 |
|
|
|
April 25th, 2012
01:00 PM ET
Do allergies actually benefit your health?Depending on severity, allergies can range from annoying to deadly. Millions of Americans are familiar with the sneezing, itching and coughing that come along with spring allergies to toxins, while others suffer hives or even airway blockage if they eat the wrong food. And we know that food allergies are on the rise, partly because of awareness but experts say something else may be going on. It’s a mystery why industrial countries see more and more children having reactions to common foods such as peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish, eggs, milk, wheat or soy. But there’s a deeper question to ask here: Why do humans have allergies at all? However, common environmental and food allergens have little in common with parasitic worms. There’s an explanation for why the immune system would respond to something that's not microbial, says Ruslan Medzhitov, professor of immunobiology at Yale School of Medicine. In a perspective article in the journal Nature, Medzhitov and colleagues probe the question: Is there another explanation for allergies? They argue that, in fact, allergies are meant to remove harmful substances from the body. For the case of seasonal allergies to tree or grass pollen, symptoms typically include runny nose, teary eyes and extra mucus production in the respiratory system. All of these things have the effect of trying to expel something from your body that you don’t want there. Similarly, when you have itchy skin in contact allergies, the impulse is to scratch, which has the effect of removing offending particles in the skin. But sometimes it becomes extreme: Uncontrollable itching that’s chronic, which is no longer serve the purpose of taking offending substances off the skin. Food allergy symptoms often include vomiting and diarrhea, which also expel unwanted substances. Anaphylactic shock, the most severe and deadly reaction, involves swelling of the mouth or throat and even breathing problems. Medzhitov explains this as an extreme form of the normal allergic reaction; it has gone out of control and may cause death in and of itself, the way that septic shock is an extreme form of natural inflammation. Experimental treatment may help food allergies “There are things that are meant to perform some beneficial rational function; if they get disregulated, it can cause problem,” Medzhitov said. The unpleasant experiences also make you stop eating the food that caused the reaction, and avoid that food in the future. But wait: Plenty of people eat peanuts and other common food allergens without incident. Why do some people have extreme reactions and others enjoy these foods in peace? Medzhitov points out that there are certain components of the foods we eat everyday whose effects on the body we still don’t exactly know. There may be certain chemicals in some foods that have noxious effects on our cells that are slightly toxic. He hypothesizes that some people are better at detoxifying those substances than others. And those who are deficient in those detoxifying mechanisms have instead allergies to defend themselves. And then there’s allergies to pollutants in the air. The production of mucus in allergic people, theoretically, gives them increased protection from the particulate pollutants in the air, since they will inhale less of them. That would mean that if those pollutants are carcinogenic, the allergic person would have increased protection against certain forms of cancer over time. Or you might avoid that environment altogether, thereby also taking you out of a toxic situation. The hypothesis that allergies protect against particular cancers does have some evidence backing it up. In fact, a 2011 study suggested that allergies may stave off gliomas, which are the most common form of brain tumor. But more research needs to be carried out to back up this idea. So what are we to make of all of this? Even if true, we can't use this knowledge to help people with allergies - yet. But maybe one day, says Dr. Robert Wood, Director of Allergy/Immunology at Johns Hopkins Children's Center, who was not involved in this study. "“This is a fascinating paper that sheds new light on why some people develop allergies and others do not. It also suggests reasons why the prevalence of allergic disease, including food allergy, asthma, and hay fever, have all increased over the past 20-30 years," Wood said. "Hopefully the theories presented here could eventually be used to design prevention strategies for allergy, but at the present time they remain just theories that will not lead to any immediate approaches to treat or prevent allergy.” |
  About this blog
Get a behind-the-scenes look at the latest stories from CNN Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen and the CNN Medical Unit producers. They'll share news and views on health and medical trends - info that will help you take better care of yourself and the people you love.
 |
|
|
|
Good post. I learn something new and challenging on blogs I stumbleupon on a daily basis. It will always be exciting to read content from other authors and practice a little something from other web sites.
