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Developing allergy later in life. Adult-Onset Allergies: Causes, Symptoms, and Management Strategies

What triggers the development of allergies in adulthood. How does the immune system contribute to allergic reactions. Can allergies suddenly appear later in life. How to identify and manage adult-onset allergies effectively.

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Understanding the Immune System’s Role in Allergies

Allergies are a result of the immune system’s overreaction to typically harmless substances. The key player in this process is Immunoglobulin E (IgE), an antibody produced by the immune system. When IgE encounters an allergen, it triggers a cascade of reactions leading to allergy symptoms.

How does IgE function in allergic reactions?

  • IgE acts as a chemical messenger
  • It signals cells to release defensive chemicals
  • These chemicals cause inflammation and allergy symptoms

The immune system develops what’s known as immunological memory. This allows it to respond more quickly to previously encountered substances. While this is generally beneficial for fighting infections, in allergies, it results in an exaggerated response to harmless triggers.

The Genetics of Allergy Susceptibility

Genetic factors play a significant role in determining an individual’s likelihood of developing allergies. Family history is a strong indicator of allergy risk.

How does family history influence allergy development?

  • If one parent has allergies, the child has a 30-50% chance of developing them
  • If both parents have allergies, the risk increases to 60-80%

However, having a genetic predisposition doesn’t guarantee that a person will develop allergies. Environmental factors and exposure to allergens also play crucial roles in triggering allergic responses.

The Phenomenon of Adult-Onset Allergies

Contrary to popular belief, allergies can develop at any age. Adult-onset allergies refer to allergic reactions that first appear in adulthood, sometimes even in senior years. These can be particularly puzzling for individuals who have never experienced allergies before.

Why do some people develop allergies later in life?

  1. Exposure to new environmental allergens
  2. Changes in the immune system over time
  3. Hormonal fluctuations
  4. Stress and lifestyle changes

It’s important to note that adult-onset allergies can appear suddenly. An individual might have been exposed to an allergen for years without any reaction, only to develop symptoms seemingly out of nowhere.

Common Adult-Onset Allergies and Their Triggers

While any allergen can potentially cause adult-onset allergies, certain triggers are more common than others. Understanding these can help individuals identify and manage their symptoms more effectively.

Food Allergies in Adults

What are the most common food allergies that develop in adulthood?

  • Peanuts
  • Tree nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans, cashews)
  • Fish
  • Shellfish (shrimp, lobster, crab)

These food allergies can be particularly dangerous, as they often cause severe reactions, including anaphylaxis. It’s crucial for adults who suspect they’ve developed a food allergy to seek professional medical advice for proper diagnosis and management.

Environmental Allergies

Environmental allergies can also develop later in life. Common triggers include:

  • Pollen from trees, grasses, and weeds
  • Dust mites
  • Pet dander
  • Mold spores

These allergies often manifest as seasonal allergies or year-round symptoms, depending on the specific trigger and geographical location.

Identifying Adult-Onset Allergy Symptoms

Recognizing the symptoms of adult-onset allergies is crucial for proper diagnosis and treatment. While symptoms can vary depending on the allergen and individual, some common signs include:

  • Sneezing and runny nose
  • Itchy, watery eyes
  • Congestion
  • Skin rashes or hives
  • Difficulty breathing or wheezing
  • Digestive issues (in case of food allergies)

It’s important to note that allergy symptoms can sometimes be mistaken for other conditions, such as the common cold or food intolerances. If symptoms persist or recur in certain situations, it’s advisable to consult an allergist for proper evaluation.

Diagnosing Adult-Onset Allergies

Accurate diagnosis of adult-onset allergies is essential for effective management. Allergists use various methods to identify specific allergens and rule out other potential causes of symptoms.

Allergy Testing Methods

What are the main types of allergy tests used to diagnose adult-onset allergies?

  1. Skin prick tests: Small amounts of suspected allergens are placed on the skin to observe reactions
  2. Blood tests: Measure the levels of IgE antibodies in response to specific allergens
  3. Oral food challenges: Conducted under medical supervision to diagnose or rule out food allergies
  4. Patch tests: Used to diagnose contact dermatitis by applying allergens to the skin for 48 hours

In addition to these tests, allergists will consider the patient’s medical history, symptoms, and any patterns of allergic reactions to make a comprehensive diagnosis.

Managing Adult-Onset Allergies

Once diagnosed, there are several strategies for managing adult-onset allergies effectively. The approach often involves a combination of avoidance, medication, and in some cases, immunotherapy.

Avoidance Strategies

How can individuals minimize exposure to their allergens?

  • Use air purifiers with HEPA filters to reduce airborne allergens
  • Keep windows closed during high pollen seasons
  • Wash bedding regularly in hot water to reduce dust mites
  • Read food labels carefully to avoid allergenic ingredients
  • Use protective clothing and masks when working outdoors

Medication Options

Various medications can help manage allergy symptoms:

  • Antihistamines: Reduce sneezing, itching, and runny nose
  • Decongestants: Relieve nasal congestion
  • Nasal corticosteroids: Reduce inflammation in the nasal passages
  • Epinephrine auto-injectors: For emergency treatment of severe allergic reactions

Immunotherapy

For some individuals with severe or persistent allergies, immunotherapy may be recommended. This treatment involves gradually exposing the immune system to increasing amounts of an allergen to build tolerance over time.

What are the two main types of immunotherapy?

  1. Subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT): Allergy shots administered in a medical setting
  2. Sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT): Oral tablets or drops taken at home

Immunotherapy can be particularly effective for environmental allergies and some food allergies, potentially providing long-term relief from symptoms.

The Impact of Adult-Onset Allergies on Quality of Life

Developing allergies in adulthood can significantly impact an individual’s quality of life. It may require lifestyle changes, affect social interactions, and in some cases, lead to anxiety or depression.

How can individuals cope with the challenges of adult-onset allergies?

  • Educate yourself about your specific allergies and triggers
  • Communicate openly with friends, family, and colleagues about your condition
  • Join support groups or online communities for individuals with similar experiences
  • Work with an allergist to develop a comprehensive management plan
  • Consider counseling if allergies are causing significant emotional distress

By taking a proactive approach to managing their condition, individuals with adult-onset allergies can maintain a high quality of life and minimize the impact of their symptoms on daily activities.

Emerging Research and Future Treatments

The field of allergy research is constantly evolving, with new insights into the mechanisms of allergic reactions and potential treatments emerging regularly. Some promising areas of research include:

  • Targeted biologics: Medications that specifically target molecules involved in allergic reactions
  • Microbiome modulation: Exploring the role of gut bacteria in allergy development and prevention
  • Gene therapy: Investigating genetic approaches to prevent or treat allergies
  • Improved diagnostic tools: Developing more accurate and comprehensive allergy testing methods

As our understanding of allergies deepens, it’s likely that more effective and personalized treatment options will become available for individuals with adult-onset allergies.

What potential breakthroughs are on the horizon for allergy treatment?

  1. Oral immunotherapy combined with biologics for food allergies
  2. Personalized medicine approaches based on genetic profiles
  3. Novel drug delivery systems for more effective allergy medications
  4. Advanced wearable devices for real-time allergen detection and symptom monitoring

While these advancements are exciting, it’s important for individuals with adult-onset allergies to work closely with their healthcare providers to stay informed about the latest treatment options and determine the best approach for their specific needs.

What Causes a Person to Develop Allergies?

Posted on: April 15, 2021

Allergies can come in many shapes and sizes. While some people can enjoy beautiful weather, others avoid going outdoors at all costs. The same situation may occur for people watching others enjoy an endless variety of foods while they must be very selective. Those people who suffer from the incessant symptoms of food or environmental allergies may wonder, why?

Have you ever wondered what causes your stuffy nose and sneezing? It’s not just a string of bad luck; whether your allergy symptoms occur in direct result to the local pollen count, different types of food or your neighbor’s cat, there are certain responses from our immune system that lead to our level of reaction.

In this article, we’ll explain exactly what causes a person to develop allergies, when this can happen, and whether allergic symptoms are worse in adulthood or childhood.

What Causes a Person to Develop Allergies?

The body’s immune system generates different antibodies to protect us from illnesses. For allergies, the immune system generates Immunoglobulin E, also known as IgE, to aid in combating your allergy symptoms. IgE is a chemical messenger that travels to cells to relay information that a chemical defense against a foreign invader is needed. Allergic individuals have high IgE levels against benign environmental exposures such as pollen or dander. Food can also cause high levels of IgE.

With time, the immune system develops what’s known as immunological memory. Normally this is a helpful immune response which can enable your body to respond more quickly.  This is what allows vaccines to work. In allergy, however, this response is magnified, and your repeat exposures cause recurrent overreactions of the immune system.  This produces an allergic response that may include sneezing, coughing, sniffling and congestion or increased asthma symptoms. IgE antibodies are custom made for each type of allergen. This is why you can be allergic to one or two specific foods or pollens and tolerate others without a problem.

When Does a Person Develop Allergies?

Allergies can develop at any point in a person’s life. One factor that increases your chance is your family history. If one parent is allergic there is a 30-50% chance of their offspring developing allergies. This jumps to 60-80% if both parents are allergic.

In many cases, allergies first present early in life, during infancy or the toddler years. Most of these allergies will be lifelong concerns, although some can resolve on their own.

Can You Develop Allergies Later in Life?

It is certainly possible to develop allergies in adulthood. Adult-onset allergies can occur seemingly out of nowhere due to exposure to new allergens in the environment, family history and changes in the immune system. The most common food allergies in adults are peanuts, fish, shellfish such as shrimp, lobster and tree nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans and cashews).

There’s no way to avoid getting adult-onset allergies if you’re susceptible to them, since you can’t reasonably expect to know every trigger that could cause an allergic reaction and then avoid it. In addition, there is some recent research that indicates avoiding allergens can make it more likely for an individual to develop allergies, because the immune system is unfamiliar with more substances.

What Are Adult Onset Allergies?

Adult-onset allergies are those allergy symptoms that manifest later in life. This could be anywhere from younger adulthood, such as in a person’s 20s, to a person’s senior years, when they are 70 or 80 years old. Typically, if you lived through your 20s and your 30s without any new allergies, the chances of getting adult-onset allergies diminishes.

The strangest part about adult-onset allergies is that you can wake up today irritated by an allergen that didn’t bother you yesterday. You could have been in contact with said allergen every single day for years with no adverse effects. Now, you have a runny nose, itching eyes and uncontrollable sneezing around that allergen.

               See related: How to Keep Your Charlotte Seasonal Allergies in Check

How Do Adult Onset Allergies Develop?

