[2000rpm]

Hi Guys,

Creating a thread for an unusual issue - Allergies and its diagnosis. (introductory article for people not aware below)
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/heal...-immune-system

I dont have any but my best friend is suffering from them since long. The problem with allergies is diagnosis on what causes allergies. I know a lot of people who are suffering from Allergies but havent been able to figure out what they are allergic to, even till the age of 35-40. My friend is one such person.

Most doctors (from even great hospitals like Lilavati) have not been able help and have typically prescribed Allegra as a routine medicine. I think long term consumption of any medication is not good from such a young age.

Hence its very helpful to identify what you are allergic to and avoid that substance completely. If you are able to do that, you can live a completely normal life.

The common causes of allergies are as below (please add any if I missed something)

1. Dust
2. Pollen (can be specific to a certain pollen)
3. Specific Food items (cast ocean of options here)
4. Milk / Lactose (can be as specific as brand of Milk)
5. Seasonal change (typically between warm to cold transition, and vice versa)
6. Pets
7. Specific medicines

My friend has tried the INR 25000 allergic battery tests, which showed that he is not allergic to anything in that battery, which seems bull @^#&. These tests are a complete fraud is what I have been told by many people.

Now, with the context above, can anyone please guide me on How to find this needle (allergy cause) in the hay stack (of possibly everything out there in the world)?

[saket77]

Some 2-3 years ago, I suddenly turned allergic to ‘something’. I would start (dry) coughing without any apparent reason and that would continue. I saw many doctors and took their advice. All said the same thing that I’m allergic. To what, neither I nor they knew. I was also prescribed Allegra and that would work wonderfully well. My coughing stopped the day I started taking the medicine. But if any day I skipped it, coughing returned reminding me of my condition.

Later, someone in the family who is a doc, advised me to take Montelukast instead of Allegra; seemingly that is safer. It took me almost a year of everyday dose and finally I’m good without any dose since last 1-2 years.

That was indeed some allergy, but two questions still haunt me- how did I suddenly become allergic without any apparent changes in diet or lifestyle and second, what exactly I was allergic to? I tried making changes in my diet, even went gluten free for a couple of months or so; but nothing seemed to help. But since that is gone, I’m peace with it.

Regards.

[aditya.86]

Originally Posted by saket77

Some 2-3 years ago, I suddenly turned allergic to ‘something’.

Same happened with me about an year back. I would catch an allergic cold out of nowhere and start sneezing like crazy and that too continuously. This would last the whole day and before going to bed i would take a levocetirizine tablet and the next day I would be okay.

This kept repeating frequently and after consulting with my ENT he advised me to take a combination of Montelukast and Levocetirizine (L-Montus) for 45 days.

Along with this I was also prescribed a nasal spray Flomist.

During my medication not once I had the problem and till date it has not occurred.

I still use the nasal spray once every 3-4 days.

[BRV]

Its been a month now and am trying to figure out to what am allergic to. My symptoms are:

Wake up with clogged nostril (one)
Running nose
Continuous sneezing

These symptoms will be there till afternoon and am good till next day morning. The moment I wake up in the morning symptoms start. Even if I gets disturbed in sleep after 3 am the symptoms start immediately.

I didn't had any issues till last month i.e., am not allergic to anything earlier. My food habits didn't change much (except for eating home cooked food at home, earlier used to eat home cook food in office)

I do not want to be on medication without knowing whats causing it and figured out the below. Am trying to understand whats causing the allergy.

1. Dust mites - Pillows, bed sheets, Bed. Thoroughly washed, cleaned and vacuum it

2. Agarbatti / Dhoop - we changed to new fragrance. Changed it back

3. Pollen - Not sure of it.

Looking for a long term solution. I can go with Allegra which is temporary.

Thanks

[raihan]

Originally Posted by 2000rpm

Hi Guys,

Creating a thread for an unusual issue - Allergies and its diagnosis. (introductory article for people not aware below)
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/heal...-immune-system

My friend has tried the INR 25000 allergic battery tests, which showed that he is not allergic to anything in that battery, which seems bull @^#&. These tests are a complete fraud is what I have been told by many people.

Now, with the context above, can anyone please guide me on How to find this needle (allergy cause) in the hay stack (of possibly everything out there in the world)?

Looks like the allergy test your friend took is just a farce .

