Guest guest Posted April 25, 2006 Report Share Posted April 25, 2006 Yes and the stupid thing is that probably a lot of allergies are triggered by sulphites in foods and wait for it... The Epipen has sulphite in it...exactly what you do NOT need. The allergy epidemic >I can really see increased vaccination sorting the problem out.... > > http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/main.jhtml;jsessionid=VV2JEPW3IJHHXQFIQMFS > FGGAVCBQ0IV0?xml=/health/2006/04/24/hallergies24.xml & sSheet=/health/2006/04/ > 25/ixhmain.html > > The allergy epidemic > (Filed: 24/04/2006) > > > While increasing numbers of Britons are suffering from allergies, more > believe - falsely - that they are. Barbara Lantin investigates > > Britain is in the grip of an allergy epidemic. Figures released by the > Department of Health this month show that prescriptions for emergency > adrenaline injectors, used to combat the extreme allergic reaction known > as > anaphylaxis, have risen sixfold in the past decade. > > During roughly the same period, hospital admissions for anaphylaxis rose > sevenfold, and peanut allergies quadrupled to affect around one child in > 50. > Meanwhile, in the past 20 years, asthma, hayfever and eczema have > increased > two- to threefold. > > However, while levels of allergy have soared, so have the numbers of > people > who believe, falsely, that they are allergic to certain foods and > misguidedly exclude them from their diets. " About 20 per cent of the > population believe themselves to have a food allergy and only about five > per > cent actually do, " says Warner, professor of child health at the > University of Southampton. > > Distinguishing an allergy from other problems, such as an intolerance to > certain foods, is exacerbated by the chronic shortage of specialist > services > in the NHS. Britain, which according to a Royal College of Physicians > report, " has the highest prevalence of allergy in Europe and ranks among > the > highest in the world " , has only one consultant for every two million > people - and none at all in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland. Yet, > ironically, we are world leaders in allergy research. > > The Department of Health is currently reviewing allergy services and its > deliberations should be published this year. > > Allergy is an excessive immune reaction to substances that are normally > tolerated, such as shellfish, grass pollen, cat dander (skin flakes) and > house-dust mites. The immune system interprets these allergens as damaging > and exposure triggers the body to produce immunoglobulin E (IgE) > antibodies, > to attack the invading material. This leads to the release of other > chemicals, including histamine, which produce symptoms ranging from a > runny > nose, wheezing and hives, to the drop in blood pressure, swelling in the > throat and shortness of breath that characterise anaphylactic shock. > > Furthermore, allergy causes half of all cases of severe, uncontrolled > asthma, which can sometimes be life-threatening. > > Many theories have been put forward for the explosion in allergic > reactions. > While heredity plays a part in allergy, so too do environmental triggers. > > " Young people are coming into contact with substances to which they were > not > exposed 20 years ago, such as kiwi and avocado, and the early introduction > of peanut oil into the diet of children has probably not helped, " says > Prof > Holgate. " But there is also a change in the susceptibility of the > population. We used to be more resistant to developing allergic > responses. " > > It has been suggested that picking up bacterial and viral infections in > early life may confer protection from an immune response and that less > exposure to bugs produces more allergy: the " hygiene hypothesis " . Research > shows that children who grow up on farms are less likely to develop > hayfever > and other allergies than other country dwellers or those who live in > cities. > > However, current thinking is that it is not infection that protects > against > allergy, but all kinds of harmless microbes in our environment that have > been obliterated along with the germs. The answer, Prof Holgate believes, > is > not to compromise on hygiene, but to find ways to replace the missing > component - if necessary, through vaccination and other forms of > immunotherapy. > > " As we understand more and more about the immune response associated with > allergic disease, we are developing strategies that can be introduced at > an > early stage [in life] to modify outcomes, " says Prof Warner. > > Last year, omalizumab (Xolair), the first antibody therapy to block the > action of IgE, was launched for severe asthma in adults, and the hope is > that, if it proves to be safe, it could be given to children, too: " In > time, > this may well have a role in the treatment of some allergies and could be > given before the disease has taken hold. " > > Parents whose children show signs of allergy should seek early treatment > to > prevent the " allergic march " , which can lead to more complex problems - in > which an individual has more than one allergy - in later life. They can > also > reduce the chances of allergy developing by breastfeeding where possible, > not smoking and practising normal - but not obsessive - hygiene. > > Curiously, high and low levels of exposure to all allergens seem to reduce > the risk of allergy, while moderate levels increase it. " So cutting down > on > certain foods may do more harm than good. " > > The huge growth in the sale of " free-from " foods - by 300 per cent in five > years, according to a recent report from the market analysts Mintel - > suggests that many people are giving up gluten, wheat and dairy, often > misguidedly. > > According to Isabel Skypala, a specialist allergy dietician at the Royal > Brompton Hospital in London, many people who claim to have a food allergy > in > fact have an intolerance, which is not an immune response but can produce > similar symptoms, an inability to absorb nutrients such as wheat or > lactose, > or a stress response that affects digestion. > > " When people feel tired or bloated, they label the problem as a food > allergy, " says Skypala. " They cut out a particular food and feel better > for > a while, then feel worse again and cut out something else. They may be > putting themselves at risk of anaemia or osteoporosis by being on a > poor-quality diet. If people have a problem, they need to be assessed by > somebody who knows what they are doing. They should not attempt to > diagnose > and treat themselves. " > > barbara.lantin@... > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 25, 2006 Report Share Posted April 25, 2006 Talking about epi pens ( I had no idea by the way that they contain sulphites...) - it turns out that now 1 in 50 children in the UK have a serious allergy to nuts where they need an epi pen. They never mention these statitistics when they go on and on about the dying out of serious, life threatening diseases like measles etc. due to vaccination. There must be an awful lot more children dying from anaphylactic shocks, asthma attacks, leukemia etc. every year, every day, than from measles or other childhood diseases. It drives me up the wall, it makes me so angry when they never mention all the deaths in chidleren especially, due to these causes, all caused by vaccination, antibiotics, fever reducers, toxins. Ingrid JULIE GRIFFITHS <moppett1@...> wrote: Yes and the stupid thing is that probably a lot of allergies are triggered by sulphites in foods and wait for it... The Epipen has sulphite in it...exactly what you do NOT need. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 25, 2006 Report Share Posted April 25, 2006 At least they mention breastfeeding in relation to cutting the risk of allergies but the emphasis is of course on vaccination, what else?.... They should really emphasise breastfeeding a lot more, I am sure the rate of allergies in children would go down significantly but only if they stop vaccinating as well. I have now read quite a few studies that have found no or very few allergies and asthma amongst children from anthroposophical life styles, where they get no vaccines and are breastfed exclusively for a long time, and practice extended breastfeeding and don't use antibiotics and fever suppesers. These children are so lucky. And of course the result is a lot less or no allergies, eczema and asthma. Ingrid Sue <mum2mishka@...> wrote: I can really see increased vaccination sorting the problem out.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 25, 2006 Report Share Posted April 25, 2006 Last year, omalizumab (Xolair), the first antibody therapy to block the > action of IgE, was launched for severe asthma in adults, and the hope is > that, if it proves to be safe, it could be given to children, too: " In > time, > this may well have a role in the treatment of some allergies and could be > given before the disease has taken hold. " Talk about suppression. How in the world can blocking anything in the body encourage healing? Gos only knows what the effects THAT therapy holds for it's victims. And children?... let's not leave them out of this experiment. <groan> Foods are not the cause of allergies either. A mal-functioning immune system is to blame for this autoimmune disorder. Eliminating foods will only appease the disturbance and do nothing to heal it. This is where homeopathy is one of the few answers to the problem. Anita JULIE GRIFFITHS <moppett1@...> wrote: Yes and the stupid thing is that probably a lot of allergies are triggered by sulphites in foods and wait for it... The Epipen has sulphite in it...exactly what you do NOT need. The allergy epidemic >I can really see increased vaccination sorting the problem out.... > > http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/main.jhtml;jsessionid=VV2JEPW3IJHHXQFIQMFS > FGGAVCBQ0IV0?xml=/health/2006/04/24/hallergies24.xml & sSheet=/health/2006/04/ > 25/ixhmain.html > > The allergy epidemic > (Filed: 24/04/2006) > > > While increasing numbers of Britons are suffering from allergies, more > believe - falsely - that they are. Barbara Lantin investigates > > Britain is in the grip of an allergy epidemic. Figures released by the > Department of Health this month show that prescriptions for emergency > adrenaline injectors, used to combat the extreme allergic reaction known > as > anaphylaxis, have risen sixfold in the past decade. > > During roughly the same period, hospital admissions for anaphylaxis rose > sevenfold, and peanut allergies quadrupled to affect around one child in > 50. > Meanwhile, in the past 20 years, asthma, hayfever and eczema have > increased > two- to threefold. > > However, while levels of allergy have soared, so have the numbers of > people > who believe, falsely, that they are allergic to certain foods and > misguidedly exclude them from their diets. " About 20 per cent of the > population believe themselves to have a food allergy and only about five > per > cent actually do, " says Warner, professor of child health at the > University of Southampton. > > Distinguishing an allergy from other problems, such as an intolerance to > certain foods, is exacerbated by the chronic shortage of specialist > services > in the NHS. Britain, which according to a Royal College of Physicians > report, " has the highest prevalence of allergy in Europe and ranks among > the > highest in the world " , has only one consultant for every two million > people - and none at all in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland. Yet, > ironically, we are world leaders in allergy research. > > The Department of Health is currently reviewing allergy services and its > deliberations should be published this year. > > Allergy is an excessive immune reaction to substances that are normally > tolerated, such as shellfish, grass pollen, cat dander (skin flakes) and > house-dust mites. The immune system interprets these allergens as damaging > and exposure triggers the body to produce immunoglobulin E (IgE) > antibodies, > to attack the invading material. This leads to the release of other > chemicals, including histamine, which produce symptoms ranging from a > runny > nose, wheezing and hives, to the drop in blood pressure, swelling in the > throat and shortness of breath that characterise anaphylactic shock. > > Furthermore, allergy causes half of all cases of severe, uncontrolled > asthma, which can sometimes be life-threatening. > > Many theories have been put forward for the explosion in allergic > reactions. > While heredity plays a part in allergy, so too do environmental triggers. > > " Young people are coming into contact with substances to which they were > not > exposed 20 years ago, such as kiwi and avocado, and the early introduction > of peanut oil into the diet of children has probably not helped, " says > Prof > Holgate. " But there is also a change in the susceptibility of the > population. We used to be more resistant to developing allergic > responses. " > > It has been suggested that picking up bacterial and viral infections in > early life may confer protection from an immune response and that less > exposure to bugs produces more allergy: the " hygiene hypothesis " . Research > shows that children who grow up on farms are less likely to develop > hayfever > and other allergies than other country dwellers or those who live in > cities. > > However, current thinking is that it is not infection that protects > against > allergy, but all kinds of harmless microbes in our environment that have > been obliterated along with the germs. The answer, Prof Holgate believes, > is > not to compromise on hygiene, but to find ways to replace the missing > component - if necessary, through vaccination and other forms of > immunotherapy. > > " As we understand more and more about the immune response associated with > allergic disease, we are developing strategies that can be introduced at > an > early stage [in life] to modify outcomes, " says Prof Warner. > > Last year, omalizumab (Xolair), the first antibody therapy to block the > action of IgE, was launched for severe asthma in adults, and the hope is > that, if it proves to be safe, it could be given to children, too: " In > time, > this may well have a role in the treatment of some allergies and could be > given before the disease has taken hold. " > > Parents whose children show signs of allergy should seek early treatment > to > prevent the " allergic march " , which can lead to more complex problems - in > which an individual has more than one allergy - in later life. They can > also > reduce the chances of allergy developing by breastfeeding where possible, > not smoking and practising normal - but not obsessive - hygiene. > > Curiously, high and low levels of exposure to all allergens seem to reduce > the risk of allergy, while moderate levels increase it. " So cutting down > on > certain foods may do more harm than good. " > > The huge growth in the sale of " free-from " foods - by 300 per cent in five > years, according to a recent report from the market analysts Mintel - > suggests that many people are giving up gluten, wheat and dairy, often > misguidedly. > > According to Isabel Skypala, a specialist allergy dietician at the Royal > Brompton Hospital in London, many people who claim to have a food allergy > in > fact have an intolerance, which is not an immune response but can produce > similar symptoms, an inability to absorb nutrients such as wheat or > lactose, > or a stress response that affects digestion. > > " When people feel tired or bloated, they label the problem as a food > allergy, " says Skypala. " They cut out a particular food and feel better > for > a while, then feel worse again and cut out something else. They may be > putting themselves at risk of anaemia or osteoporosis by being on a > poor-quality diet. If people have a problem, they need to be assessed by > somebody who knows what they are doing. They should not attempt to > diagnose > and treat themselves. " > > barbara.lantin@... > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 25, 2006 Report Share Posted April 25, 2006 Anita, I couldn't agree more with you. Homeopathy really works deep down to treat the the root of the problem. Thank you for reminding me of this. About the asthma question, would it not be much cheaper and easier to just inform parents about the wonders breastmilk does and stop the vaccinations? But then, who would make money from healthy children? Profit before health seems the order of the day!!! Ingrid Anita Durney <mydurney@...