If you’re predisposed to a certain type of allergy, but you’ve never been around that allergen before, it can seem like your symptoms have materialized out of nowhere. Say, for instance, you never had pets growing up. You’re allergic to pet dander, but you’d never know it. Then, your roommate decides to get a dog, and your allergies start going crazy.

So yes, even though it may seem like you just woke up with allergies one day, there’s usually a medical explanation for why it’s happened. Unfortunately, that explanation can be difficult to pinpoint, especially when you’re simply becoming aware of an allergy you may have had for some time.

In other cases, allergies do develop on their own. You may notice changes suddenly, or monitor a gradual shift in your reaction to a specific substance. Adult onset allergies typically develop differently in different people.

What Causes Allergies Later in Life?

Just like childhood allergies, we do not completely understand why some people develop allergies and others don’t. We do know there are complex genetic and environmental factors involved.  Scientists have proposed theories about why allergies occur, including the “hygiene hypothesis” that attributes allergic disease in part to the use of antimicrobials and the high standard of cleanliness in modern societies.

Adults can also present with new-onset environmental allergies. In some cases, the patient may have had a tendency to develop allergies all along, but their environment changed, putting them in more contact with the triggering allergen (for example, a new pet in the home).

What Should I Do if I Develop Adult Onset Allergies?

If you believe you have developed allergies as an adult, avoid any suspected allergens while you are waiting to see your allergist. Your allergist may order some tests such as blood or skin tests to further evaluate your allergies.

If allergy testing confirms a diagnosis of allergy, your allergist will work with you to develop a treatment plan including avoidance measures, medications, and/or other treatment options such as immunotherapy (allergy shots or allergy drops) for environmental allergies.

Are Allergies Worse in Childhood or Adulthood?

Per the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI) and 2013 data, 28 million kids across the United States have allergies. As many as 50 million adults may get reactions to allergens as well.

While more adults have allergies in the United States than children, is there an age group that has it worse? Research that appeared in a 2012 article at MassGeneral Hospital for Children in Massachusetts suggests that adults may be the most at risk for intense, serious symptoms. Adult behaviors such as taking certain medications (like ACE inhibitors, beta-blockers, and NSAIDs, even aspirin) and drinking alcohol may increase risk for severe anaphylaxis. Exercise and having asthma can also increase reaction severity.  Of course, young children who cannot communicate symptoms can also have severe reactions which go unnoticed and progress to dangerous levels.

A severe allergic reaction, which can be triggered by foods or venom (insect stings), is called anaphylaxis. This is a life-threatening emergency condition in which the patient goes into shock, cannot breathe, and may have vomiting, nausea, and skin rashes. Anaphylaxis can occur instantaneously or sometimes minutes after eating an allergen or being stung. Epinephrine can control cases of anaphylaxis that are caught immediately. The longer the patient goes without treatment, the greater the likelihood that death can occur. For this reason patients with a history of severe anaphylaxis are encouraged to always have an in date epinephrine injector available.

Which Allergies Are Most Common?

While we’ve talked about allergies to things like dander and pollen, these are not the most frequent adult-onset allergies.  Per the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology or ACAAI and data published in 2017 from their Annual Scientific Meeting, the most frequent adult-onset allergies are those to food. In fact, food comprised nearly 50 percent of these allergies!

Which foods triggered the most allergies? Peanuts, shellfish, and tree nuts. The study discovered that Caucasian people were less likely to have peanut and shellfish allergies compared to Hispanic, Asian, and black people of adult age (18 years old or more).

While, back in 2008, the rate of tree nut allergies among adults was only 0.5 percent, it’s jumped by 260 percent. As of 2017, when the study was published, that rate was now 1.8 percent.

In addition, in 2004, only 2.5 percent of adults were allergic to shellfish. Today, that number has seen a 44-percent spike, as 3.6 percent are affected by this seafood allergy in the United States alone.

The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology or AAAAI added that younger children aged one through three years old were also getting more food allergies. That said, they had fewer instances of shellfish allergies specifically.

               See related: New Recommendations for Exposing Children to Peanuts

Why does this happen? The verdict is still out. Medical and scientific researchers alike are still working on figuring out why adults have a higher likelihood of getting a shellfish allergy compared to children. One purported reason could be that the allergy is always present, just sitting dormant, like we mentioned above. Another is that since the average person doesn’t eat shellfish in childhood but may in adulthood, their eating habits could lead to allergies.

Can Allergies Be Prevented?

Unfortunately, you cannot prevent the manifestation of adult-onset allergies. As we mentioned, these allergies sometimes spring up where none existed before. Other times, exposure to the allergen triggers a reaction. For those reasons, it’s difficult to say with certainty which triggers you should avoid.

While you can’t always prevent adult-onset allergies, you can treat them as they develop. If, for instance, you notice you get an adverse reaction after eating shellfish or peanuts, you should refrain from eating these foods right away. Instead, set up an appointment with an allergy provider who can test your to see what is causing your symptoms

In the case of food allergies, the best treatment is avoidance. For pet dander, pollen, and other standard allergy triggers, you can try medications, including steroid nasal sprays and antihistamines, to alleviate uncomfortable symptoms. You can also try to keep yourself away from these allergens via lifestyle adjustments.

Can Allergies Stop on Their Own?

A question commonly asked at diagnosis is how likely is it that my allergy will improve with time? The severity and types of symptoms you had at your initial reaction and the number of foods to which you are allergic can help predict your chances of “outgrowing” the allergy. In addition, we know that milk, egg and soy allergies most often improve with time while peanut, tree nut, fish and shellfish are less likely to improve.

It’s not recommended you simply assume that you’ve outgrown a reaction to an allergen; instead, you should visit an allergist for testing. For food allergies, if your test results indicate that it is safe, you will participate in an in office oral food challenge to determine if you still have symptoms.

How Do You Treat Allergies?

Most allergy treatment involves prescription or over-the-counter antihistamines, which treat allergy symptoms. As mentioned, Epinephrine is also used to treat severe allergic reactions.

Other allergy treatments include various forms of immunotherapy, most commonly allergy shots and allergy drops. Both allergy shots and allergy drops expose the immune system to small amounts of one or more allergens at predetermined intervals. Allergen doses start small, then gradually increase. The goal of the treatment is to retrain the immune system to recognize the allergen as not dangerous, decreasing the frequency or severity of allergy symptoms.

Allergy shots and allergy drops are the only current treatment methods that reduce sensitivity to an allergen itself, instead of just treating the allergy symptoms. If you’re interested in either option, speak to an experienced allergist.

Know Where to Go for Allergy Care: Carolina Asthma & Allergy Center

Allergies can begin in childhood, adulthood and anytime in between. If you’re dealing with a new or persistent case of allergies, we encourage you to reach out to us at Carolina Asthma & Allergy. We serve patients throughout North and South Carolina and work with traditional allergy treatment methods as well as allergy shots and allergy drops.

Our board-certified doctors are experts in food allergies, asthma, insect bite allergies and other uncommon, yet often serious allergies that require specialized care. We even offer anaphylaxis prevention and treatment, immunotherapy care and treatments for the lungs, skin, throat, nose, ears, and eyes. To set up your appointment today, contact us today!

 

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Food allergy: Can it develop later in life?

Most food allergies start in childhood, but they can develop at any time of life. It is not clear why, but some adults develop an allergy to a food they typically eat with no problem. Sometimes a child outgrows a food allergy, but that’s less likely to happen with adults.

The most common foods that cause food allergy in adults are peanuts, fish, shellfish (shrimp or lobster) and tree nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans and cashews).

If you have a food allergy, you’ll need to avoid the offending food. An allergic reaction can quickly put your immune system into a state of emergency, affecting numerous organs in your body. For certain people, even a tiny amount of the food may cause signs and symptoms such as digestive problems, hives, facial swelling or trouble breathing.

Some people with a food allergy are at risk of a life-threatening reaction (anaphylaxis) that requires emergency treatment.

Don’t ignore a reaction that occurs shortly after eating a particular food. See your doctor to determine the cause of your symptoms. Even if you’ve had a relatively mild reaction in the past, subsequent allergic reactions may be more serious. Get emergency treatment for any severe food reaction.

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Show references

  1. Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of food allergy in the United States: Summary for patients, families and caregivers. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. https://www.niaid.nih.gov/diseases-conditions/guidelines-clinicians-and-patients-food-allergy. Accessed Feb. 1, 2020.
  2. Food allergy. American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. https://acaai.org/allergies/types/food-allergy. Accessed Feb. 1, 2020.
  3. Burks W. Clinical manifestations of food allergy: An overview. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Accessed Feb. 1, 2020.
  4. Ferri FF. Food allergies. In: Ferri’s Clinical Advisor 2020. Elsevier; 2020. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed Feb. 1, 2020.

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Adult Onset Allergies – Why Adults Develop Allergies Later in Life

I felt fine until my late 20s, and then the mysterious symptoms struck. Almost overnight, I began to feel constantly tired, foggy, disoriented, and, well, stupid. Each spring, friends with allergies nodded in agreement, pointing out their own malaise, often along with sneezes and scratchy throats. That didn’t totally make sense to me, though, because I felt bad year-round. Could it be I’d developed allergies to something more permanent—like dust mites, ficus trees, or animal dander?

It took me three years of research and tests to find the answer. But along the way, I learned something far more shocking. If you’re not like me, you could be someday, and you’ll have to work pretty hard to find the culprit. More people than ever are suffering from symptoms that could be the result of adult-onset allergies—or something worse.

It’s not just you who’s suddenly having seasonal allergies

The World Allergy Organization reports that the prevalence of allergies has risen in industrialized countries over the past 50 years. In 2018 alone, more than 19 million adults in the U. S. were diagnosed with hay fever (known as allergic rhinitis), according to the CDC. Meng Chen, M.D., an allergist at Stanford University’s Sean N. Parker Center for Allergy and Asthma Research, says her office is seeing more cases each day. “It’s something I oftentimes hear from patients—‘I’ve never had allergies, and all of a sudden, I, an adult, have developed all of these allergies,’ ” she says. What the heck is going on?

For one thing, the world is warming up, and that leads to longer allergy seasons— as much as 27 days longer, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. Then there’s all the moving around we do—the average 30-year-old will have already moved about six times in their life. If some resident in your building has cats, or your new bedroom faces a field of sagebrush, you may develop a reaction you’ve never experienced before.

