Allergies and Reindeer

Have you ever been tested for an allergy to reindeer?  Hummm - me either.  No matter, a little walk on the beach would be great for all of us.  If you don't have issues with the beach scene. 

Relax and be prepared for the craziness of the holidays.

Take a lesson from Santa himself -

Allergy Shots or Drops

Great article by Dr. Michael Manning, M.D.

What are the treatment options for documented allergic disease?  If you do not know what the facts are, the answers can be very confusing.  When treating hay fever or allergic rhinitis, asthma and sometimes eczema, there are three main categories of treatment options.  First, one should always try and avoid any offending allergy triggers.  Second, there are a variety of medications that may be effective.  Lastly, allergen immunotherapy, also known as allergy shots, can be instituted if the first two options are ineffective.  So where does allergy drops fit in, if at all?

Allergy drops, or more properly known as sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT), are a form of allergen immunotherapy developed in Europe.  The purpose of sublingual immunotherapy is the same as traditional subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) or allergy shots.  Subcutaneous immunotherapy works by readjusting or rebalancing the immune system so that it stops reacting to allergy triggers.

 When someone is allergic his or her immune system has made an allergic antibody to a pollen, dander or mold.  This antibody, when exposed to the allergen, starts a reaction that ends with the symptoms of hay fever or asthma, such as runny nose, nasal congestion, and watery itchy eyes, coughing or wheezing.  This is actually an over-active immune system.  Therefore the goal of subcutaneous immunotherapy is to calm down this over-active immune response.  For allergy shots to work, the patient needs to be allergic to substances that are appropriate for allergen immunotherapy.  The allergy shot serum should include the allergens the patient is allergic to and not include the ones that they are not reactive to.  This means the serum should be customized to each patient.  Also, the serum must be mixed correctly in that certain allergens cannot be put together in the same serum as they degrade each other.  This process takes time but is the best long-term solution to control allergies.

 Sublingual immunotherapy has the same biological effects as subcutaneous immunotherapy.  This was refined in Europe and has shown excellent benefit when used in the appropriate patient.  Sublingual immunotherapy works best in those individuals that are not allergic to a lot of different allergens.  Currently there are no FDA approved sublingual extracts or serum in the United States. This also means that insurance companies will not cover sublingual immunotherapy. Studies to obtain FDA approval are ongoing.  When FDA approval is obtained, sublingual immunotherapy will be an appropriate treatment option for the control of allergic rhinitis or hay fever and asthma.

 So what is the problem?  Unfortunately, there is a lot of misinformation about sublingual immunotherapy.  Many practitioners advertise drops as being safe with no potential for systemic or severe reactions like can be seen with subcutaneous immunotherapy.  This is not true.  Systemic reactions can occur with sublingual treatment therefore care must be taken when sublingual immunotherapy is started and advanced. Local reactions in the mouth, throat and stomach also occur. Sublingual immunotherapy, when it obtains FDA approval, needs to be performed under proper supervision by a physician specifically trained in allergy and immunology.  Also, like subcutaneous immunotherapy, sublingual extracts should be customized for the patient.  There is no one drop fits all.

 When sublingual immunotherapy receives FDA approval, it will be an added treatment option for patients with allergic rhinitis or asthma.  If avoidance measures and medications do not adequately control symptoms and the patient is only allergic to a few allergens, then sublingual immunotherapy may be the next step in treatment.  In patients who fail to respond to sublingual immunotherapy or who react to a multitude of allergens, then traditional subcutaneous immunotherapy would be the best option.  Until that point, make sure your treatment program is appropriate and backed by scientific study.

Winter Allergies

One of my grand daughters has some pretty serious allergies.  Her test, which I will share photos of at a later date, show she has problems with many trees that are found through out Arizona.  Also, grasses, a few animals, and foods.  

She recently moved to a higher elevation where she will be enjoying (not really) the joys of cold weather, freezing conditions, and regular snows.  We were hoping that she would find some relief in her allergies since so many plants will be totally dormant.  Life isn't exactly working out that way.

I went to search out a few sites that will give a bit of input on what to do about the winter allergies.  Here's a couple of basic info articles.

Winter Allergies - How to Stay Healthy

By Kathi MacNaughton, Health Pro

 

Some people get relief from their allergies this time of year. I'm not one of them... How about you?

You see, it all depends on what you are allergic to. "Lucky" seasonal allergy sufferers usually find that this time of year, pollen is pretty much nonexistent, as are mold spores, at least if a frost has hit your area by now.

The exception is people who live in more temperate areas that may not get frosts or at least not until deep winter hits. But even for those folks, pollen levels should be much lower, and symptoms much less.

But for those of us who are also allergic to indoor triggers, there is no respite this time of year, at least not enough of one. I'll admit that my symptoms aren't quite as severe once the pollen and outdoor mold counts go down, but I'm never really without some kind of symptoms. And if you're an indoor allergy sufferer, you probably feel the same.

Winter Allergy Triggers

As I said, the allergens around this time of year are mostly the type found indoors, such as pet dander, indoor mold, insect droppings and dust mites. And those are all allergens that can be difficult to totally eliminate from your indoor living space, no matter how hard you try.

