According to Unani Physicians the good old days, when a peanut butter and jelly sandwich was lunch, not a potentially life-threatening experience? Today, some schools are so afraid that a child’s peanut butter sandwich will trigger a lethal allergic reaction that they’ve banned the sticky stuff altogether.
They have good reason to be fearful. An increasing number of children are allergic to peanuts about 3.3 percent in 1996 compared with 1.1 percent in 1989 while an estimated 3 million people overall are allergic to them, making peanuts the most common food allergen in this country. But it’s far from the only one: Overall, an estimated 5 to 8 percent of kids and about 1 to 2 percent of adults have some kind of food allergy, with the “trigger” foods varying widely.
In Unani System, food allergies, whether to peanuts, shellfish, dairy products, or egg whites, are serious, much more so than everyday allergic rhinitis. They are the leading cause of anaphylaxis, the life-threatening reaction that causes difficulty breathing, swelling in the mouth and throat, a sudden drop in blood pressure, and in some cases, loss of consciousness. Each year, food allergies account for an estimated 30,000 emergency room visits, 2000 hospitalizations, and as many as 200 deaths from anaphylasix.
That’s why people with sever food allergies carry a strong antidote with them at all times. There’s also increasing evidence that food allergies may be a risk factor for severe asthma in children, with one study finding that 56 percent of children with serious asthma also had food allergies, compared with just 10.5 percent of those with mild asthma. The results suggest that life threatening asthma attacks may be triggered by food allergies in susceptible patients with asthma, say researchers.
As for the rising rate of food allergies, it’s probably explained by the fact that we’re exposed to potentially allergenic foods both more often and earlier in life. For instance, researchers suspect that one reason for the increase in peanut allergies in Great Britain is the use of peanut oil in baby lotions. In the United States, it’s our love of peanuts and peanut butter. As soy products become more prevalent, experts expect we’ll see the rate of soy allergies jump.
The kicker? Unlike allergic rhinitis or asthma, there is no effective treatment for food allergies. All you can do is avoid the food in question, and that takes a Herculean effort in today’s world. Food allergens can be so pervasive, in fact, that some people have had serious reactions just from walking through a fish market or kissing someone who had recently eaten seafood. For some, even inhaling the fumes from frying or steaming food to which they’re allergic can trigger a reaction.
Food allergies defined in Unani System
If you have a food allergy, blame your parents: It’s an inherited predisposition. In other words, if your family has a history of allergies, you are much more likely to develop a food allergy than, say, the daughter of parents who wouldn’t know an allergy from an alligator.
The development of a food allergy begins with one simple step: exposure to the food. If you never touch or eat a peanut, you’ll never develop a peanut allergy. Even that first butter cracker may be innocuous, but as you digest it, it triggers your immune system to produce antibodies that will be activated the next time you eat the food. Actually, it’s not the food that triggers the reaction but rather proteins within the food the cooking, stomach acids, or digestive enzymes don’t break down. These proteins are absorbed through the gastrointestinal lining into your bloodstream, where they travel through the gastrointestinal lining into your bloodstream, where they travel through your body.
From there, you know the drill: The proteins interact with the molecules on the surface of mast cells, triggering the cells to release inflammatory chemicals such as histamine. Where those chemicals are released determines your reaction. For instance, the mast cells on your skin are most likely to be affected by food allergies, leading to hives or atopic dermatitis (eczema), a skin condition characterized by itchy, scaly, red skin. If mast cells in your ears, nose, and throat are activated, your mouth may itch, and you may have trouble breathing or swallowing. If they’re activated in your gastrointestinal tract, you may have abdominal pain, diarrhea, or vomiting. If it happens in your lungs, you could have an asthma attack.
The reaction can take as little as a few seconds (the tingling you feel in your mouth as you eat the food) or as long as an hour (a full blown allergy attack, possibly culminating in anaphylaxis).
If you are allergic to one food, you’re likely to be allergic to others. For instance, if you have a history of allergic reactions to shrimp, you’re likely to be allergic to crab lobster, and crayfish as well. Unani Doctors call this cross reactivity.
Additionally, if you’re allergic to ragweed, you may find that during ragweed season, you’re also allergic to melons, particularly cantaloupe, honeydew, and watermelon. People who have a birch pollen allergy may also react to hazelnuts, apples, carrots and celery. Allergyic to latex? Watch out for bananas.
Another form of food allergy is called exercise induced food allergy. To trigger a reaction with this form, you not only need to eat a certain food but also to exercise soon afterward. As you work out and your body temperature rises, you begin to itch, get light-headed, and soon have allergy symptoms such as lives or even anaphylaxis. The cure is simple: Don’t eat for a couple of hours before exercising.