> wrote: Last year, omalizumab (Xolair), the first antibody therapy to block the > action of IgE, was launched for severe asthma in adults, and the hope is > that, if it proves to be safe, it could be given to children, too: " In > time, > this may well have a role in the treatment of some allergies and could be > given before the disease has taken hold. " Talk about suppression. How in the world can blocking anything in the body encourage healing? Gos only knows what the effects THAT therapy holds for it's victims. And children?... let's not leave them out of this experiment. <groan> Foods are not the cause of allergies either. A mal-functioning immune system is to blame for this autoimmune disorder. Eliminating foods will only appease the disturbance and do nothing to heal it. This is where homeopathy is one of the few answers to the problem. Anita Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 25, 2006 Report Share Posted April 25, 2006 Ingrid, I was just thinking about this today as we now have 3 kids in my daughter's playgroup (out of 8) that have lifethreatening peanut allergies. Pretty shocking. Would you possibly be able to post some links to those studies? I would love to read them. I'd also love to see a study comparing allergy rates amongst a) breastfed, no vax breastfed, vax c) bottle fed, no vax & d) bottle fed, vax. Carren > > At least they mention breastfeeding in relation to cutting the risk of allergies but the emphasis is of course on vaccination, what else?.... > They should really emphasise breastfeeding a lot more, I am sure the rate of allergies in children would go down significantly but only if they stop vaccinating as well. > I have now read quite a few studies that have found no or very few allergies and asthma amongst children from anthroposophical life styles, where they get no vaccines and are breastfed exclusively for a long time, and practice extended breastfeeding and don't use antibiotics and fever suppesers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 25, 2006 Report Share Posted April 25, 2006 I have to speak up here as someone who has life threatening allergies and has had allergies since infancy. I'm not kidding - these are the genuine article. Whatever the cause, (a bottle of formula without Mum's consent as a newborn/vax/mercury poisoning as my Mum was a dental nurse/genetics/all of the above/who knows?) I think you are being a bit oversimplistic. If I didn't eliminate some foods I would be dead. If I didn't suppress symptoms I would be dead. I agree that the way to healing is to address the cause, not the symptom, but if only finding the cause was that easy. I have tried a lot of alternative as well mainstream ideas in an attempt to get well. One of these was homeopathy with a classical homeopathy person. I persevered for quite a long time before having to admit I was getting nowhere. Without mainstream medicine I would be in a sorry state indeed. Allergies are not necessarily a quick fix simple thing. I wish they were. While I am careful about new medical ideas to prevent allergies and prefer a wholefood/supplements/build the body up approach, I have to applaud the mainstream doctors for their efforts. I may not agree with them, but good on them for doing something. As for the epipen - well, it would be better without sulphites - I completely agree. But when you live with a lifethreatening allergy it really is the lesser of the two evils. Just wanted to let you know what it looks like from this side of the allergy fence. Nicola The allergy epidemic >I can really see increased vaccination sorting the problem out.... > > http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/main.jhtml;jsessionid=VV2JEPW3IJHHXQFIQMFS > FGGAVCBQ0IV0?xml=/health/2006/04/24/hallergies24.xml & sSheet=/health/2006/04/ > 25/ixhmain.html > > The allergy epidemic > (Filed: 24/04/2006) > > > While increasing numbers of Britons are suffering from allergies, more > believe - falsely - that they are. Barbara Lantin investigates > > Britain is in the grip of an allergy epidemic. Figures released by the > Department of Health this month show that prescriptions for emergency > adrenaline injectors, used to combat the extreme allergic reaction known > as > anaphylaxis, have risen sixfold in the past decade. > > During roughly the same period, hospital admissions for anaphylaxis rose > sevenfold, and peanut allergies quadrupled to affect around one child in > 50. > Meanwhile, in the past 20 years, asthma, hayfever and eczema have > increased > two- to threefold. > > However, while levels of allergy have soared, so have the numbers of > people > who believe, falsely, that they are allergic to certain foods and > misguidedly exclude them from their diets. " About 20 per cent of the > population believe themselves to have a food allergy and only about five > per > cent actually do, " says Warner, professor of child health at the > University of Southampton. > > Distinguishing an allergy from other problems, such as an intolerance to > certain foods, is exacerbated by the chronic shortage of specialist > services > in the NHS. Britain, which according to a Royal College of Physicians > report, " has the highest prevalence of allergy in Europe and ranks among > the > highest in the world " , has only one consultant for every two million > people - and none at all in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland. Yet, > ironically, we are world leaders in allergy research. > > The Department of Health is currently reviewing allergy services and its > deliberations should be published this year. > > Allergy is an excessive immune reaction to substances that are normally > tolerated, such as shellfish, grass pollen, cat dander (skin flakes) and > house-dust mites. The immune system interprets these allergens as damaging > and exposure triggers the body to produce immunoglobulin E (IgE) > antibodies, > to attack the invading material. This leads to the release of other > chemicals, including histamine, which produce symptoms ranging from a > runny > nose, wheezing and hives, to the drop in blood pressure, swelling in the > throat and shortness of breath that characterise anaphylactic shock. > > Furthermore, allergy causes half of all cases of severe, uncontrolled > asthma, which can sometimes be life-threatening. > > Many theories have been put forward for the explosion in allergic > reactions. > While heredity plays a part in allergy, so too do environmental triggers. > > " Young people are coming into contact with substances to which they were > not > exposed 20 years ago, such as kiwi and avocado, and the early introduction > of peanut oil into the diet of children has probably not helped, " says > Prof > Holgate. " But there is also a change in the susceptibility of the > population. We used to be more resistant to developing allergic > responses. " > > It has been suggested that picking up bacterial and viral infections in > early life may confer protection from an immune response and that less > exposure to bugs produces more allergy: the " hygiene hypothesis " . Research > shows that children who grow up on farms are less likely to develop > hayfever > and other allergies than other country dwellers or those who live in > cities. > > However, current thinking is that it is not infection that protects > against > allergy, but all kinds of harmless microbes in our environment that have > been obliterated along with the germs. The answer, Prof Holgate believes, > is > not to compromise on hygiene, but to find ways to replace the missing > component - if necessary, through vaccination and other forms of > immunotherapy. > > " As we understand more and more about the immune response associated with > allergic disease, we are developing strategies that can be introduced at > an > early stage [in life] to modify outcomes, " says Prof Warner. > > Last year, omalizumab (Xolair), the first antibody therapy to block the > action of IgE, was launched for severe asthma in adults, and the hope is > that, if it proves to be safe, it could be given to children, too: " In > time, > this may well have a role in the treatment of some allergies and could be > given before the disease has taken hold. " > > Parents whose children show signs of allergy should seek early treatment > to > prevent the " allergic march " , which can lead to more complex problems - in > which an individual has more than one allergy - in later life. They can > also > reduce the chances of allergy developing by breastfeeding where possible, > not smoking and practising normal - but not obsessive - hygiene. > > Curiously, high and low levels of exposure to all allergens seem to reduce > the risk of allergy, while moderate levels increase it. " So cutting down > on > certain foods may do more harm than good. " > > The huge growth in the sale of " free-from " foods - by 300 per cent in five > years, according to a recent report from the market analysts Mintel - > suggests that many people are giving up gluten, wheat and dairy, often > misguidedly. > > According to Isabel Skypala, a specialist allergy dietician at the Royal > Brompton Hospital in London, many people who claim to have a food allergy > in > fact have an intolerance, which is not an immune response but can produce > similar symptoms, an inability to absorb nutrients such as wheat or > lactose, > or a stress response that affects digestion. > > " When people feel tired or bloated, they label the problem as a food > allergy, " says Skypala. " They cut out a particular food and feel better > for > a while, then feel worse again and cut out something else. They may be > putting themselves at risk of anaemia or osteoporosis by being on a > poor-quality diet. If people have a problem, they need to be assessed by > somebody who knows what they are doing. They should not attempt to > diagnose > and treat themselves. " > > barbara.lantin@... > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 25, 2006 Report Share Posted April 25, 2006 Hi Nicola, I can identify with you to a degree. I had terrible allergies most of my life and spent at least 25 years on just about every allergy medicine known to man! The suppression led to my being diagnosed with asthma almost 4 years ago. Of course the MD just wanted to put me on MORE drugs to deal with that. I said enough. I turned to homeopathy and haven't looked back since. I'm on my third homeopath, as the first 2 were not able to get me past a certain point with my progress. But I'm thrilled to say I've been drug free for 3 1/2 years and my allergy symptoms are almost totally gone. I used to not be able to make it through one day without medication. I'd say find another homeopath. YOU don't have to know the cause, nor does the homeopath. The homeopath will use your symptoms to determine the proper remedy. The remedy doesn't cure anything in itself, but it stimulates the body to do what it's supposed to do. Sometimes it takes some trial and error, depending on the skill and experience of the homeopath, and sometimes just trial and error because there are usually many factors contributing to the body being out of balance to begin with. Don't give up on homeopathy just because one homeopath wasn't able to help you. People get second and third opinions with allopathy all the time. Why not with homeopathy? I think Anita hit the nail on the head. No one is saying food eliminations may not be necessary for a time, but why stop there when a true cure may be just around the bend with homeopathy? Just my thoughts. All the best, Kay Re: The allergy epidemic Foods are not the cause of allergies either. A mal-functioning immune system is to blame for this autoimmune disorder. Eliminating foods will only appease the disturbance and do nothing to heal it. This is where homeopathy is one of the few answers to the problem. Anita Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 25, 2006 Report Share Posted April 25, 2006 Aswell as coming from a family that doesn't vaccinate, we all were breastfed extensivly too and all of my family on my mums side are / were very health consious (My grandfathers Grandparents owned a health / whole food shop for instance and my grandfather who is now 88 still abides by what they taught him about health and diet etc.) I was breastfed for 18 months and my son 2 years... Although I am in agreeance that vaccines and lack of breastfeeding play a huge part. I am also quite certain there are other important factors which have led to a sharp increase of allergy rates. I think it's important not to forget that. It's easy to point the finger and say " Well those kids are probably not breastfed and vaccinated and probably grew up on antibiotics etc " . But for those of us who that doesn't apply to it does get rather frustrating... I think the fact that the world and therefore our lives are forever getting more polluted plays a part. The fact that it's impossible to get all the required nutrients from food even if you do eat wholefood organics plays a huge part. The fact that the worlds Oxygen rates are decreasing probably plays a part and so on and so on, not to mention the whole lot and more combined.I'm also an asthmatic btw. And yes it could be blamed on perhaps my Dads side of the family possibly, but his other children have no problems what-so-ever, no allergies, no asthma, no nothing so I am not going to do that. I just think there's a bigger picture thats all (-: Sorry it that sounded like a rant, but it's first thing in the morning for me! ~ Jowanna. > > > > At least they mention breastfeeding in relation to cutting the risk of allergies but the > emphasis is of course on vaccination, what else?.... > > They should really emphasise breastfeeding a lot more, I am sure the rate of allergies in > children would go down significantly but only if they stop vaccinating as well. > > I have now read quite a few studies that have found no or very few allergies and asthma > amongst children from anthroposophical life styles, where they get no vaccines and are > breastfed exclusively for a long time, and practice extended breastfeeding and don't use > antibiotics and fever suppesers. