I have been aware of the claims that infra-red and light therapies have had some beneficial effects on hay fever, allergic rhinitis and allergies. Despite this, I have never in 20 years of my allergy practice seen any evidence that this therapy is of any benefit. Ultraviolet light therapy has been shown to be of [...]
The latest theory on why a generation of allergy sufferers have been born, is the Modified Hygiene Hypothesis, whereby during early childhood, the quality of the germs in your bowel will impact on your immune system and either cause an allergic predisposition to be switched on or off. Infants born by normal vaginal delivery, have [...]
It’s proven at last! Westernised lifestyles cause allergies and it doesn’t matter in which country you live. A recent study in the USA on Amish families in Indiana, showed that their traditional farming lifestyles with lack of westernised foods and modern appliances have resulted in a very low incidence of allergy when compaired to other [...]
There is good evidence that physiological saline (salt water) nasal sprays, help control hay fever. These sprays and nasal irrigation solutions will wash away pollen grains that cause nasal allergies resulting in hay fever and chronic rhinitis. They also aid and restore the normal muco-ciliary clearance of mucus which is very important for the normal [...]
Atopic dermatitis AD (otherwise known as Infantile Eczema) is a common skin condition affecting 15-20% of children under the age of 2 years, manifesting with an itchy dry dermatitis in the skin creases (flexures) and often associated with a family or personal history of rhinitis and asthma (UK diagnostic criteria). Of great interest is that [...]
We see many patients with presumed wheat intolerance, but who test negative for gluten intolerance and wheat allergy despite debilitating symptoms such as bloating, abdominal cramps and diarrhoea with constipation. Despite these negative tests, they respond favorably to a wheat exclusion diet. These symptoms may be attributed to fructans (sugars derived from fruit juice such [...]
Skin Prick and Challenge allergy testing remain the “gold standard” in diagnosing allergies. Blood testing for specific IgE antibodies can occasionally give misleading and falsely elevated positive results. For example a number of previously non-allergic people stung by Honey bee’s develop an antibody to a glycoprotein which seems to precipitate multiple unrelated positive allergy RAST [...]
The recent epidemic of allergic disease seen in developed countries has been difficult to explain. We have seen four-fold increases in allergic diseases such as asthma, rhinitis, eczema and food allergies. Changes in lifestyle and eating habits seem to be implicated and clean, sterile and infection-free “westernised” homes seem to be the probable trigger. One’s [...]
For many years indoor Christmas trees have bee suspected to be a source of allergen induced asthma, rhinitis and respiratory problems during the period from mid December to early January. It was thought that coniferous tree pollen, incidental grass and weed pollens on the tree and oleoresins secreted by Fir trees were to blame. However [...]
Although often suspected by many clients as being the cause for localized body rashes, we hardly ever come across anyone with a confirmed allergy to commercial pigment dyes in clothing. One is more likely to develop contact dermatitis from dyes and rubber found in leather footwear, paraphenylene diamine (PPD) in hair dye and latex elastic [...]