For any allergy, the reason you get symptoms—whether they’re the visible ones like sneezing and watery eyes or the more internal ones like brain fog—is that your body produces antibodies to fight the allergen. Your antibodies, for some yet-to-be-understood reason, classify the molecules of what you just inhaled as pathogens and seek to destroy them. To do that, your immune system releases certain toxin-fighting chemicals, such as histamines, that kick off the allergic response. Even after the compound is gone, the antibodies hang out in your body like sentries, always on the lookout for its return. “Every time you’re exposed to that allergen, your immune system learns better and faster ways to attack it,” says Caroline Sokol, M.D., Ph.D., the principal investigator at Massachusetts General Hospital’s Center for Immunology and Inflammatory Diseases.

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Why these allergies are happening now

Allergists don’t yet know why some people are affected by constant exposure to a potential allergen while others aren’t. It’s a biological false alarm. However, the rise of adult-onset allergies can be particularly vexing because sufferers had been fine for years. Or at least they appeared that way. “When people move to a new place, it usually takes at least a couple of seasons [for the full-blown response] to develop,” says Dr. Chen.

Let’s say you’re a lifelong Angeleno who moves to New York, where birch trees are everywhere. When spring rolls around, your immune system may respond to the new factor in the air. It takes a week or two to develop all the antibodies specific to each pollen. By the time those antibodies make it through your whole body, the irritant could be gone and symptoms won’t get a chance to show up, says Dr. Sokol. So you’ll have no idea you’ve been primed to launch an allergic response.

That same thing will happen the next year, only more quickly, although you still might not see symptoms. “But you better believe that your body’s not going to forget about it in your third birch-pollen season,” says Dr. Sokol. “The next year, your allergy cells are primed for attack, and you are miserable from the first day of birch-pollen exposure to the last day.”

This is also true for new exposures to pet dander, or foods that you eat on occasion. “Once that immune response starts, it can be hard to stop,” says Dr. Sokol.

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How to know what you’re allergic to

Since it takes a while for the allergy to build up and hammer you, it can take a while to track down what’s driving it. You don’t have to know exactly which grass or tree is your nemesis—dosing up with OTC allergy medication can usually squelch symptoms (discover how to keep symptoms to a minimum here).

Another path, which I took, is to visit an allergist. I got tested for 46 different allergens, and all but one—a slight allergy to dust mites—came back negative.

I decided to try OTC medications and rolled through a few, none of which had any effect on me whatsoever. After months of that, my allergist offered another diagnosis altogether: What I likely had was an almost-allergy. In some people, artificial fragrances create symptoms that mimic an allergic reaction, but they’re not actually allergies. I probably was hypersensitive to some manufactured scents and perfumes.

It might be a chemical sensitivity, not an allergy

Allergies are an immune-system reaction to an organic substance, while synthetic-fragrance reactions are considered sensitivities, and they work differently. Instead of causing an immune-system response, the fragrance particles stick in your airways and irritate them, just like what would happen if you inhaled a plume of black pepper, says Dr. Sokol. Companies add scents to everything from trash bags to laundry detergent these days. At least 51 million adults also suffer because of it, according to a report in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. That’s up 200 percent in the past decade.

Unlike with allergies, there’s no test to narrow down which synthetic substance you’re sensitive to. And typical allergy treatments won’t do anything for you. But you can control these sensitivities: Today, I only buy products with packaging that explicitly says “100 percent natural” or “unscented.”

For more-standard allergy sufferers, there are other ways to allergen-proof your life. There’s no magic fabric to help shed pollen or dander, so wear what you want, but when you come indoors, take off your shoes and put the clothes you’re not washing immediately in a sealed bin. Shower right away to get offending particles off your body, especially your hair. We can’t all control what we’re allergic to, but maybe you can do me and millions of others a favor and use unscented soap and shampoo. Bless you.

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Can You Develop Allergies Later in Life?

If you’ve never suffered from allergies in your life, you might be confused if you suddenly develop itchy eyes or a runny nose in spring. Can you develop allergies later in life?

The short answer is: yes. Allergies – whether seasonal or food related – can develop at any stage of life. But how do you develop allergies later in life, and how can they be treated?

How Can You Develop Allergies Later in Life?

An allergic reaction happens when the body comes into contact with a specific substance – food, pollen, mold, pet dander, etc. – that the immune system mistakenly identifies as harmful. That substance (known as an allergen) stimulates the immune system to produce antibodies called immunoglobulin E (IgE), whose typical role is to fight off infections. When the body misdirects IgE against an allergen, the antibodies attach themselves to certain cells, causing these cells to release a chemical called histamine. Histamine in turn causes inflammation, producing classic seasonal allergy symptoms such as red, watery eyes and itching. Depending on the allergen, allergic reactions can involve the eyes, sinuses, nasal passages, airways, skin, or digestive system, and can range from mild to severe.

When a person develops allergies later in life, it is typically due to a change in environment. Often, the person is exposed to a new allergen or begins to encounter a familiar one at higher levels than before. For example, you could move to a new geographical area that has different plants or pollutants, or get a new pet. You might also develop an allergy to a chemical to which you are exposed regularly. Long-term exposure to certain chemicals can cause you to lose your tolerance for them.

Then there are adult-onset allergies that are harder to explain, such as food allergies, 15% of which have an adult onset. New food allergies likely have to do with changes in the immune system (which weakens as we age) and/or changes in the gut microbiome. Being exposed to allergens when the immune system is weakened, such as during an illness or pregnancy, also increases the risk of developing allergies.

How Are Adult-Onset Allergies Treated?

If you suspect you have developed seasonal or food allergies, your doctor can perform allergy testing to confirm the diagnosis. This can be done through blood tests to check for specific forms of immunoglobulin E or skin tests detecting reactions. Once an allergy is confirmed, your doctor will help you develop a treatment plan, which can include:

For Allergy Relief, Call Anchor Wellness Center

If you are suffering from allergies, call Anchor Wellness Center today at (832) 246-8437 and schedule an appointment with Dr. Minni Malhotra, MD, FAARM, ABAARM. Board Certified in Family Medicine as well as Board Certified with the American Board of Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine, Dr. Malhotra can provide you with a treatment plan that gives you relief from your allergy symptoms.

Nearly Half of All People With Food Allergies Develop Them as Adults

Did you know that you can develop food allergies no matter how old you are? Many of us assume that once we reach adulthood, we’re safe from new food allergies. Unfortunately, this isn’t true: studies show that almost half of adults with diagnosed food allergies developed them later in life.

However, many of us with suspected food allergies really have other conditions like food sensitivities. Keep reading to learn more about food allergies, food sensitivities, and the warning signs of an adult-onset allergy.

What’s the Difference Between a Food Allergy and a Sensitivity?

Many people think that lactose intolerance and a milk allergy are the same, but these are actually two distinct conditions. Lactose intolerance is a food sensitivity, while a milk allergy is a type of allergy. Food allergies and sensitivities involve different systems and responses in your body. They also have distinct sets of symptoms and pose different health risks.

Allergies Are an Immune System Response

When you have a food allergy, your immune system mistakenly identifies components in your food as dangerous and attacks them with histamines. Your body may respond with symptoms like hives, itchy skin, vomiting, dizziness, swelling, and difficulty breathing. In the worst cases, sufferers can go into anaphylactic shock, which can be life-threatening if not treated immediately.

Food Sensitivities and Intolerances Begin in Your Digestive System

Sometimes, your digestive system can’t properly break down certain kinds of foods. When you ingest these foods, you may experience bloating, diarrhea, constipation, stomach pain, and gas. This type of reaction is called a food intolerance or sensitivity.

Unlike a food allergy, food sensitivities are rarely life-threatening, although they can cause plenty of pain and discomfort. You may be able to manage your food intolerance symptoms using over-the-counter enzyme replacements.

Food Allergies Can Develop During Adulthood

Many of us associate food allergies with childhood, but a recent study reports that more than 48% of people with food allergies develop them as adults.  Even more worrisome is the fact that more than 51% of adults with food allergies will at some point experience a severe reaction that requires medical care.

Because food allergies can develop suddenly, you need to take symptoms like facial swelling, hives, and dizziness seriously. This is especially true if those reactions occur when you’re eating foods that commonly trigger allergies such as shellfish, milk, peanuts, and tree nuts. And if you suddenly have difficulty breathing or swallowing, don’t wait — go to the nearest emergency room and get help immediately.

Self-Diagnosing Food Allergies Is Dangerous, Expensive, and Ineffective

Some people who believe they have food allergies decide to adopt restricted diets that eliminate certain foods. By following these diets, people believe they can self-diagnose potential food allergies.

While some of these diets come via recommendation from a medical professional, many people end up on these limited and expensive diets because of information they read online or hear from friends. Unfortunately, many of the “allergies” people diagnose themselves with because of these diets are really intolerances. In fact, studies show that while almost 20% of adults self-report a food allergy, only 10% really have one.

Even if your self-diagnosis is correct, you still run serious health risks if you don’t consult an allergist or immunologist about your allergy. Your immune system will not always respond the same way to a food allergen. While you may have a history of skin rashes and itching after eating a certain food, you might suddenly go into anaphylactic shock when you consume the food on a different occasion. In that case, not having epinephrine close by could have catastrophic results.

By seeing a specialist about known or potential food allergies, you can get expert help and support. Your medical team can teach you how to read food labels, communicate about your allergies in restaurants, and find satisfying alternatives to your food allergens.

Canopy Health’s Alliance Includes Respected Allergy and Immunology Specialists and Clinics

Canopy Health’s robust alliance of Bay Area physicians and hospitals includes some of the most respected allergists and immunologists in the country. If you’re a Canopy Health member, you can choose to receive treatment from any of our doctors, including allergy and immunology specialists within Meritage Medical Network, Hill Physicians, SCCIPA, John Muir Health, and UCSF’s Allergy and Immunology Clinic. To request a referral, talk to your primary care physician about our Alliance Referral Program.

Contact Canopy Health to Learn More About Our Alliance and Our Refreshingly Clear Approach

Canopy Health is revolutionizing Bay Area healthcare by giving our members incredible access to transparent, high-quality care. If you’d like to learn more about our refreshingly clear approach, contact us online or by calling 888-8-CANOPY.

Reference

Gupta, R.S., Warren, C.M., & Smith, B.M., et al. (2019, January 4). Prevalence and severity of food allergies among U.S. adults. JAMA Network Open. 2019;2(1). Retrieved from https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2720064

Why Am I Suddenly Experiencing Allergy Symptoms as an Adult?

Your eyes are itchy. Your nose is somehow runny and stuffy at the same time. Your throat feels scratchy. You’re convinced you picked up a common cold, but then your friend says, “Maybe it’s allergies.”

Allergies? No way. That can’t be. You’ve never had them before. Why would you have them now? Can they really just show up announced like this later in life?

Believe it or not, developing allergies in adulthood isn’t as rare as you might think.

Can you develop allergies as an adult?