I got mine done for 3,000 rs last year @[Prime Care, MM road, Bangalore] & no they don't have to use everything out there in the world. They pick the pollens based on the city & pathogens commonly found in & around homes.

I was found to be allergic to dust, cockroaches & mosquitoes. Where as it was non reactive for most pollens.
The Dr. also told me that all these pathogens are found in air & water so we are ingesting them! I got a nasal spray(steroid) to suppress the reactions.

Ask your friend to see a different specialist. Let me know if you have any questions?

Hope this helps!

[Tgo]

Well, I can share my experience at length. Hope it benefits your friend.

Background

2007 : Cousin got a DNS (Deviated Nasal Septum) correction surgery at a specialty hospital in my home town. He lived with us for 10 days and during that period my parents came to know of his condition and found that I was having the same symptoms (wheezing) since I was a kid. Got it checked by the same doctor. A CT scan showed that the DNS was worse than my cousin's case. It also required removal of soft tissue as the passage was completely blocked up due to swollen and overgrown tissue (my understanding, not the doctor's exact words). 2 Days later I was in the OT. Recovery was quick and I felt quite big difference in ease of breathing. Was quite happy.

2007-2015 : Change of location from Jaipur (dry) to Mangalore (coast). No allergies troubled me. Even if they did they were limited to 2-3 day bouts. Allegra and cetirizine worked well. I forgot about allergy treatment altogether.

2015 : Shifted to U.P. (dry again) from Mangalore. The bouts start again and become longer. Itching and burning sensation inside the nose. heaviness behind the eyes. Sneezing and a runny nose. I went for a check-up to the same hospital where I got the surgery done in 2007. He prescribed a 15 day anti-biotic course and asked to get an allergy test done. Got it done and then lost the report before I could go back for a check-up. The allergies also were in control after the dose so didn't bother wasting my visiting-home holidays scheduling appointments and spending time in the waiting rooms. So no check-ups.

2019 : Around July, I realized that I was on pain killers for almost a month. I had head aches which were concentrated to the forehead and area between the eyes. Once or twice I got really bad pain in the eye and it ended up being an infection in the sinus. Went for a check-up this time to the same hospital. They had started an allergy clinic too this time. The new doctor there asked me just one thing. What have you done for managing your allergies? I was speechless... it seems, avoiding exposure to a known allergen is a thing of the past.

I had a long lecture on allergies and this is the jist of it:

• Allergies happen when the body secretes enzymes and antibodies to fight foreign bodies that enter our body. The secretion of these antibodies has some side effects (symptoms) in our bodies which are different for different people.

• Being prone to allergies is a genetic thing, some are and some aren't. This is because the increase in build-up of these antibodies affects some people with physical symptoms (sneezing, runny nose, watery eyes, headaches, itching etc.) and some are immune to these.

• As allergies restrict the nasal passage due to swollen sinuses. The air passing through the restricted passage puts pressure on the septum in the nose especially in children due to their bones being softer and also because they grow faster. This pressure is what induces the displacement in the septum which is known as DNS.

• Prolonged allergies are associated with asthma sometimes later in life and hence it is important to look for symptoms associated with allergies, in children, specially if parents have a history of allergies so that treatment can be done at an early stage.

Each and every point that the doctor said this time was relatable. The cousin who got the surgery done before me has a family history of severe allergies. all three siblings, mom, grandma everyone is allergic to one thing or the other, ranging from pollen, egg, lint, dust, milk etc. and the symptoms for each are different for all three siblings. Two of the siblings are asthmatic too. On a separate note, my grandma who never had the means to treat her allergies has developed asthma at the age of 80. He didn't have to convince me enough to begin a treatment which is called Immunotherapy.

Diagnosis

Blood test - for correlating any deficiencies and for presence of Immunoglobulin E which is an indicator of presence of allergens in the body.






Skin-Prick Test - for determining the allergens affecting an individual. You have to wait of 2 days and stop all anti-allergy medication before you go for this test. Your skin is marked, a drop of liquid containing a specific allergen is placed in each marking. Each mark is pricked with a fresh blade (pain is not more than that of a mosquito bite and there is no blood involved, they just prick the skin) and then you are asked to wait for an hour for the reaction to happen. The marks which swells up (like mosquito bites) are the ones corresponding to the allergens that have an affect on your body.

