9
votes
Can someone have an allergic reaction to a virus?
The TH1/TH2 model of T-cell responsiveness can be summarized as TH1 being the "antiviral/antibacterial" immune response and TH2 is the "antiparasite" immune response against worms ...
- 14.3k
7
votes
Accepted
Cold allergy is it possible?
There is no true allergy to cold, but there is a condition called cold urticaria, which is a subtype of physical urtiaria. Other subtypes of physical urticaria include increased sensitivity to ...
- 15.9k
6
votes
Is there solid evidence, that antibiotics cause allergies?
The possible link between antibiotics and increased allergy and asthma incidence was mentioned at the 2004 annual meeting of American Society for Microbiology (New Scientist, 2004). They said that ...
- 15.9k
6
votes
What is an allergy?
From Medicinenet.com:
A misguided reaction to foreign substances by the immune system, the body system of defense against foreign invaders, particularly pathogens (the agents of infection). The ...
- 6,930
6
votes
Accepted
How would I know whether I am lactose-intolerant? Are there any tests?
This page from the NIH has a lot of relevant information about lactose intolerance.
There are several standard diagnostic tests for lactose intolerance, but your physician might ask you to try ...
5
votes
Accepted
Is it possible to be allergic to corn but not popcorn?
Essentially this depends on which specific protein a person is allergic too. There will be a lot of crossover in plants so closely related as to be different subspecies of the same species, but some ...
- 3,414
5
votes
Cold allergy is it possible?
No.
Allergy, which is an exaggerated immune sensitivity to certain environmental compounds, usually plants, or less commonly microorganisms, metals and other materials.
McConnell, Thomas H. (2007). ...
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5
votes
Should Neosporin never be used?
You can look up practically any medicine that exists and you will find long lists of all of the possible side effects, risks and interactions.
Manufacturers have to list everything that could possibly ...
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5
votes
Rising allergy and intolerance diagnosis rates
This answer would be for the Hygiene Hypothesis part of the question
Epidemiology studies in favour of Hypothesis
The geographical distribution of allergic and autoimmune diseases is a mirror ...
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4
votes
Can a person eliminate lactose intolerance through extended exposure?
Very generally speaking I would say it depends on the cause of the intolerance - if it is a primary intolerance (i. e. genetic problem with lactase persistence deficiency, the enzyme for digesting ...
- 1,161
4
votes
Should all the stuff be thrown away when moving out from a house with mold?
The CDC has a great website on cleanup after mold. Also, this is a simple pamphlet. The degree of decontamination needed depends on the item and the extent of the mold. Whether something needs to ...
- 5,814
4
votes
Food Packaging Labels' Ingredient Statement Required To List Allergens?
My condolences for the difficulties you have -- and will continue -- to face on this subject. The unfortunate part of your ordeal is that there is no clear guidance -- whether regulatory or industry -...
- 223
4
votes
Should Neosporin never be used?
Neosporin has its advantages but also has way too many disadvantages. It is said to speed up healing but most cases prove that Neosporin is actually one of the antibacterial ointments behind the ...
- 1,866
4
votes
How long would someone be able to live if they suddenly became allergic to water?
Due to the rarity of the condition, pathogenesis is poorly understood. According to Aung, Montelibano, & Zin (2017), water may act as a solvent in aquagenic urticaria, solubilizing an antigen that ...
- 6,236
4
votes
Accepted
Are non-allergic, non-pathogenic rhinitis associated with fever?
Common cold, which is an acute viral infection of the nose, is rarely associated with fever in adults (Canadian Medical Association Journal ; DPHHS Montana).
Allergic rhinitis does not usually cause ...
- 15.9k
4
votes
Looking for a comprehensive list of allergies
You may find SNOMED CT useful. As you can see from this screenshot from the UMLS Metathesaurus, SNOMED CT contains many allergies organized into a useful ontological hierarchy:
Here "allergy to ...
- 3,334
4
votes
Accepted
Why is adrenaline typically not prescribed as pills?
From Furukawa, C. T., & Lodewick, M. J. (2007). β-adrenergic agonists. In Allergic Diseases (pp. 335-342). Humana Press.:
Epinephrine has both α- and β-adrenergic actions, which make it the drug ...
- 14.3k
4
votes
Accepted
Type of hypoalergenic milk to supplement breastfeeding?
Allergy Inheritance
True allergy is mediated through the immune system responding to a non-harmful substance. Antibodies (immunoglobulins) from the Immmunoglobulin E (IgE) subgroup may be created in ...
- 3,414
3
votes
Is there such a thing as "histamine liberators" and how do they work?
"Histamine liberators" are foods that can trigger the release of histamine from the basophils and mast cells, which belong to white blood cells, and are found in the blood and connective tissues. They ...
- 15.9k
3
votes
Which conditions are associated with (multiple) food allergies?
1. Some individuals with pollen allergy experience mouth itching and swelling after eating certain raw fruits, vegetables and tree nuts. The condition is called oral allergy syndrome or pollen-food ...
- 15.9k
3
votes
Accepted
Does early exposure protect against developing allergies later on in life?
Peanuts and Peanut Allergies
It was advised that Peanuts were not to be eaten during pregnancy due to possible allergy issues, but it is no longer the case.
You can eat peanuts or food containing ...
- 6,236
3
votes
Accepted
Potato and rice diet to prevent allergic reactions to calm down atopic eczema
I've seen diets like that (often with lamb included) not to prevent allergies but to prevent eating something you are allergic to. The idea is that the person is allergic to a large number of diverse ...
- 3,979
3
votes
Is it ok to use sterile eye drops every day
Not sure what you mean by sterile eye drops? Most eye drops are sterile formulations so you do not introduce bacteria or pyrogens into your eyes.
Regardless, I looked into the product Clearine and ...
- 555
3
votes
How low can you go on a low salt diet?
Assuming you are healthy, you will likely naturally regulate your sodium intake to appropriate levels. (Sodium is highly regulated by the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system.) Too low and too high ...
- 196
3
votes
Long term effects of an allergy pill? Loratadine
The most common side effect of loratadine is headache which has been reported in up to 12 percent of users. Other common side effects include drowsiness occurring in 8 percent of users, fatigue in 4 ...
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3
votes
Why are peanut allergies so much more severe than other food allergies?
To start, Peanut allergy is one of the most common allergens in the allergic population with 12 known allergen proteins.
four common food allergy superfamilies: Cupin (Ara h 1), Prolamin (Ara
h 2, 6, ...
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3
votes
Accepted
How long can an allergic reaction last after exposure to an allergen?
If you want to adjust diet to identify an allergen, there are two approaches.
Remove the thing you suspect (in this case, fish) and wait a certain amount of time. (Wikipedia says two weeks to two ...
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3
votes
Why is the H2O molecule an antigen despite its tiny size and simplicity?
The pathogenesis behind Aquagenic Urticaria isn't definitively known - and the extreme rarity of the condition makes studying it difficult (only ~100 cases published!)
It does appear to be an ...
- 1,291
3
votes
Accepted
Can a runny nose "Shoot Blanks"?
Nasal mucus is made out of " It is a viscous colloid containing inorganic salts, antimicrobial enzymes (such as lysozymes), immunoglobulins, and glycoproteins such as lactoferrin", writes the author ...
- 76
3
votes
Covid vaccine side effects
Consider this a very tentative answer, employing analogy rather than any hard data on the Pfizer vaccine.
In general it can be fairly difficult to know exactly what component in a vaccine caused the ...
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