—its urine and saliva.

As the animal is petted or brushed, or as it rubs up against furniture or

people, microscopic flakes of skin (called dander) become airborne. Since

all cats and dogs have skin, there are no nonallergenic breeds.

However, since short-haired pets have less hair to shed, they send less

dander into the air, so are preferable for those with pet allergies. Dogs

are half as likely to cause allergic reactions as cats, but if you're

allergic to furry animals, the only no-risk pets are fish and reptiles.

Myth: Wearing gloves will protect you from poison ivy.

" Leaves of three, let them be, " runs the standard advice on how to avoid

poison ivy and its equally villainous cousins, poison oak and poison sumac.

But those who are allergic to this relative of the cashew—as many as 85

percent of all Americans—often find that no amount of armor or vigilance can

protect them.

The chemical that gives these plants their poisonous reputation is an oily

resin called urushiol. And what makes it truly diabolical is that it can

hitchhike on clothing, dog's fur, even garden tools. If you come into

contact with poison ivy, wash the oil off (preferably with brown soap and

water) within 20 to 30 minutes, before it soaks into the skin. Since the

residue can remain potent for a year or more, scrub tainted items as well.

Myth: People who are allergic to shellfish are actually allergic to the

iodine they contain.

Some people who are allergic to seafood avoid certain skin medications and

diagnostic medical tests that use iodine because they fear an allergic

reaction. But there is no connection between allergies to fish and shellfish

and allergies to iodine. Allergies to fish and shellfish are caused by the

protein in them, not the iodine.

Myth: Many people are allergic to milk.

Milk allergy is most common among infants and is usually outgrown in

adulthood. When adults react adversely to milk—suffering from cramps, gas,

and diarrhea—these symptoms are often mistaken for an allergic reaction.

This is actually a condition known as lactose intolerance—an inherited trait

caused by the body's lack of an enzyme, lactase, needed to break down

lactose, the sugar in milk or milk products.

Like food allergies, intolerances are adverse reactions to food, but unlike

food allergies, they don't involve the immune system. (In cases of lactose

intolerance, adults may use supplemental lactaceâ€â€e.g., Lactaidâ€â€or

consume dairy products from which lactose has been removed. Consultations

with a nutritionist may help in identifying which supplements and which

products are safe to use).

Myth: Natural ( " organic " ) foods are nonallergenic.

Limiting your diet to organic food is no guarantee that you'll avoid food

allergies. In fact, some of the most allergenic foods are " natural, "

unprocessed foods: cow's milk, eggs, peanuts, wheat, soybeans, fish and

shellfish, and tree nuts. Combined, these foods account for up to 90 percent

of all allergic reactions. Allergies are caused not by chemicals related to

growing the food, but by proteins in the food.

Myth: Allergy shots don't work.

While immunotherapy may not work for all allergies and all people, it has

been shown to be effective for allergies to insect venom 98 percent of the

time, and for hay fever about 85 percent of the time. In some cases,

immunotherapy can actually trigger an acute allergic reaction, but if the

therapy is properly administered, these risks can be reduced.

Myth: Moving to the Southwestern states will cure allergies.

For allergy sufferers, there is simply no safe haven. While desert regions

have no maple trees or ragweed, they do have plenty of other plants that

produce pollen, including sagebrush and cottonwood, ash, and olive trees.

Relocating to such a region may offer relief for a few months, but a fresh

crop of allergies to local plants is likely to develop before long.