/
/
Having read this I thought it was extremely enlightening. I appreciate you spending some time and energy to put this information together. I once again find myself spending way too much time both reading and posting comments. But so what, it was still worthwhile!
https://www.track.affclkr.com/track/clicks/3171/c627c2b89e0522dbfe9cbd2e8d2b8914736245cb75e9f0ab416db1046005?t=https://www.anokaapartments.com/entry-with-audio/
http://truehits.net/webout.php?url=https://diplingpaedmediatorreiter.eu/index.php?option=com_phocaguestbook&view=phocaguestbook&id=1&Itemid=4&t=4700&limitstart=57940
Greetings! Very helpful advice within this article! It is the little changes that produce the most significant changes. Many thanks for sharing!
http://plugin.mediaget.com/promo/?url=https://racingkc.com/proprietary-work/
Good day! I could have sworn I’ve been to this website before but after going through a few of the articles I realized it’s new to me. Anyways, I’m definitely happy I found it and I’ll be bookmarking it and checking back often!
https://pixel.sitescout.com/iap/ca50fc23ca711ca4?cookieQ=1&r=https://guenterreiter.eu/index.php?option=com_phocaguestbook&view=phocaguestbook&id=1&Itemid=4&limitstart=68460
discount rx https://pharmacyken.com/ – reputable canadian pharmacies online canadian pharmacies online
Oh my goodness! Impressive article dude! Thanks, However I am going through difficulties with your RSS. I don’t know why I am unable to join it. Is there anyone else getting similar RSS problems? Anybody who knows the answer can you kindly respond? Thanx!!
http://www.tces.hlc.edu.tw/dyna/netlink/hits.php?id=140&url=http://internetmarketingsupply.com
/
Spot on with this write-up, I absolutely believe this web site needs far more attention. I’ll probably be back again to read more, thanks for the info!
https://www.attaka.or.jp/cgi-bin/click3/click3.cgi?cnt=05&url=https://uwe-nielsen.de/wordpress/?p=441
generic cialis best price https://rcialisgl.com/ – cialis sample request form how to buy cialis online
http://53938.measurementapi.com/serve?action=click&publisher_id=53938&site_id=92394&sub_campaign=g5e_com&url=http://boxtruckrepairshop.com
I absolutely love your website.. Very nice colors & theme. Did you develop this amazing site yourself? Please reply back as I’m planning to create my very own site and would like to know where you got this from or exactly what the theme is called. Many thanks!
https://cpmlink.net/-81sAQ
Greetings! Very helpful advice within this article! It's the little changes that make the most important changes. Thanks a lot for sharing!
https://adhq.com/_track_clicks?hqid=472&bid=23208&type=website&campaign=BMD&source=acoustical-ceiling&url=https://campbluehawk.org/Programs/Summer-Camp/emodule/64161/eitem/8677
Nice post. I learn something totally new and challenging on websites I stumbleupon everyday. It will always be interesting to read through content from other writers and use something from their sites.
http://scanverify.com/siteverify.php?site=www.boxtruckrepairshop.com
cialis patent expiration 2016 https://krocialis.com/ – cialis store fastest delivery of cialis
cialis 5mg 10mg no prescription https://ckacialis.com/ – cialis for sale canada cialis online australia
I'd like to thank you for the efforts you've put in penning this website. I'm hoping to check out the same high-grade content by you in the future as well. In fact, your creative writing abilities has motivated me to get my own, personal website now 😉
http://www.response-o-matic.com/thank_you.php?u=https://boxtruckrepairshop.com/rv-repair-shop-near-me-2/&t=call+today
walmart pharmacy canada cheap canadian pharmacy online Viagra with Fluoxetine
cialis 100 https://cialishav.com/ – buy cialis in davenport fl cialis jokes
http://go.parvanweb.ir/index.php?url=https://searchinteraction.com/
cialis pharmacy online https://pharmacyken.com/ – buy cialis canada pharmacy online pharmacy pain medicine
http://rucsh.org/home/link.php?url=http://marketingpostfalls.com/
bookmarked!!, I really like your blog!
https://content.sixflags.com/news/director.aspx?gid=0&iid=72&cid=3714&link=http://fleetrepairshops.com/truck-wrap-shop-near-me
Spot on with this write-up, I truly believe that this site needs far more attention. I’ll probably be returning to read more, thanks for the info!
