Guest guest Posted March 12, 2002 Report Share Posted March 12, 2002 Just got a book from the library,The Allergy Bible, pubished in 2001, by Gamlin. There is a section on chronic urticaria which I must share immediately, and lots of other interesting stuff I will type later/tomorrow/soon. "Some research teams who are studying chronic urticaria intensively have, through sheer persistence in looking for causes, got the proportion of patients with unexplained (idiopathic) symptoms down to 23%. Indeed, a recent paper from doctors at the University of Moscow states "there are propably few truly idiopathic cases of chronic urticaria." Some of the newly discovered causes of chronic urticaria are: A chronic infection elsewhere in the body, often unrecognised. Possible culprits include long term sinusitis or throat infections, tonsillitis, infected teeth, middle ear infections, intestinal parasites, inflammation of the gall bladder, kidneys, ovaries or uterus, athlete's foot or related fungal infections, prostatitis, Epstein-Barr virus and cytomegalovirus. If there is diarrhoea and inflammed joints as well, yersinia infection is a possibility. These infections seem to have a direct effect on the immune system which causes mast cells to release histamine. A reaction to a food additive or to alcohol; these may act by triggering mast cells directly as in false food allergy. A reaction to nickel in food among those with skin sensitivity to nickel. Drug sensitivity - often to aspirin or aspirin-like drugs, but it could also be antibiotics, sulfonamides, morphine or other narcotics. A recent case of chronic urticaria in a child turned out to be due to an aspirin-like drug in her teething gel. Chemical intolerance. Unusual sensitivity to histamine found naturally in food - some people with chronic urticaria cannot detoxify histamine in food. Histamine produced by bacteria in the gut can also cause problems and this may be linked to gut flora imbalance. A reaction to the preservatives (parabens) used in creams and ointments. Relatively uncommon causes of chronic urticaria: sensitivity to food or pollen, contact with latex, pets or other items Premenstrual changes in hormones. Problems with candida - this is controversial as some sufferers probably do have yeast overgrowth in the gut, but it may not be candida yeast. Very rarely chronic urticaria is an early symtom of adult-onset coeliac disease. In the physical urticarias, triggers such as cold, heat, superficial pressure, deep pressure, vibration, exercise, contact with water, exposure to light, sunlight or UV light. Sensitivity to pressure may result in dermatographism. In cholinergic urticaria;activity by the branch of the nervous system called the parasympathetic which is thought to directly trigger mast cells. This type of urticaria is triggered by warmth or emotional stress and is found mainly in teenagers and young people, who seem to grow out of it in time. A type of autoimmune disease where the body produces antibodies against IgE, or against the receptors for IgE; these rogue antibodies can activate mast cells directly. A rare hereditary defect A rare disease called mastocytosis, in which the number of mast cells in the skin is abnormally high A cancer (the most unlikely of all these causes)" I think the above bears out a great deal of what we have all been learning and sharing, and offers real hope to us all. Love Carol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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