Here’s the short answer: yes. While it’s more common for allergies to show up when you’re a kid (an estimated 40% of children have at least one allergy, compared to 30% of adults), it’s entirely possible for them to crop up later in life.

But of course, allergies can differ from person to person—and the Cleveland Clinic explains that they can also shift through different phases in your life.

Some people who dealt with an allergy through their adolescence might notice that their symptoms are actually far more manageable in adulthood, which could be a result of a weakened immune system that doesn’t respond as harshly to common allergens.

In fact, the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center reports that many teenagers and adults are lucky enough to outgrow their allergies entirely—especially when it comes to food. An estimated 80% of people with egg, milk, and wheat allergies outgrow them by age 16.

Unfortunately, others aren’t so lucky and go the opposite way. They might develop an allergy to something that never seemed to bother them before.

What causes adult onset allergies?

Alright, so developing allergies in adulthood can happen. But why? Why is your immune system suddenly turning against you?

Well, nobody really knows. Chalk it up as one of many medical mysteries.

What experts do know is that the biological response behind your allergies is still the same: Your immune system detects an allergen, thinks it’s harmful, and then reacts by releasing histamine. That’s the chemical that causes all of your dreaded allergy symptoms.

But, as far as why your body would suddenly respond this way later in your life? That cause isn’t as clear.

“Most people are exposed to most of the [allergens] over their entire life,” says allergist Kevin McGrath, MD. “So why does it suddenly turn on? If we understood exactly what turned it on, we could probably turn it off. That would be the holy grail of allergy.”

With that said, experts have identified a few potential causes of unexpected allergies in adults.

Climate change

Yep, you read that right. Add allergies to the long list of negative impacts of climate change.

As the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America explains, “Rising temperatures caused by climate change lead to longer allergy seasons and worsen air quality. Long allergy seasons can cause more allergies and asthma attacks.”

Your body might not have previously had a severe immune response to a common allergen, because the peak allergy season passed quickly. But, now that your exposure is more prolonged and persistent, it can trigger more inflammation—and, as a result, adult onset allergies.

Working from home

From wearing your sweatpants to not having to overhear your coworker’s many phone conversations, working from home definitely has its perks. But, the bad news is that it can actually bring on adult allergies.

Why? Well, for starters, we’re willing to bet that your home isn’t cleaned as often or as thoroughly as a typical office. That means you’re likely dealing with increased exposure to common allergy triggers like mold and dust mites.

Things could be even worse if you have a loyal, furry companion by your side. Pet dander can bring on allergy symptoms too. And, now that you’re around Fido more than ever, you could notice increased or potentially even new allergic reactions.

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Moving to a new city

Finally, if you’ve recently relocated, your new digs could be the culprit behind your stuffy nose and watery eyes.

The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology explains that things like pollen, mold, and grasses can differ from place to place. So, moving means you might be exposed to an entirely new set of allergy triggers that you’ve never dealt with before.

How to treat adult onset allergies

You’ve realized that your sniffling and sneezing might not be blamed on a common cold after all—it could be adult allergies. Now what?

We’ll admit that this isn’t a fun surprise to deal with, but rest assured that there are things you can do to be proactive and manage your symptoms.

Your best bet is to take an antihistamine. This will reduce your body’s production of histamine, which can make a big difference in the severity of your allergies. Along with that, there are a number of other treatments you can use to get some relief, including:

Not sure what’s right for you? Take our short quiz and we’ll recommend a personalized Allergy Pack with the right medications for you.

Adult allergies don’t have to be so miserable

Like anything, adulthood has its perks and its drawbacks. But, you probably didn’t expect to add “adult allergies” to the list of negatives of growing up.

As it turns out, developing an allergy as you get older isn’t all that rare. That’s not all bad news, because it means there are tons of medications and treatment options that can help you reduce or even prevent your symptoms.

So, if you think your itching and sneezing is actually related to allergies, now’s the time to take action and get the relief you deserve. After all, one of the many advantages of adulthood is being able to take control over your own health.

Why Do Some People Develop Food Allergies Later in Life? — My Kids Food Allergies

If you are an adult who has been recently diagnosed with a food allergy, then you know the struggles that accompany adult-onset food allergy. Previously, you were probably able to order just about anything from a menu or pick up any items from a grocery store shelf with minimal worry. Now you are faced with new challenges, like using an auto-injector. You also have learned about how to avoid foods that may cause you to go into anaphylaxis and may find yourself explaining to your questioning friends and family why you can longer eat certain foods. Some of your family members may even question you, saying it is not possible to develop food allergies later in life, after your immune system is well developed. They are wrong.

Although the majority of food allergies develop in children, it is possible for you to develop them later in life. The picture is not entirely clear yet as to why this happens, but some research studies are beginning to shed some light onto possible reasons.

More Adults Have Adult-Onset Food Allergy Than You May Think

Although the majority of research focuses on children’s food allergies, a sizeable portion of the adult population has them, too, at about 5 percent (compared with about 8 percent of adolescents). Some children may outgrow their food allergies, but many retain them into adulthood.

Few studies were previously led that focused on adult-onset food allergies, which is why Dr. Ruchi Gupta, food allergy researcher at the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, led a new, large study in 2014. Dr. Gupta said that anything you heard about adult-onset food allergy was anecdotal prior to this study. Researchers wanted to figure out how often this was happening and whether they could find any links.

Dr. Gupta and his colleagues from Northwestern University surveyed 40,447 adults. According to their research, nearly 52 percent of adults in the United States with reported food allergy developed their condition after the age of 18. Surprisingly, all of the Top 8 allergens (milk, egg, wheat, peanut, tree nuts, soy, fish and shellfish) were represented in their results. They found that the most common food allergen among adults was shellfish, affecting 3.9 percent of the U.S. population. Next in line were peanut allergies, which affected 2.4 percent, and tree nut allergies, falling in at 1.9 percent. Soy, milk and egg allergies were also evident, despite the fact that they were previously associated solely with childhood.

But How can Adults Develop Food Allergies Later in Life?

Many adults with newly diagnosed food allergies find that the foods they are now allergic to are foods they previously enjoyed and wonder what caused it, according to Dr. Gupta. What is it that triggers this switch to flip, causing a newfound allergic reaction in adults?

While some suggest their transfer happened as the result of pregnancy, the environment or an illness, conclusive evidence is still being sought out. But researchers have not come up empty handed.

The most common reason for individuals to develop food-related allergies beyond the first few years of life is due to the fact that something they become allergic to is related to something else they are allergic to. This pattern is known as oral allergy syndrome, which can occur in people who have seasonal allergies. For example, some people are allergic tree pollen. Some proteins found in tree pollen are similar to those found in some fruits and vegetables. When your body eats these foods in raw form, it thinks you are ingesting tree pollen.

A similar reaction can occur in people who are allergic to dust mites. Dust mites share similar proteins with shellfish, which can lead to the development of an allergy to shellfish in people who were previously only allergic to dust mites.

Although it is not yet clear what causes the development of a food allergy later in life, answers are slowly being unveiled.

90,000 Can allergies occur if you are already an adult? And get through?

There are several theories as to why allergies are spreading rapidly. The main one is that we began to live in a cleaner world. Therefore, the immune system does not have enough work and it looks for enemies of our body where they actually do not exist. Many allergies develop during childhood and then go away. But can an allergy occur in an adult? And get through? Let’s deal with the answers further.

An allergy occurs when your body decides that a foreign substance, such as pollen or pet dander, is dangerous. And it triggers a response of the immune system, designed to fight this substance.

This fight is usually unjustified. After all, substances that cause an allergic reaction are, by definition, harmless. In this case, the immune system mistakenly recognizes them as threatening it.

How allergy develops

Allergy develops in two phases.

Phase 1. Sensitization

First, the immune system reacts to certain substances by producing antibodies – immunoglobulins E (IgE). The process of their production is called sensitization.

Depending on whether you are allergic to pollen or food , , these antibodies are localized in your respiratory tract, including your nose, throat, trachea, and lungs. Or in the mouth, gastrointestinal tract, and skin.

Phase 2.Allergic response

When you re-experience the influence of a certain allergen, there are more antibodies in the body. They encourage the body to release substances that cause inflammation symptoms, including histamine. Its synthesis leads to dilation of blood vessels, intense mucus production, itching and swelling of the airways.

This allergic reaction is designed to stop the penetration of allergens into the body. And to prevent any irritation or infection that may be caused by them.In fact, the body, mistakenly believing that it is dealing with infectious agents, tries to stop them.

Since the first symptoms appeared and you do not treat your condition, each time you come into contact with an allergen, the described (or other) manifestations of allergy may occur.

For mild inhalation allergies, you may experience puffy eyes, a stuffy nose, and an itchy throat. Severe allergies can include hives, diarrhea, and breathing problems.

Often, if left untreated, the allergic condition worsens.In particular, hay fever – sensitivity to plant pollen – can provoke the development of asthma. And also be accompanied by manifestations of angioedema.

When allergy usually develops

Most people develop their first allergy symptoms at a young age: about 1 in 5 children have some type of allergy or asthma.

Many people outgrow their allergies by the age of 20-30. They simply develop a tolerance for those allergens to which they have reacted before.

This applies in particular to certain food triggers. Such as milk, eggs, wheat and other grains.

However, allergy symptoms can occur at any time in your life. You may even develop allergies to something that you haven’t had before.

It is not known exactly why some allergies appear in adulthood, especially in the 20s and 30s.

How and why can you develop allergies later in life? How can you treat this new allergy and can you expect the new or existing allergy to disappear over time?

Adult allergies: common conditions

Consider three groups of the most common factors that cause allergies in an adult.

Seasonal allergies

Seasonal allergy, or hay fever, is most common in adults. It is caused by pollen – the flying sperm of plants. He gets through the air to the pistils of the flower.

Pollen proteins are the molecules that our immune system aggressively reacts to. Various plants producing potentially allergenic pollen are adapted to wind pollination. Therefore, there is usually a lot of pollen in the air.

And its allergenic plants are thrown out at different times: trees – in spring, cereals – in spring and summer, weeds – in the second half of summer and autumn.

With the air we breathe, pollen can enter the respiratory tract. And allergy-prone people gradually develop sensitivity to pollen grains.

Pet allergy

Do you have a cat or a dog? This means you are constantly exposed to their dandruff or skin flakes. They are separated from the skin of the animal and released into the air.

They can also contain chemicals from urine and saliva, whose proteins can also cause allergies.

Food allergy

Nearly 11% of adults are thought to have some type of food allergy. And almost half of them report their first noticeable symptoms in adulthood. Especially if you are allergic to certain types of fish.

Other common food allergens in adults:

Food allergies develop in many children. However, the symptoms become less severe as they get older.