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 25, 2006 Report Share Posted April 25, 2006 I've not given much thought about over-coming my peanut allergy. It's so severe I don't think I could ever be comfortable eating peanuts anyway just due to past experiencies. Has anyone here ever overcome an allergy this severe or worse? I go into anaphrlactic (Yes I know I mis-spelled the word lol) shock for about 14 hours if I accidently taste a peanut. I have never sourght treatment for that, I just suffer it. ~ Jowanna. > > Hi Nicola, > > I can identify with you to a degree. I had terrible allergies most of my life and spent at least 25 years on just about every allergy medicine known to man! The suppression led to my being diagnosed with asthma almost 4 years ago. Of course the MD just wanted to put me on MORE drugs to deal with that. I said enough. I turned to homeopathy and haven't looked back since. > > I'm on my third homeopath, as the first 2 were not able to get me past a certain point with my progress. But I'm thrilled to say I've been drug free for 3 1/2 years and my allergy symptoms are almost totally gone. I used to not be able to make it through one day without medication. > > I'd say find another homeopath. YOU don't have to know the cause, nor does the homeopath. The homeopath will use your symptoms to determine the proper remedy. The remedy doesn't cure anything in itself, but it stimulates the body to do what it's supposed to do. Sometimes it takes some trial and error, depending on the skill and experience of the homeopath, and sometimes just trial and error because there are usually many factors contributing to the body being out of balance to begin with. > > Don't give up on homeopathy just because one homeopath wasn't able to help you. People get second and third opinions with allopathy all the time. Why not with homeopathy? > > I think Anita hit the nail on the head. No one is saying food eliminations may not be necessary for a time, but why stop there when a true cure may be just around the bend with homeopathy? > > Just my thoughts. > > > All the best, > > Kay > Re: The allergy epidemic > > > Foods are not the cause of allergies either. A mal- functioning immune system is to blame for this autoimmune disorder. Eliminating foods will only appease the disturbance and do nothing to heal it. This is where homeopathy is one of the few answers to the problem. > > Anita > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 26, 2006 Report Share Posted April 26, 2006 Kay, have you changed your e-mail again? Good post - I would heartily agree on a second or third opinion homoeopathically. As we know, homoeopathy works according to scientific laws and principles, which is more than can be said for most allopathic medicines, but its practise is subject to the interpretation by the human prescribing it, and as such, is bound to suffer from human error. For me, homoeopathy cannot fail to work when the right remedy is prescribed, but finding it can sometimes challenge the most skilful homoeopath, especially if there is a lot of *history*. But the answer is there, waiting to be found. If pure, classical homoeopathy hasn't worked, try a different practitioner. There is nothing *normal* about an allergy - and even though it might be a huge challenge, I believe that there is a solution to every allergy. Just *my* 2 cents' worth to add to yours, Kay. ) Love, light and peace, Sue ---- Kay <dr-ky@...> wrote: > Hi Nicola, > > I can identify with you to a degree. I had terrible allergies most of my life and spent at least 25 years on just about every allergy medicine known to man! The suppression led to my being diagnosed with asthma almost 4 years ago. Of course the MD just wanted to put me on MORE drugs to deal with that. I said enough. I turned to homeopathy and haven't looked back since. > > I'm on my third homeopath, as the first 2 were not able to get me past a certain point with my progress. But I'm thrilled to say I've been drug free for 3 1/2 years and my allergy symptoms are almost totally gone. I used to not be able to make it through one day without medication. > > I'd say find another homeopath. YOU don't have to know the cause, nor does the homeopath. The homeopath will use your symptoms to determine the proper remedy. The remedy doesn't cure anything in itself, but it stimulates the body to do what it's supposed to do. Sometimes it takes some trial and error, depending on the skill and experience of the homeopath, and sometimes just trial and error because there are usually many factors contributing to the body being out of balance to begin with. > > Don't give up on homeopathy just because one homeopath wasn't able to help you. People get second and third opinions with allopathy all the time. Why not with homeopathy? > > I think Anita hit the nail on the head. No one is saying food eliminations may not be necessary for a time, but why stop there when a true cure may be just around the bend with homeopathy? > > Just my thoughts. > > > All the best, > > Kay > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 26, 2006 Report Share Posted April 26, 2006 I didn't mean to imply vaccines were the *only* cause. I believe all the chemicals we are using and the diet most people follow has some effect. Even mothers who believe they are providing a " good " diet by American Standards might not actually be providing what is truly necessary, given the sad state of American Agriculture. I do find it plausible that vaccines contribute since they are mucking with the immune system at such a young age. Also, it would seem, at the rate we're going *everyone* will have allergies in a generation or two. Pretty sad, eh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 26, 2006 Report Share Posted April 26, 2006 I was fully vaxed, bottle fed, sick from 2 months of age on (hmm... that's when I received my first vax, too bad my Mom didn't make the connection back then). Grew up taking all kinds of medications, antibiotics, antihistamines, steriods, decongestants, fever reducers, you name it. And yes, there are other factors, pollution in the air, in our food and water. None of us are born healthy unfortunately. There are many inherited predispositions to diseases. It can come from many generations back, from one person. A study of miasms in homeopathy is quite interesting in that regard. My siblings don't have allergies or asthma either, and they grew up in the same type of medical care situation that I did, same parents, same ancestors. They aren't healthy either, but their issues manifest themselves in other ways besides respiratory issues. Every person is different. Just my additional 2 cents. Kay Re: The allergy epidemic Aswell as coming from a family that doesn't vaccinate, we all were breastfed extensivly too and all of my family on my mums side are / were very health consious (My grandfathers Grandparents owned a health / whole food shop for instance and my grandfather who is now 88 still abides by what they taught him about health and diet etc.) I was breastfed for 18 months and my son 2 years... Although I am in agreeance that vaccines and lack of breastfeeding play a huge part. I am also quite certain there are other important factors which have led to a sharp increase of allergy rates. I think it's important not to forget that. It's easy to point the finger and say " Well those kids are probably not breastfed and vaccinated and probably grew up on antibiotics etc " . But for those of us who that doesn't apply to it does get rather frustrating... I think the fact that the world and therefore our lives are forever getting more polluted plays a part. The fact that it's impossible to get all the required nutrients from food even if you do eat wholefood organics plays a huge part. The fact that the worlds Oxygen rates are decreasing probably plays a part and so on and so on, not to mention the whole lot and more combined.I'm also an asthmatic btw. And yes it could be blamed on perhaps my Dads side of the family possibly, but his other children have no problems what-so-ever, no allergies, no asthma, no nothing so I am not going to do that. I just think there's a bigger picture thats all (-: Sorry it that sounded like a rant, but it's first thing in the morning for me! ~ Jowanna. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 26, 2006 Report Share Posted April 26, 2006 I can understand your hesitancy, Jowanna. I know peanut allergies, and other types of allergies can be extremely severe. Homeopathy isn't bound by the severity of a person's symptoms. Symptoms are the body's way of expressing a problem. Unless there is pathological damage to organs, homeopathy isn't limited to what it can cure. All the best, Kay Re: The allergy epidemic I've not given much thought about over-coming my peanut allergy. It's so severe I don't think I could ever be comfortable eating peanuts anyway just due to past experiencies. Has anyone here ever overcome an allergy this severe or worse? I go into anaphrlactic (Yes I know I mis-spelled the word lol) shock for about 14 hours if I accidently taste a peanut. I have never sourght treatment for that, I just suffer it. ~ Jowanna. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 26, 2006 Report Share Posted April 26, 2006 Hi Carron, I found these 2 links but there are many more if you go to Google Scholar and look for some. With regard to studies that include vaccinated and breastfed against vaccinated and not breastfed children and bottlefed ones, it is almost impossible to find studies like that as not many, if any have been done as there are so few excl. bf children that don't get vaccinated. The Steiner and/or Amish community is a good try. Ingrid http://www.whale.to/vaccines/odent.html http://www.waldorflibrary.org/Journal_Articles/RB5103.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 28, 2006 Report Share Posted April 28, 2006 At 09:52 PM 4/25/2006 -0000, you wrote: >Ingrid, > >I was just thinking about this today as we now have 3 kids in my daughter's playgroup (out >of 8) that have lifethreatening peanut allergies. Pretty shocking. > >Would you possibly be able to post some links to those studies? I would love to read >them. > >I'd also love to see a study comparing allergy rates amongst a) breastfed, no vax >breastfed, vax c) bottle fed, no vax & d) bottle fed, vax. wouldn't we all love to see that. Ain't gonna happen. Sheri > -------------------------------------------------------- Sheri Nakken, R.N., MA, Hahnemannian Homeopath Vaccination Information & Choice Network, Nevada City CA & Wales UK $$ Donations to help in the work - accepted by Paypal account earthmysteriestours@... voicemail US 530-740-0561 (go to http://www.paypal.com) or by mail Vaccines - http://www.nccn.net/~wwithin/vaccine.htm Vaccine Dangers On-Line course - http://www.nccn.net/~wwithin/vaccineclass.htm Reality of the Diseases & Treatment - http://www.nccn.net/~wwithin/vaccineclass.htm Homeopathy On-Line course - http://www.nccn.net/~wwithin/homeo.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 6, 2006 Report Share Posted June 6, 2006 That was an interesting article. --- In , " tigerpaw2c " <tigerpaw2c@...> wrote: > > June 05, 2006 > > The allergy epidemic > Macleans - Toronto,ON,Canada > > http://www.macleans.ca/topstories/health/article.jsp? > content=20060605_128132_128132 > > Hay fever, asthma, eczema, peanuts. Millions are afflicted -- and > it's about to get much worse > > DANYLO HAWALESHKA with Gulli and Köhler > > With her infant daughter Bridget Wadden dying in her arms, Lee > Parpart says she would have sacrificed herself in a heartbeat if it > meant saving her life. Parpart felt helpless as she watched her > daughter's face transformed by the ugly red swelling caused by > anaphylactic shock, a severe allergic reaction in which the body > attacks itself. How had it come to this? The first, seemingly > innocuous sign was in early 2003, when Bridget was five months old. > Parpart and her husband, Ron Wadden, had gone out for an evening > together for the first time since their daughter's birth. Ron's > mother was babysitting Bridget, and gave her a bit of milk-based > formula. (She'd been breast-fed up to that point.) Bridget's face > and neck broke out in hives, but the red welts had eased by the time > her parents arrived home. The incident alarmed Parpart, but her > family physician was " fairly nonchalant, " she recalls. He said not > to worry, it happens, just avoid dairy products. " We'd really been > given no indication of how serious this could be, " Parpart says. " I > didn't know that anyone could be life-threateningly allergic to > milk. " > > > > > > Three months later, she and her husband put Bridget in her stroller > and went out to soak up a wonderfully warm July day in their east- > end Toronto neighbourhood. They ran into friends who offered relief > from the heat. In hindsight, Parpart blames herself for not checking > the Popsicle's ingredients, which included yogourt made with milk. A > touch to the lips, and seconds later Bridget's face was covered in > hives. But the implications of that relatively mild reaction were > not immediately apparent, and her parents reasoned the red welts > would fade, just as they had the first time. Bridget soon dozed off, > and her father left to take home an antique dresser the couple had > just bought at a yard sale. Parpart was alone with Bridget when the > eight-month-old girl began to puff up so badly that her left eye > swelled shut. Parpart tried calling 911; her cellphone battery was > dead. She began to panic and yelled to pedestrians for help. Someone > phoned paramedics, who were on the scene in minutes to inject > Bridget with adrenalin. " What we wound up having was a complete > medical emergency right there on the street. " > > Bridget is now 3 1/2 years old and has grown into a theatrical, fun- > loving child who is fond of The Little Mermaid, and whose parents > are so very thankful -- and fortunate -- to still have her. There > have been other scares, equally serious, and tests today show that > in addition to dairy products, little Bridget is severely allergic > to eggs and many nuts, including peanuts, almonds and cashews. She > also suffers from the allergic form of asthma, which obliges her > parents to administer an inhaled steroid twice a day to prevent the > types of painful seizures that have hospitalized Bridget twice > already in her young life. > > Bridget's case is just a tiny part of an unprecedented allergy > epidemic in the Western world that puts the unrealized avian flu > crisis to shame, and rivals obesity as a health problem. For some as > yet elusive reason, the global incidence of allergic diseases such > as food intolerances, asthma, eczema and