http://peterblum.com/releasenotes.aspx?returnurl=http://boxtruckrepairshop.com/truck-upgrades-shop-near-me
cialis on line pharm https://cialisjla.com/ – purchase cheap cialis generic cialis
Wonderful post! We will be linking to this particularly great article on our website. Keep up the good writing.
https://www.islulu.com/link.php?url=https://rvcollisionrepairpaintshop.com/
Saved as a favorite, I love your web site!
https://www.easytravel.com.tw/ehotel/hotel_sale.aspx?posvn=maple&url=https://internetmarketingwashington.com
This site really has all the information I needed concerning this subject and didn’t know who to ask.
http://tbsa.so-buy.com/front/bin/adsclick.phtml?Nbr=11promotion_700x120&URL=https://sprinterrepairnearme.com/
http://www.aslplayerservices.org/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=newrvowners.com/
I used to be able to find good info from your content.
https://altapress.ru/skidki/site/gate?id=572&url=https://sprintervanrepairnearme.com/&hash=juWPOE3X8bgaMmG7B1l76NkcW178_c9z
canadian international pharmacy association online pharmacy oxycodone canadapharmacyonline legit
http://sogo.i2i.jp/link_go.php?url=http://sprintervanrepairnearme.com
I couldn’t resist commenting. Perfectly written!
http://www.week.co.jp/skion/cljump.php?clid=129&url=https://www.sprintervanrepair.com/
buy cialis online australia cialis uk no prescription cialis
This is a topic which is near to my heart... Best wishes! Exactly where are your contact details though?
http://qnrwz.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=www.sprintervanrepair.com
genic cialis cialis sample which is best viagra cialis or levitra
https://www.oltv.cz/redirect.php?url=https://oracleappsvideos.com/video_listing/implementation-steps-for-adding-read-only-attachments-to-oa-framework-page-via-personalizations-2/
pharmacy degrees online online pharmacy new zealand canadian pharmacy cialis
canadian pharmacy androgel medical mall pharmacy canadian pharmacy lakeland
http://dol.deliver.ifeng.com/c?z=ifeng&la=0&si=2&cg=1&c=1&ci=2&or=7549&l=28704&bg=28703&b=37275&u=https://remingtonz85u5.therainblog.com/4026995/the-single-best-strategy-to-use-for-maserati-levante-for-sale-near-me
cialis testimonials forum typical cialis dose where can i buy cialis in the uk
http://etracker.de/lnkcnt.php?et=mjVFaK&url=https://cesarz49r1.blogolize.com/A-Simple-Key-For-RV-Body-Shop-Unveiled-38926937
Having read this I thought it was extremely informative. I appreciate you finding the time and effort to put this short article together. I once again find myself spending way too much time both reading and posting comments. But so what, it was still worth it!
http://redirects.tradedoubler.com/utm/td_redirect.php?td_keep_old_utm_value=1&url=https://hectors13x2.educationalimpactblog.com/23909680/digital-marketing-agencies-for-dummies
shopping cialis cialis cialis buy online canada
I truly love your site.. Great colors & theme. Did you develop this web site yourself? Please reply back as I’m looking to create my own website and would love to know where you got this from or exactly what the theme is called. Thank you!
http://etracker.de/lnkcnt.php?et=mjVFaK&url=https://garrettw14z3.dailyhitblog.com/5608622/personal-injury-lawyer-can-be-fun-for-anyone
I'm very pleased to find this web site. I need to to thank you for your time for this wonderful read!! I definitely loved every part of it and I have you book-marked to look at new information in your website.
https://rspcb.safety.fhwa.dot.gov/pageRedirect.aspx?RedirectedURL=https://finnp25d4.xzblogs.com/42392002/the-smart-trick-of-security-companies-that-nobody-is-discussing
https://sso.aoa.org/Authenticate.aspx?Return=https://hootnholler.net/wooden-cottage-tour/
http://etracker.de/lnkcnt.php?et=mjVFaK&url=https://tysonj83c5.dgbloggers.com/4635591/rv-repair-near-me-options
/