Allergies

An allergy is an adverse reaction to a substance that is harmless to most of the population. Symptoms from allergies are many and varied. A reaction can be so severe that it is life threatening or it can result in a minor rash, sinus problem or other minor symptom. Some health care providers believe that

Atopy is a term used clinically to apply to a group of diseases of an allergic nature. IgE is an antibody the body produces as a response to an allergen. Research appearing in the November 4, 2000 issue of The Lancet shows that vitamin E consumption lowers atopy in adults. The researchers measured IgE in

According to a small research study (BiochemBiophysResCommun100:972-7, 1981). A small group of students (12/27) who were not supplemented were challenged with a large dose MSG and showed characteristic symptoms. For 12 weeks nine of the students received 50 mg. of pyridoxine (vitamin B6) per day, the other three took a placebo. When challenged with MSG

Ann Allergy 10:703-4, 1952  A dose of 25,000-200,000 IU daily of Vitamin A palmitate was given to 10 children with eczema for 3-21 months. 3 showed some improvement and 6 showed marked improvement. These are extremely high doses, and it is not recommended for people to take this much without professional supervision. Vitamin A can

Immunoglobulin E (IgE) is an antibody associated with allergies. The tendency to produce IgE antibodies to harmless antigens in the environment is increasing. Such antibody production seems to be increasing in the general population. Serum IgE levels can be increased by infection, parasites and exposure to environmental toxins. One of the toxins that seems to

In 2005, Americans spent $11 billion treating allergies, according to figures from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, a division of the US Department of Health and Human Services. This represents a significant increase to the $6 billion spent in 2000. Twenty-two million Americans went to the doctor for their allergies, at a cost

Pain and stress associated with getting a root canal can lead to short term immune changes and may lead to cold symptoms later on, according to researchers from the University of Florida and the University of Iowa and reported in the Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine (May, 2001). According to the article, those who reported having

A worthy goal for teaching natural health is to reconcile scientific research with natural health approaches. It is sometimes a difficult task. All of the medical journals sell ads to drug companies and it should be obvious that economics help to determine what appears in the journals. But occasional natural health gems appear; they are

Because of increased carbon dioxide and global warming, pollen from ragweed and other allergens could be on the increase. According to a study appearing in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, (March, 2002) researchers from Harvard Medical School found that ragweed grown in air with twice the current amount of carbon dioxide produced 61% more pollen