hay fever is going through > the roof in comparatively well-to-do Western cultures, says Mark > , director of the University of Exeter's Centre for Medical > History in England, and author of the forthcoming book Allergy: The > History of a Modern Malady. There are only theories as to why this > is so. The predominant notion holds that an overly hygienic Western > lifestyle -- marked by the availability of everything from indoor > plumbing to antibiotics -- has left many of us with immune systems > primed to overreact when they finally do stare down an " invader " : > milk, for instance, or pollen. " If you go back to the beginning of > the 20th century, the notion of allergy wasn't even around, " > says. " A hundred years later, we now think that between 20 and 30 > per cent of the Western population is allergic to something -- and > the figures suggest, certainly in Europe, that perhaps 50 per cent > of the population will have some kind of allergy by 2015. " > > Almost 50 per cent of infants today suffer from some form of eczema, > and the prevalence of hay fever stands at between 30 and 40 per cent > of the population -- a two- to threefold increase in the last few > decades. (In 2003, 18.4 million American adults were diagnosed with > hay fever, as were 6.7 million children in 2004.) Health Canada > estimates that non-food allergies are " the most common chronic > condition in Canadians 12 years of age and older. " The Allergy, > Genes and Environment Network, or AllerGen, is Canada's response to > the crisis. Part of the country's Networks of Centres of Excellence, > Hamilton-based AllerGen is comprised of more than 100 scientists at > 20 universities and research facilities across the country. Dr. > Judah Denburg, AllerGen's scientific director, is > unequivocal: " What's at stake, " he says, " is the possibility that -- > if we don't either change how we live, or the way that our bodies > and immune systems interact with the environment -- we're going to > have a flurry of chronic diseases to deal with. " > > Children, who have been particularly hard hit, are proving to be the > proverbial canary in the coal mine. In one study, Dr. Allan Becker > at the University of Manitoba looked at 14,000 boys and girls born > in 1995 and found that as many as 14 per cent had asthma. " We're > talking about one in seven children -- that's a huge proportion of > the pediatric population, " Becker says. " It's in every classroom, > every school, and many, many families. It's huge. " This reality is > reflected in the population at large. Asthma affects about three > million people in this country, six out of 10 of whom do not have > control of their disease, according to the Asthma Society of Canada. > It kills 500 people in Canada each year, 5,000 in the U.S. > Meanwhile, the World Health Organization says 150 million people > around the world have asthma, and over 180,000 die annually as a > result of it. > > And that's just one kind of allergic reaction. Denburg estimates > that in the past two or so decades, the prevalence of food allergies > has risen from less than one per cent of the population to as high > as five per cent, depending on the study cited. Food allergies > affect some 12 million Americans, resulting in more than 30,000 > emergency room visits annually in the U.S., according to the Food > Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network. It is estimated that between 150 and > 200 Americans die annually from anaphylaxis as a result of food. > Canadian figures are generally scarce. For anaphylaxis-related > deaths, experts are obliged to extrapolate from the American > figures, which suggest between 15 and 20 people die from the shock > each year in this country. That figure is likely much too low, the > experts point out, noting they believe many cases go unreported. > > The support group Anaphylaxis Canada says that, contrary to a > popular misconception, the number of food allergy deaths has not > gone up; it may even have declined slightly in recent years. But > this, as Denburg notes, has everything to do with greater public > awareness, and the fact that many people now carry their own EpiPen - > - an emergency shot of epinephrine, better known as adrenalin. A > number of these injectors are stocked by hospitals, but many > children own them. Last year in Canada, 335,000 epinephrine > injectors were sold, up 61 per cent from 208,000 purchased in 2001. > > The consequences of not having ready access to an epinephrine > injector have proven tragic, as the case of > illustrates. As with Bridget Wadden, wasn't yet a year old > when she suffered her first severe allergic reaction to milk. For 13 > years, lived with the threat of deadly anaphylaxis, brought > on by peanuts, soy and dairy products. " I felt so completely alone > with 's allergies, " her mother, Sara , told Maclean's. > was 13 in September 2003 when she bought an order of french > fries from her school's cafeteria in Pembroke, Ont. In a little over > an hour, she was dead. A coroner's probe later suggested > suffered an anaphylactic episode brought on by trace amounts of > cheese left on the tongs used to serve her fries, the same tongs > that had been used to serve someone else poutine. > > A bill dubbed 's Law passed in Ontario last year now requires > school boards to implement procedures to deal with life-threatening > allergies like 's, which include training school staff to > recognize the symptoms of anaphylaxis. The law is the first of its > kind in Canada. Most milk allergies are not life-threatening, but > absolute numbers are not readily available. " It is not the most > common presentation, " Becker says, " but it is certainly not rare -- > rare would be a bad adjective. " > > All of this, of course, comes with its own price tag. Allergic > diseases, Health Canada, estimates, cost the Canadian economy $15 > billion in everything from emergency room visits to prescribed > medications. Compounding the issue is the fact that we have far too > few specialists: in 2003, there were only 126 practising physicians > in immunology and allergy in Canada, compared with almost 1,000 > cardiologists. > > Any substance that triggers an allergic reaction is called an > allergen: pollen, dust mites, pet dander, mould, food proteins or > any one of a vast array of chemicals in the environment. When an > allergen is ingested, inhaled or absorbed through the skin, it > stimulates the production of an antibody called immunoglobulin E, or > IgE. Subsequent exposure can elicit increasingly violent immune > responses, as the body mistakenly marshals its resources to attack > what should be, by all rights, a harmless substance. Much depends on > previous exposure, and just how much allergen the person comes into > contact with. > > Some IgE antibodies bind to the surface of mast cells, which line > the skin, nose, intestines and bronchial tubes, and play a role in > fighting parasitic infections. Mast cells also course through the > blood. When an allergen enters the body, it binds to the IgE > antibody on the surface of these mast cells, and sparks the release > of a chemical torrent flush with histamine and prostaglandins, among > other immunologically active molecules. This flash flood leads to > itching, inflammation, mucus production, bronchial constriction, > coughing and wheezing. Tissue damage can be the final extreme > outcome. > > Anaphylactic shock is the worse-case scenario -- a massive attack on > the skin, and respiratory, gastrointestinal and cardiovascular > systems. It can be marked by swelling, laboured breathing, > circulatory collapse, and sudden death. While food is the most > common cause, it can be brought on by insect stings, medicine, > latex, even exercise. It is usually diagnosed in childhood, but can > develop in adults, too. Its impact isn't always sudden, as Bridget > Wadden's experience illustrates. Among those at risk for > anaphylactic shock, about one in five (like Bridget) have attacks > that occur in two phases: one relatively mild, the second life- > threatening, anywhere between one and eight hours after the first. > According to Anaphylaxis Canada, one to two per cent of Canadians > live with the prospect of keeling over without warning due to > anaphylactic shock. More than 50 per cent of the population knows > someone at risk. > > In some cases, people grow out of their allergies. In others, it > only gets worse. Children with an allergy to either milk or eggs > have been shown to sometimes lose their sensitivity to the offending > substance over time. That's usually not the case with nuts and > seafood, though the thinking here is still evolving. > > Our best educated guess at why we get allergies in the first place > is known as the hygiene hypothesis. It's widely credited to British > epidemiologist Strachan, who in the British Medical Journal in > 1989 suggested that clean living isn't necessarily good for us. By > depriving our immune system of key infections caused by viruses, > bacteria and parasites, we fail to develop the necessary tolerance > for ordinarily tame foreign particles. In short, the immune system - - > underused and spoiling for a fight -- goes ballistic when finally > given the opportunity, no matter how slight the opponent. > > Denburg at AllerGen suggests credit for the hypothesis should > properly go to University of Saskatchewan professor Dr. > Gerrard, who planted the germ of the theory in research he published > in the ls of Allergy in 1976. Gerrard studied IgE antibody > levels in the blood of whites and Metis in Saskatchewan and > suggested that a higher incidence of allergies among Caucasians > was " the price paid by some members of the white community for their > relative freedom from diseases due to viruses, bacteria, and > [parasitic worms]. " > > Support for the hygiene hypothesis comes from several quarters. Poor > people living in developing countries, where a viper's nest of > infectious diseases still afflicts the population, exhibit a > markedly lower inclination toward developing allergies. This holds > true even for impoverished communities within polluted urban > centres. Supporting evidence comes from a German study of Bavarian > farmers, whose stables typically adjoin the farmhouse, says Denburg. > It turns out that the children of those who made a living off the > land had fewer allergies than did Bavarians who did not farm. > > Dirt, in other words, may be good for you. In a similar vein, having > a dog in the home from the first day a child arrives has been linked > in some studies to a reduced risk of allergy. Multiple siblings who > bounce childhood infections off each other also help, as does eating > good bacteria known as probiotics, found in, for example, yogourt > with live bacterial cultures. Breastfeeding remains controversial, > Denburg says. Some research has shown it does not protect against > allergies, as has been suggested. > > There appears to be such a thing as good dirt and bad dirt. Research > indicates that persistent exposure to particulate matter due to > automobile exhaust in urban settings increases the risks of > developing allergies and exacerbates asthma. Japan is a classic > example of industrialization's downside. In the 1930s, hay fever > hadn't yet been recognized as a condition in Japan, notes , > the author of Allergy. However, by the 1960s and '70s, 15 per cent > of Japanese schoolchildren were showing signs of hay fever. " So, in > the space of a very short period of time, during which Japan > underwent rapid industrialization, " says, " the incidence of > hay fever skyrocketed. " > > Other studies suggest that exposure to antibiotics may be to blame. > The timelines certainly dovetail: over the past 40 years, as > widespread antibiotic use has climbed exponentially, so, too, have > allergy rates. But it's more than just guilt by association. In > findings presented to the European Respiratory Society in Vienna in > 2003, researchers noted that, in a study of 448 children, infants > prescribed antibiotics within the first six months of their lives > ran 2.5 times the risk of developing asthma as infants who didn't > take antibiotics. > > A year later, at a meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, > scientists attempted to explain why this might be the case. Their > study of mice treated with antibiotics provided a possible > explanation for the rising incidence in asthma and allergies. They > noted that antibiotics cause changes to the microbe population in > the gastrointestinal tract that may be linked to how the immune > system responds to commonly inhaled allergens. " We all have a unique > microbial fingerprint -- a specific mix of bacteria and fungi living > in our stomach and intestines, " Huffnagle, one of the authors, > and an associate professor of microbiology and immunology at the > University of Michigan, said at the time. " Antibiotics knock out > bacteria in the gut, allowing fungi to take over temporarily until > the bacteria grow back after the antibiotics are stopped. Our > research indicates that altering intestinal microflora this way can > lead to changes in the entire immune system, which may produce > symptoms elsewhere in the body. " > > In essence, with the gut's bacteria decimated by antibiotics, fungi > are free to grow and secrete oxylipins, a common group of chemicals > found in mammals, some of which are key to modulating the immune > response. The fungal oxylipins block production of the immune > system's T cells that would normally handle swallowed allergens. > Their absence in the gastrointestinal tract leads to a hyperactivity > of T cells in the lungs in the presence of, for example, ordinary > pollen or some other allergen. In other words, a single action may > set off a domino effect with lasting influence. > > Whatever the cause, it doesn't much matter to Tony D'Agnone, who is > allergic to his work. Actually, it makes the 58-year-old Alberta > farmer deathly ill. It wasn't always that way. Thirty years ago, > hauling grain caused only minor respiratory discomfort, similar to > what D'Agnone experienced as a boy with hay fever. But it's a dirty > job, and over the years D'Agnone's health worsened. To load his > truck, he'd shovel the grain into an auger, which spewed swirling > clouds of grain dust into the stagnant air inside the cramped > storage bin on his farm in Skiff, about 100 km southeast of > Lethbridge. By the time the mid-'90s rolled around, a day's hauling > would leave the father of three shaking all over, arms aching. He > could barely eat supper, and was routinely popping Tylenols and > antihistamines. He was getting desperate. " Either I'd have to change > my occupation, " D'Agnone recalls thinking, " or else I'd have to get > my grain custom-hauled, and there's hardly any money in agriculture > as it is. " > > While growing up on a farm typically seems to lessen the odds of > developing allergies, it is no guarantee, as D'Agnone's case shows. > Through an acquaintance, his wife learned about a possible lifeline. > The Kasco dust helmet looks like something a motorcyclist would > wear, only with two large filtered