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    The Allergy Thread (advice, info)

    I thought I'd make a topic for this because I think allergies are a serious issue and a lot of people struggle with health problems that are actually caused by allergies. I put it in Hearth and Home in general, because they can be environmental or food related.

    Anyway, I'm allergic to the following:
    Major, can die:
    -Peanuts
    -Beans
    -Peas
    -Lentils
    -Soy
    Minor:
    -Carrots
    -Pesticides used on apples (so I can have organic apples)
    -Hazelnuts (but not other nuts)
    -Crab
    -Celery (can't be more stoked about this one...I HATE celery and always have!)
    -Wheat (this one is suspected....it didn't come up in my last allergy test 4 years ago, but it's been making my throat swell up lately).
    Environmental:
    -Dust
    -Some pollen, specifically horse chestnut trees, and for some reason ONLY those ones.
    -pet hair (but I've built up a tolerance to it)
    -Smoking. I hate this one the most because smoking isn't fully banned in Berlin and in winter and rainy summer days, it's pure hell because while in summer people often sit outside, in the other times people sit inside smoking, often in small, poorly ventilated rooms. I have to take antihistamines just to be able to socialize, and it's really hard because they usually lower my blood pressure and the smoke still keeps me from getting a lot of oxygen. I've passed out several times. Pro smoking ban over here! I miss it! "Freedoms" aside, you can still smoke outisde if there's a ban, but I can't breathe if there isn't one. And it's not just all about me, it's actually a VERY common allergy.

    Some info about allergies that I've learned:
    -ALLERGIES are an auto-immune response. what happens is that your body produces an auto-immune response and starts attacking whatever allergen is in your system because it can't distinguish between that and harmful bacteria and viruses. Responses can be mild, such as an itchy throat, watery eyes, sneezing or hives, to very serious and deadly (anaphylactic shock). INTOLERANCES are also a big issue, but they're different from allergies. A food intolerance (gluten and lactose are common) are caused by your body not producing proper enzymes to digest a certain food. A wheat allergy and a wheat intolerance are two different things but people often confuse them. The first means that your body attacks one of the proteins in the wheat, causing an autoimmune response (and sometimes, in that case, you might be able to have other grains, because wheat has some different proteins from others, though if it's a shared protein that you're allergic to, no luck), whereas with an intolerance your body isn't able to process the gluten, but it's not an autoimmune thing. Either way, you can't eat wheat, but you should know the difference.
    -Anaphylactic shock is SERIOUS BUSINESS. You can die. Younger people (kids, teens, younger adults) often have their airways close and you can die from lack of oxygen. Older people for some reason often get this symptom phased out, but don't be fooled, you can still die. Your blood pressure drops due to your veins constricting and it -can- lead to heart failure. Other symptoms of anaphylactic shock include full body itching, dizziness, confusion, panic/strange sense of impending doom (seriously....even if you can breathe, you somehow often feel that the world is ending). It's usually described as a full body reaction. If you suspect you might be going through this, GO TO A HOSPITAL. You can die. Sometimes, people don't even know they have a serious allergy until they encounter whatever it is that caused the response and they don't know what anaphylactic shock is. So if something happens...you eat something or are stung by a bee or something and you get these kinds of symptoms, don't try to rationalize it or think you should maybe check it out later. Just go. You need to be monitored. They might just give you an oxygen mask and maybe some epinephrine and watch you for a while, but trust me, it was worth your time (and in the US, possibly your money).
    -If you have a serious allergy, it might be worth your while to wear a bracelet with your allergies marked, or, if you're like me and have a billion of them, just to have "allergy" or "serious allergies" written on it. This is because if you're going through anaphylactic shock, people around you might not know what's happening and you might not be in a state to communicate it. One time, even the paramedics couldn't figure it out right away and they thought I was just really high one some kind of drug. You don't want them to think that, because it wont get you the kind of help you need.
    -people are often born with allergies, but you can also develop allergies later on in life. I wasn't allergic to carrots until I was an adult, for example. And I didn't test as being allergic to wheat last time around, but lately it's been making my throat swell. Allergy symptoms can also worsen with time and exposure. In my teens I tried soy milk and tofu and didn't really react, but in my later teens and early 20's it used to give me a feeling of really bad heartburn and nausea. Now, if I have soy, I go into anaphylactic shock, which I've found out the "fun" way because soy often gets mixed into cheap meat to save money and in restaurants, they don't have to label it and if you ask they don't know and don't really care. Super fun when you buy a turkey baguette from a very well-known (and rather expensive...they got a nasty letter from me for upping their prices and clearly lowering their standards) bakery chain and have to go to the hospital....
    -You can also build up tolerances to allergens, but I wouldn't try this yourself. Especially with food allergies because you can also increase the effects with exposure. I only really know this because I grew up with cats, but when I moved out and went home for the first time to visit, I was suddenly allergic to my childhood cat. And when I moved into my first apartment here with the cat, I sneezed for about 2 weeks then stopped. BUT like I said, don't try this with food allergies because you risk making it worse, and even possibly dying. There are tests going on to do controlled exposure to get rid of serious food allergies....hope it works!
    -Some allergies aren't immediately perceivable. Symptoms can also include fatigue, nausea, bloating, insomnia, among others. If you're feeling off lately, you should go to a doctor anyway (a number of serious and non-serious conditions can cause such symptoms) but it might be worth your while to ask for an allergy test. I know people who have had random fatigue for years and gone to doctors for ages trying to figure out what was causing it, only to eventually discover it was caused by allergies.