Why do adults develop allergies?

It is not entirely clear why allergies can develop in adulthood.

Researchers believe that a severe allergic reaction in childhood, even one episode of symptoms, may increase the likelihood of developing allergies in adulthood. For example, when you are repeatedly exposed to this allergen at higher concentrations.

In some cases, this connection is easy to see and may represent what is known as the atopic march: children with food allergies or skin conditions such as eczema may develop seasonal allergy symptoms as they grow older.For example sneezing, itching, and sore throat.

Then the symptoms disappear for a while. They may return at age 20, 30, or even 40 after exposure to an allergen.

Possible factors against which allergy manifests itself in an adult:

  • Influence of allergens during the period of decreased immune function. This happens when you are sick, pregnant, or have another condition that affects the immune system.
  • Slight exposure to allergens in childhood.If you have not been exposed to sufficient levels of allergens from an early age, you will not develop a tolerance for them until maturity.
  • Moving to a new home or workplace with new allergens. These can be plants and fungal spores that you haven’t encountered before.
  • Have a pet for the first time.

Research shows that allergy symptoms can occur after extended absences from pets.

Can allergies go away with time?

The short answer is yes.

Even if you develop allergies in adulthood, you may find that allergies begin to disappear at the age of 50 or more.

This can be explained by the fact that with age, the immune function decreases, and therefore the body’s response to allergens becomes less pronounced.

Some allergies that you had as a child may go away during adolescence and, perhaps, somehow manifest themselves only a few times during your life until they disappear forever.

However, there is no need to delude ourselves.

It is better not to wait out the allergy, but to treat it. Indeed, with a general improvement in the standard of living and medicine in general, doctors are also observing the aging of allergic reactions.

And in Ukraine there have already appeared patients in whom the first manifestations of allergy were registered at the age of 70.

Treatment

Here are some possible ways to prevent symptoms from occurring. And also treat mild seasonal, severe food or contact allergies:

  • Take antihistamines.They can help reduce or control your symptoms.
  • Obtain an Allergy Passport with Multi-Component Molecular Allergy Diagnostics. It will help your doctor understand which allergens are causing the reaction. Once it is clear what you are allergic to, your doctor can help you develop a strategy to avoid exposure to the allergen or to minimize its effects.
  • Carry an epinephrine auto-injector with you if your doctor has diagnosed you are at risk of developing anaphylaxis.Its constant presence is important in a situation where you accidentally experience the influence of an allergic trigger that can cause an anaphylactic reaction. Signs of this are a sharp drop in blood pressure and swelling of the throat / narrowing of the airways. This makes breathing difficult or impossible.
  • Consider taking a course of allergen specific immunotherapy (ASIT). These injections or the use of sublingual drugs gradually build up a tolerance to allergy pathogens.

Another name for this method is allergen immunotherapy (AIT).Only an allergist can pick it up for you.

High quality drugs for AIT are also available in Ukraine. These are allergens of the Spanish company Inmunotek (Inmunotek): injectable drug “Alxoid” (Alxoid) and sublingual spray “Oraltek” (Oraltek).

Tell loved ones or colleagues at work about your allergies. This will help them know how to deal with an allergic reaction with severe or life-threatening symptoms.

When to see a doctor

Some allergy symptoms are mild.They can be treated by reducing exposure to the allergen or with medication.

But some of the symptoms are serious enough or even life threatening. In particular, anaphylaxis, which often accompanies food allergies.

Seek emergency medical attention or ask someone nearby for help if you experience any of the following symptoms:

  • dizziness;
  • Severe swelling of the tongue or throat;
  • rash or hives all over the body;
  • abdominal cramps;
  • vomiting;
  • diarrhea;
  • feeling confused or disoriented;
  • fever;
  • swelling and constriction of the throat;
  • wheezing;
  • low blood pressure;
  • convulsions;
  • loss of consciousness.

So:

Allergies can develop at any time during a lifetime.

Some of the reactions may be mild and may be affected by seasonal fluctuations in the amount of the allergen in the air. Others are serious and even life-threatening.

See your doctor as soon as you start noticing new allergy symptoms. It’s important to know as early as possible which treatment options, medications, or lifestyle changes will help reduce or keep your symptoms under control.

90,000 Allergies: Myths and Reality

Allergy is considered a disease of the 21st century. Some allergic reactions can be found in the writings of doctors of the 1st century BC. Over the millennia, mankind has accumulated a certain amount of information about allergies, and sometimes we think that we already know everything about it. However, some of this knowledge is just myths, stories passed from mouth to mouth and not having any scientific basis.

Myths.

Myth number 1.

“25% of people think they have a food allergy.”

Clinical studies show that only 6% of children and 2% of adults are allergic to certain foods.

Myth number 2.

“Most allergy sufferers react to sweets, tomatoes and strawberries.”

An allergy can be to any product.For most adults, the main allergen is peanuts. In the United States, 100 people die each year from a generalized allergic reaction to peanuts.

Myth number 3.

Food allergy is not dangerous.

In the event of anaphylactic shock or Quincke’s edema, the count goes on for minutes. If you do not provide emergency medical care, as a result of bronchospasm, when air stops flowing into the lungs, the prognosis for the patient may be unfavorable.If you or your child have a food allergy, you must have Dexamethasone in ampoules in the medicine cabinet.

How does food allergy manifest itself?

The leading clinical manifestations of food allergy are:

Skin changes – 50-70% (rash)

Gastrointestinal manifestations – 30-60% (abdominal pain, changes in stool)

Respiratory syndrome – 20-30% (cough, runny nose, shortness of breath).

Isolated forms of food allergy are rare in young children. In most cases, food allergies are multiorgan in nature. This manifests itself in the form of constipation, rash in the perianal region, colic, abdominal pain, which leads to refusal to eat and, as a consequence, to weight loss and anemia.

Initial symptoms occur in the first weeks or even days of a child’s life. Most often, these symptoms are not specific enough and do not have the nature of a certain pathology.These include: skin manifestations (redness, persistent diaper rash, rash). Gastrointestinal symptoms can be expressed by profuse regurgitation, colic, and constipation. At least 10-15% of infant colic cases are associated with food allergies. Refusal to take a product or anxiety about eating may also indicate an allergic reaction.

What is an allergen?

Foods that contain protein are causal allergens.

Major allergens in young children around the world:

Country

1 place

2nd place

3rd place

USA

Egg

Cow’s milk

Peanut

Japan

Egg

Cow’s milk

Wheat

Germany

Egg

Cow’s milk

Wheat

Russia

Egg

Cow’s milk

Wheat

The Big Eight allergens include: cow’s milk, chicken eggs, soy, peanuts, wheat, tree nuts, seafood and fish.It should be remembered that nuts include hazelnuts, walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, pecans. And peanuts belong to another group of plants – legumes. Other common allergens include: chocolate, strawberries, honey, animal and bird meat, and cereals. However, their causal role increases with age.

So, the main allergens in children under 3 years old are chicken eggs and cow’s milk protein.

The development of food allergies in children who are breastfed is due to excessive consumption by the mother during lactation of foods containing cow’s milk and egg protein, as well as foods with a high allergenic potential.Allergens are found in breast milk 1-6 hours after they are consumed, regardless of whether the mother has an allergic disease. Normally, this has a physiological significance for the formation of food tolerance in a child. But in the presence of a genetic predisposition to allergies, this can lead to sensitization, i.e. accumulation of antibodies to this allergen and subsequently leads to the appearance of clinical symptoms of allergy.

So, if one or both parents in a family suffer from allergic diseases, a lactating woman should adhere to a hypoallergenic diet throughout the entire lactation period.

chicken eggs are highly allergenic, and not only protein, but also some proteins contained in the yolk. However, about half of children who are allergic to chicken eggs are able to tolerate small amounts of egg whites in intensively cooked foods (bread, biscuits). And among children over 5 years old who were allergic to chicken eggs, most have a tolerance to boiled eggs. Chicken egg allergy can be accompanied by cross-allergic reactions to the eggs of other birds and to chicken meat.

So, boiled eggs are less likely to cause allergic reactions in preschool children. And young children who are allergic to chicken eggs can eat in small quantities foods containing intensely heat-treated egg white.

Measles and mumps vaccines may contain trace chicken egg allergens because they use chicken embryos in their production. This must be taken into account when vaccinating against these infections.The presence of a generalized allergic reaction to a chicken egg is an absolute contraindication for the use of these vaccines. In other cases, in the absence of a history of generalized allergic reactions to a chicken egg, the child can be vaccinated.

So, when vaccinating a child, it is necessary to consult a doctor-vaccinologist.

A true allergy to cow’s milk protein most often occurs in the first year of life, and in further its prevalence decreases.Milk contains about 36 types of various proteins that can cause sensitization. The main milk allergens practically do not lose their biological activity during boiling, pasteurization, ultra-high temperature processing and drying. Milk of other animals, in particular goats, has pronounced allergenic properties. At the same time, goat milk can cause both cross-over allergic reaction in patients with food allergy to cow’s milk protein, as well as be an independent allergen and cause severe allergic reactions.Far from cheap mixtures based on goat milk, so widely advertised everywhere, are used only in Russia, they are not sold in other countries … ..

What other allergens currently exist?

Often, the cause of the onset or exacerbation of various allergic diseases can be soy or products containing soy protein . Children who receive soy-based formulas are most affected.16 different allergens have been found in soybeans. In addition, soy contains phytoestrogens, which are considered a possible factor in obesity in modern people.

Peanuts (groundnuts) are actively used in the food industry and are classified as “hidden allergens”. After roasting and boiling, the allergenic properties of peanuts increase. Peanut allergy is one of the most common types of food hypersensitivity, characterized by severe reactions, including anaphylactic shock.The presence of allergy to peanuts is an unfavorable harbinger of the development of severe systemic diseases in the future.

Fish and seafood also cause allergic reactions, including in young children. Saltwater fish are more allergenic than river fish. Some patients are allergic to only one type of fish, and they do not react to other varieties. But the composition of the proteins of various fish species have an almost homologous structure, and this explains the presence of cross-allergic reactions to all types of fish in many patients.Characteristically, fish allergy does not decrease with age. Allergenic protein in some fish species during heat treatment can turn into steam, which explains the appearance of inhalation manifestations of allergy in sensitized patients. People who are allergic to seafood should take all the precautions they would take if they are allergic to fish. After all, even a small amount of shellfish can cause a violent allergic reaction, life-threatening, up to anaphylactic shock.

Animal meat. Allergic reactions to animal meat are rare. Most allergenic meat proteins lose their sensitizing ability after cooking and cooking.

What are cross-allergic reactions?