ports above and behind each ear. > It features two small whirring motors powered by 12-volt > rechargeable batteries. The helmet seemed to be just the thing, but > the D'Agnones balked at the $1,100 price tag. Then, in 2002, the > harvest was wet, and there was a lot of mould in the grain. The job > of hauling was never worse. " I got so sick, I almost had to be > hospitalized -- it knocked me down for three days, " D'Agnone > recalls. " That's when we broke down and bought the helmet -- it was > a lifesaver. " > > But walking around with a crash helmet on isn't an option, or > necessary, for most people for whom medical relief comes from the > seasonal march to the drugstore. Last year, pharmacies and hospitals > stocked their shelves to the tune of $105 million in over-the- > counter medicines (the Reactines and Claritins of the world) and > prescription-based antihistamines -- up 15 per cent over 2001, says > IMS Health. Not surprisingly, the lucrative trade continues to > attract new entrants, including Nasaleze, an ironic twist on pollen- > allergy relief that is formulated from cellulose found in plant > stems. A fine powder spray, Nasaleze has no pharmacological > activity, and simply coats the nasal passage, forming a sticky trap > for pollen, says Josling, a spokesman for the company. Instead > of battling the symptoms with the likes of antihistamines, Nasaleze > is said to stop the offending allergen from entering the lungs in > the first place. A handful of small trials suggests it works in > helping to filter the 20 billion particles many of us breath in > daily. " This is the only white powder, " Josling jokes, " that you can > legitimately put up your nose. " > > More powerful prescription medications for severe asthma sufferers > include drugs like Xolair. First sold in the U.S. in 2003, Xolair > saw its sales last year go up 71 per cent, hitting US$321 million. > Some analysts expect demand to soon push annual sales as high as > US$1 billion. The injectable drug, which was approved for use in > Canada a little over a year ago, works like a sponge, mopping up the > body's IgE mess. About 50,000 patients are on Xolair in North > America, says s, a spokesman for Novartis Pharmaceuticals > Canada. But at $600 a vial, it's not cheap. Depending on the > patient's weight and the amount of IgE in the body, a year of > treatment can run anywhere from $7,000 to $43,000. On the other > hand, says s, " it significantly reduces severe attacks and > hospitalizations in the toughest-to-treat patients. " > > Research now under way at AllerGen is looking to push the boundaries > of allergy treatments. Scientists, armed with an increasingly > intimate knowledge of how our immune system functions, are chopping > up various allergens into their tiniest molecular components. The > goal is to introduce these fragments into allergic individuals so > that, unlike traditional allergy shots, they actually pull the plug > on the allergic reaction itself. " We now have a lot more knowledge > about the genetics and the molecular biology of the immune system to > switch these things off, " Denburg says. > > AllerGen has also coralled an impressive pack of immunologists, > epidemiologists, asthma specialists, geneticists and others to > collect data from what its researchers are calling the " birth > cohort " -- a group of 10,000 families that they hope will be > involved in the largest study of its kind in the world. The goal is > to observe pregnant women soon after they conceive and then follow > their children for as long as possible, perhaps into adulthood, if > funding allows. They can then examine as many aspects of the > families' environments as possible to determine why, and in what > circumstances, people may develop allergies. > > Food allergy sufferers show some of the most extreme symptoms, which > necessitates meticulous attention to proper food labelling. Canada > has nine so-called " priority food allergens " that manufacturers are > required to name. This list covers the usual suspects -- peanuts, > tree nuts (meaning almost all other nuts, such as almonds, > pistachios and walnuts), wheat, milk, eggs and fish (which includes > crustaceans, such as crab, as well as shellfish) -- but also some > more unusual ones: soy, sesame seeds, and sulphites, which are used > as preservatives. > > As well-intentioned efforts to sanitize the world spread, we do a > lot of good, but they may result in unintended consequences as well. > Denburg, for instance, cites the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, > which has done much-needed humanitarian work in developing nations > to combat infectious diseases. Since its inception, the foundation > has dedicated US$1.4 billion toward the cause. But the Catch-22 is > that by cleaning up the developing world's environment -- much as we > have done in the Western world -- we may in fact be exporting our > predisposition for allergies and asthma. No one is suggesting the > aid stop, but the answer may require the medical community to think > more strategically about how to go about easing the burden of > disease. " What I really think we need to do, " Denburg says, " is not > have blockbuster programs to eradicate everything and then say that > that's great. " > > As the world of science grapples with the maddening complexities, > individuals and their families wrenched by severe allergies are > forced to find ways to cope without the everyday things in life so > many of us take for granted: finding suitable daycare, a school that > meets with our standards, and a normal social life for our kids. > Parpart says a dozen daycare centres have turned down Bridget. " No > one wants to be in charge of a child who could die if they feed her > the wrong thing. " > > There are days Parpart has never felt better. " Other days, you might > as well put me on Wellbutrin, " she says. " You just get depressed > because you realize you don't have the same options that other > parents have. " It hasn't been easy getting friends and family to > fully understand just how bad it can get for Bridget, and just how > little it takes to push her over the edge. A trace of milk here, a > bit of peanut butter there. " It clarifies who your friends are. You > learn who you can trust, " Parpart says. " You figure out who's detail- > oriented enough to cook for you and your child, and you make that > your new family. " And you hold on to your trustworthy friends -- and > your children -- " like they mean everything to you. " Which, of > course, they do. > > To comment, email letters@... > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 6, 2006 Report Share Posted June 6, 2006 wow, thanks kc, I have been getting parinoid about food allergies, and maybe should be.compared to corn and yeast my allergy to milk is very mild, sometimes I grave it bad, but the image of what cows eat and the mold involved makes me wonder just how much is passed on through to the milk, just like a mother breastfeeding her baby, everything exposed too can pass on through to the breast milk. I breastfed my daughters back in the 70's-80's. it's a shame that it may no longer be safe to do that, and may not of been to safe than but was thought to be. it's all just so sad. allmost all my 6 grandkids are showing signs that they might have allergies, 4 of them might be from comeing to grandma's moldy house. got to get them all tested. and both my daughters breastfed them for at least the first six months becouse I impressed on them how healhty it was, now I fell guilty because they were exposed to mold at that time but none of us knew. kind of makes me want to hurt that roofer guy. i'm not a violent person, but he will know just what his stupied lazy uncareing azz caused. makes me thing of that song by goldie " one way or another " > > June 05, 2006 > > The allergy epidemic > Macleans - Toronto,ON,Canada > > http://www.macleans.ca/topstories/health/article.jsp? > content=20060605_128132_128132 > > Hay fever, asthma, eczema, peanuts. Millions are afflicted -- and > it's about to get much worse > > DANYLO HAWALESHKA with Gulli and Köhler > > With her infant daughter Bridget Wadden dying in her arms, Lee > Parpart says she would have sacrificed herself in a heartbeat if it > meant saving her life. Parpart felt helpless as she watched her > daughter's face transformed by the ugly red swelling caused by > anaphylactic shock, a severe allergic reaction in which the body > attacks itself. How had it come to this? The first, seemingly > innocuous sign was in early 2003, when Bridget was five months old. > Parpart and her husband, Ron Wadden, had gone out for an evening > together for the first time since their daughter's birth. Ron's > mother was babysitting Bridget, and gave her a bit of milk-based > formula. (She'd been breast-fed up to that point.) Bridget's face > and neck broke out in hives, but the red welts had eased by the time > her parents arrived home. The incident alarmed Parpart, but her > family physician was " fairly nonchalant, " she recalls. He said not > to worry, it happens, just avoid dairy products. " We'd really been > given no indication of how serious this could be, " Parpart says. " I > didn't know that anyone could be life-threateningly allergic to > milk. " > > > > > > Three months later, she and her husband put Bridget in her stroller > and went out to soak up a wonderfully warm July day in their east- > end Toronto neighbourhood. They ran into friends who offered relief > from the heat. In hindsight, Parpart blames herself for not checking > the Popsicle's ingredients, which included yogourt made with milk. A > touch to the lips, and seconds later Bridget's face was covered in > hives. But the implications of that relatively mild reaction were > not immediately apparent, and her parents reasoned the red welts > would fade, just as they had the first time. Bridget soon dozed off, > and her father left to take home an antique dresser the couple had > just bought at a yard sale. Parpart was alone with Bridget when the > eight-month-old girl began to puff up so badly that her left eye > swelled shut. Parpart tried calling 911; her cellphone battery was > dead. She began to panic and yelled to pedestrians for help. Someone > phoned paramedics, who were on the scene in minutes to inject > Bridget with adrenalin. " What we wound up having was a complete > medical emergency right there on the street. " > > Bridget is now 3 1/2 years old and has grown into a theatrical, fun- > loving child who is fond of The Little Mermaid, and whose parents > are so very thankful -- and fortunate -- to still have her. There > have been other scares, equally serious, and tests today show that > in addition to dairy products, little Bridget is severely allergic > to eggs and many nuts, including peanuts, almonds and cashews. She > also suffers from the allergic form of asthma, which obliges her > parents to administer an inhaled steroid twice a day to prevent the > types of painful seizures that have hospitalized Bridget twice > already in her young life. > > Bridget's case is just a tiny part of an unprecedented allergy > epidemic in the Western world that puts the unrealized avian flu > crisis to shame, and rivals obesity as a health problem. For some as > yet elusive reason, the global incidence of allergic diseases such > as food intolerances, asthma, eczema and hay fever is going through > the roof in comparatively well-to-do Western cultures, says Mark > , director of the University of Exeter's Centre for Medical > History in England, and author of the forthcoming book Allergy: The > History of a Modern Malady. There are only theories as to why this > is so. The predominant notion holds that an overly hygienic Western > lifestyle -- marked by the availability of everything from indoor > plumbing to antibiotics -- has left many of us with immune systems > primed to overreact when they finally do stare down an " invader " : > milk, for instance, or pollen. " If you go back to the beginning of > the 20th century, the notion of allergy wasn't even around, " > says. " A hundred years later, we now think that between 20 and 30 > per cent of the Western population is allergic to something -- and > the figures suggest, certainly in Europe, that perhaps 50 per cent > of the population will have some kind of allergy by 2015. " > > Almost 50 per cent of infants today suffer from some form of eczema, > and the prevalence of hay fever stands at between 30 and 40 per cent > of the population -- a two- to threefold increase in the last few > decades. (In 2003, 18.4 million American adults were diagnosed with > hay fever, as were 6.7 million children in 2004.) Health Canada > estimates that non-food allergies are " the most common chronic > condition in Canadians 12 years of age and older. " The Allergy, > Genes and Environment Network, or AllerGen, is Canada's response to > the crisis. Part of the country's Networks of Centres of Excellence, > Hamilton-based AllerGen is comprised of more than 100 scientists at > 20 universities and research facilities across the country. Dr. > Judah Denburg, AllerGen's scientific director, is > unequivocal: " What's at stake, " he says, " is the possibility that -- > if we don't either change how we live, or the way that our bodies > and immune systems interact with the environment -- we're going to > have a flurry of chronic diseases to deal with. " > > Children, who have been particularly hard hit, are proving to be the > proverbial canary in the coal mine. In one study, Dr. Allan Becker > at the University of Manitoba looked at 14,000 boys and girls born > in 1995 and found that as many as 14 per cent had asthma. " We're > talking about one in seven children -- that's a huge proportion of > the pediatric population, " Becker says. " It's in every classroom, > every school, and many, many families. It's huge. " This reality is > reflected in the population at large. Asthma affects about three > million people in this country, six out of 10 of whom do not have > control of their disease, according to the Asthma Society of Canada. > It kills 500 people in Canada each year, 5,000 in the U.S. > Meanwhile, the World Health Organization says 150 million people > around the world have asthma, and over 180,000 die annually as a > result of it. > > And that's just one kind of allergic reaction. Denburg estimates > that in the past two or so decades, the prevalence of food allergies > has risen from less than one per cent of the population to as high > as five per cent, depending on the study cited. Food allergies > affect some 12 million Americans, resulting in more than 30,000 > emergency room visits annually in the U.S., according to the Food > Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network. It is estimated that between 150 and > 200 Americans die annually from anaphylaxis as a result of food. > Canadian figures are generally scarce. For anaphylaxis-related > deaths, experts are obliged to extrapolate from the American > figures, which suggest between 15 and 20 people die from the shock > each year in this country. That figure is likely much too low, the > experts point