[Sca-cooks] OT? allergies

[Avraham haRofeh]

> i am "allergic" to cigarette smoke..... i go into anaphylactic shock from
> it.. and carry an epi pen.
> BUT
> by precise technicality it is a "chemical sensitivity" not an allergy.
since
> it doesnt involve a protein molecule (that we know of).. it does cause an
> overwhelming histamine reaction. and it can kill me.

You are mistaken, my lady. If it involves the release of histamine, it's an
allergy. Type IV delayed hypersensitivity does NOT need to be triggered by
an antibody; some chemicals hit the trigger all by themselves.

> i am "allergic" to garlic, but the precise nature of my reaction has never
> been fully tested. except that if i touch garlic juice or raw bulbs with
my
> bare hands i get a chemical -like burn....

This is likely a chemical sensitivity, rather than a true allergy.

> my pet peeve is people who sneak allergens into your food because "you
cant
> really be allergic".... nearly killed a friend of mine with a peanut
> allergy.

It must be remembered that tree-nut allergies and ground-nut allergies only
cross over in about 25% of cases.

Avraham

****************************************
Avraham haRofeh of Northpass
     (mka Randy Goldberg MD)
OBTag: Minds, like parachutes, work only when open.