The Hindu Business Line : Allergies are reversible

Constant bombardment by food-allergens weakens the immune system, so it is imperative to nip the food-allergy as soon as possible. Read on for some nutrition tips.

You might have often had an allergic reaction to something you'd eaten. Take Animesh — munching peanuts produces a sneezing fit followed by a dry, hacking and persistent cough. The next day, he's groggy.

Allergies are funny things. They elicit instant reactions — sneezing, coughing, asthma, sinusitis, itching eyes, diarrhoea and nausea. Sometimes, delayed reactions — stomach and joint-aches, migraines, fatigue, confusion, emotional uneasiness and even dangerous swellings or welts. Few people would connect these to something they ate two days ago.

But they should.

Instant allergic reactions stem from a hypersensitive intestinal lining, which allows undigested protein to slip through. In swift retaliation, the immune system's white blood cell groups called masts blast histamine, a chemical that inflames tissue; hence, the tickles, clogs and the like. Delayed allergic reactions stem from slower-to-react white blood cell groups — the immune-globulin G. Experts say the offending allergen is usually protein from milk, eggs, nuts, shellfish and sometimes from wheat, vegetables and fruits. Skin and blood tests could identify the offender, but these could be long, tedious and expensive. It is more practical to eliminate one suspected offender at a time for six to eight weeks to isolate the culprit. It automatically helps build up a feel-good food-list.

For example, Animesh discovered that okra makes him feel light and easy. It is imperative to nip the food-allergy as soon as possible. It gives both the stomach and the immune system a fair chance to relax, recuperate and rejuvenate. Constant bombardment by food-allergens weakens the immune system ushering in a secondary allergic reaction to inhaled allergens — pollen, dust, pet-fur and house-mites. Found in mattresses and carpets, house-mites multiply in warm, humid conditions and could make us asthmatic. So, first, some nutritional tips:

Many food allergens are destroyed by heating. So, experiment with stewed apples, grilled tomatoes.

Sprout pulses. Sprouting turns the protein into amino acids (pre-digested protein).

Avoid artificial flavourings. Example: If after a Chinese meal, you get a numbness, burning, tightness in the chest, it could be due to the monosodium glutamate (MSG). Cook Chinese food at home without the offending MSG.

Give chocolates and cheese a miss — they trigger migraines.

Ease off on spices-green/red chillies. They aggravate a sensitive intestinal lining. If in the secondary inhalant allergic phase, Dr Richard Podell, MD, clinical associate professor, family medicine, University of Medicine and Dentistry, New Jersey, advises, "Create an oasis. You want your home to be a sanctuary." His breathe-easy tips are:

Seal your bedding in plastic to breathe clean air instead of mite-wastes.

Discard carpets — havens for mites.

Damp wipe all surfaces including cupboard tops.

If your pet's fur rankles, make your bedroom "a forbidden territory for Whiskers."

Use synthetic pillows. Their advantage: They can be washed in hot water.

While air-conditioning keeps temperature and humidity low and discourages mites, it may not seal off the room from outside pollen. If not, install an industrial quality air-cleaner.

Use low-toxic water-based wall-paints during renovation.

The most discouraging aspect of being allergic is the idea that discomfort stalks you. By reducing inflammation, antihistamines enable you to think and work freely without sniffles and sores. Ask your doctor to prescribe non-sedating ones — those containing astemizole (not to be taken during pregnancy), cetirizine or lotardine are preferred. Pills that cause drowsiness contain promethazene and chlorpheniramine. Re-check with your physician if the fine print shows terfenadine — it can interact negatively with some medication you may already be on.

Simultaneously, concentrate on strengthening your immunity system through regular exercise. Thirty minutes of cardiovascular exercise — cycling, swimming, trampolining — done daily oxygenates and enhances immune cells. The beautiful thing about having cardiovascular fitness is it decreases the intensity and frequency of the allergic reaction and prevents the cough and cold from sliding into flu.

Next, do the humming bee breather: Sit, spine straight, in a quiet room. Inhale deeply. As you exhale, say `hmmmm' as long as comfortably possible. Pause. Repeat three times. This improves respiration, clears sinuses and leaves a peaceful humming in the head. Asthmatics who do deep breathing exercises report months of ease without a single wheezing episode. It opens out a whole, new, wider, braver world.

Two additional must-dos:

Drink warm water through the day to keep your muscles hydrated and `plumped' out. If they shrink from dehydration, they produce a discomforting tightness.

Get a little spouted pot. Fit the spout into the left nostril and let warm saltwater flow through it and run out of the right nostril. Repeat from the right nostril. This clears hardened mucus in the airways and prevents headaches. The California-based allergist Dr William Ziering firmly believes allergies are reversible. "You don't go to the Sahara desert to look for an oasis," he says. It's right here in you.

The writer is co-author of the book `Fitness for Life'.

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