out, noting they believe many cases go unreported. > > The support group Anaphylaxis Canada says that, contrary to a > popular misconception, the number of food allergy deaths has not > gone up; it may even have declined slightly in recent years. But > this, as Denburg notes, has everything to do with greater public > awareness, and the fact that many people now carry their own EpiPen - > - an emergency shot of epinephrine, better known as adrenalin. A > number of these injectors are stocked by hospitals, but many > children own them. Last year in Canada, 335,000 epinephrine > injectors were sold, up 61 per cent from 208,000 purchased in 2001. > > The consequences of not having ready access to an epinephrine > injector have proven tragic, as the case of > illustrates. As with Bridget Wadden, wasn't yet a year old > when she suffered her first severe allergic reaction to milk. For 13 > years, lived with the threat of deadly anaphylaxis, brought > on by peanuts, soy and dairy products. " I felt so completely alone > with 's allergies, " her mother, Sara , told Maclean's. > was 13 in September 2003 when she bought an order of french > fries from her school's cafeteria in Pembroke, Ont. In a little over > an hour, she was dead. A coroner's probe later suggested > suffered an anaphylactic episode brought on by trace amounts of > cheese left on the tongs used to serve her fries, the same tongs > that had been used to serve someone else poutine. > > A bill dubbed 's Law passed in Ontario last year now requires > school boards to implement procedures to deal with life-threatening > allergies like 's, which include training school staff to > recognize the symptoms of anaphylaxis. The law is the first of its > kind in Canada. Most milk allergies are not life-threatening, but > absolute numbers are not readily available. " It is not the most > common presentation, " Becker says, " but it is certainly not rare -- > rare would be a bad adjective. " > > All of this, of course, comes with its own price tag. Allergic > diseases, Health Canada, estimates, cost the Canadian economy $15 > billion in everything from emergency room visits to prescribed > medications. Compounding the issue is the fact that we have far too > few specialists: in 2003, there were only 126 practising physicians > in immunology and allergy in Canada, compared with almost 1,000 > cardiologists. > > Any substance that triggers an allergic reaction is called an > allergen: pollen, dust mites, pet dander, mould, food proteins or > any one of a vast array of chemicals in the environment. When an > allergen is ingested, inhaled or absorbed through the skin, it > stimulates the production of an antibody called immunoglobulin E, or > IgE. Subsequent exposure can elicit increasingly violent immune > responses, as the body mistakenly marshals its resources to attack > what should be, by all rights, a harmless substance. Much depends on > previous exposure, and just how much allergen the person comes into > contact with. > > Some IgE antibodies bind to the surface of mast cells, which line > the skin, nose, intestines and bronchial tubes, and play a role in > fighting parasitic infections. Mast cells also course through the > blood. When an allergen enters the body, it binds to the IgE > antibody on the surface of these mast cells, and sparks the release > of a chemical torrent flush with histamine and prostaglandins, among > other immunologically active molecules. This flash flood leads to > itching, inflammation, mucus production, bronchial constriction, > coughing and wheezing. Tissue damage can be the final extreme > outcome. > > Anaphylactic shock is the worse-case scenario -- a massive attack on > the skin, and respiratory, gastrointestinal and cardiovascular > systems. It can be marked by swelling, laboured breathing, > circulatory collapse, and sudden death. While food is the most > common cause, it can be brought on by insect stings, medicine, > latex, even exercise. It is usually diagnosed in childhood, but can > develop in adults, too. Its impact isn't always sudden, as Bridget > Wadden's experience illustrates. Among those at risk for > anaphylactic shock, about one in five (like Bridget) have attacks > that occur in two phases: one relatively mild, the second life- > threatening, anywhere between one and eight hours after the first. > According to Anaphylaxis Canada, one to two per cent of Canadians > live with the prospect of keeling over without warning due to > anaphylactic shock. More than 50 per cent of the population knows > someone at risk. > > In some cases, people grow out of their allergies. In others, it > only gets worse. Children with an allergy to either milk or eggs > have been shown to sometimes lose their sensitivity to the offending > substance over time. That's usually not the case with nuts and > seafood, though the thinking here is still evolving. > > Our best educated guess at why we get allergies in the first place > is known as the hygiene hypothesis. It's widely credited to British > epidemiologist Strachan, who in the British Medical Journal in > 1989 suggested that clean living isn't necessarily good for us. By > depriving our immune system of key infections caused by viruses, > bacteria and parasites, we fail to develop the necessary tolerance > for ordinarily tame foreign particles. In short, the immune system - - > underused and spoiling for a fight -- goes ballistic when finally > given the opportunity, no matter how slight the opponent. > > Denburg at AllerGen suggests credit for the hypothesis should > properly go to University of Saskatchewan professor Dr. > Gerrard, who planted the germ of the theory in research he published > in the ls of Allergy in 1976. Gerrard studied IgE antibody > levels in the blood of whites and Metis in Saskatchewan and > suggested that a higher incidence of allergies among Caucasians > was " the price paid by some members of the white community for their > relative freedom from diseases due to viruses, bacteria, and > [parasitic worms]. " > > Support for the hygiene hypothesis comes from several quarters. Poor > people living in developing countries, where a viper's nest of > infectious diseases still afflicts the population, exhibit a > markedly lower inclination toward developing allergies. This holds > true even for impoverished communities within polluted urban > centres. Supporting evidence comes from a German study of Bavarian > farmers, whose stables typically adjoin the farmhouse, says Denburg. > It turns out that the children of those who made a living off the > land had fewer allergies than did Bavarians who did not farm. > > Dirt, in other words, may be good for you. In a similar vein, having > a dog in the home from the first day a child arrives has been linked > in some studies to a reduced risk of allergy. Multiple siblings who > bounce childhood infections off each other also help, as does eating > good bacteria known as probiotics, found in, for example, yogourt > with live bacterial cultures. Breastfeeding remains controversial, > Denburg says. Some research has shown it does not protect against > allergies, as has been suggested. > > There appears to be such a thing as good dirt and bad dirt. Research > indicates that persistent exposure to particulate matter due to > automobile exhaust in urban settings increases the risks of > developing allergies and exacerbates asthma. Japan is a classic > example of industrialization's downside. In the 1930s, hay fever > hadn't yet been recognized as a condition in Japan, notes , > the author of Allergy. However, by the 1960s and '70s, 15 per cent > of Japanese schoolchildren were showing signs of hay fever. " So, in > the space of a very short period of time, during which Japan > underwent rapid industrialization, " says, " the incidence of > hay fever skyrocketed. " > > Other studies suggest that exposure to antibiotics may be to blame. > The timelines certainly dovetail: over the past 40 years, as > widespread antibiotic use has climbed exponentially, so, too, have > allergy rates. But it's more than just guilt by association. In > findings presented to the European Respiratory Society in Vienna in > 2003, researchers noted that, in a study of 448 children, infants > prescribed antibiotics within the first six months of their lives > ran 2.5 times the risk of developing asthma as infants who didn't > take antibiotics. > > A year later, at a meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, > scientists attempted to explain why this might be the case. Their > study of mice treated with antibiotics provided a possible > explanation for the rising incidence in asthma and allergies. They > noted that antibiotics cause changes to the microbe population in > the gastrointestinal tract that may be linked to how the immune > system responds to commonly inhaled allergens. " We all have a unique > microbial fingerprint -- a specific mix of bacteria and fungi living > in our stomach and intestines, " Huffnagle, one of the authors, > and an associate professor of microbiology and immunology at the > University of Michigan, said at the time. " Antibiotics knock out > bacteria in the gut, allowing fungi to take over temporarily until > the bacteria grow back after the antibiotics are stopped. Our > research indicates that altering intestinal microflora this way can > lead to changes in the entire immune system, which may produce > symptoms elsewhere in the body. " > > In essence, with the gut's bacteria decimated by antibiotics, fungi > are free to grow and secrete oxylipins, a common group of chemicals > found in mammals, some of which are key to modulating the immune > response. The fungal oxylipins block production of the immune > system's T cells that would normally handle swallowed allergens. > Their absence in the gastrointestinal tract leads to a hyperactivity > of T cells in the lungs in the presence of, for example, ordinary > pollen or some other allergen. In other words, a single action may > set off a domino effect with lasting influence. > > Whatever the cause, it doesn't much matter to Tony D'Agnone, who is > allergic to his work. Actually, it makes the 58-year-old Alberta > farmer deathly ill. It wasn't always that way. Thirty years ago, > hauling grain caused only minor respiratory discomfort, similar to > what D'Agnone experienced as a boy with hay fever. But it's a dirty > job, and over the years D'Agnone's health worsened. To load his > truck, he'd shovel the grain into an auger, which spewed swirling > clouds of grain dust into the stagnant air inside the cramped > storage bin on his farm in Skiff, about 100 km southeast of > Lethbridge. By the time the mid-'90s rolled around, a day's hauling > would leave the father of three shaking all over, arms aching. He > could barely eat supper, and was routinely popping Tylenols and > antihistamines. He was getting desperate. " Either I'd have to change > my occupation, " D'Agnone recalls thinking, " or else I'd have to get > my grain custom-hauled, and there's hardly any money in agriculture > as it is. " > > While growing up on a farm typically seems to lessen the odds of > developing allergies, it is no guarantee, as D'Agnone's case shows. > Through an acquaintance, his wife learned about a possible lifeline. > The Kasco dust helmet looks like something a motorcyclist would > wear, only with two large filtered ports above and behind each ear. > It features two small whirring motors powered by 12-volt > rechargeable batteries. The helmet seemed to be just the thing, but > the D'Agnones balked at the $1,100 price tag. Then, in 2002, the > harvest was wet, and there was a lot of mould in the grain. The job > of hauling was never worse. " I got so sick, I almost had to be > hospitalized -- it knocked me down for three days, " D'Agnone > recalls. " That's when we broke down and bought the helmet -- it was > a lifesaver. " > > But walking around with a crash helmet on isn't an option, or > necessary, for most people for whom medical relief comes from the > seasonal march to the drugstore. Last year, pharmacies and hospitals > stocked their shelves to the tune of $105 million in over-the- > counter medicines (the Reactines and Claritins of the world) and > prescription-based antihistamines -- up 15 per cent over 2001, says > IMS Health. Not surprisingly, the lucrative trade continues to > attract new entrants, including Nasaleze, an ironic twist on pollen- > allergy relief that is formulated from cellulose found in plant > stems. A fine powder spray, Nasaleze has no pharmacological > activity, and simply coats the nasal passage, forming a sticky trap > for pollen, says Josling, a spokesman for the company. Instead > of battling the symptoms with the likes of antihistamines, Nasaleze > is said to stop the offending allergen from entering the lungs in > the first place. A handful of small trials suggests it works in > helping to filter the 20 billion particles many of us breath in > daily. " This is the only white powder, " Josling jokes, " that you can > legitimately put up your nose. " > > More powerful prescription medications for severe asthma sufferers > include drugs like Xolair. First sold in the U.S. in 2003, Xolair > saw its sales last year go up 71 per cent, hitting US$321 million. > Some analysts expect demand to soon push annual sales as high as > US$1 billion. The injectable drug, which was approved for use in > Canada a little over a year ago, works like a sponge, mopping up the > body's IgE mess. About 50,000 patients are on Xolair in North > America, says s, a spokesman for Novartis Pharmaceuticals > Canada. But at $600 a vial, it's not cheap. Depending on the > patient's weight and the amount of IgE in the body, a year of > treatment can run anywhere from $7,000 to $43,000. On the other > hand, says s, " it significantly reduces severe attacks and > hospitalizations in the toughest-to-treat patients. " > > Research now under way at AllerGen is looking to push the boundaries > of allergy treatments. Scientists, armed with an increasingly > intimate knowledge of how our immune system functions, are chopping > up various allergens into their tiniest molecular components. The > goal is to introduce these fragments into allergic individuals so > that, unlike traditional allergy shots, they actually pull the plug > on the allergic reaction itself. " We now have a lot more knowledge > about the genetics and the molecular biology of the immune system to > switch these things off, " Denburg says. > > AllerGen has also coralled an impressive pack of immunologists, > epidemiologists, asthma specialists, geneticists and others to > collect data from what its researchers are calling the " birth > cohort " -- a group of 10,000 families that they hope will be > involved in the largest study of its kind in the world. The goal is > to observe pregnant women soon after they conceive and then follow > their children for as long as possible, perhaps into adulthood, if > funding allows. They can then examine as many aspects of the > families' environments as possible to determine why, and in what > circumstances, people may develop allergies. > > Food allergy