Allergy

ALLERGY... SENSITIVITY...or INTOLERANCE?

There's much confusion about these terms:

� Allergy: This term is used by the medical profession and allergy specialists in particular
to denote those body reactions which involve the entire immune system, in particular the
IgE (immuno-globulin, type E) reaction.

� Sensitivity: This term is used by environmental ecologists, scientists, and many medical
allergists to denote somewhat different body reactions which do not involve IgE, and parts
of the immune system. (IgG reactions are often used.)

� Intolerance: This term refers to a food intolerance which is characterized by a missing
enzyme that is needed to digest a particular food. Familiar examples include the enzyme
"lactase" which is necessary to digest milk products, and the enzyme needed to digest
beans. Both cause intestinal problems, mostly gas from the fermentation of the food
instead of digestion. Since intolerance is not a true problem involving allergens, we'll
ignore it here.

The first two - allergy and sensitivity - are very similar in their effects. Either or both can
cause virtually any symptom known to man. These range from simple itches, rashes, and
minor pains to very complex problems such as schizophrenia, depression, ADD/ADHD,
obesity and even arthritis

A lot of the confusion comes from medical allergists not being up-to-date on testing
methods of sensitivity. Many are still using the obsolete "scratch" test. Others are using
the newer RAST (Radio-AllogoSorbent Test). Although the scratch test will sometimes
show food sensitivities as well as direct food allergies, it is often confusing to these
professionals. The RAST test only tests IgE, and most food/chemical sensitivities do not
show up on this test at all.

There's another very important difference between allergy and sensitivity. A food or
chemical sensitivity will literally "die down" and no longer cause symptoms if the food or
chemical is abstained from for a period of 3-6 months, and only ingested once a week or
so from then on. Allergies do NOT die down, but are usually a problem for all the life of the
sufferer.

Total avoidance of the offending allergen is the only way to completely avoid allergy or
sensitivity reactions. Some individuals have success with prescription and OTC
medications. Others have gained relief using herbal or homeopathic products. For more
information on the products below, just click on the picture...