Related Research Articles
Allergies, also known as allergic diseases, are various conditions caused by hypersensitivity of the immune system to typically harmless substances in the environment. These diseases include hay fever, food allergies, atopic dermatitis, allergic asthma, and anaphylaxis. Symptoms may include red eyes, an itchy rash, sneezing, coughing, a runny nose, shortness of breath, or swelling. Note that food intolerances and food poisoning are separate conditions.
Anaphylaxis is a serious, potentially fatal allergic reaction and medical emergency that is rapid in onset and requires immediate medical attention regardless of use of emergency medication on site. It typically causes more than one of the following: an itchy rash, throat closing due to swelling which can obstruct or stop breathing; severe tongue swelling which can also interfere with or stop breathing; shortness of breath, vomiting, lightheadedness, loss of consciousness, low blood pressure, and medical shock. These symptoms typically start in minutes to hours and then increase very rapidly to life-threatening levels. Urgent medical treatment is required to prevent serious harm or death, even if the patient has used an epipen or has taken other medications in response, and even if symptoms appear to be improving.
Internal medicine, also known as general internal medicine in Commonwealth nations, is a medical specialty for medical doctors focused on the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of internal diseases. Medical practitioners of internal medicine are referred to as internists, or physicians in Commonwealth nations. Internists possess specialized skills in managing patients with undifferentiated or multi-system disease processes. They provide care to both hospitalized (inpatient) and ambulatory (outpatient) patients and often contribute significantly to teaching and research. Internists are qualified physicians who have undergone postgraduate training in internal medicine, and should not be confused with "interns”, a term commonly used for a medical doctor who has obtained a medical degree but does not yet have a license to practice medicine unsupervised.
Allergic rhinitis, of which the seasonal type is called hay fever, is a type of inflammation in the nose that occurs when the immune system overreacts to allergens in the air. Signs and symptoms include a runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, red, itchy, and watery eyes, and swelling around the eyes. The fluid from the nose is usually clear. Symptom onset is often within minutes following allergen exposure, and can affect sleep and the ability to work or study. Some people may develop symptoms only during specific times of the year, often as a result of pollen exposure. Many people with allergic rhinitis also have asthma, allergic conjunctivitis, or atopic dermatitis.
A radioallergosorbent test (RAST) is a blood test using radioimmunoassay test to detect specific IgE antibodies in order to determine the substances a subject is allergic to. This is different from a skin allergy test, which determines allergy by the reaction of a person's skin to different substances.
Immunoglobulin E (IgE) is a type of antibody that has been found only in mammals. IgE is synthesised by plasma cells. Monomers of IgE consist of two heavy chains and two light chains, with the ε chain containing four Ig-like constant domains (Cε1–Cε4). IgE is thought to be an important part of the immune response against infection by certain parasitic worms, including Schistosoma mansoni, Trichinella spiralis, and Fasciola hepatica. IgE is also utilized during immune defense against certain protozoan parasites such as Plasmodium falciparum. IgE may have evolved as a defense to protect against venoms.
Rhinitis, also known as coryza, is irritation and inflammation of the mucous membrane inside the nose. Common symptoms are a stuffy nose, runny nose, sneezing, and post-nasal drip.
A food allergy is an abnormal immune response to food. The symptoms of the allergic reaction may range from mild to severe. They may include itchiness, swelling of the tongue, vomiting, diarrhea, hives, trouble breathing, or low blood pressure. This typically occurs within minutes to several hours of exposure. When the symptoms are severe, it is known as anaphylaxis. A food intolerance and food poisoning are separate conditions, not due to an immune response.
Electroacupuncture is a form of acupuncture where a small electric current is passed between pairs of acupuncture needles. According to some acupuncturists, this practice augments the use of regular acupuncture, can restore health and well-being, and is particularly good for treating pain. There is evidence for some efficacy in treating moderate post-chemotherapy vomiting, but not for acute vomiting or delayed nausea severity.
Allergen immunotherapy, also known as desensitization or hypo-sensitization, is a medical treatment for environmental allergies, such as insect bites, and asthma. Immunotherapy involves exposing people to larger and larger amounts of allergens in an attempt to change the immune system's response.
Peanut allergy is a type of food allergy to peanuts. It is different from tree nut allergies, because peanuts are legumes and not true nuts. Physical symptoms of allergic reaction can include itchiness, hives, swelling, eczema, sneezing, asthma attack, abdominal pain, drop in blood pressure, diarrhea, and cardiac arrest. Anaphylaxis may occur. Those with a history of asthma are more likely to be severely affected.
Soy allergy is a type of food allergy. It is a hypersensitivity to ingesting compounds in soy, causing an overreaction of the immune system, typically with physical symptoms, such as gastrointestinal discomfort, respiratory distress, or a skin reaction. Soy is among the eight most common foods inducing allergic reactions in children and adults. It has a prevalence of about 0.3% in the general population.
Applied kinesiology (AK) is a pseudoscience-based technique in alternative medicine claimed to be able to diagnose illness or choose treatment by testing muscles for strength and weakness.
