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| Standard Definition |
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| Allergies are responses mounted by the immune system to a particular food, inhalant or chemical. The terms "allergies" and "sensitivities" are often used interchangeably, however from a conventional medical point of view, many sensitivities would not be considered allergies since they involve different aspects of the immune and defence systems. Detecting, eliminating and treating chemical or food sensitivities is a complex task that requires the assistance of a qualified healthcare practitioner. |
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| Possible Causes, Triggers & Exacerbating Factors |
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- Common food allergens include, but are not limited to, wheat gluten, nuts, eggs, fish, soy, shrimp, bananas, and chicken. Peanuts, seafood, and milk, as well as a wide spectrum of other foods, can induce potentially lethal anaphylaxis.
- Common implicated food chemicals include salicylates, amines, food colourings, flavourings and preservatives such as tartrazine, MSG and sulfites.
- Suspect environmental chemicals include those found in non-organic food, tap water, medications, cosmetics, perfumes, textiles, and plastics.
- Poor intestinal function, including leaky gut and poor liver detoxification can contribute and exacerbate allergy/sensitivity reactions
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| Common Signs & Symptoms |
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Many health conditions may be related to allergies. The following are commonly linked to allergies and sensitivities:
- Asthma, hayfever and sinusitis, recurrent ear infections
- Fatigue, depression, brain-fog, attention deficit disorder
- Headache, migraine
- Hypoglycemia, food cravings
- Irritable bowel, indigestion, constipation or diarrhoea, bloating, nausea
- Joint and/or muscle pain, arthritis
- Skin rashes, eczema, psoriasis, acne, hives
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| Possible Additional Integrative Medicine Diagnostic Tests |
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This is additional information that does not replace nor negate conventional diagnosis. Other tests may be useful depending on the individual circumstance.
- Allergy and food intolerance testing
- Dietary elimination and challenge - the most reliable way to determine a food allergy is to have the patient eliminate a suspected food from the diet for a period of time and then reintroduce it later. Once a food is eliminated, the symptoms that food is causing stop. The body then becomes more sensitive to the food, so when it is reintroduced, the symptom is more likely to recur. This sort of testing requires a great deal of patience and, as with all other forms of allergy testing, is best undertaken with the help of a practitioner who can monitor the diet and supervise any potentially dangerous reactions on reintroduction of an allergenic food.
- Digestive function assessment
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