This is the development of an allergic reaction to various other foods, as well as the appearance of identical symptoms to food, pollen and epidermal allergens. This is due to the similarity of the structure (amino acid composition) of these allergens and is essential for patients with food allergies and hay fever, since these patients may develop cross-allergic reactions .For example, wormwood pollen provokes cross-allergic reactions to banana, avocado and melon. Birch pollen – for apples, pears, carrots, cherries, cherries, dill, walnuts, peaches, plums, potatoes, spinach, peanuts, celery, kiwi, cumin, coriander. Sunflower pollen – for sunflower oil, halva, mayonnaise, mustard. Down, feathers – for meat and eggs of birds. Fungal allergens – to kefir, mold cheese, yeast dough products, kvass.

Thus, a hypoallergenic diet should be followed for nursing mothers with a history of allergies and children suffering from various types of allergic diseases.For the prevention of allergies, breastfeeding and the correct introduction of complementary foods to the child are very important.

What is a hypoallergenic diet?

This is diet N 5 GA, from which products with increased sensitizing activity, containing artificial food additives (dyes, emulsifiers, preservatives), as well as dishes with the properties of nonspecific gastrointestinal irritants are excluded. This diet provides for gentle cooking, while the dishes are steamed, boiled or baked.The temperature of the dishes should be 20 degrees C. The calorie content of a hypoallergenic diet corresponds to the physiological need.

Excluded: broths, spicy, salty, fried foods, smoked meats, sausages, liver, fish, caviar, seafood, eggs, spicy and processed cheeses, ice cream, mayonnaise, ketchup, horseradish, pepper, from vegetables – radish, radish, sorrel, spinach, tomatoes, bell peppers, sauerkraut, pickled and pickled cucumbers, as well as melon, watermelon, mushrooms, nuts, orange and red berries and fruits (citrus, strawberries, strawberries, raspberries, sea buckthorn, kiwi, pineapple, apricot, pomegranate, peach, grapes), refractory fats, margarine, carbonated fruit drinks, kvass, coffee, cocoa, jelly, honey, chocolate, caramel, marshmallow, candy, cakes, muffins, fresh baked goods, chewing gum.

Limited to: semolina, pasta, whole milk, sour cream (only served in meals), cottage cheese, yoghurt with fruit additives, butter, high-grade flour bread, chickens, early vegetables (subject to mandatory preliminary soaking), carrots , turnips, beets, onions, garlic, cucumbers, fruit and berry salad – cherries, plums, black currants, banana, lingonberries, cranberries, rose hips.

Recommended: various cereals, except semolina, fermented milk drinks without fruit additives.mild cheeses, lean meat, specialized canned meat for baby food, vegetables – all types of cabbage, zucchini, squash, light pumpkin, parsley, dill, young green peas, fruits – green and white apples, pears, light cherries, plums , white currant, gooseberry. Juices from the listed fruits and berries (natural and canned for baby food) are given diluted by 1/3 of boiled water, tea without flavors. Vegetable oil is allowed – olive, corn, sunflower, fructose, wheat bread of the 2nd grade or “Darnitskiy”, cereal bread, unsweetened corn rice sticks, simple drying.

If there is sensitization to pollen allergens, then the diet is prescribed taking into account the identified food allergy and taking into account cross-sensitization to pollen allergens. The flowering period during flowering of causal allergens is taken into account. A stricter hypoallergenic diet should be followed at this time of year. When a stable remission is achieved (6 to 12 months), the diet should be gradually expanded. Initially, the rotational principle can be applied – conditional allergenic foods are used in the diet once every 4 days.However, products such as chocolate, fish. coffee, cocoa, honey, peanuts, mushrooms, nuts, often lead to a recurrence of symptoms and should be excluded for a long time.

With prolonged exclusion of foods from the diet, a related deficiency of certain nutrients and vitamins occurs.

Thus, a properly composed hypoallergenic diet is an important component in the complex therapy of an allergic disease, it allows to achieve reverse development, reduce the frequency of relapses, prevent the development of severe chronic forms of pathology, and improve the patient’s quality of life.

A set of studies to identify an allergen. Allergen panel “Eggs” (4 allergens)

General information about the study
Allergy tests, which contain the word “panel” in their name, mean a comprehensive screening study that allows you to identify sensitization (increased sensitivity of the body) to a specific group of allergens. The result is given with an indication of the IgE concentration for each allergen separately.

The “Eggs” allergen panel consists of 4 food allergens found in eggs. It is intended for screening tests to identify significant allergens if an egg allergy is suspected.
Egg allergy is one of the most common allergies. It usually appears in young children, from about two months of age, and usually goes away at the age of 4-5 years. In some cases, the allergy persists until a later age (6-7 years).Egg allergy is rare in older children and adults.

The panel includes:
1. Egg white is an obligate allergen. Allergenic properties are especially pronounced when consumed raw. Egg allergens are ovomucoid, ovalbumin, conalbumin and lysozyme. The allergenicity of the protein of boiled eggs is less, but it persists, especially since the ovomucoid is resistant to heat. Egg white antigens do not have species specificity, it is not possible to replace chicken eggs with duck, goose or turkey eggs, since a painful reaction also occurs to their allergens.Often, an allergy to chicken egg protein is combined with an allergy to chicken meat and broth.

2. Egg yolk has less allergenic properties than protein. The main yolk allergen is vitellin, which can be destroyed during heat treatment. Allergenic properties are especially pronounced when consumed raw. For an allergic reaction to occur, it is not necessary to have a large amount of the substance.

3. Ovalbumin (Gald2 allergen) – one of the main (major) chicken protein allergens.Its content in an egg is 5 times that of an ovomucoid. Previously, ovalbumin was considered the most significant allergen in chicken protein until the more allergenic properties of ovomucoid were discovered. Sensitization to ovalbumin and the manifestation of allergy symptoms can occur when eating this protein, inhalation or skin contact. Children with hypersensitivity to chicken protein may develop contact urticaria on chicken eggs, and inhalation of household dust containing ovomucoid can provoke an attack of bronchial obstruction.

4. Ovomucoid (Gald1 allergen) – the main dominant chicken protein allergen with a molecular weight of 28 kDa. Ovomucoid is thermostable and resistant to heat treatment at 100 ° C for an hour, and its structure is very similar to an inhibitor of the pancreatic trypsin enzyme, which prevents its breakdown proteolytic enzymes. Ovomucoid passes into breast milk, may be present in house dust. Sensitization to ovomucoid and the manifestation of allergy symptoms can occur when eating this protein, inhalation or skin contact.

A more detailed description of each of the allergens in this panel is presented on the website in the Food Allergens section.

Indications for the appointment of this study:

  1. In the presence of the following symptoms indicating an allergic nature after eating eggs and products in the preparation of which they were used: redness and itching of the skin, angioedema, rhinoconjunctivitis, laryngeal edema, cough and bronchospasm, nausea, vomiting, pain in the area stomach and diarrhea.
  2. Children – if their parents suffer from allergic diseases.
  3. If it is necessary to assess the risk of developing allergic reactions when introducing eggs, products containing egg white, yolk into the diet.
  4. If it is necessary to diagnose allergic diseases (food allergy, atopic dermatitis, bronchial asthma, allergic rhinitis, respiratory allergy).

Literature:
1. Kishkun A. A. Immunological studies and methods of diagnosis of infectious diseases in clinical practice.- M .: LLC “Medical Information Agency”, 2009.
2. Vorontsov IM, Motalygina OA Diseases associated with food allergy. – L .: Medicine, 1986.
3. Allergology and immunology. National leadership / Ed. R.M. Khaitova, N.I. Ilyina. – M .: GEOTAR-Media, 2009.

Medical Center – Asclepius How to Defeat Allergies?

How to overcome allergies?

Spring-summer is traditionally a difficult time for allergy sufferers, and a period of intense work for allergists.We talked to the head physician of the Asclepius medical center, allergist-immunologist Irina Yurievna Klimenko about how to survive the period of exacerbations and overcome a difficult disease.

– Irina Yuryevna, what is the peculiarity of seasonal allergy, and what are the main symptoms of its manifestation?

– To begin with, any allergy is an overreaction of the human immune system to irritants. And seasonal allergy is an excessive immune response to flowering plants, which largely depends on climatic and geographical conditions, which directly affects the nature and time of dusting of various plants.For different regions, the dusting calendar is different, and in the Primorsky Territory, allergies are more often caused by the pollen of the following plant groups: early flowering trees (oak, birch, alder) – from mid-April to late May; meadow grasses and crops – from early June to late July; weeds (ragweed, wormwood) – from early August to September.

As a rule, once a year , during this season, patients prone to allergies experience severe discomfort, which is manifested by lacrimation, a feeling of sand in the eyes, redness and itching of the eyes, and a slight decrease in vision.The inflammatory process in the upper respiratory tract with allergies is characterized by nasal congestion (inability to provide adequate nasal breathing), profuse mucous discharge from the sinuses (including repeated sneezing attacks), redness and softening of the skin of the vestibule of the nose. In the lower respiratory tract, it can be a dry, spastic, constantly growing cough, a feeling of lack of air, a feeling of “tightness” in the chest. Often, skin itching and various rashes on the body (urticaria, allergic dermatitis, etc.) are added to the symptoms of allergy.). Also, in some people, seasonal allergies can cause headaches, drowsiness, nervousness and irritability, which are aggravated by lack of sleep and a general deterioration in well-being.

The severity of exacerbations in the case of allergies depends on the weather. In windy and / or hot dry weather (especially at noon), the concentration of pollen in the air increases, and the symptoms of hay fever increase. In rainy, damp weather, a small amount of pollen is present in the air, and the manifestations of the disease become less pronounced, and, accordingly, allergy sufferers feel a little better.

– What factors contribute to the occurrence of allergies?

– Allergy itself is an individual disease (excluding direct inheritance), but one of the factors leading to the development of a particular type of allergy is the predisposition of blood relatives to allergens. If both parents are allergic, the risk of developing the disease in a child reaches 40-60%. If only one of the parents suffers from allergic reactions, the probability of their occurrence in the child is 15-20%.At the same time, the tendency to allergies is more often transmitted through the maternal line. In addition, factors of an increased risk of developing the disease in early childhood can be: an unfavorable course of pregnancy in the mother, refusal to breastfeed (including irrational feeding), and frequent infections of the upper respiratory tract. At a later age, allergic reactions can be provoked: unfavorable environmental conditions, smoking (even passive), the presence of chronic diseases, stress.

– What is the threat of an untreated allergy in a timely manner and is it advisable to visit a doctor if the disease is latent?

