Allergies & Food Hypersensitivities

Headaches, migraines, tiredness, fatigue, weight problems, eczema, psoriasis, asthma, catarrh, sinus congestion, IBS, digestive disorders, anxiety, M.E. and depression.

These, and many other complaints may be due to food intolerance or allergy.

If you suffer with any of the above complaints, an hour`s test could seriously change your life!

Facts about Allergy

• 1 in 3 people have an allergy

• Over 3 million people see their GPs because of allergy related illnesses

• 5 million people in the UK have asthma

• 1 in 4 people in the UK have allergic rhinitis and hay fever

• 6% of children under 3years and 4% of adults are affected by food allergies

• Approximately 1 in 5 people have eczema and skin allergy

• Allergic diseases can have a significant effect on patients’ quality of life and wellbeing

• Many sufferers are not aware that their symptoms are due to an allergy

• People with allergic conditions benefit from care by allergy specialists

A survey of 5,200 people in the UK, carried out in January 2007 by Allergy UK, (A Medical Charity founded in 1991) showed 59% reported themselves as having Food intolerance and 41% having classic food allergy symptoms. The full report can be seen at www.allergyuk.org under "Stolen Lives 3". A startling statistic was that 67% stated that their GP did not understand their food problems.

MODERNDAY ALLERGIES & HOW THEY AFFECT US

Today`s modern diets and lifestyle mean that many of us are eating the wrong foods for our individual bodies and causing many digestive disorders, which, in turn, can lead to more serious complaints and illnesses.

Fatigue? Gas and Bloating? Headaches? Constipation? Rashes? Acne? Joint pain? PMS?

Yes- they can all be food related.

As the commercials on television will tell you (and it is true) 70%-80% of your immune system lives right around your intestines. It is a smart manoeuvre in human design because anything you eat, breathe, swallow, and drink goes right into your gastrointestinal tract. Therefore the cereal you had for breakfast is evaluated just the same as the flu-bug you inhaled while queueing up for coffee. . . then your immune system has to decide - friend or foe?Many of us would assume the flu-bug must be destroyed and the cereal can live to see another day, right? Well, what if you put milk in your cereal and you shouldn`t have milk? What if your cereal is made up of wheat and you`re sensitive to wheat? What if your cereal also has soy for extra protein and soy is the enemy?

What if you didn`t know? There are two main responses that can occur. One is the typical `food allergy.` Most common examples are the people who eat nuts and have an anaphylactic reaction; drinking citrus juice causes their lips to swell up and dairy sends them running for the loo. It is an immediate response and governed by an immune antibody called, IgE.The second type of response is non-IgE-mediated or known as IgG. This is a delayed response and may not produce a symptom for 2 to 48 hours, or even 72 hours. This means if you drink a glass of milk on Monday, you may not notice any symptoms until Tuesday or Wednesday. What if you drink a glass of milk all the time? Then these symptoms could be a problem everyday because you are stringing along your delayed responses.Remember that not all food related symptoms are intestinal problems. I commonly hear patients report no gas and bloating, no constipation and no diarrhea. Then they complain of being tired all the time, mild headaches that come and go, dry skin, bad PMS, hot flashes, chronic stuffy nose or constantly clearing their throat. . . this can be food related too.

In my experience, I see smaller odd-ball foods too that produce large `Ah-ha!` moments when discovered on testing. "I eat that everyday!" ", I grew up on those." ", I take that as a supplement." Of course the food you eat is probably not responsible for ALL of your symptoms, but it could be perpetuating an unhealthy cycle. For example, allergies and hyper-sentitivies might not be the only reason for your joint pain but the inflammations they produce make your pain that much worse.If you are going to eat three meals a day anyway, then you might as well make them worth your while. Say good-bye to foods that are not benefiting your health and take note of the changes in your symptoms. You just might have an "Ah-ha" moment too.

Recent media and government research into the causes of obesity have shown that there has been a dramatic increase in the last 30 years in the consumption of junk food and refined foods. This is leading to thousands of people developing food Allergies, sensitivities and intolerances.

It has also been reported in the national press, that the NHS cannot cope with the level of allergy patients currently requiring treatment, that allergic conditions have increased 4 fold over the last 20 years, and that there is currently a 2 year waiting list for NHS allergy tests.

Allergy testing in Devon - Allergies & Food Hypersensitivities - The devon allergy clinic

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