Environmental Allergies Support Group

An allergy can refer to several kinds of immune reactions including Type I hypersensitivity in which a person's body is hypersensitised and develops IgE type antibodies to typical proteins. When a person is hypersensitised, these substances are known as allergens. The word allergy derives from the Greek words allos meaning "other" and ergon meaning "work". Type I hypersensitivity is characterised by excessive activation of mast cells and basophils by immunoglobulin E resulting in a systemic inflammatory response that can result in symptoms as benign as a runny nose, to life-threatening anaphylactic shock and death.

There are limited mainstream medical treatments for allergies. Probably the most important factor in rehabilitation is the removal of sources of allergens from the home environment, and avoiding environments in which contact with allergens is likely.

Hyposensitization is a form of immunotherapy where the patient is gradually vaccinated against progressively larger doses of the allergen in question. This can either reduce the severity or eliminate hypersensitivity altogether. It relies on the progressive skewing of IgG ("the blocking antibody") production, as opposed to the excessive IgE production seen in hypersensitivity type I cases.

In the 1960s, Dr. Len McEwen in the United Kingdom developed a treatment for allergies known as enzyme potentiated desensitization, or EPD. EPD uses much lower doses of antigens than conventional treatment, with the addition of an enzyme. EPD is available in the United Kingdom and Canada, and was available in the United States until 2001, when the Food and Drug Administration revoked its approval for an investigative study being performed. Since that time an American counterpart to EPD, known as Low Dose Antigens, or LDA, has been formulated from components approved by the FDA, and is available for treatment from a small number of doctors in the United States. EPD (and LDA) is still considered experimental by many mainstream doctors and medical insurance companies, and many doubt that it is more effective than a placebo.

A third form of immunotherapy involves the intravenous injection of monoclonal anti-IgE antibodies. These bind to free and B-cell IgE signalling such sources for destruction. They do not bind to IgE already bound to the Fc receptor on basophils and mast cells as this would stimulate the allergic inflammatory response.

Several antagonistic drugs are used to block the action of allergic mediators, preventing activation of cells and degranulation processes. They include antihistamines, cortisone, epinephrine (adrenalin), theophylline and Cromolyn sodium. These drugs help alleviate the symptoms of allergy but play little role in chronic alleviation of the disorder. They can play an imperative role in the acute recovery of someone suffering from anaphylaxis (which is why those allergic to bee stings, peanuts, nuts, and shellfish often carry an adrenalin needle with them at all times).

In alternative medicine, a number of treatment modalities are considered effective by its practitioners in the treatment of allergies, particularly herbal medicine, homeopathy, traditional Chinese medicine and kinesiology. However, these claims lack well-established evidence. Treatment or management of allergies with alternative therapies is generally criticised by mainstream medical pratitioners and researchers to be supported only by anecdotes.

In addition to foreign proteins found in foreign serum (from blood transfusions) and vaccines, common allergens include:

Plant pollens (Hay fever), including rye grass, ragweed, timothy grass, birch trees; Mold spores; Drugs (penicillins, sulfonamides, salicylates (also found naturally in numerous fruits), local anaesthetics); Insect stings (bee sting venom, wasp sting venom); Animal products (Animal hair and dander, cockroach calyx, dust mite excretion)

Multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS), is a condition also known as toxic injury (TI), chemical sensitivity (CS), chemical injury (CI), 20th Century Syndrome, environmental illness (EI), Sick Building Syndrome, idiopathic environmental intolerance (IEI), and Toxicant-induced loss of tolerance (TILT). MCS is a chronic condition characterized by the patient's belief that adverse affects are reported from exposure to low levels of multiple chemicals in modern human environments.