– It should be noted here that the allergy itself is not completely eliminated, it is only possible to exercise control over the state of the body with the help of certain preventive measures.However, this does not mean that you should not see a doctor! Despite the fact that the description of the symptoms of hay fever in general for someone may sound completely harmless, this disease can have more dangerous health consequences. Conjunctivitis, rhinitis, dermatitis, seasonal bronchial asthma – all these diseases can be the result of neglected allergies. Moreover, seasonal asthma, in the absence of adequate treatment, can become year-round. But the most dangerous consequences of allergies can be life-threatening conditions such as Quincke’s edema or anaphylactic shock.In these cases, the count goes literally for minutes.

– Do patients often tend to mistake an allergy for a common cold?

– The clinical picture of the course of allergies is really very similar to ARVI and ARI, especially at the onset of the disease. And the patients themselves, noticing a runny nose, headache and malaise, falsely mistake allergic manifestations for colds (although allergies are characterized by the absence of fever and other symptoms of intoxication) and, most dangerous, are taken for independent treatment of a non-existent cold.But it should be noted that even minor allergic rhinitis, which “novice” allergy sufferers may mistake for a cold, can be the debut or the first step in the development of an allergic march, which, sooner or later, may end with bronchial asthma. The consequence of the uncontrolled intake of illiterately selected drugs (especially immunomodulatory ones!) Is the erasure of symptoms inherent in hay fever, a complication of the course of the disease and the body’s manifestation of a more aggressive reaction to the existing inflammatory process.

– How to properly prevent seasonal allergies?

– Preventive measures are primary and secondary. First of all, they are aimed at excluding contact with allergens and at preventing the ingress of pollen on the mucous membranes. Primary prevention is essential to prevent the development of allergies. It includes: a balanced diet, getting rid of bad habits (first of all, smoking!), Physical recovery and hardening of the body; exclusion during exacerbations of stay in places of increased concentration of grasses and trees (forests, parks, gardens).Secondary prophylaxis is done to prevent seasonal flare-ups or relieve the underlying symptoms. But, I emphasize that the most important thing, before drawing up a treatment plan for a patient, is a thorough diagnosis of the cause of the allergy.

– What is included in the diagnosis of allergic diseases during examination at the Asclepius Medical Center?

– In this regard, “Asclepius” is the center of concentration of the best opportunities for diagnostics, helping doctors to identify the presence and causes of allergies as accurately and as reliably as possible.Determination of the root cause of seasonal allergy is carried out by interviewing patient by a qualified allergist and comparing the timing of flowering of plants that may have provoked the onset of symptoms. Directly at the time of admission, according to indications, it is possible to conduct an allergy test – skin scarification tests (the result will be clear in 20 minutes) or a blood test in the laboratory for a specific immunoglobulin (the results are ready for 2 working days. – examination of the respiratory system (X-ray, spirography, computed tomography).If necessary, the patient can consult a pulmonologist, an ENT doctor, an ophthalmologist. After the end of the examination, the allergist of the MC “Asclepius” develops individual recommendations for each patient, which include: a regimen for taking topical (local) glucocorticosteroids in the form of nasal or eye drops and sprays and antihistamines of the latest generation and gives recommendations on the regimen, nutrition and lifestyle. This is important to relieve symptoms and maintain the ability to work, be active and have a high quality of life for our patients.

It is worth mentioning about the method of ASIT-therapy, which is widely demanded by our patients (it is usually carried out outside the flowering period of plants), which provides for a decrease in the body’s sensitivity to the allergen. The essence of this method lies in the introduction into the body of the causative allergen in scanty amounts, accustoming the immune system to the action of this allergen. It has been proven that in a few months of such procedures, the patient can completely eliminate the manifestations of allergies. ASIT-therapy affects all links of the pathological process, helps to alleviate allergy symptoms and reduce the need for drug therapy.

In conclusion, I would like to appeal to our dear patients with an appeal to take care of their health and remember that seasonal allergies, with the right attitude towards it and the correct selection of therapy, may not create problems for you! Be healthy!

ASIT – how to get rid of allergies

ASIT (allergen-specific immunotherapy), unlike other methods of treating allergies, does not affect the symptoms of the disease, but changes the body’s response to the allergen.This undoubted advantage of the method completely changes the approach to the treatment of allergies.

With the development of technologies for the purification and preparation of allergic vaccines, the use of allergen-specific immunotherapy has become a real panacea for many “allergy sufferers”.

The effectiveness of ASIT has been proven in the treatment of atopic bronchial asthma, rhinitis, conjunctivitis and even relieves anaphylactic reactions to insect bites (wasps, bees, hornets, bumblebees).

The action of immunotherapy helps to eliminate the external manifestations of allergy, reduce the need for medication, suppress signs of allergic inflammation and progression of allergies.

The course of treatment by the ASIT method lasts 3-5 years and is indicated for children from 5 years old and for adult patients.

The maximum positive effect of ASIT can be achieved if a person has been suffering from allergies for 3-5 years. At a later start of treatment, the effectiveness of ASIT decreases, but this does not mean that ASIT is impossible. Treatment begins during remission of the disease and under the supervision of an allergist-immunologist.

Depending on the type of allergen (household, pollen allergy), the degree of allergy development and some other circumstances, pre-seasonal or year-round therapy can be offered.During treatment, increasing doses of the allergen that is the cause of the allergy are introduced into the patient’s body. An individual treatment regimen is developed for each patient, taking into account the nature of the disease and the characteristics of the body’s immunoreactivity.

The main methods of allergen administration are injection (subcutaneous administration of causally significant allergens) and sublingual (administration of allergens dosed in the form of drops or in tablet form). Non-injectable forms of allergens are convenient because they can be used on their own.But it is better if the patient is under the supervision of a doctor at this time.

Since therapy may be accompanied by local reactions (redness, slight itching, edema at the injection site of the allergen), it is possible to combine treatment with taking drugs that eliminate these symptoms, the effectiveness of ASIT does not depend on this.

With allergen-specific immunotherapy, you can forget about allergy for a long time, and often even forever. The decision on the advisability of ASIT is made by the allergist after an in-person consultation, at which he clarifies the history of the disease, prescribes the necessary examination (if it has not been carried out earlier), and clarifies possible contraindications to ASIT.

If you have a proven and clinically apparent allergy to pollen or house dust mites, then ASIT is your choice.

in which foods contain, norm, lack and excess of vitamin D, symptoms and diseases associated with vitamin D deficiency.

December 18, 2019 April 14, 2021

The value of vitamin D for the body can hardly be overestimated. It is responsible for a number of important biochemical processes:

  • helps the absorption of calcium and phosphorus, “opening” the cells of bone tissue, teeth and nails to receive these minerals;
  • normalizes blood sugar levels;
  • accelerates metabolism;
  • synthesizes monocytes, which purify the blood;
  • stimulates the synthesis of a number of hormones;
  • improves the transmission of impulses between neurons;
  • affects the development of the embryo.

Correct consumption of vitamin D strengthens bones and muscles, improves blood composition, disappears dry hair and skin, reduces the risk of oncology and diabetes mellitus, increases immunity, efficiency, concentration of attention, improves the functioning of the thyroid gland and heart, regulates arterial pressure.

Types of vitamin D

Vitamin D, or calciferol, is a general name for a group of biologically active substances – fat-soluble vitamins D1, D2, D3, D4, D5, D6.Of these, two are beneficial to human health:

  • ergocalciferol (vitamin D2) and
  • cholecalciferol (vitamin D3).

Ergocalciferol enters the body from the outside – along with plant foods (juices, cereals, mushrooms).
But cholecalciferol is synthesized by the body itself under the influence of ultraviolet radiation. This is why it is also called a “natural” vitamin. In addition, it is found in food of animal origin – fatty fish, yolks, butter, etc.According to scientific studies, D3 participates in human life by about 30% more actively, which means that this particular type of calciferol is especially useful.

Vitamin D deficiency

Vitamin D deficiency is a very common problem in Russia. After all, most of our territory is included in the zone of low insolation. In addition, vitamin D is synthesized by the body only if the sun’s rays hit the skin at a certain angle, which is observed from 11 to 14 hours.This time for children may coincide with lunch or sleep, and for adults it is at work. Factors that lower vitamin D levels include constant use of sunscreens in the summer and bad habits such as smoking and excessive alcohol consumption.
Studies carried out in different regions of Russia have shown that the lack of vitamin D among Russian children under the age of three is approximately 24%, and its deficiency is 42%.And hypovitaminosis is especially acute in the winter period of the year – from late November to early March. Thus, more than 2/3 of children need additional intake of vitamin D.

Symptoms in adults

Vitamin D deficiency can be detected with the help of clinical and laboratory tests. And the signal that it’s time to go to the doctor should be the following symptoms:

  • chronic fatigue,
  • irritability, nervousness,
  • problems with stools,
  • sleep disorder,
  • caries,
  • decreased vision,
  • loss bone mass and fragility of bones,
  • aching pains in bones and joints,
  • increased sweating of the occipital region,
  • cramps, pulling pains in muscles,
  • dryness, skin peeling,
  • alopecia,
  • anorexia, anorexia, appetite loss,
  • overweight,
  • frequent respiratory tract infections.

As we can see, the symptoms from this list are not specific. And on their basis it can be difficult to make an accurate diagnosis. Therefore, those who suspect that they have calciferol vitamin deficiency should be tested for 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25 (OH) D). If your indicator is in the range of 30-100 ng / ml, there is no need to worry. A value of less than 20-30 ng / ml indicates a vitamin D deficiency, and less than 10 ng / ml is diagnosed as a deficiency, and in this case, immediate action should be taken.Read more about the importance of vitamin D for women.

Symptoms in children

Calciferol is involved in the development of the embryo and the formation of innate immunity, therefore, children should receive this vitamin before their birth, during the prenatal period. In childhood, when a child’s skeleton, teeth and muscle structure are actively forming, adequate vitamin D levels are very important.
Symptoms of this vitamin deficiency in children include:

  • increased tearfulness, irritability and sleep disturbances;
  • growth retardation;
  • slowing down the closing of the fontanelle;
  • weight loss;
  • profuse perspiration, especially during sleep;
  • rickets, changes in the skeletal system (curved legs, increased head size, flat nape, too convex forehead).

Read more about vitamin D for children.