Based on the findings of the skin-prick test, you are given a report of all the allergens with high severity, for which Immunotherapy is necessary and a below low/moderate severity which you can then take a call whether to remove it from your diet or reduce its intake / exposure to it.

Immunotherapy

There might be different versions of this for different diseases. The treatment I was advised had three components. It is a totally natural treatment assisted by some multi-vitamin supplements.

Nasal Flush / Jal-Neti: This is an ancient cleansing procedure advocated by Naturopathy and Yoga. You are basically flushing the nasal cavity to remove any allergens and preventing their build-up in the system thus preventing any sudden bursts of anti-bodies. It is done by mixing a prescribed salt in sterile water and using a bellow like pump to get the fluid in from one nostril and out from the other. After proper flush I take 3 doses of the a fluid which helps to keep the nose wet and lubricated during the day.

Immunity Build-up: I had a deficiency of vitamin B-12 and Vitamin D. Took a booster dose (short term) as advised by the doctor.

Immunotherapy: For an allergy treatment point of view what they do is basically inject the allergen in metered doses for a long time, so that the body eventually gets used to the presence of the antibodies that are secreted due to the presence of the allergens. The vials of liquid containing a concoction of the main allergens are prepared and sent to you with a dosage chart. The liquid is taken into the body like polio drops. Follow it strictly and without fail. It goes on for 1-1.5 years and you have to go for check-ups in between at a 2-3 month interval or if you are having some adverse reactions to the medication.

My headaches are gone which is a huge change from the suffering I was in before. The wheezing has also almost gone. The treatment seems to be working. I am hopefully on my last set of vials and will update with what has been advised after that in 4-5 months.

Your friend needs to see an allergy specialist. And the allergies are also very specific to the surroundings you are in, a change of location, frequent travelling etc. will not help the diagnosis since the clinics only test for the most common allergens present in the specific geographic locale. Discuss with the doctor soon.

[Jaguar]

Originally Posted by BRV

Its been a month now and am trying to figure out to what am allergic to. My symptoms are:

Wake up with clogged nostril (one)
Running nose
Continuous sneezing

These symptoms will be there till afternoon and am good till next day morning. The moment I wake up in the morning symptoms start. Even if I gets disturbed in sleep after 3 am the symptoms start immediately.

What time do you wake up generally? Me and my mother both have similar symptoms and it gets aggravated if we get out (even to the balcony) during early mornings. Post lockdown, I am waking up late, post 9 and I haven't faced much issues.

Originally Posted by Tgo

Skin-Prick Test - for determining the allergens affecting an individual. You have to wait of 2 days and stop all anti-allergy medication before you go for this test. Your skin is marked, a drop of liquid containing a specific allergen is placed in each marking. Each mark is pricked with a fresh blade (pain is not more than that of a mosquito bite and there is no blood involved, they just prick the skin) and then you are asked to wait for an hour for the reaction to happen. The marks which swells up (like mosquito bites) are the ones corresponding to the allergens that have an affect on your body.

How do they mark the skin? With a pen? My skin gets swollen with as much as a scratch, nothing serious and it returns to normal after a while. I had to tell a doc it was normal after he marked the test spot for an anesthetic before a minor surgery.

[BRV]

Originally Posted by Jaguar

What time do you wake up generally? Me and my mother both have similar symptoms and it gets aggravated if we get out (even to the balcony) during early mornings. Post lockdown, I am waking up late, post 9 and I haven't faced much issues.

In general I wake up around 9 am. Over weekends I wake up around 6.30 / 7 am. Symptoms are same irrespective of the time I wake up.

Running nose and sneezing stops when I take Cetrizine tablet and I can feel the difference in an hour. This has affect of around 24-36 hrs in my body and after that I will have the symptoms back. When its too severe I take Cetrizine.

Due to lock down and ongoing paranoia about the cold symptoms I haven't visited hospital yet. In the meanwhile, trying to boost my immune with home remedies (like having Kashaya)

[r_devakumar]

I am sharing my experience. Ten years back, i got allergy issue (after i returned from US where i lived for about 18 months). It will start with sneeze (especially in the morning), then running nose, nose block, cough etc. In couple of days, it will get severe and i won't be able to sleep at night because of breathing (wheezing) issue.