sufferers show some of the most extreme symptoms, which > necessitates meticulous attention to proper food labelling. Canada > has nine so-called " priority food allergens " that manufacturers are > required to name. This list covers the usual suspects -- peanuts, > tree nuts (meaning almost all other nuts, such as almonds, > pistachios and walnuts), wheat, milk, eggs and fish (which includes > crustaceans, such as crab, as well as shellfish) -- but also some > more unusual ones: soy, sesame seeds, and sulphites, which are used > as preservatives. > > As well-intentioned efforts to sanitize the world spread, we do a > lot of good, but they may result in unintended consequences as well. > Denburg, for instance, cites the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, > which has done much-needed humanitarian work in developing nations > to combat infectious diseases. Since its inception, the foundation > has dedicated US$1.4 billion toward the cause. But the Catch-22 is > that by cleaning up the developing world's environment -- much as we > have done in the Western world -- we may in fact be exporting our > predisposition for allergies and asthma. No one is suggesting the > aid stop, but the answer may require the medical community to think > more strategically about how to go about easing the burden of > disease. " What I really think we need to do, " Denburg says, " is not > have blockbuster programs to eradicate everything and then say that > that's great. " > > As the world of science grapples with the maddening complexities, > individuals and their families wrenched by severe allergies are > forced to find ways to cope without the everyday things in life so > many of us take for granted: finding suitable daycare, a school that > meets with our standards, and a normal social life for our kids. > Parpart says a dozen daycare centres have turned down Bridget. " No > one wants to be in charge of a child who could die if they feed her > the wrong thing. " > > There are days Parpart has never felt better. " Other days, you might > as well put me on Wellbutrin, " she says. " You just get depressed > because you realize you don't have the same options that other > parents have. " It hasn't been easy getting friends and family to > fully understand just how bad it can get for Bridget, and just how > little it takes to push her over the edge. A trace of milk here, a > bit of peanut butter there. " It clarifies who your friends are. You > learn who you can trust, " Parpart says. " You figure out who's detail- > oriented enough to cook for you and your child, and you make that > your new family. " And you hold on to your trustworthy friends -- and > your children -- " like they mean everything to you. " Which, of > course, they do. > > To comment, email letters@... > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 7, 2006 Report Share Posted June 7, 2006 Wow, what kind of mold would you find in milk? > > wow, thanks kc, I have been getting parinoid about food allergies, > and maybe should be.compared to corn and yeast my allergy to milk is > very mild, sometimes I grave it bad, but the image of what cows eat > and the mold involved makes me wonder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 7, 2006 Report Share Posted June 7, 2006 what I mean is that cows eat grass- where all kinds of mold spores would land from the air, corn has fusarium and stachy, hay has fusarium and stachy and others. I've seen sick cows which may have been ill from eating moldy stuff, do you think this would come out in there milk? would pasterizeing kill it? - -- In , " barb1283 " <barb1283@...> wrote: > > Wow, what kind of mold would you find in milk? > > > > > > wow, thanks kc, I have been getting parinoid about food allergies, > > and maybe should be.compared to corn and yeast my allergy to milk is > > very mild, sometimes I grave it bad, but the image of what cows eat > > and the mold involved makes me wonder > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 8, 2006 Report Share Posted June 8, 2006 I would think every living thing eats some mold unless they have a sink to wash it off in!! But then there would be mold in the water, so.. I'm not going to go that far in worrying or I'd starve to death. I go hungry as it is now looking for appropriate things to eat with my allergies. I just don't eat liver since that would be most contaminated organ, and I try to limit animal fats if I can since toxins would be stored in fats, right? > > what I mean is that cows eat grass- where all kinds of mold spores > would land from the air, corn has fusarium and stachy, hay ha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 11, 2006 Report Share Posted June 11, 2006 Check out www.isitallergy.com Good info on what is not allergic, and the allergy march in kids. ldelp84227 <ldelp84227@...> wrote: That was an interesting article. --- In , " tigerpaw2c " <tigerpaw2c@...> wrote: > > June 05, 2006 > > The allergy epidemic > Macleans - Toronto,ON,Canada > > http://www.macleans.ca/topstories/health/article.jsp? > content=20060605_128132_128132 > > Hay fever, asthma, eczema, peanuts. Millions are afflicted -- and > it's about to get much worse > > DANYLO HAWALESHKA with Gulli and Köhler > > With her infant daughter Bridget Wadden dying in her arms, Lee > Parpart says she would have sacrificed herself in a heartbeat if it > meant saving her life. Parpart felt helpless as she watched her > daughter's face transformed by the ugly red swelling caused by > anaphylactic shock, a severe allergic reaction in which the body > attacks itself. How had it come to this? The first, seemingly > innocuous sign was in early 2003, when Bridget was five months old. > Parpart and her husband, Ron Wadden, had gone out for an evening > together for the first time since their daughter's birth. Ron's > mother was babysitting Bridget, and gave her a bit of milk-based > formula. (She'd been breast-fed up to that point.) Bridget's face > and neck broke out in hives, but the red welts had eased by the time > her parents arrived home. The incident alarmed Parpart, but her > family physician was " fairly nonchalant, " she recalls. He said not > to worry, it happens, just avoid dairy products. " We'd really been > given no indication of how serious this could be, " Parpart says. " I > didn't know that anyone could be life-threateningly allergic to > milk. " > > > > > > Three months later, she and her husband put Bridget in her stroller > and went out to soak up a wonderfully warm July day in their east- > end Toronto neighbourhood. They ran into friends who offered relief > from the heat. In hindsight, Parpart blames herself for not checking > the Popsicle's ingredients, which included yogourt made with milk. A > touch to the lips, and seconds later Bridget's face was covered in > hives. But the implications of that relatively mild reaction were > not immediately apparent, and her parents reasoned the red welts > would fade, just as they had the first time. Bridget soon dozed off, > and her father left to take home an antique dresser the couple had > just bought at a yard sale. Parpart was alone with Bridget when the > eight-month-old girl began to puff up so badly that her left eye > swelled shut. Parpart tried calling 911; her cellphone battery was > dead. She began to panic and yelled to pedestrians for help. Someone > phoned paramedics, who were on the scene in minutes to inject > Bridget with adrenalin. " What we wound up having was a complete > medical emergency right there on the street. " > > Bridget is now 3 1/2 years old and has grown into a theatrical, fun- > loving child who is fond of The Little Mermaid, and whose parents > are so very thankful -- and fortunate -- to still have her. There > have been other scares, equally serious, and tests today show that > in addition to dairy products, little Bridget is severely allergic > to eggs and many nuts, including peanuts, almonds and cashews. She > also suffers from the allergic form of asthma, which obliges her > parents to administer an inhaled steroid twice a day to prevent the > types of painful seizures that have hospitalized Bridget twice > already in her young life. > > Bridget's case is just a tiny part of an unprecedented allergy > epidemic in the Western world that puts the unrealized avian flu > crisis to shame, and rivals obesity as a health problem. For some as > yet elusive reason, the global incidence of allergic diseases such > as food intolerances, asthma, eczema and hay fever is going through > the roof in comparatively well-to-do Western cultures, says Mark > , director of the University of Exeter's Centre for Medical > History in England, and author of the forthcoming book Allergy: The > History of a Modern Malady. There are only theories as to why this > is so. The predominant notion holds that an overly hygienic Western > lifestyle -- marked by the availability of everything from indoor > plumbing to antibiotics -- has left many of us with immune systems > primed to overreact when they finally do stare down an " invader " : > milk, for instance, or pollen. " If you go back to the beginning of > the 20th century, the notion of allergy wasn't even around, " > says. " A hundred years later, we now think that between 20 and 30 > per cent of the Western population is allergic to something -- and > the figures suggest, certainly in Europe, that perhaps 50 per cent > of the population will have some kind of allergy by 2015. " > > Almost 50 per cent of infants today suffer from some form of eczema, > and the prevalence of hay fever stands at between 30 and 40 per cent > of the population -- a two- to threefold increase in the last few > decades. (In 2003, 18.4 million American adults were diagnosed with > hay fever, as were 6.7 million children in 2004.) Health Canada > estimates that non-food allergies are " the most common chronic > condition in Canadians 12 years of age and older. " The Allergy, > Genes and Environment Network, or AllerGen, is Canada's response to > the crisis. Part of the country's Networks of Centres of Excellence, > Hamilton-based AllerGen is comprised of more than 100 scientists at > 20 universities and research facilities across the country. Dr. > Judah Denburg, AllerGen's scientific director, is > unequivocal: " What's at stake, " he says, " is the possibility that -- > if we don't either change how we live, or the way that our bodies > and immune systems interact with the environment -- we're going to > have a flurry of chronic diseases to deal with. " > > Children, who have been particularly hard hit, are proving to be the > proverbial canary in the coal mine. In one study, Dr. Allan Becker > at the University of Manitoba looked at 14,000 boys and girls born > in 1995 and found that as many as 14 per cent had asthma. " We're > talking about one in seven children -- that's a huge proportion of > the pediatric population, " Becker says. " It's in every classroom, > every school, and many, many families. It's huge. " This reality is > reflected in the population at large. Asthma affects about three > million people in this country, six out of 10 of whom do not have > control of their disease, according to the Asthma Society of Canada. > It kills 500 people in Canada each year, 5,000 in the U.S. > Meanwhile, the World Health Organization says 150 million people > around the world have asthma, and over 180,000 die annually as a > result of it. > > And that's just one kind of allergic reaction. Denburg estimates > that in the past two or so decades, the prevalence of food allergies > has risen from less than one per cent of the population to as high > as five per cent, depending on the study cited. Food allergies > affect some 12 million Americans, resulting in more than 30,000 > emergency room visits annually in the U.S., according to the Food > Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network. It is estimated that between 150 and > 200 Americans die annually from anaphylaxis as a result of food. > Canadian figures are generally scarce. For anaphylaxis-related > deaths, experts are obliged to extrapolate from the American > figures, which suggest between 15 and 20 people die from the shock > each year in this country. That figure is likely much too low, the > experts point out, noting they believe many cases go unreported. > > The support group Anaphylaxis Canada says that, contrary to a > popular misconception, the number of food allergy deaths has not > gone up; it may even have declined slightly in recent years. But > this, as Denburg notes, has everything to do with greater public > awareness, and the fact that many people now carry their own EpiPen - > - an emergency shot of epinephrine, better known as adrenalin. A > number of these injectors are stocked by hospitals, but many > children own them. Last year in Canada, 335,000 epinephrine > injectors were sold, up 61 per cent from 208,000 purchased in 2001. > > The consequences of not having ready access to an epinephrine > injector have proven tragic, as the case of > illustrates. As with Bridget Wadden, wasn't yet a year old > when she suffered her first severe allergic reaction to milk. For 13 > years, lived with the threat of deadly anaphylaxis, brought > on by peanuts, soy and dairy products. " I felt so completely alone > with 's allergies, " her mother, Sara , told Maclean's. > was 13 in September 2003 when she bought an order of french > fries from her school's cafeteria in Pembroke, Ont. In a little over > an hour, she was dead. A coroner's probe later suggested > suffered an anaphylactic episode brought on by trace amounts of > cheese left on the tongs used to serve her fries, the same tongs > that had been used to serve someone else poutine. > > A bill dubbed 's Law passed in Ontario last year now requires > school boards to implement procedures to deal with life-threatening > allergies like 's, which include training school staff to > recognize the symptoms of anaphylaxis. The law is the first of its > kind in Canada. Most milk allergies are not life-threatening, but > absolute numbers are not readily available. " It is not the most > common presentation, " Becker says, " but it is certainly not rare -- > rare would be a bad adjective. " > > All of this, of course, comes with its own price tag. Allergic > diseases, Health Canada, estimates, cost the Canadian economy $15 > billion in everything from emergency room visits to prescribed > medications. Compounding the issue is the fact that we have far too > few specialists: in 2003, there were only 126 practising physicians > in immunology and allergy in Canada, compared with almost 1,000 > cardiologists. > > Any substance that triggers an allergic reaction is called an > allergen: pollen, dust mites, pet dander, mould, food proteins or > any one of a vast array of chemicals in the environment. When an > allergen is ingested, inhaled or absorbed through the skin, it > stimulates the production of an antibody called immunoglobulin E, or > IgE. Subsequent exposure can elicit increasingly violent immune > responses, as the body mistakenly marshals its resources to attack > what should be, by all rights, a harmless substance. Much