    Some common allergies are:
    -Wheat
    -Peanuts
    -Nuts
    -Soy
    -Milk
    -Eggs
    -Pet dander
    -pollen
    -cigarette smoke.

    HOWEVER you can be allergic to anything really. My mom is allergic to pineapple, bell peppers (but not chili peppers) and avocados. I'm allergic to carrots. RANDOM. Also, be aware that peanuts are not nuts (they're pulses/legumes...called either depending on if you're from the UK or the US), and if you know someone that's allergic to them, they can still probably have almonds (though you should always, always check....my friend is allergic to both nuts and pulses/legumes).

    I know that's super crazy long, but I hope people read it! Even if you don't have an allergy, it's a very serious, prevalent issue in most countries and awareness does a TON (I love the UK and North America for their allergy awareness...I have to say Germany needs major work). If anyone has stuff to add or just wants to share personal experiences, please do!
    Last edited by DanieMarie; 03 Jul 2011, 03:02.

    #2
    Re: The Allergy Thread (advice, info)

    I used to have serious pollen allergies when I was younger but they mysteriously went away. I don't know why. My grandfather was allergic to shrimp. I have no problem eating it but if I handle it raw, my hands get a little red and numb, so I use plastic gloves.
    Cigarette smoke is a major problem for me.
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      #3
      Re: The Allergy Thread (advice, info)

      Thank you for posting this. I suffer from an allergy to oranges (and have since childhood), cottonwood pollen (and it's the state tree T_T), mold, pine pollen, cigarette smoke (Azazel has a hard time with this one around me), and possibly grass pollen (it's a matter of speculation due to other things).

      I have the hardest time convincing people I have an orange allergy since it's a rare one. My former coworkers didn't believe me until they cleaned with orange oil and I had a reaction to it. Given how that allergy has worsened over the years (some orange peel was in a tea I was drinking and I had a major reaction!) I'm amazed it was just that. It's such a serious allergy that I tend to keep something on me that says I'm allergic to oranges.
      Last edited by Caelia; 03 Jul 2011, 04:43.
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        #4
        Re: The Allergy Thread (advice, info)

        I have a love/hate relationship w/pineapple. I looooove pineapple, but it doesn't love me - makes my mouth & throat itchy.
        All my others are pollen-related - mostly mulberry.

        I just get the behind-the-counter Benadryl & Sudafed and deal w/it. Unless I constantly drug myself, no matter what I do my eyes are going to be itchy & red, my throat will be itchy, my ears will itch, my tonsils will be swollen & my sinuses will be stuffy. When it comes to something like this, I can either let it control my life or I can just get on with it, and I just get on w/it, yanno?
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          #5
          Re: The Allergy Thread (advice, info)

          crab...I love crab.