Risk groups

  1. Patients with liver, kidney and intestinal diseases . Vitamin D is activated in the liver and kidneys, therefore, in people with diseases of these organs, the process is disrupted.
  2. Those with dark skin . A large amount of melanin in dark or tanned skin protects it from UV rays, which reduces the amount of cholecalciferol synthesized.
  3. Pregnant and lactating women. The developing skeleton of the embryo requires a large amount of calcium and calciferol – it gets them from the mother’s body. During lactation, calcium is also washed out from the body, therefore, nursing mothers, as a rule, do not have enough vitamin D and are advised to take vitamin complexes.
  4. People over the age of 60. The intestinal absorption of fat decreases with age, which affects the absorption of fat-soluble vitamin D.
  5. Overweight . Being a fat-soluble vitamin, calciferol dissolves in adipose tissue, without having time to participate in a number of biochemical processes. Thus, the need for vitamin D in obese people is higher.
  6. Inhabitants of the northern regions are practically deprived of the sun, therefore they can replenish the supply of vitamin D only through food, dietary supplements and medicines.
  7. Vegetarians . This is easily explained by the lack of animal food containing vitamin D in their diet.

An excess of vitamin D

Calciferol hypervitaminosis is a rarer phenomenon in our latitudes. The reason for the oversaturation of calciferol is often an excessive enthusiasm for vitamins. In this case, hypervitaminosis occurs, that is, a condition when the hydroxyvitamin D index exceeds 100 ng / ml.
Calcium salts begin to be deposited in muscles, internal organs, skin, which negatively affects their condition and work. Hypervitaminosis provokes visual impairment, renal failure and the appearance of stones.
The preoccupation of some young mothers with vitamins can lead to an excess of calciferol in the child’s body. Therefore, the treatment and choice of medications for the child should be carried out as prescribed by the pediatrician. It takes into account the appearance of the newborn, as well as the type of feeding he is on. For example, if you feed a baby with milk formulas, then vitamin D is already included in their composition in the required amount, which means that you do not need to use drugs to prevent its deficiency.While breast milk, especially in winter, may contain insufficient amounts of this vitamin.

Among the signs of excess calciferol in children and adults:

  • insomnia;
  • frequent urination, diarrhea and vomiting;
  • skin rashes;
  • Muscle cramps;
  • irritability.

In addition, in children, excess vitamin D increases the symptoms of other diseases. Skin rashes or loose stools are sometimes mistaken for vitamin D allergy.In fact, this is just an overdose that disrupts the liver and causes reactions similar to allergic ones.

How to increase the level of vitamin D in the body

You can increase the level of calciferol in the body by sunbathing or UV lamps, as well as using food rich in vitamin D, or dietary supplements NUTRILITE ™ Vitamin D.

Learn more about dietary supplement NUTRILITE ™ Vitamin D

UV

The easiest and most natural way to increase your vitamin D levels is to spend more time in the sun.The ultraviolet spectrum of sunlight consists of three fractions of rays: UV-A, UV-B and UV-C. For the synthesis of cholecalciferol, rays of the B-fraction are needed, which do not pass through the glass window. Therefore, it is recommended to catch them only in the fresh air. It should also be remembered that clouds and city smog are capable of trapping up to 50% of ultraviolet radiation.
The minimum duration of sunbathing should be 20-30 minutes per day from 11 to 14 hours. Unfortunately, it is during these hours in the summer that there is a high probability of getting a sunburn.And the use of sunscreens with an SPF factor of more than 8 units block the production of vitamin D. Therefore, the danger and benefits of such a sunburn must be weighed.
If you are not able to stay in the sun, you can use the solarium. The beams of UV lamps are not equivalent to those of the sun, but partially compensate for the deficiency of natural ultraviolet radiation. However, inappropriate use of tanning beds can cause premature skin aging, pigmentation and even the appearance of melanoma.

What foods contain vitamin D?

List of foods high in vitamin D:

  • Fish oil
  • Cod liver
  • Pink salmon and other fatty fish
  • Black caviar
  • Egg yolk
  • Goat milk
  • Butter

  • Creamy cheese

    The table shows the amount of cholecalciferol contained in 100 grams of food.

    1.329 Goat milk 9029

    Product (100 g) Vitamin D content (in μg)
    Fish oil 250-350
    Cod liver 100-200 9029a , salmon, mackerel, chum salmon, herring, trout, eel, halibut 10-30
    Black caviar 8
    Egg yolk 7.7
    Butter 1.5
    Hard cheeses 1

    Supplements

    Unfortunately, our lifestyle does not always allow us to track the amount of nutrients in our diet …In this case, you can take a variety of vitamin complexes from Amway, which will help maintain a normal daily calciferol balance.
    NUTRILITE Omega-3 with Vitamin D is a baby jelly lozenge that is easy to swallow, dissolves quickly, absorbs well and does not leave an unpleasant aftertaste. One lozenge covers up to 80% of the daily dose of vitamin D.
    NUTRILITE Children’s Chewable Lozenges contain calcium, magnesium and vitamin D, which are necessary for the intensive growth of the child.One lozenge contains approximately 30% of the daily value of calciferol.
    Calcium, magnesium, vitamin D complex NUTRILITE – biologically active food supplement for adults. Regular use of this drug keeps bones strong and reduces the risk of fractures. The drug is suitable for aged people, as well as those who play sports and want to maintain flexibility and mobility. Each tablet carries the daily value of calciferol.
    It is convenient to purchase drugs at the lowest cost through the Amway website.It is enough to choose the products you need and arrange delivery to Moscow or to another city in Russia.

    Daily Value

    The required daily intake of cholecalciferol for a healthy adult is 15 μg, or 600 IU, which is equivalent to about 100 grams of salmon.
    For children under three years of age, doctors prescribe up to 400 IU of vitamin per day to prevent rickets. For children over three years of age, the daily intake of calciferod is 600 IU.

    The ratio of patients to the recommended daily intake of vitamin D3 (in IU) is shown in this table.

    600 The constant lack of vitamin D in the diet is fraught with a number of unpleasant consequences, including:

    • bronchial asthma,
    • rheumatoid arthritis,
    • oncology,
    • hypertension,
    • migraines,
    • diabetes mellitus,
    • atherosclerosis,
    • diseases of the cardiovascular system,
    • immunodeficiency,
    • allergies,
    • periodontal disease,
    • risk of premature birth.

    More than a hundred years have passed since the discovery of vitamin D. But every year scientists learn about its new functions. Its role in life processes is very great. Therefore, it is so important to monitor the level of this substance in the body.


    Also ask:

    Rail Gumerovich Kuzeev (1929-2005) – Soviet and Russian historian and ethnographer who studied the life, culture, ethnic history and ethnogenesis of the peoples of the Middle Volga region and the Urals.Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Academician of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Bashkortostan. Honorary Citizen of Ufa.

    His student – Doctor of Historical Sciences Elena Sergeevna Danilko – Head of the Center for Visual Anthropology of the Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology named after V.I. N.N. Miklouho-Maclay of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

    – Rail Gumerovich impressed with his versatility. He was an erudite in various fields and comprehensively educated person with a wonderful sense of humor and the ability to inspire those around him.He knew how to find interesting in everything, even where “ordinary scientists” considered everything studied and proven. During his defense in our dissertation council, no matter what topic the dissertation was on, in archeology or ethnography, he always had questions, and they were always on the merits. Rail Gumerovich defined research directions for his students, followers, colleagues. But at the same time, he interfered little in the research itself, giving freedom in the choice of approaches to us, young scientists. After college, I envisioned something more routine.It seemed that it would continue like this at the university: I took a topic from the head, conducted research, reported and sewed it into my daddy. But not at the Kuzeev Institute! He determined the direction, advised and gave recommendations on how and what to look for, what to pay attention to, but he himself did not interfere in the creative work of the scientist and researcher. He opened horizons, made it possible for those who were next to him to grow. I believe that everyone who had the honor to work with him was incredibly lucky.

    It was impossible for Rail Gumerovich not to grow scientifically, he always raised the bar for us a little, and we tried to reach it.And he provided us with such opportunities. The permanent scientific seminar on the basis of his institute is a confirmation of this. There was no such star of Russian historical science who would not have been in Ufa at the invitation of Kuzeev and would not have read a lecture to us – young scientists. And not only historians, ethnologists and other humanitarians were the guests of our seminars. Rail Gumerovich considered the interdisciplinary approach in science to be important, he wanted us not to be some narrow specialists on our topic, but to look at the world more broadly.I remember that, for example, Sigurd Ottovich Schmidt came to visit us, whose interests were not related to our region. And it was interesting for us, young graduate students, to joke about the fact that “the son of Lieutenant Schmitt” came to us. His extensive contacts in the scientific field made it possible to create a powerful base for the work of a whole cohort of researchers. And already their students also continued these traditions, which can well be defined as a scientific school. I must say that being an authority in the scientific community, he did not seek to please everyone.Along with scientific opponents (which is very natural and even necessary) there were those who disliked him humanly – probably this is an indispensable attribute of any outstanding personality. Confident in his positions, he defended himself and stood up for us – his disciples and followers. Always open to discussion, he taught us to critically examine any position. The topic of my work concerned the Old Believers in the South Urals. And at every stage of the work, I felt his support. I remember the difficulty with which it was then given business trips, participation in scientific sessions.Nevertheless, he found an opportunity to send us to all-Russian and international scientific conferences, opened up the opportunity to communicate with a wide range of scientists in related disciplines.

    No matter how rich the information field, no matter how filled our library with books or our computer with different files – nothing can replace personal communication. This imperceptible spark that passes between people in a personal meeting gives the very impetus that prompts us to plunge (again!) Into the sea of ​​information, to seek and find new facets of what, it would seem, has long been studied.For example, at a recent Scientific session in Ufa (dedicated to the memory of RG Kuzeev), I presented the results of a study of the Shezhere-Bairam holiday. My native Bashkortostan showed a very interesting experience. The institute of shezhere, which had not previously been a festive practice proper (shezhere were more practical and pragmatic lists of Bashkir genealogies), suddenly found a new sphere of implementation – it became a structure-forming one in the formation of a group general Bashkortostan identity. The example of Shezhere Bayram shows how much we are all connected with our small homeland, and this connecting thread covers all ethnic communities in our region.Old Believers and the new church, Islam and in some places elements of pre-Islamic culture – all this is intertwined with a wonderful pattern and creates a unique pattern of our emerging country as a whole. But it is precisely the meetings of scientists, round tables and scientific sessions that make it possible to determine the research agenda: where are we going and what are we looking for? Moreover, the discussion should be done without the participation of officials and politicians – they will, of course, but they should not set the tone for the discussion – a researcher with a researcher, a scientist with a scientist should contact.I very much hope that the traditions of scientific communication, which in his time were warmly supported by Rail Gumerovich, will be continued and developed. In Ufa, I saw many promising young scientists.

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    Patient D3 (ME)
    Child under 6 months 400
    Child 6-12 months 400
    Children 4-8 years old 600
    Adolescents and adults 600
    Pregnant and lactating 800
    Elderly 9011