[Sca-cooks] Allergies, again

[Philippa Alderton]

OK, I've done some searching on the Web, and for those
who are interested, here is an article on how
allergies
work.

http://www.howstuffworks.com/allergy.htm

It's written simply and clearly, rather than in
medical jargon, and has definitions available if you
want the specific definition of a particular word.

I said:

For what it's worth, folks, the classic symptoms of an
allergy are what Lainie's describing. You may have
other reactions to cewrtain foods, diarrhea, or gas or
vomitting aren't symptoms of an allergy, they're
symptoms of a digestive problem- lack of an enzyme,
perhaps.

Now, this is not entirely what I intended to say- I
was fighting with my keyboard which tends to add lots
of extra letters when the humidity gets high (Bonzer
thought it needed a sip of coffee).

So let me clarify.

Yes, indigestion, diarrhea, and vomitting can be part
of an allergic reaction, but it's simply a
manifestation of the basic problem- a histamine
response by the body to a perceived threat, which
results in swelling, hives, and excess fluid in the
tissues. This swelling can occur in any part of the
body, including the digestive tract. If somethings
wrong with your digestive tract, it doesn't properly
process your food.

BUT!!! The thing you need to remember is that one
symptom does not a diagnosis make. There are lots of
foods out there which will make people gassy, or have
diarrhea. This does NOT mean they're allergic- it
simply means that for some reason they cannot process
that food. The key in Huette's case, as Avraham said,
was the rash, in combination with the diarrhea, the
blistering, AND a series of tests the allergist made.

The word "allergy" gets used a lot, as a catch-all
word for a lot of different situations. I've used it
myself improperly, to describe my reaction to
synthetic fabrics- to simplify matters, I'll simply
say I'm allergic, when the truth of the matter is that
I don't have a problem, but my body chemistry is such
that anyone downwind of me does. In Margali's case,
her body chemistry makes watches run backwards ;-)
But, if someone says to me, "Oh, I think this (nylon)
shirt would look great on you", it's a lot easier to
say, "No thanks, I'm allergic to nylon, than it is to
say, "I'm sorry, but my body chemistry is such that if
I were to wear that, in 15 minutes I'd smell like a
very dirty billygoat in rut" ;-)

Now, in the situations of the kids with ADD problems,
they very well may be having an allergic reaction to
the proteins in the various foods. Allergic reactions
are a sign that there is something wrong with your
immune system, and any physical reaction that involves
the whole system, can cause symptoms to appear
anywhere. It's not like dropping a rock on your toe
and having your ear turn black and blue- the rock
injury is very localized- an allergic reaction is not,
although the stimulus might appear to be.

So, bottom line, if you suspect that you're allergic
to something, have it checked out, and follow your Drs
advice. Don't be like the lady who, knowing full well
she was allergic to mushrooms, ate a bunch of mushroom
pasties anyway, "Because they tasted so good".
Anaphalactic shock is NOT something anybody wants to
deal with.

Phlip


=====
Never a horse that cain't be rode,
And never a rider who cain't be throwed....

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