Nambudripad's Allergy Elimination Techniques (NAET) is a form of alternative medicine which proponents claim can treat allergies and related disorders. The techniques were devised by Devi Nambudripad, a California-based chiropractor and acupuncturist, in 1983, drawing on a combination of ideas from applied kinesiology, acupuncture, acupressure, nutritional management, and chiropractic methods.
Milk allergy is an adverse immune reaction to one or more proteins in cow's milk. Symptoms may take hours to days to manifest, with symptoms including atopic dermatitis, inflammation of the esophagus, enteropathy involving the small intestine and proctocolitis involving the rectum and colon. However, rapid anaphylaxis is possible, a potentially life-threatening condition that requires treatment with epinephrine, among other measures.
The antigen leukocyte antibody test is one that claims to measure adverse reactions to dietary substances. It was created by American Medical Testing Laboratories and is now marketed by Cell Science Systems of Deerfield Beach, Florida. Researched conducted at Yale School of Medicine published in BMJ Open Gastroenterology in 2017 demonstrated improvement for those with irritable bowel syndrome
"These findings reject the null hypothesis and show that a diet guided by leucocyte activation testing results in demonstrable clinical improvement in IBS. These clinical results, associated with a reduction in plasma neutrophil elastase, have implications for better understanding the role of food intolerance and the pathophysiology of IBS."
Candida hypersensitivity is a pseudoscientific syndrome promoted by William G. Crook, M.D. It is spuriously claimed that chronic yeast infections are responsible for many common disorders and non-specific symptoms including fatigue, weight gain, constipation, dizziness, muscle and joint pain, asthma, and others.
Frances Estelle Reed Simons is a Canadian physician and researcher. She was named to the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame in 2017.
References
- 1 2 Katelaris, CH; Weiner, JM; Heddle, RJ; Stuckey, MS; Yan, KW (July 1991). "Vega testing in the diagnosis of allergic conditions". The Medical Journal of Australia. 155 (2): 113–114. doi:10.5694/j.1326-5377.1991.tb142141.x. PMID 1857287. S2CID 34135200. Archived from the original on 30 June 1998.
- ↑ "NICE warns against the use of alternative testing for food allergy in children". National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. 23 February 2011. Retrieved 7 February 2012.
- ↑ Bowcott, Owen (23 February 2011). "NHS warns against complementary therapies for children's food allergies". The Guardian . Retrieved 7 February 2012.
- ↑ "Unorthodox techniques for the diagnosis and treatment of allergy, asthma and immune disorders". Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy. November 2007. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
- ↑ Bernstein, IL; et al. (March 2008). "Allergy diagnostic testing: an updated practice parameter" (PDF). Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. 100 (3, Supplement 3): S1–148. doi:10.1016/S1081-1206(10)60305-5. PMID 18431959.
- ↑ Motala, C; Hawarden, D (July 2009). "Guideline: Diagnostic testing in allergy" (PDF). South African Medical Journal. 99 (7): 531–535.
- ↑ "Medical Practitioners Disciplinary Committee: professional misconduct findings against Dr D W Steeper". New Zealand Medical Journal. 103 (888): 194–195. April 1990. PMID 2330174.
- ↑ "The Discipline Committee Of The College Of Physicians And Surgeons Of Ontario: Dr. Jozef Krop". College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario. Retrieved 8 February 2012.
- ↑ Gray, C (March 1999). "Huge court fight may be in offing as Ontario college considers penalty for maverick MD". Canadian Medical Association Journal. 160 (6): 877–879. PMC 1230180 . PMID 10189439.
- ↑ Niggemann, B.; Gruber, C. (August 2004). "Unproven diagnostic procedures in IgE-mediated allergic diseases". Allergy. 59 (8): 806–808. doi: 10.1111/j.1398-9995.2004.00495.x . PMID 15230811.
- ↑ Gerez, IF; Shek, LP; Chng, HH; Lee, BW (January 2010). "Diagnostic tests for food allergy" (PDF). Singapore Medical Journal. 51 (1): 4–9. PMID 20200768.
- ↑ Waserman, Susan; Watson, Wade (January 2011). "Food allergy". Allergy, Asthma & Clinical Immunology. 7 (Suppl 1): S7. doi:10.1186/1710-1492-7-S1-S7. PMC 3245440 . PMID 22166142.
- ↑ Wüthrich, B (2005). "Unproven techniques in allergy diagnosis" (PDF). Journal of Investigational Allergology & Clinical Immunology. 15 (2): 86–90. PMID 16047707.
- ↑ Beyer, K; Teuber, SS (June 2005). "Food allergy diagnostics: scientific and unproven procedures". Current Opinion in Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 5 (3): 261–6. doi:10.1097/01.all.0000168792.27948.f9. PMID 15864086. S2CID 72156088.
- ↑ Sicherer, S. H.; Wood, R. A. (December 2011). "Allergy Testing in Childhood: Using Allergen-Specific IgE Tests". Pediatrics. 129 (1): 193–197. doi: 10.1542/peds.2011-2382 . PMID 22201146.
- ↑ Patriarca, G; Schiavino D; Pecora V; et al. (February 2009). "Food allergy and food intolerance: diagnosis and treatment". Internal and Emergency Medicine. 4 (1): 11–24. doi:10.1007/s11739-008-0183-6. PMID 18709496. S2CID 126773.