Algera is the default medicine and gives immediate relief. It will come again after couple of days once i stop the tablet. i went to an ENT specialist. The doctor was very frank and said it is not easy to find the root cause and find a permanent cure most of the allergies. I was asked to do a prick test. My hand marked in some 40 -50 places and they started the injection. I fainted after some 15 injections. The doctor then checked and said i am allergic to chicken, mutton, fish, brinjal and many more and i need to stop eating them completely.

I am not ready go give up all my favorite foods. Just to increase my immunity i started doing jogging / running. To my surprise, it helped me to get out of my allergies. It was not regular running in the earlier days. Whenever the sneeze starts, i will run for 5 to 10 minutes in the evening and it will go in a day or two.

It is almost 10 years now and i am not facing any allergy problem now. I continue my little running whenever possible. And also i do few breathing exercise (to cover all three part of our lungs).

[Tgo]

Originally Posted by Jaguar

How do they mark the skin? With a pen?

For the numbering they used a ball point pen and for the circles they used a rubber stamp and ink pad. They might have a workaround for it in your case.

[distiller]

I am also suffering from sinusitis and have 3-4 bouts each year. I am in regular consultation with ENT. Whenever the situation is aggravated they keep me on antibiotic for 7-12 days. And I regularly use antihistamine Bilastine 20 mg and Flomist nasal spray. Yet on occasions I am perfectly fine and on some I can't bear the pain.
The doctor says this happens because of allergy and till date haven't recommended allergy test for me.
In fact I also feel that I need to do something (like exercising) to improve my immunity. As I am a lazy couch and the only part of my body that gets some exercise is my brain I was also considering doing nasal flush using neti pot, that will be a new learning exercise.

[Tgo]

On a side note, apart from exercising, breathing exercises / pranayam and quitting smoking also does wonders to the nose related allergy situation.

Sometimes a cold breeze from the AC or a cold beverage also triggers sneezing and headaches but I don't know how someone can be immunized for those.

[Mortis]

Ive been suffering from nasal allergies since I was a kid. Starts with a stuffy or runny nose in the morning. Im allergic to dust, strong smells and changes in the weather so nothing much I can do to avoid it. Been taking at least half a Levocet M on a daily basis.
Off late there are occasionally terrible days where my nose is perpetually runny no matter what I do and I end up using a full roll of tissue paper a day blowing it. By the second day it's sore and bleeding. Any tips ?

Also developed dry itchy eyes since the last few years after I got conjunctivitis twice in a 3 month span.

One more thing, not an allergy per se but since I turned 30 a few years ago my stomach has become quite weak. It started with my favourite alcohols one by one where even a single drink would give me a bad stomach within half an hour and occasionally even hangover type symptoms and restless sleep. Only Gin seems to be okish so I rarely drink. Now spicy, heavy food also has similar effects on the stomach.

Oh and the wife has also become selectively lactose intolerant since the last few years. Mostly with buffalo milk and fresh cream. She can still have cow's milk, butter, ghee and hard cheeses.

[GTO]

I'm terribly allergic to dust; an expert told me it could also be "dust mite". The house, office & cars are kept super clean. But if I walk into an affected place (typically a holiday home not used for long), it triggers badly.

Solution = avoid ill-maintained houses.

[revvharder]

Originally Posted by Mortis

Ive been suffering from nasal allergies since I was a kid. Starts with a stuffy or runny nose in the morning. Im allergic to dust, strong smells and changes in the weather so nothing much I can do to avoid it. Been taking at least half a Levocet M on a daily basis.
Off late there are occasionally terrible days where my nose is perpetually runny no matter what I do and I end up using a full roll of tissue paper a day blowing it. By the second day it's sore and bleeding. Any tips ?

3-4 years back even I started getting running nose occasionally. It would release mucus as if some tap was on. At that time I would just sleep with head tilted and it would stop but slowly the situation got worse and it used to happen daily. So I consulted our family homeopathic doctor who gave me some medicine to take daily and told me that my nasal polyps had enlarged, it was due to pollution of Delhi. After 2 days my nose got relieved but after 2 months when I stopped taking the medication it was again releasing mucus nonstop.

I consulted another Doctor who advised me to do kapalbhati, anulom-vilom pranayam and do Jal Neti. I used lukewarm water with rocksalt to do Jal neti instead of normal room temperature water as it used to relieve the polyps instantly. For some time I did it on daily basis but now I just do it on alternate days and so far am happy.