Allergy comes from the Greek, and means altered energy. An Allergy is a hypersensitivity to foreign substances which are normally harmless but which produce a violent reaction in the allergy sufferer. Allergies are generally the body's effort to eliminate something it considers unsuitable.

Typical allergic reactions are hay fever, migraine, asthma, allergic rhinitis, digestive disturbances, coeliac disease, conjunctivitis, urticaria, eczema, drowsiness, CFS, hyperactivity in children, tinnitus, recurrent sinusitis and ear infections.

In a few people the histamine (anaphylactic) reaction can cause muscle cramps, disorientation, unconsciousness and death from shock or suffocation. In some, peanuts cause such a reaction.

There are different types of allergies. The most common is when an allergen encounters cells capable of antibody formation, they then form IgE antibodies which bind to the surface of other cells, called mast cells and basophils. In response to the attachment, those cells release chemicals, called mediators of anaphylaxis, among them histamine.

These chemicals cause allergic reactions such as swelling or the secretion of mucus. Almost any substance can be an allergen for an individual. Some people have intolerance for foods like milk, wheat and eggs; others have an allergic reaction to pollens, dust, moulds, cosmetics and certain food additives.

An allergy is not the same as an intolerance. Allergies always involve the immune system, whereas an intolerance, eg. lactose intolerance is caused by a lack of lactase, the enzyme that converts lactose into glucose. Overactive and hyperactive children, epileptics and mentally ill adults, aspirin sensitive persons and those with chronic skin rashes, migraine sufferers may find the following list a guide:




Allergy is a condition of hyper-immunity. It means that the immune system has become sensitised to something we have come into contact with. This is called an allergen because it produces an allergic, inflammatory response. Under normal circumstances that’s the end of the matter as the allergen is destroyed, but in some people the response is excessive. The effect of this depends upon the tissue involved: if it's skin then it may produce an eczematous rash, if it’s pollen that we breathe in it may cause the sneezing and running eyes of hay fever, or the wheeze and shortness of breath of asthma. Serious allergy may produce a severe generalised response called anaphylaxis, where a patient may collapse with shortness of breath and very low blood pressure.

Allergy may be seen as being in one of three classes, either as allergic reaction, intolerance or sensitivity.

• Allergic reaction is a term used to describe a specific body response caused by an overreaction of the immune system.
• Intolerance is a looser term used to describe any adverse reaction to some substance.
• Sensitivity, or hyper-sensitivity, is a general description covering both allergic reaction and intolerance.

Food allergy may be brought on by a similar mechanism - as occurs in some people with eggs or seafood - but it may involve other mechanisms, such as occurs in coeliac disease. An exclusion diet may assist in finding the causes.

Allergies, Symptoms and Diseases

What you need to know

Common Allergy Diseases and Symptoms

The following table shows diseases caused by allergies, their most common causes and the symptoms:

Disease	Allergen	Typical Symptoms
Eczema/Dermatitis	Food additives, colourings, biological washing powders, perfumed soaps, softeners and toiletries, plant saps, plant hairs, plant stings (e.g. nettle)	Itchy, raised reddened rash, blistering, scabbing
Hay fever/ allergic rhinitis	Pollen, Dust mites, Animal fur, Feathers, strong smells or resins (sawdust)	Sneezing, streaming eyes, runny or blocked nose, exhaustion
Asthma	Dust mites, Animal fur, Feathers, Aspirin based medicines	Coughing, wheezing, breathlessness
Arthritis*	Candidaor Foods (could be anything, but normally either Dairy products, Tomato family products - peppers, tomatoes, potatoes, chillies, aubergines, tobacco - Citrus fruits or Wheat and its derivatives are prime suspects.) Try removing the groups one at a time with an exclusion diet.	Inflammation, pain, swelling and stiffness in the Joints
Venom/sting allergy	Wasp, Bee or Insect stings or snake bites	Sickness, swelling around eyes and mouth. CAUTION: can cause anaphylactic shock, which can be fatal. Breathing becomes difficult, lips turn blue, loss of consciousness.
Urticaria(skin rashes)	Foods, medicines (especially aspirin and penicillin based), additives and colourings, bio washing powders, jewellery (especially with nickel, including 9 carat gold), plant saps, plant hairs, plant stings (e.g. nettle)	Itchy rash, raised hives
Coeliac disease	Gluten (found in wheat, oats, barley, rye)	Slow growth, weight loss, diarrhoea, vomiting, fatigue
Wheat allergy	Wheat and wheat extracts; not the same as Gluten allergy.	Asthma, itchy skin, diarrhoea
Peanut/Nut allergy	Peanuts, and sometimes other nuts	Sickness, swelling around eyes and mouth, CAUTION: can cause anaphylactic shock, which can be fatal. Breathing becomes difficult, lips turn blue, loss of consciousness.
Egg allergy	Eggs and egg products and derivatives	Eczema, Dermatitis, Urticaria
Fish allergy	Fish, prawns, mussels, shellfish and derivatives	Can range from Itchy rashes (urticaria) to anaphylactic shock in serious cases.
Milk/Dairy allergy	Milk protein (includes butter, cheese and milk powder products) and derivatives (often avoidable by using goat or sheep products or soya milk)	Can range from Itchy rashes (urticaria),asthma, allergic rhinitis, catarrh, intestinal upsets and diarrhoea.
Lactose Intolerance	Products containing lactose (milk sugar) (often avoidable by using goat or sheep products or soya milk)	Bloating, stomach pains, wind, intestinal upsets and diarrhoea.
Yeast sensitivity	Mushrooms, blue cheeses, vinegar, yoghurt, tofu, soy sauce, yeast-leavened breads and rolls, wines and beers, grapes, raisins, yeast extracts	Thrush, candida, stomach bloating, chronic fatigue, urticaria (rashes).
Amine Intolerance	Amines in red wine, chocolate and cheese	Migraine, vision blurring
Caffeine Intolerance	Caffeine in coffee, tea, chocolate, cola drinks, some medicines	Palpitations, anxiety, restless behaviour.
Additive Intolerance	Food additives, often in processed foods or fizzy drinks	Palpitations, hyperactive behaviour, Attention deficit disorder, anxiety, restless behaviour.

* Many conventional specialists may disagree that Arthritis is caused by food allergy, but there is a growing body of evidence that it may be a trigger in many cases of rheumatoid arthritis and possibly in other types as well. Up to a third of rheumatoid arthritis sufferers find a reduction of symptoms by improving their diet, with a small number claiming a cure; this may mean a misdiagnosis originally, but while research continues there is little to lose.

Further advice

A very simple self-test which can determine an allergen is to take your pulse rate after consuming the suspected food or being exposed to the allergen. First your normal resting pulse rate is repeatedly taken at the wrist whilst being sat down until it is stable. This should be around 52-70 beats per minute. Once this is established eat the suspect food or contact the allergen and wait 15-30 minutes before taking your pulse rate again. If the pulse rate has risen by more than 10 beats per minute it is very likely that the food or allergen is causing a problem, in this case omit the food from the diet/ avoid the allergen for 1 month, and retest yourself again.

It is obviously, as a general practice, important to avoid all artificial colours, flavours and other additives that are known to cause allergic reactions. Sulphites are especially troublesome and still found in many processed foods. The best way to avoid additives is to eat fresh produce that is organic.

Other useful advice

A kinesiologist can also determine problem foods using a technique called muscle testing.

All potential allergens should be avoided as they may aggravate the problem. People with inhalant allergies should avoid dust, mould and animals with fur. This may involve cleaning the house more frequently or replacing carpets with laminates and ceramic tiles. Furthermore bedding should be washed more often and pets should be banned from sleeping areas. Furthermore, the air should be kept cleaner with special filters and ionisers.

Research has indicated that acupuncture may be of use at helping reduce the symptoms of allergies. Always visit a properly qualified practitioner.

Aspirin-based medicines can increase the absorption of allergen foods, hence they should avoided where ever possible or not taken within 3 hours of eating.

If you are using drug-based antihistamines, it is worth knowing that some can make the liver sluggish. Taking the herbs milk thistle, dandelion and artichoke can support the liver if these are being used quite often.