They have good reason to be fearful. An increasing number of children are allergic to peanuts about 3.3 percent in 1996 compared with 1.1 percent in 1989 while an estimated 3 million people overall are allergic to them, making peanuts the most common food allergen in this country. But it’s far from the only one: Overall, an estimated 5 to 8 percent of kids and about 1 to 2 percent of adults have some kind of food allergy, with the “trigger” foods varying widely.
In Unani System, food allergies, whether to peanuts, shellfish, dairy products, or egg whites, are serious, much more so than everyday allergic rhinitis. They are the leading cause of anaphylaxis, the life-threatening reaction that causes difficulty breathing, swelling in the mouth and throat, a sudden drop in blood pressure, and in some cases, loss of consciousness. Each year, food allergies account for an estimated 30,000 emergency room visits, 2000 hospitalizations, and as many as 200 deaths from anaphylasix.
That’s why people with sever food allergies carry a strong antidote with them at all times. There’s also increasing evidence that food allergies may be a risk factor for severe asthma in children, with one study finding that 56 percent of children with serious asthma also had food allergies, compared with just 10.5 percent of those with mild asthma. The results suggest that life threatening asthma attacks may be triggered by food allergies in susceptible patients with asthma, say researchers.
As for the rising rate of food allergies, it’s probably explained by the fact that we’re exposed to potentially allergenic foods both more often and earlier in life. For instance, researchers suspect that one reason for the increase in peanut allergies in Great Britain is the use of peanut oil in baby lotions. In the United States, it’s our love of peanuts and peanut butter. As soy products become more prevalent, experts expect we’ll see the rate of soy allergies jump.
The kicker? Unlike allergic rhinitis or asthma, there is no effective treatment for food allergies. All you can do is avoid the food in question, and that takes a Herculean effort in today’s world. Food allergens can be so pervasive, in fact, that some people have had serious reactions just from walking through a fish market or kissing someone who had recently eaten seafood. For some, even inhaling the fumes from frying or steaming food to which they’re allergic can trigger a reaction.
Food allergies defined in Unani System
If you have a food allergy, blame your parents: It’s an inherited predisposition. In other words, if your family has a history of allergies, you are much more likely to develop a food allergy than, say, the daughter of parents who wouldn’t know an allergy from an alligator.
The development of a food allergy begins with one simple step: exposure to the food. If you never touch or eat a peanut, you’ll never develop a peanut allergy. Even that first butter cracker may be innocuous, but as you digest it, it triggers your immune system to produce antibodies that will be activated the next time you eat the food. Actually, it’s not the food that triggers the reaction but rather proteins within the food the cooking, stomach acids, or digestive enzymes don’t break down. These proteins are absorbed through the gastrointestinal lining into your bloodstream, where they travel through the gastrointestinal lining into your bloodstream, where they travel through your body.
From there, you know the drill: The proteins interact with the molecules on the surface of mast cells, triggering the cells to release inflammatory chemicals such as histamine. Where those chemicals are released determines your reaction. For instance, the mast cells on your skin are most likely to be affected by food allergies, leading to hives or atopic dermatitis (eczema), a skin condition characterized by itchy, scaly, red skin. If mast cells in your ears, nose, and throat are activated, your mouth may itch, and you may have trouble breathing or swallowing. If they’re activated in your gastrointestinal tract, you may have abdominal pain, diarrhea, or vomiting. If it happens in your lungs, you could have an asthma attack.
The reaction can take as little as a few seconds (the tingling you feel in your mouth as you eat the food) or as long as an hour (a full blown allergy attack, possibly culminating in anaphylaxis).
If you are allergic to one food, you’re likely to be allergic to others. For instance, if you have a history of allergic reactions to shrimp, you’re likely to be allergic to crab lobster, and crayfish as well. Unani Doctors call this cross reactivity.
Additionally, if you’re allergic to ragweed, you may find that during ragweed season, you’re also allergic to melons, particularly cantaloupe, honeydew, and watermelon. People who have a birch pollen allergy may also react to hazelnuts, apples, carrots and celery. Allergyic to latex? Watch out for bananas.
Another form of food allergy is called exercise induced food allergy. To trigger a reaction with this form, you not only need to eat a certain food but also to exercise soon afterward. As you work out and your body temperature rises, you begin to itch, get light-headed, and soon have allergy symptoms such as lives or even anaphylaxis. The cure is simple: Don’t eat for a couple of hours before exercising.