About
Food Allergies
The word allergy is derived from the Greek words meaning
“altered reaction” and an allergic individual usually suffers physical symptoms (e.g. headache, vomiting,
rashes, migraine, asthma, etc.) when exposed to substances to which he/she is sensitive.
The substance, which provokes this reaction, is called the
allergen.
It can be house dust, dog dander, foods, chemicals or even
bacteria, just to name
a few.
Over the past few years, there has been increasing awareness of many diseases and
complaints that can be caused, or contributed to, by the presence of allergies.
Allergy is quite common. Over 20% of the population is allergic to
something.
However, when one considers symptoms such as hay fever, wheezy bronchitis in
children, minor degrees of eczema and food intolerance.
The true incidence of allergy and/or intolerance to one or more environmental agents would certainly be much
higher.
Common symptoms of food allergy and/or sensitivities can
include:
Asthma
Bedwetting
Recurrent
Bladder Infections
Bronchitis
Bursitis
Canker
Sores
Depression
Diarrhea
Chronic
Back Pain
Edema
Fainting
Fatigue
Gastritis
Headache
Hives
Hyperactivity
Itching
Joint
Pain
Hypoglycemia
Skin
Rash
Proteinuria
Irritable
Colon
Nephrosis
Seizures
Malabsorption
Recurrent
Infection
Ulcerative
Colitis
Eczema
Some conditions which are influenced or
caused by food intolerance:
Inflammatory
arthritis
Migraine
and other headaches
Childhood
hyperactivity
Sleep
disturbances
Learning
disability
Asthma,
rhinitis, sinusitis
Recurrent
infection (e.g. tonsillitis)
Infantile
colic and infantile colitis
Mouth
ulcers
Eczema
and other skin rashes
Urticaria
(hives)
Angioedema
Premenstrual
symptoms
Fluid
retention
Irritable
bowel syndrome (constipation and/or diarrhea, bloating, abdominal pain, wind)
Peptic
ulcers and gastritis
Chrohn’s
disease
Ulcerative
colitis
Fatigue
and excessive sleepiness
Depression/anxiety
Schizophrenia
and other mental conditions
Epilepsy
Hypoglycemia
Aggravation
of diabetes
Some
kidney diseases
Gall
bladder symptoms
Facial
flushing
Some
types of palpitations
Weight
problems
Celiac
diseases
Explaining why the increase of intolerance to our environment as
well as the food we eat would definitely include the changes in the Western diet over the last hundreds of
years, in particular the refining of food.
The use of chemical additives, the increased consumption of animal produce and the increasing presence of
environmental pollution.
Immediate Food Reaction As the name implies, this
food reaction can occur within 3 hours after digestion.
The reaction is caused by the presence of a high IgE antibody level in the blood, which sets off an
immediate allergic response.
Symptoms can be rashes after eating an apple or headache after drinking wine.
Delayed Food Reaction Delayed food reactions can
occur up to several days after ingestion of the reactive food, making it difficult to link one’s symptom
to the food eaten several days ago.
Such hidden allergies are often the cause of many “chronic
symptoms.”
The immune response to delayed food reactions are often caused by antibodies
other than IgE.
They are IgG, IgA, IgM and IgD. These antibodies combine with the food particles
in the blood to form “immune complexes” which cause inflammatory reactions in
tissues.
Such inflammatory reactions can occur in any part of the body, thus producing
many kinds of symptoms such as headache, eczema, joint pain, mental disorders, etc.
Diagnosis of Food Allergy There are many ways to identify food sensitivities.
Physicians and other health care professionals (as well as individuals suffering from
symptoms) have found that elimination diets, certain types of skin tests, blood
tests, muscle testing, electrodermal testing (Biomeridian
MSA Professional) can
all be helpful in the identification of food sensitivities.
Not all techniques work for everyone, and food sensitivity testing and evaluation
can just be as individual as the food sensitivites themselves.
What's Different About Our Approach to Allergies and/or
Sensitivities? Allergy
Elimination/Desensitization Technique, is a revolutionary treatment that uses Chiropractic, Acupuncture,
Homeopathy, Kinesiology and Color Therapy to desensitize people of all ages to all kinds of
allergens.
The same treatment's below can also be used for different allergies and sensitivities such as: Pollens,
Animals, Plants, Trees, Bushes, etc.
Allergy Elimination/Desensitization
Technique theory, therefore, defines allergy in terms of what a substance does to
the energy flow in the body.
Allergies, then, are the result of energy imbalances in the body, leading to a diminished state of health in one or
more organ systems.
Contact with an allergen creates a blockage in the body's energy pathways,
which are called meridians. This energy blockage causes interference in communication between the brain and body
via the nervous system.
This blocked energy flow is the first step in a chain of events which can develop into an allergic response.
Dr. Hardy utilizes a combination of Allergy
Elimination/Desensitization techniques to give you the most rapid relief possible.
How We Treat Allergies and
Sensitivites: Dr. Hardy has several different options
for treating food sensitivites including
the following:
Allergy Elimination Techniques
including:
Naet
BioSet
JMT
Acupuncture
Color Therapy
Cold Laser Therapy
Homeopathic Desensitization Auriculotherapy - Ear Acupuncture
Generally Dr. Hardy will use a combination of the above techniques to give you
the best results in the shortest amount of time.
References:
1. Joint Report of the Royal College of Physicians and the British Nutrition
Foundation, (1984). Food
intolerance and food aversion. J. Roy. Coll. Phys. Lound. 18:2
(April 1984),
2. Adverse Reactions to Food. American Academy of Allergy and Immunology Committee on Adverse Reactions to Foods, US National
Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH publication no. 84-2442, July 1984.
3. Randolph, T.G. and Moss, R.W. Allergies – Your Hidden Enemy, Lippincott & Crowell, New York, 1980 (in UK, Turnstone Press, Wellingborough,
1981).
4. MacKarness, R., Not All in the Mind. London, 1976
5. Rapp, Doris J. Allergies and Your Family, Sterling Publishing, New York, 1980
6. Rapp, Doris J. Allergies and the Hyperactive
Child. Cornerstone Library. (Simon & Schuster), New York,
1979.
7. Buist, Robert. Food Intolerance: What it is and How to Cope With
It. Harper & Row, Sydney, Australia, 1984
8. Breneman, J.C. Basics of Food Allergy. Charles C. Thomas, Springfiels, Illinois, 1978
9. Lessoff, M.H. (ed) Clinical Reactions to Foods. John Wiley & Sons, Chichester, 1983, 220pp.
10. Dickey, L.D. (ed) Clinical Ecology.
Charles C. Thomas, Springfield, Illinois, 1976
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