Any efforts you make, however, can be well worth it. Here are some previous posts that may help with those efforts:

• Dust : The #1 Allergy Trigger?
• 7 Ways to Avoid Your Mold Allergy Triggers
• 5 Things In Your House You Need To Get Rid Of For Allergy Relief

But this time of year, with the holidays approaching, there can also be some triggers specific to the holidays, such as dusty decorations, wood smoke, moldy Christmas tree trunks, and so on.

I discuss those in more detail, along with giving some tips for dealing with them here: 5 Common Holiday Triggers & How to Avoid Them

Cedar Fever - Scourge of the South!

One last mention... if you live in the south (or Texas, which I prefer to think of as the southwest), you could also be feeling the effects of cedar fever this time of year. Cedar trees, for some reason, pollinate during the winter months.

So people who live in areas where this happens could suffer from severe pollen allergies this time of year too. I posted more info on this here.

In Summary

This is not the time to become lax in managing your allergies, if your allergens are still lurking in your environment. Keep taking your antihistamine medicines, avoid the allergens as much as you can and keep in touch with your doctor if things do get out of control.

And also, get plenty of rest, eat healthy and in general make healthy lifestyle choices, as those actions will keep you healthier overall!

This next article may very well be something that closely applies to my grand daughter. 

 

 Cedar Fever Is Coming To Town

Written on November 18th, 2011 by Dr. Aaron Davis, M.D.

“Cedar Fever” is a term given to allergies associated with cypress and juniper tree pollen. The scientific family name for these trees is “cypressaceae”. Although these allergies are typically thought of affecting people in Austin Texas and Santa Fe New Mexico, many people are affected each winter in Arizona as well. The common symptoms of Cedar Fever include: sneezing, nasal congestion, runny nose, throat drainage, and itchy, red, watering eyes. Other symptoms, which are easily overlooked, are achiness, fatigue and low grade fevers, hence the name “cedar fever”. Oftentimes these symptoms are attributed to the common flu. Allergies to this type of tree pollen can also trigger asthma.

In Arizona there are many trees which are “anemophilous” or wind born pollinators. The dry warm climate and wind allow these trees to reproduce. Juniper and cypress trees are evergreen trees and come in a variety of shapes and sizes. They can be short or tall and resemble a bush more than a tree.  The easiest way to distinguish between cypress and juniper trees is to look at their cones.  The cypress trees have large round cones, while the juniper tree has “juniper berries”. These trees are not as prevalent down here in the valley; however, as you travel further north, higher altitudes support the growth of pine trees and juniper trees, also referred to as Pinyon-Juniper Woodland. These plants produce pollen that can be carried 40,000 feet up into the atmosphere and can be transferred fifty miles from the source.  Typically the valley’s highest pollination season is in winter, or early December through February.

In summary, if each winter you feel like you have recurrent sinus infections, a cold, lasting flu, or asthma, your symptoms may just be from the native plants of Arizona.   The next time you hear residents of Texas and New Mexico complaining of “cedar fever”, let them know that they are not the only ones who can lay claim to the allergies associated with Cedar Fever.

What Is An Allergy? Really!

     The first step in understanding, attacking or accepting severe food, drug and environmental allergies is to know exactly what we are dealing with.  Food allergies are the most common in my family so I will concentrate one that to begin with. 

                                      So what exactly is an allergy?

     Allergies occur when your immune system reacts to a foreign substance such as pollen, bee venom, pet dander or something ingested like food or drugs.  About 4% of adults have food allergies according to the National Institute of Allergy and InfectiousDiseases. The condition affects approximately 6 to 8% of children age 4 and younger.

     The immune system works to protect the body and creates food-specific antibodies. The antibodies are proteins that battle antigens, substances that are foreign or initially outside the body. The introduction of an antigen produces the immune response. Antibodies are created to destroy the antigen or counteract its effectiveness.

     The food that triggered that reaction is called an allergen. The antibodies are like an alarm system coded to detect the food regarded as harmful. The next time the person eats that food, the immune system discharges a large amount of histamine and chemicals. This process meant to protect the body against the allergen causes an allergic reaction that can affect the respiratory tract, digestive tract, skin, and cardiovascular system.

     During the initial exposure a chemical reaction occurs and many IgE antibodies are created. These attach to mast cells. These cells are located in tissue throughout the body, especially in areas such as the nose, throat, lungs, skin, and gastrointestinal tract. These are also the areas where allergic reactions occur.

     The antibodies are in place, and a reaction is triggered the next time the person eats the food regarded as harmful. As the allergen reacts with the IgE, the body releases histamine and other chemicals. Histamine is a chemical located in the body's cells. When released during an allergic reaction, histamine and other chemicals cause symptoms like inflammation.

     This all sounds so technical but as I continue in my attempt to understand allergies, hopefully it will all fall into place.

A Life With Allergies

     I have had questions about the hows and whys of the food and drug allergies that I have developed over the past years.  My children developed their own bunch of allergies but at a much younger age.  Now I have grand children who are carrying on the tradition.

     It's time to find the answers for the benefit of the generations to come.  There just has to be a way - remedies and solutions; ways to curve the effects; maybe prevent the onset at an early age; at the very least to find ways to live a full and happy life, accepting the hand we have been dealt.

     My plan is to research many avenues including causes and effects.  I may not make daily or even weekly post but what I do post will be directly related to the issues of living with severe allergies.