Food allergies
A food allergy is a hypersensitivity (allergic reaction) to certain substances that are contained in the diet. According to Dr. Schuhmacher, we find incompatibilities with elemental intolerances such as cow's milk, wheat, etc. These are basic substances that can cause reactions as early as the nursing stage, via breast milk.
Symptoms and Complaints
The extent of an allergic reaction varies greatly between individuals. Food allergies often take the form of mucosal reactions, for example swelling in the mouth, nose (allergic rhinitis), pharynx or tongue. Gastrointestinal symptoms include nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. But food allergies can also cause respiratory reactions such as constriction of the bronchial tubes (allergic asthma) as well as reactions of the skin (atopic eczema, itching and hives) and even, though very rarely, to joint diseases (arthritis). In extreme cases, allergies can cause a life-threatening shock. In infants, symptoms include difficulty sleeping, bloated stomach, slowed bowel movements, constipation and sometimes diarrhea.
Infancy and Early Childhood
Especially infants and toddlers with food allergies may experience severe vomiting and diarrhea, which may also affect normal development (size growth, weight gain). Typical food allergies in infancy and early childhood are allergies to milk, eggs, meat, fish, nuts and, increasingly, soy. Strong sensitization also causes allergic reactions to breast milk, which may include all allergens of the foods the mother ingests. According to empirical experiences of med. Schuhmacher it is woth to eliminate and neutralize the basic allergens, so that children can be freed from intolerance reactions in the long run.
According to a study, food allergens such as milk constituents, hazelnuts, seafood, ovalbumin or fish allergens are completely digested in vitro by simulating acid gastric digestion with pepsin within a few minutes, but not when pH is increased. From this, the researchers concluded that food allergy problems could be related to an elevated gastric pH. Infants only have gastric acidity levels at the end of the second year of life, such as adults. Also persons with reduced gastric acid secretion or after taking antacids, sucralfate, H2-receptor blockers or proton pump inhibitors have increased gastric pH.
The optimal diet for newborns is exclusive breastfeeding for at least the first four months of life, but it should be noted that cow's milk allergens and egg allergens are transmitted via breast milk and the nursing mother should then avoid these risk foods. It is recommended in the literature to start feeding at the latest from the sixth month of life. There are a number of specialty foods for infants and young children who can not be breastfed, who are at increased risk of allergy, or who suffer from food allergies. Hypoallergenic Formula food (or HA food) consists of highly hydrolyzed whey or whole milk proteins. Here, all proteins are present only in very small fragments, which can no longer be detected by IgE antibodies and thus can no longer trigger allergic reactions. A disadvantage of hydrolyzed baby foods is their very bitter taste. The possibility of avoiding cow's milk offers baby food based on soya proteins or based on rice proteins. However, soya-based foods are also very allergenic and also contain phytosterols, which may have other undesirable effects. Therefore, soy-based foods are not recommended for infants, especially those with an increased risk of allergies. 20- 30% of infants who have cow's milk allergy have soy milk intolerance at the same time.
In my practice, I therefore recommend allergy-prone children fully breastfeeding for more than 6 months, if that is possible. The mother can accurately and conscientiously determine and filter what she takes herself and thus gives to her child. The prerequisite for such action is, of course, an open-minded spirit, consistency and the support of the partner environment of the mother.
Most children "grow out" of food allergy until they are 5 years old. Since these children obviously have a predisposition for allergic diseases, it can then often come to new sensitizations, for example against pollen allergens, which can then be expressed in other forms of disease (bronchial asthma, allergic rhinitis). This phenomenon is also referred to as allergic march. These allergies are, according to Dr. Shoemaker and dr. Completely more complicated to treat, since the pollen composition changes annually and a broader Variazion is possible. This usually requires several sessions over 2-3 years at intervals, in contrast to food intolerances.
Adolescence and Adulthood
Often food allergies in adolescence and adulthood are not genuine allergies in the sense of initial sensitization to certain foods. Rather, they are secondary food allergies due to cross-allergies in which the initial sensitization is directed against, for example, an inhalant allergen. Nevertheless, there are also “real” sensitizations to food in adolescence and adulthood. I advise such cases to go to the doctor and always have emergency medication ready.
Peanut allergens can cause severe allergic reactions and anaphylactic shock. Because of this, peanuts must be clearly labelled in all food items as an ingredient. It is often not obvious at first glance whether a food contains peanuts or peanut butter (ice cream, muesli, chocolate bars, etc.).
