Do You Suffer From Dripping At The Back Of The Nose, Bloating, Weight Fluctuations?

These can be some of the signs that you may be suffering from an allergy. Chronic allergies can cause a systemic inflammation which makes joint and muscle pain feel a lot worse. It’s also one of the common causes we see when people feel sore during or after their treatments and has been linked to other health conditions.

Food allergies and intolerances are fairly common and appear to likely underly many other health problems.

Classic symptoms are sensitivity to chemicals such as perfumes and other environmental allergens. Here’s some more:

• Food allergies
• Irritability or mood swings
• Often feel achy like a cold coming on
• Headaches and/or migraines
• Abnormal fatigue not helped by rest
• Posterior nasal drip – often have to clear throat or sniff
• Feels queasy first thing in the morning
• Sneezing attacks
• Hayfever
• Weight fluctuations of 4-5 lbs. in a day
• Puffiness face, fingers, ankles
• Chronic muscle aches and pains
• Asthma or breathing difficulties
• Eczema, hives, skin rashes
• Depression or crying spells
• Reduced bed wetting in kids – milk formulas or sweets
• Joint swelling
• Mouth or throat itches
• Chronic lymph glands swollen in throat – tonsils
• Acne
• Sweat for no reason or hot flushes
• Kids throw off covers or won’t stay in their pyjamas
• Irritable bowel syndrome, spastic colon or colitis
• Jitters, depression, ill feelings or anti-depressants
• Strong food cravings
• Mucous stools
• Pulse races after certain foods
• Recurring minor complaints
• Feel best when don’t eat
• Hyperactive kids
• Abdominal pain after eating
• Alternating diarrhoea and constipation

Other health conditions can cause these symptoms as well, so alone they do not imply a definite food allergy.

 

Typically a response to a particular food is thought to start if your body has difficulty digesting it – for example it is thought many people over 30 years old lose their ability to digest dairy products, if they were able to do so before.

If this is then associated with a local inflammation in the gut, which may result in the breakdown in the natural barrier of the gut wall, partially digested food particles can start to leave the gut (leaky gut). The immune system is programmed to attack particles over a certain size, assuming them to be a pathogenic invader. This then results in an immune response whenever the body encounters this kind of particle in the gut and elsewhere in the body. Repeated exposure primes the immune system which then becomes sensitised and some of the symptoms described above can occur.

What Can Be Done About Food Allergies?

First you need to identify you are likely to have an allergy and then find out what it is.

The most scientifically recognised method is food allergy testing. Generally you want to have an IgG test. The IgG response occurs for upto 5 days after you’ve eaten something you’re allergic to. Some test IgE – however this lasts only for 24 hours after being exposed and is often considered a less reliable test to find out what foods you’re having problems with. Usually these tests are a few hundred pounds, so they might not suit everyone’s needs.

A more controversial approach from a scientific view is muscle testing. In essence this can be regarded as a  neurological taste test. The muscle testing approach is based on the finding that the muscular system seems to weaken slightly if a stress is detected that overloads the nervous system. The procedure is:

• The body is tested to find a strong muscle.
• Some food is placed in the mouth and tasted.
• The muscle strength is re-tested.

An even more controversial approach from a scientific view are the type of test that often appear advertised in health food shops. My interpretation of these is that the body is placed in a weak electrical circuit with different potential food alergens and the machine detects some kind of electrical resistance change. The price of these may vary.

There are a number of self help approaches which may or may not be useful. The traditional approach was an elimination diet for a few weeks, followed by a phased reintroduction of foods. Certainly a change in diet – if symptoms improve – can reveal if there is a problem. Another approach that I have heard about which seems plausible but have not  experimented with is to check your self for a change in your pulse rate, when you are exposed to the food.

All of these approaches may suggest you have one or many allergies and this result will affect how you will help yourself.

