Allergies, Their Effects... and New Ways to Combat Them


Biking Allergy symptoms are nothing to sneeze at. Virtually anything in the environment or taken topically or internally can trigger allergies in susceptible individuals. And they can make life miserable. What can you do about your seasonal, food or other allergies? Plenty, according to experts. Here is an explanation of allergies, and some of the newest developments in the field.

 

What is an Allergy?
Simply put, an allergy is disordered response of the body's immune system. Upon exposure to an allergin, the person's white blood cells are overactivated by the antibody immunoglobulin E (IgE), causing an undesirable reaction (or combination of them).

 

Some allergies are more prevalent in the population than others. You may, for example, know a handful or more of people at work or in your neighborhood who complain of hay fever each year. Others are more rare or may cause serious and potentially fatal reactions (such as an individual suffering anaphylactic shock in reaction to a bee sting or eating peanuts, for example).

 

Whatever type of allergies you're prone to, you may think you've tried everything to combat them. Think again. Cutting-edge research around the globe is bringing new and novel treatments to allergy sufferers. In the next section we'll take a look at a few examples of allergy technology that's making news today.

 

Advanced Treatment for Allergies
A number of drug manufacturers and allergy research specialists are moving allergies from the realm of decongested-but-sleepy and creating ever more targeted ways of dealing with different forms of the condition.

 

For instance, a sublingual (delivered under the tongue) immunotherapy pill may soon be available from Schering-Plough. (LINK: http://www.pharmabiz.com/article/detnews.asp?articleid=52486&sectionid=) Developed to combat grass-induced allergy reactions, the AIT (grass allergy immunotherapy tablet) works in an interesting way: it produces another immunity response to protect the body from its already trumped-up allergic reaction. The drug is in the third phase of trials as of the publication of this article.

 

Delivery systems are advancing, too. A nebulized treatment (LINK: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2009/11/prweb3153194.htm) is being promoted by SinusDynamics, a division of General Home Pharmacy. The system includes an anti-inflammatory and antibiotic combination to address nasal allergies and the sinusitis that can follow in some patients.

 

Meanwhile, on the natural care front, probiotics—used for several years now to regulate the digestive tract and possibly boost certain components of the immune system—may offer help to those with hay fever, according to some officials. (LINK: http://www.alternativehealthjournal.com/article/probiotics_new_form )

 

A Safer World for Allergy Sufferers
Allergies may be an ongoing problem for many, but research continues around the world to help sufferers in new and novel ways.

 

Notably, Canada has issued warnings in general about GlaxoSmithKline's H1N1 (“swine” flu) vaccine, which is primarily processed using poultry eggs; egg allergy sufferers could potentially have an adverse reaction, officials say. The country is declining importation of a potential replacement from England, leaving those fearing H1N1 in a dilemma...but avoiding a potentially harmful reaction from those allergic to eggs. (See the story here. http://www.calgaryherald.com/health/People+with+allergy+face)

 

Canada is also investigating the possibility of banning animals from the passenger cabins of commercial airplanes in order to protect those with allergies. The country's Canadian Transportation Agency is investigating the complaints that are driving this possible initiative, and could ultimately name certain allergies a disability.

 

In the U.S., there was startling news this Halloween from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA): some face paints available for commercial use were deemed to contain heavy metals, possibly linking them to certain types of allergies, the report said. (LINK: http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/health&id=7085208)

 

The Best Defense
Though such information seems daunting, it's also a huge help to those afflicted with allergies, particularly individuals who may see a severe response or reaction to exposure. And every new piece of research means better ways to deal with allergies...and less sacrifice of one's quality of life.

 

In particular, acts aimed at disclosure (informing the public of what a product may contain) are helpful to those with skin, ingestion or other environmental reactions that could prove dangerous.

 

Check out the sites listed below for up-to-date information on different types of allergies, available treatments and possible future releases.

 

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