Causes
The repeated consumption of certain foods or their ingredients, as well as pollen through a cross-allergy, lead to an antigen-antibody reaction as a fundamental immunological mechanism of allergy. The exact cause is unknown. Almost all patients had other allergic symptoms such as hay fever, asthma or allergic dermatitis previously.
We treat allergic reactions with bioresonance and kinesiological tests and therapeutic methods. The therapy is thus focused on energetic and chemical levels and has resulted in unforeseen successes.
Chemical intolerances are also increasing in Western nations. Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) is a strong incompatibility with diverse volatile chemicals such as perfumes, cigarette smoke, solvents or exhaust gases, even in cases of low concentration.
After a polarized discussion in the 1980s and 1990s on the question of whether MCS could be attributed to toxicology or a psychosomatic response, recent studies have established a multifactorial disorder model that considers aspects of both fields in a bio-psycho-social model.
MCS sufferers usually give a variety of nonspecific complaints that frequently include: fatigue, headaches, difficulty concentrating, burning eyes, loss of memory, dizziness, shortness of breath, musculoskeletal disorders, gastrointestinal complaints, skin and mucous membrane problems, diffuse pain. As a rule, the symptoms increase with time, as well as the number of substances that are perceived by those affected as triggering.
Therapy
Treating these sorts of symptoms is always advisable in consultation with a dermatologist or toxicologist. Because there are very different chemical compositions in our environment, we recommend that you take a sample with a cotton swab in a purpose-built test solution from the pharmacy so that you can best identify the native, elemental trigger of the reaction. We will then test if this element causes problems for you, and can suggest a treatment.
Synonyms
Synonymous or in the same context are terms such as Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Syndrome (MCS syndrome), multiple chemical sensitivity, multiple chemical incompatibility, multiple chemical hypersensitivity, multiple chemical sensitivity, multiple chemical sensitivity, idiopathic environmental intolerances (IEI), idiopathic environmental intolerances, idiopathic environmental intolerance, idiopathic chemical sensitivity, environmental disease, eco-syndrome used.
MCS sufferers usually give a variety of nonspecific complaints. Frequently named: fatigue, headache, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, eye burning, loss of memory, dizziness, shortness of breath, musculoskeletal disorders, gastrointestinal complaints, skin and mucous membrane problems, diffuse pain. As a rule, the symptoms increase with time, as well as the number of substances that are perceived by those affected as triggering.
Definition
From 1999, the MCS consensus criteria according to Bartha et al.
- The symptoms are reproducible with repeated chemical exposures.
- The condition is chronic.
- Symptoms are caused by low exposure levels that are generally tolerated by other people or tolerated before the onset of the disease.
- The symptoms improve or disappear altogether when the triggers are shunned or removed. The symptoms are triggered by various chemically unrelated substances.
- Several organs or organ systems are affected by symptoms.
A. MCS should also be diagnosed in compliance with criteria 1 to 6 in addition to other diagnoses, some of which lead to the fulfillment of the criteria (asthma, allergies, migraine). B. Exclusion MCS: The reported complaints can be fully explained (whole spectrum) by a known disease of the patient Frequently, the older criteria used by Cullen in 1987 are also used. [7] Some authors who suggest a psychic genesis of MCS suggested the term "idiopathic environmental intolerances" (IEI), "idiopathic (that is, without apparent cause), environmental intolerances". This term includes a number of similar health disorders beyond what has been described so far with MCS and avoids a determination as to the suspected cause, which is not justified by scientific knowledge.
Prevalence
Prevalence rates for hypersensitivity to chemicals have been reported for several countries. In most studies, a distinction has been made between "chemical intolerance" (CI) with moderate health impact and severe severity with daily symptoms and long-term health effects (MCS). The data for the prevalence of MCS are between 0.5% and 3.9%.
- 0.5% (Germany)
- 0.9% (Australia)
- 3.7% (Sweden)
- 3.8% (Japan)
- 3.9% (US)
Moderate chemical intolerances occur in 9 to 33% of the populations studied. The results of three studies are 15 to 16% very close together. The numbers also coincide with statements of adolescents. Products that are most commonly labeled as incompatible are perfume, solvents, pesticides, cigarette smoke, fresh paint, gasoline, and car exhaust. Perfume comes first. The most common symptoms associated with exposure are nausea, headache, eye irritation, shortness of breath, runny or stuffy nose, difficulty concentrating, dizziness and drowsiness.
Risk factors
The known risk factors for MCS come from the areas of exposure and vulnerability.
