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FOOD ALLERGY There is a growing recognition among researchers that food allergy is a
major health problem. An American study has estimated that 60% of the
U.S. population is suffering from food reactions, that can cause or
complicate a health problem.
Symptoms can be extraordinarily diverse og contribute to a broad range
of illness. In patients with any degree of increased intestinal
permeability (leaky gut), where the surface cells of the intestinal
tract have lost their integrity as a barrier against toxic material,
food allergy and the conditions that accompany it – eczema, migraine,
asthma, colitis ulcerosa, Crohns sickness - is an absolute possibility.
There are two major types of food reactions which involve two different
types of antibody production in the blood:
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1. |
Immediate food reactions (Type 1 allergy with IgE antibodies)
Immediate food allergy occurs quickly within 3 hours after one has
eaten. It is usually caused by high IgE antibody blood levels that
produce an immediate allergic response. It is an obvious,
histamine-triggered reaction familiar to many people in the form of
sneezing fits, hives, headache, asthma and skin rash. The IgE test
is performed with Fluorescent Enzyme Immuno Assay (F.E.I.A.).
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2. |
Delayed
food reactions (Type II /-III allergy with IgG1 / IgG4 antibodies)
Delayed food allergy is much more difficult to notice since it
arises hours or days after intake of the offending food. In certain
cases one can eat the food for several days, then develop a reaction
to it, so there is no suspicion concerning intake of the food and
the symptom. For this reason, delayed food reactions are often
referred to as “hidden food allergies”. They are caused by high IgG1
and IgG4 antibody blood levels to specific foods.
The delayed allergic response can cause inflammatory reactions at
different sites in the body. Frequently reported symptoms are eczema,
asthma, rapid heartbeats, muscle-joint pains, migraine, ordinary
headache, diarrhea, constipation, bloating, chronic fatigue, water
retention (edema), sinus problems, mood swings and depression. The
IgG1 / IgG4 test is performed with Enzyme Linked Immuno Sorbent
Assay (E.L.I.S.A.). |
Treatment Program With the 1. consultation we focus on the course of the illness and
actual symptoms. The blood sample is taken and hereafter shipped to a
laboratory in the U.S., from whence a written report is obtained.
With the 2. consultation the test result is reviewed and the treatment
discussed. |
