My allergies

During the fall of 2011, I started experiencing the worst sinus congestion, sneezing fits, post nasal drip, runny nose, and watery eyes. This went on for a couple months. At first I thought it was an annoying cold. Then after a few weeks, I thought maybe it was just seasonal allergies, too much pollen in the air. I was popping Claritin tablets all the time. On days I would forget to take them, I would sit at work just constantly sniffling my nose, hoping that snot wouldn’t come out during meetings. It was no fun and it was starting the drive me crazy! I think what was more bizarre is that everyone I talked to would just say things like, “Yeah, allergies usually kick in around your thirties.” Or “Yeah, I have allergies too.” Everyone just seemed to be okay with the fact that allergies were now a way of life for them. I couldn’t stand it!

It wasn’t until after a series of trips to cities around the country (Seattle, Buffalo, Cleveland, Houston) that I realized there is no way these symptoms are from seasonal pollen in Orlando. I had the same symptoms happening no matter what kind of air or climate I was in. So it was at that point that I decided to go see the fine folks at the Florida Otolaryngology Group. I spoke with my doctor and told him all my problems. He examined the inside of my sinus area just to make sure there wasn’t anything wrong in there. And then suggested that I come in for a full up allergy test to figure out exactly what was causing me to sneeze all the time.

An allergy test has two phases. Phase 1 is the skin test. They use this thing called a “stamp” which is basically a square piece of plastic with 8 prongs on it. At the tip of each prong is a specific allergen. They stamp your skin with the allergen by rocking back and forth gently until all the allergens are evenly distributed on the skin. It doesn’t hurt but can be uncomfortable. You get five stamps along both your forearms. The allergens are left on your skin 15-20 minutes and then the size of the reaction is recorded. The size of your reaction determines the amount of hell you endure during phase 2…

Phase 2 is an intradermal test. As in, they stick you with needles that contain a different allergen. If you had a sizable reaction to an allergen in phase 1, they will stick you with that allergen in phase 2. Lucky for me, I had probably about 30 shots up and down my biceps. It was HORRIBLE. Once they’re done sticking you, they wait 10 minutes to measure the size of your reaction. This is the point when then the allergist pulled up a chair next to me and said, “Oh dear, you poor thing.”

Turns out, I’m allergic to the world. They use a scale of 1 through 6 to measure the degree of your allergic reaction to an allergen. 6 and 5 are severely allergic. 4 is moderately allergic. And 3 and below is mildly allergic. These were my scores:

Trees
3 Oak
5 Pine
6 Maple
3 Sycamore
4 Cedar
0 Cypress
0 Birch
4 Bayberry

Weeds
6 Ragweed
4 English Plantain
4 Marsh Elder
0 Cocklebur
0 Lambs Quarter
3 Mugwort
3 Pigweed

Grasses
6 Timothy
4 Bermuda
0 Bahia

Molds
0 Alternaria
6 Aspergillus
5 Hormodendrum
3 Candida
0 Pullularia
0 Fusarium
3 Helminthosporium
3 Mucor
4 Penicillium (not the antibiotic)

Indoor
6 House dust
4 Cockroach
6 Mite F
0 Mite P
6 Cat
6 Dog
3 Horses
3 Feathers

17 different allergens were in the moderate to severe range! Including cats and dogs of which I have one of each. How did this happen? And what can I do about it? Turns out from the doctor’s perspective, there is no cure. Just several different things I could do to help alleviate my symptoms. First, I started to take a 24 hour allergy pill daily, along with the use of a steroid nasal spray. I also started immunotherapy drops which I had to take in the morning and before bed. I purchased a fancy air filter for my bed room. I replaced all my pillow covers and bed with special allergy/dust covers. I stopped letting my pets into my bedroom. I went on full attack to try and get a hold of these stupid allergies. And for the most part, it worked. I saw improvement and my sinuses were no longer driving me nuts. But the amount of money it took to get to that end point was a lot. And not to mention, it’s not a cure, it's an expensive bandaid. I have to purchase the allergy pills every month and the immunotherapy drops every three months.

So, yes, I finally got my allergies under control. It’s been about a year now since I went through all of that. But what has bugged me the most is the why? Why all of a sudden did my immune system decided to fight the world I live in? Why is it so confused? I’ve had dogs and cats my entire life but now I’m allergic to them. It just didn't make any sense. And no one seemed to have an answer to that question until I started reading the book Clean by Alejandro Junger, M.D. He describes allergies in his book:

“Wheat is a classic trigger of allergic responses. So are dairy products and refined sugars. They irritate and erode the intestinal walls, resulting in a “leaky gut,” the origin of inadequate allergic responses.”

Leaky gut? It just sounds so gross. You can picture your gut leaking… But he goes one with more good stuff.

“Allergies are one of the most common symptoms of toxicity. But detecting the cause isn’t as easy as staying away from the things that make you sneeze. Allergic responses to food don’t necessarily play out in an obvious cause and effect way, like drinking milk and immediately getting hives or a stomach cramp.”

Okay, so if I eat bad stuff, it can cause a leaky gut situation but doesn't mean I'll feel it in my gut…

“The true cause of his problem was the irritating foods and toxic chemicals that caused a leaky gut and kept his immune system on heightened alert mode throughout the year, not simply the pollen he breathed in the change of season which tipped his system into crisis.”

“The body picks up the message that invaders have arrived and initiates a defense response, forming mucus and calling your attention through itchiness.” 

Wow! Who would have thought?

I wrote this blog because I know lots of people suffer from allergies. But I point out the writings of Dr. Junger because I have not taken an allergy pill since I started the action plan and I have been symptom free the last 6 days. I’ve had interactions with my dog and cat and no sneezing or runny nose! This action plan has removed all wheat, gluten, sugar, and processed foods. So I can’t help but be convinced that there’s a connection to the foods I eat and my allergy symptoms. I think Dr. Junger is on to something.