Exposure: There are a variety of studies on MCS prevalence in populations that have been exposed to increased exposure to pollutants (mostly solvents, formaldehyde or biocides). The percentages of persons with subsequent chemical intolerances or MCS were between 25% and 60% in these groups (reviewed in: Ashford and Miller 1998, Maschewsky 1996). These strains described as "initial exposure" are generally neurotoxic = neurotoxic. The chemical sensitivity often develops after the initial exposure. The initial health response to increased "initial exposure" should not be confused with the subsequent sensitive response to chemical "trigger stimuli," which occurs at significantly lower concentrations of chemicals and develops only years later.
Vulnerability: MCS is more common in people with additional chronic illnesses. Here a vulnerability of those affected is suspected:
- Asthma and hyperreactive bronchial system
- allergic disposition
- other intolerances (food, medicines)
- PTSD (Posttraumatic Stress Disorder)
- psychosocial stress
- anxious disposition or anxiety disorders
- female gender
Women are often exposed to the risk factors that justify vulnerability. The MCS risk is disproportionately increased if several of the risk factors are present (eg solvent exposure, allergic disposition and stress). On the other hand, income, social status, or ethnicity do not affect the incidence of MCS.
Causes
For the assumed causes of MCS, there are essentially three positions (see above):
- MCS as a work or environmental disorder (with possible genetic involvement), such as: poisoning, malfunction of nervous, immune, endocrine or respiratory system, reduction of nervous triggering thresholds for discomfort, pain and malfunction. Chemical triggers of MCS can u. a. Solvents, pesticides, certain metals and their alloys, combustion products and other pollutant mixtures.
- MCS as a multifactorial and multistage disorder: After an initial exposure to mostly neurotoxic pollutants, unspecific symptoms of neurotoxic effects often occur (eg solvent syndrome), this effect should be predominantly reversible after the end of exposure. Additional stressors (eg psychsosocial stress, anxiety) or sensitive populations (eg multiple allergies, asthma) and long exposure times lead to a chronic chronic over-years of chronic illness, with fewer and fewer chemicals being used to treat the disease To produce symptoms (= bio-psycho-social model).
- MCS as a pure psychosomatic or psychiatric disorder, eg. For example: depression, obsessional neurosis, ecochondria or chemophobia. Numerous psychosomatically oriented examiners regard the symptoms as an expression of a panic attack or the clinical picture as a somatoform disorder. It is assumed that the diagnosis of environmental relevance relates exclusively to the conviction of the person concerned, irrespective of the objective evidence of exposure. According to this opinion, the clinical, environmental medical laboratory test does not provide evidence of an exposure, a causal relationship between exposure and the extent of the complaints and / or of organically determinable diseases, which can adequately explain the symptoms
Studies of people with incipient chemical intolerances found only a slight increase in anxious tendencies among those affected. However, sufferers more often have asthma, a hyperreactive bronchial system, and allergies. According to Caress et al. Before the development of MCS, only 1.4% of those affected had a manifest mental illness. Provocation tests carried out under controlled conditions do not allow any distinction between MCS-affected patients and reference populations due to specific exposure to chemicals. However, this could be demonstrated in still healthy volunteers with chemical sensitivity. The fact that environmental health patients receive psychiatric diagnoses so often is due to the nature of the exposure. So lead neurotoxic pollutants, and these are the most common in our immediate environment, to various nonspecific symptoms such. Dizziness, headache, difficulty concentrating, fatigue, performance kink. These symptoms also lead to high scores in psychometric questionnaires. The question "environmental medicine or psychiatry" has therefore been discussed many times.
Consequences and complications
Often, these patients can not tolerate even everyday exposure to chemicals. Fragrances in perfumes, soaps and shaving lotions, the exhalations of furniture and other furnishings or disinfectant in medical practices and hospitals make the patient a hard time. This chronic disease leads to conflicts in the family, in the circle of friends and at the workplace, in the most severe forms of social isolation. Often feel concerned not taken seriously or stigmatized because relatives, colleagues and doctors play down their complaints, in their view, be described as a hypochondriac or fully explained as a purely psychological, although her own experience is quite different.
Therapy
The therapy of such disease symptoms is always advisable in the company of a dermatologist or a toxicologist. Since there are very different chemical compositions in our world, we recommend that you take a swab with a cotton swab in a purpose-built test solution from the pharmacy so that you can best identify the native, presumed trigger of the reaction. We will then test if this element causes you any problems and can suggest a corresponding procedure.