          In small amounts, I'm okay...but the last time I bought a king crab leg, I ended up on benadryl and my inhaler.
          Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of HistoryPagan Devotionals, because the wind and the rain is our Bible
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            #6
            Re: The Allergy Thread (advice, info)

            I love crab too. I actually cried when I got my allergy diagnosis.

            Another thing I forgot in my original post is that for some environmental allergies like pollen, you can get allergy shots that often help. It's the same concept that I was talking about that they're trying to develop with food allergies....they inject you with tiny, controlled amounts of the allergen until you build up a tolerance. My best friend from back home used to have horrible hay fever, and she couldn't even go outside because of it, and now since she got the shots she's totally fine!
            Last edited by DanieMarie; 03 Jul 2011, 12:33.

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              #7
              Re: The Allergy Thread (advice, info)

              I'm so lucky with this stuff. As a pre-teen I had to take Allerest, which made my head numb in more ways than one. And one summer in my 30's, every morning I'd wake up and then my head would clog up. Ever since then, nothing. I don't know why. But I'm grateful!
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                #8
                Re: The Allergy Thread (advice, info)

                I am allergic only to certain antibiotics. So I guess I am lucky.

                I have a really good friend though who has over 150 food/drug allergies. This occurred because she received the flu vaccine and it kicked her immune system into overdrive. Pretty scary stuff.
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                  #9
                  Re: The Allergy Thread (advice, info)

                  Very interesting and thank you for posting all this information. I have two autoimmune diseases yet my only allergies are to medicines such as anti-biotics and certain painkillers. But then I always was an awkward old sod...
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                    #10
                    Re: The Allergy Thread (advice, info)

                    Dust and Cigarette smoke, with pollen thrown in just for fun. I work in a casino that allows smoking and is a major dust factory so I have to use med's everyday so I can breath.
                    Gargoyles watch over me...I can hear them snicker in the dark.


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                      #11
                      Re: The Allergy Thread (advice, info)

                      I have ridiculous allergies, they really suck:

                      -Seafood
                      -Cheese
                      -Rice
                      -Bees
                      -Onions
                      -Tomatoes
                      -Cold (yes.. as in temperature, most ridiculous)
                      -And I'm pretty sure I'm forgetting one -facedesk-
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                        #12
                        Re: The Allergy Thread (advice, info)

                        Are we just listing allergies? Or giving advice about them?

                        I'm allergic to:

                        Bees, Hornets, wasps...and just about everything in that family
                        Pecans (though these seem to be the only nut I wam allergic to)


                        I can't take epinephrin (sp?) so I carry benadryl, try to wear shoes in the grass and avoid heavily scented things so I lessen the likelihood that I get stung, and I just...don't eat pecans anymore. Even though I love them. :<
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                          #13
                          Re: The Allergy Thread (advice, info)

                          Just curious, why can't you take epinephrin?

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                            #14
                            Re: The Allergy Thread (advice, info)

                            Originally posted by DanieMarie View Post
                            Just curious, why can't you take epinephrin?
                            I don't know about K, but epipens have sulfite in them as the preservative...I've known a few people with severe sulfa allergies that can't use an epipen. Plain epinephrine they can take, but that can only be kept in a hospital setting because epi is really unstable in light/heat and has a super short shelf life. Also epinephrine has a whole list of contraindications for use.
                            Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of HistoryPagan Devotionals, because the wind and the rain is our Bible
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                              #15
                              Re: The Allergy Thread (advice, info)

                              Ahaaaaa makes sense.

                              Every time I've taken one here, the ER nurses and sometimes even doctors flip out at me here and say I should have taken cortisone, but I was told that wasn't strong enough by my doctor (who administered my allergy testing and knows how strong they are). Sometimes, it scares me how little people really understand allergies here....I'm worried that one day I wont get to take my epi pen for some reason and the paramedics will try to fix it with cortisone and I'll die. Which is maybe far fetched and I don't think about it a lot anymore, but I went through this period about a year and a half ago where I was really, really afraid of dying.
                              Last edited by DanieMarie; 05 Jul 2011, 16:32.

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