depends on > previous exposure, and just how much allergen the person comes into > contact with. > > Some IgE antibodies bind to the surface of mast cells, which line > the skin, nose, intestines and bronchial tubes, and play a role in > fighting parasitic infections. Mast cells also course through the > blood. When an allergen enters the body, it binds to the IgE > antibody on the surface of these mast cells, and sparks the release > of a chemical torrent flush with histamine and prostaglandins, among > other immunologically active molecules. This flash flood leads to > itching, inflammation, mucus production, bronchial constriction, > coughing and wheezing. Tissue damage can be the final extreme > outcome. > > Anaphylactic shock is the worse-case scenario -- a massive attack on > the skin, and respiratory, gastrointestinal and cardiovascular > systems. It can be marked by swelling, laboured breathing, > circulatory collapse, and sudden death. While food is the most > common cause, it can be brought on by insect stings, medicine, > latex, even exercise. It is usually diagnosed in childhood, but can > develop in adults, too. Its impact isn't always sudden, as Bridget > Wadden's experience illustrates. Among those at risk for > anaphylactic shock, about one in five (like Bridget) have attacks > that occur in two phases: one relatively mild, the second life- > threatening, anywhere between one and eight hours after the first. > According to Anaphylaxis Canada, one to two per cent of Canadians > live with the prospect of keeling over without warning due to > anaphylactic shock. More than 50 per cent of the population knows > someone at risk. > > In some cases, people grow out of their allergies. In others, it > only gets worse. Children with an allergy to either milk or eggs > have been shown to sometimes lose their sensitivity to the offending > substance over time. That's usually not the case with nuts and > seafood, though the thinking here is still evolving. > > Our best educated guess at why we get allergies in the first place > is known as the hygiene hypothesis. It's widely credited to British > epidemiologist Strachan, who in the British Medical Journal in > 1989 suggested that clean living isn't necessarily good for us. By > depriving our immune system of key infections caused by viruses, > bacteria and parasites, we fail to develop the necessary tolerance > for ordinarily tame foreign particles. In short, the immune system - - > underused and spoiling for a fight -- goes ballistic when finally > given the opportunity, no matter how slight the opponent. > > Denburg at AllerGen suggests credit for the hypothesis should > properly go to University of Saskatchewan professor Dr. > Gerrard, who planted the germ of the theory in research he published > in the ls of Allergy in 1976. Gerrard studied IgE antibody > levels in the blood of whites and Metis in Saskatchewan and > suggested that a higher incidence of allergies among Caucasians > was " the price paid by some members of the white community for their > relative freedom from diseases due to viruses, bacteria, and > [parasitic worms]. " > > Support for the hygiene hypothesis comes from several quarters. Poor > people living in developing countries, where a viper's nest of > infectious diseases still afflicts the population, exhibit a > markedly lower inclination toward developing allergies. This holds > true even for impoverished communities within polluted urban > centres. Supporting evidence comes from a German study of Bavarian > farmers, whose stables typically adjoin the farmhouse, says Denburg. > It turns out that the children of those who made a living off the > land had fewer allergies than did Bavarians who did not farm. > > Dirt, in other words, may be good for you. In a similar vein, having > a dog in the home from the first day a child arrives has been linked > in some studies to a reduced risk of allergy. Multiple siblings who > bounce childhood infections off each other also help, as does eating > good bacteria known as probiotics, found in, for example, yogourt > with live bacterial cultures. Breastfeeding remains controversial, > Denburg says. Some research has shown it does not protect against > allergies, as has been suggested. > > There appears to be such a thing as good dirt and bad dirt. Research > indicates that persistent exposure to particulate matter due to > automobile exhaust in urban settings increases the risks of > developing allergies and exacerbates asthma. Japan is a classic > example of industrialization's downside. In the 1930s, hay fever > hadn't yet been recognized as a condition in Japan, notes , > the author of Allergy. However, by the 1960s and '70s, 15 per cent > of Japanese schoolchildren were showing signs of hay fever. " So, in > the space of a very short period of time, during which Japan > underwent rapid industrialization, " says, " the incidence of > hay fever skyrocketed. " > > Other studies suggest that exposure to antibiotics may be to blame. > The timelines certainly dovetail: over the past 40 years, as > widespread antibiotic use has climbed exponentially, so, too, have > allergy rates. But it's more than just guilt by association. In > findings presented to the European Respiratory Society in Vienna in > 2003, researchers noted that, in a study of 448 children, infants > prescribed antibiotics within the first six months of their lives > ran 2.5 times the risk of developing asthma as infants who didn't > take antibiotics. > > A year later, at a meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, > scientists attempted to explain why this might be the case. Their > study of mice treated with antibiotics provided a possible > explanation for the rising incidence in asthma and allergies. They > noted that antibiotics cause changes to the microbe population in > the gastrointestinal tract that may be linked to how the immune > system responds to commonly inhaled allergens. " We all have a unique > microbial fingerprint -- a specific mix of bacteria and fungi living > in our stomach and intestines, " Huffnagle, one of the authors, > and an associate professor of microbiology and immunology at the > University of Michigan, said at the time. " Antibiotics knock out > bacteria in the gut, allowing fungi to take over temporarily until > the bacteria grow back after the antibiotics are stopped. Our > research indicates that altering intestinal microflora this way can > lead to changes in the entire immune system, which may produce > symptoms elsewhere in the body. " > > In essence, with the gut's bacteria decimated by antibiotics, fungi > are free to grow and secrete oxylipins, a common group of chemicals > found in mammals, some of which are key to modulating the immune > response. The fungal oxylipins block production of the immune > system's T cells that would normally handle swallowed allergens. > Their absence in the gastrointestinal tract leads to a hyperactivity > of T cells in the lungs in the presence of, for example, ordinary > pollen or some other allergen. In other words, a single action may > set off a domino effect with lasting influence. > > Whatever the cause, it doesn't much matter to Tony D'Agnone, who is > allergic to his work. Actually, it makes the 58-year-old Alberta > farmer deathly ill. It wasn't always that way. Thirty years ago, > hauling grain caused only minor respiratory discomfort, similar to > what D'Agnone experienced as a boy with hay fever. But it's a dirty > job, and over the years D'Agnone's health worsened. To load his > truck, he'd shovel the grain into an auger, which spewed swirling > clouds of grain dust into the stagnant air inside the cramped > storage bin on his farm in Skiff, about 100 km southeast of > Lethbridge. By the time the mid-'90s rolled around, a day's hauling > would leave the father of three shaking all over, arms aching. He > could barely eat supper, and was routinely popping Tylenols and > antihistamines. He was getting desperate. " Either I'd have to change > my occupation, " D'Agnone recalls thinking, " or else I'd have to get > my grain custom-hauled, and there's hardly any money in agriculture > as it is. " > > While growing up on a farm typically seems to lessen the odds of > developing allergies, it is no guarantee, as D'Agnone's case shows. > Through an acquaintance, his wife learned about a possible lifeline. > The Kasco dust helmet looks like something a motorcyclist would > wear, only with two large filtered ports above and behind each ear. > It features two small whirring motors powered by 12-volt > rechargeable batteries. The helmet seemed to be just the thing, but > the D'Agnones balked at the $1,100 price tag. Then, in 2002, the > harvest was wet, and there was a lot of mould in the grain. The job > of hauling was never worse. " I got so sick, I almost had to be > hospitalized -- it knocked me down for three days, " D'Agnone > recalls. " That's when we broke down and bought the helmet -- it was > a lifesaver. " > > But walking around with a crash helmet on isn't an option, or > necessary, for most people for whom medical relief comes from the > seasonal march to the drugstore. Last year, pharmacies and hospitals > stocked their shelves to the tune of $105 million in over-the- > counter medicines (the Reactines and Claritins of the world) and > prescription-based antihistamines -- up 15 per cent over 2001, says > IMS Health. Not surprisingly, the lucrative trade continues to > attract new entrants, including Nasaleze, an ironic twist on pollen- > allergy relief that is formulated from cellulose found in plant > stems. A fine powder spray, Nasaleze has no pharmacological > activity, and simply coats the nasal passage, forming a sticky trap > for pollen, says Josling, a spokesman for the company. Instead > of battling the symptoms with the likes of antihistamines, Nasaleze > is said to stop the offending allergen from entering the lungs in > the first place. A handful of small trials suggests it works in > helping to filter the 20 billion particles many of us breath in > daily. " This is the only white powder, " Josling jokes, " that you can > legitimately put up your nose. " > > More powerful prescription medications for severe asthma sufferers > include drugs like Xolair. First sold in the U.S. in 2003, Xolair > saw its sales last year go up 71 per cent, hitting US$321 million. > Some analysts expect demand to soon push annual sales as high as > US$1 billion. The injectable drug, which was approved for use in > Canada a little over a year ago, works like a sponge, mopping up the > body's IgE mess. About 50,000 patients are on Xolair in North > America, says s, a spokesman for Novartis Pharmaceuticals > Canada. But at $600 a vial, it's not cheap. Depending on the > patient's weight and the amount of IgE in the body, a year of > treatment can run anywhere from $7,000 to $43,000. On the other > hand, says s, " it significantly reduces severe attacks and > hospitalizations in the toughest-to-treat patients. " > > Research now under way at AllerGen is looking to push the boundaries > of allergy treatments. Scientists, armed with an increasingly > intimate knowledge of how our immune system functions, are chopping > up various allergens into their tiniest molecular components. The > goal is to introduce these fragments into allergic individuals so > that, unlike traditional allergy shots, they actually pull the plug > on the allergic reaction itself. " We now have a lot more knowledge > about the genetics and the molecular biology of the immune system to > switch these things off, " Denburg says. > > AllerGen has also coralled an impressive pack of immunologists, > epidemiologists, asthma specialists, geneticists and others to > collect data from what its researchers are calling the " birth > cohort " -- a group of 10,000 families that they hope will be > involved in the largest study of its kind in the world. The goal is > to observe pregnant women soon after they conceive and then follow > their children for as long as possible, perhaps into adulthood, if > funding allows. They can then examine as many aspects of the > families' environments as possible to determine why, and in what > circumstances, people may develop allergies. > > Food allergy sufferers show some of the most extreme symptoms, which > necessitates meticulous attention to proper food labelling. Canada > has nine so-called " priority food allergens " that manufacturers are > required to name. This list covers the usual suspects -- peanuts, > tree nuts (meaning almost all other nuts, such as almonds, > pistachios and walnuts), wheat, milk, eggs and fish (which includes > crustaceans, such as crab, as well as shellfish) -- but also some > more unusual ones: soy, sesame seeds, and sulphites, which are used > as preservatives. > > As well-intentioned efforts to sanitize the world spread, we do a > lot of good, but they may result in unintended consequences as well. > Denburg, for instance, cites the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, > which has done much-needed humanitarian work in developing nations > to combat infectious diseases. Since its inception, the foundation > has dedicated US$1.4 billion toward the cause. But the Catch-22 is > that by cleaning up the developing world's environment -- much as we > have done in the Western world -- we may in fact be exporting our > predisposition for allergies and asthma. No one is suggesting the > aid stop, but the answer may require the medical community to think > more strategically about how to go about easing the burden of > disease. " What I really think we need to do, " Denburg says, " is not > have blockbuster programs to eradicate everything and then say that > that's great. " > > As the world of science grapples with the maddening complexities, > individuals and their families wrenched by severe allergies are > forced to find ways to cope without the everyday things in life so > many of us take for granted: finding suitable daycare, a school that > meets with our standards, and a normal social life for our kids. > Parpart says a dozen daycare centres have turned down Bridget. " No > one wants to be in charge of a child who could die if they feed her > the wrong thing. " > > There are days Parpart has never felt better. " Other days, you might > as well put me on Wellbutrin, " she says. " You just get depressed > because you realize you don't have the same options that other > parents have. " It hasn't been easy getting friends and family to > fully understand just how bad it can get for Bridget, and just how > little it takes to push her over the edge. A trace of milk here, a > bit of peanut butter there. " It clarifies who your friends are. You > learn who you can trust, " Parpart says. " You figure out who's detail- > oriented enough to cook for you and your child, and you make that > your new family. " And you hold on to your trustworthy friends -- and > your children -- " like they mean everything to you. " Which, of > course, they do. > > To comment, email letters@... > __________________________________________________ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.