Different Approaches That Might Be Suggested To Help Yourself If You Have A Food Allergy

Some of the commonest problem foods are: wheat, other grains, dairy, nightshades (potato, tomato, aubergine and pepper), citrus, soya, brassicas and preserved foods.

If you react to one food, then massively reducing your exposure to it might be sufficient. There is some suggestion that complete elimination might not be ideal.

Another approach is to try and assist your digestive system. From a nutritional approach this may be to take the correct enzymes to help you digest your food, or some probiotics to help support your gut. Sometimes simply eating a lot of green leaves with your meals is enough to help digestion. From a psychological approach – the gut is often affected by stress so some kind of relaxation counselling can be beneficial.

If you react to many foods or you’ve found in the past that your symptoms improve for a while when you change your diet, but come back again; it is best to try and help build up the gut wall. From a nutritional approach, a gut support formula such as Total Leaky Gut, which contains various herbs, vitamins and minerals to help the gut wall repair. From a psychological approach- again relaxation councelling can be effective.

 

Irritable Bowel?

If you suffer symptoms like bloating, abdominal pain and discomfort, diarrhoea, constipation, possibly nausea, backache or lack of energy then you may have a problem with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The hypersensitivity of the gut associated with IBS makes normal bowel function very uncomfortable and such symptoms can become rather life consuming.

IBS has typically been associated with stress and poor diet. People often try to manage it by taking medications or supplements to help the bowel or by reducing gluten or dairy or… put up with it.

Research which started with an Australian double blind investigation into IBS in 2011, suggests that rather than the protein gluten being the issue, the problem is associated with poor absorption of certain carbohydrates by the small intestine. The carbohydrates in question (fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols, collectively referred to as Fodmaps) pass through to the large intestine, providing food for the bacteria, producing gas.

This finding suggests two potential avenues which might help: Increasing the effectiveness of the bowel (often through improving nervous system activity for example by guided relaxation training which has been shown to be effective in previous research)  or elimination of certain foods.

Many common foods are rich in Fodmaps and a recent study has shown a significant improvements in symptoms of IBS by following a low Fodmaps diet. Long term adoption of such a diet however without professional guidance of a nutritionist increases the risk of becoming depleted in important nutrients. One approach is to adopt the diet short term to reduce symptoms and gradually reintroduce a few foods to test your response. Another aspect to be aware of is that some of the foods low in Fodmaps are likely to have a high Glycaemic Index (GI).

Foods containing high amounts of Fodmaps:

Vegetables: Asparagus, artichokes, onions, leaks, garlic, legumes, pulses, sugar snap

peas, onion and garlic, beetroot. Savoy cabbage, celery, sweetcorn.

Fruit: Apples, pears, mango, watermelon, nectarines, peaches, plums.

Milk and dairy: Cows milk, yoghurt, soft cheese, cream, custard, ice cream.

Protein sources: Legumes and pulses

Bread and cereal: Rye, wheat breads and cereals, wheat pasta

Biscuits and snacks: Rye crackers, wheat based biscuits.

Nuts and seeds: Cashews and pistachios.

Foods containing low amounts of fod maps.

Vegetables: Alfalfa, beansprouts, green beans, joy, capsicum, carrot, chives, fresh herbs, cucumber, lettuce, tomato, courgettes.

Milk and dairy: Lactose free milk, lactose-free yoghurt’s, hard cheese.

Fruit: Banana, orange, mandarin, grapes, melon.

Protein sources: Meats, fish, chicken, tofu. Biscuits and snacks. Gluten free biscuits, rice cakes, corn thins.

Nuts and seeds: Almonds (fewer than 10), pumpkin seeds.

Breads and cereals. Gluten free bread and sourdough spelt bread, rice bubbles, oats, gluten-free, pasta, rice, quinoa.

 

Sourced in part from an article in the iweekend 2-3 April 2016, Wellbeing, Health, P37  ‘Gut feeling: a new answer to IBS’, by Siobhan Norton