The incidence of allergies, a hypersensitivity to a specific substance or condition that in similar amounts are harmless to most people, is skyrocketing. Allergies are now the sixth leading cause of chronic disease in America,1 costing U.S. companies more than $250 million every year due to increased absenteeism and reduced productivity.2 Eliminating the causes and discovering new treatments is the key to bringing this epidemic under control.

What Is an Allergy?
   When the body's immune system “mistakes” a common substance such as pollen or cat dander as a “foreigner,” it can overreact and mount an often violent response to expel the “threatening invader,” or allergen. An allergic reaction occurs when a specific antibody, IgE, links the allergen to a specialized white blood cell called a mast cell. When this happens, histamine is released into circulation, resulting in the commonly recognized symptoms of allergies: itchy, watery eyes, sneezing and a runny nose. Allergic reactions can also manifest as an asthma attack, violent abdominal cramping or an immediate, severe skin reaction (hives). The most severe type of allergic reaction, anaphylaxis, can result in loss of consciousness and even death.
   Another more insidious type of allergic reaction occurs when the body's immune system “sees” its own tissues as foreign, attacking and destroying itself. Known as autoimmune reactions, these conditions can lead to the destruction of the body's own organs and joints. Hashimoto's disease (thyroiditis), rheumatoid arthritis and lupus are examples of autoimmune diseases.

Why Allergies Are Increasing: Little-Known Causes
   Researchers have identified many substances that can induce the production of IgE antibodies. The preservatives found in vaccinations are one little-known cause. Mercury,3 aluminum4 and gelatin5 have all been reported in medical literature to increase IgE concentrations, playing a potential role in the onset of allergies. Children are initially exposed to these substances beginning with the routine vaccinations that take place at the age of two months. Because a newborn's immune system is not fully developed, infancy is a high-risk period for allergic sensitization.6 Events that occur early in life, such as vaccination, have the potential for inducing allergies and asthma later in life.

   The incidence of asthma appears to disproportionately affect socially disadvantaged residents of low-income, inner-city neighbor-hoods. A well-documented reason for this is exposure to a protein found in cockroach droppings. One in five children in the U.S. is allergic to cockroach allergens, as indicated by a positive skin-prick test.7 These proteins are believed to be the major risk factor for the increased incidence of asthma among children in inner-city homes.
   Exposure to antibiotics has also been linked to allergies. A recent study published in the Journal of Clinical and Experimental Allergy8 documents that children given antibiotics during the first year of life are more than four times as likely to develop asthma than children who have never taken antibiotics. When the statistics are adjusted for factors such as gender, ethnicity, family size, family history of asthma and parents' smoking habits, the risk of developing asthma is six times greater in those who have received antibiotics early in life than in children who have never taken them.

Common Health Problems: Think Allergies
Allergies are often the underlying cause of a myriad of seemingly unrelated health problems. Many people do not realize that symptoms such as body aches, fatigue, indigestion, headaches, ear infections, irritability, hyperactivity and learning disabilities can be symptoms of overlooked food and environmental allergies. Studies have revealed the following facts:
• Chronic ear infections can often be caused by food allergies, according to the results of a study involving 104 children with chronic ear infections. Seventy-eight percent showed allergic reactions to certain foods. Once the offending foods were eliminated from their diets, 86% showed a significant lessening of symptoms. The most common allergenic foods were cow's milk (38%), wheat (33%), egg white (25%), peanut (20%) and soy (17%).9
• An Italian study involving 204 babies found that approximately 45% had stomach discomfort caused by cow's milk.10
• Children with inflammatory bowel disease are symptom-free for prolonged periods of time when grains, dairy products and yeast are eliminated from the diet.11
• Professor John Egger reported in the Journal of Pediatrics that epileptics who also have headaches, stomach aches or ADHD, (all symptoms of food sensitivities and allergies) may have seizures triggered by food additives.12
   In addition, many parents don't realize that hyperactivity, distractibility and aggressive behavior associated with ADD and ADHD can be triggered by food intolerances. These concepts have been around for many years and have been fully discussed in books by two researcher/physicians, Dr. Ben Feingold, author of Why Your Child is Hyperactive and Dr. Doris Rapp, author of Is This Your Child. Dr. Rapp documented in her book that 67% of children diagnosed with ADHD were actually reacting to unrecognized food and environmental allergies.

Conventional Allergy Testing
   Methods for diagnosing allergies include scratch-testing, patch-testing and RAST-testing. The scratch, or pinprick, test is the most commonly used. This method involves placing a small amount of an allergen on the skin of the forearm or the back and then scratching or “pricking” it. Signs of a reaction are noted, such as swelling, itching or redness. Several suspected allergens can be tested simultaneously and results are usually obtained within about 20 minutes.
   Intradermal allergy testing, called patch-testing, is another method of determining a sensitivity involving the skin. A small amount of an allergen is injected beneath the surface of the skin. A positive reaction looks like a small hive with swelling, redness and itching. Intradermal testing provides more consistent results.
   A RAST test (radioallergosorbent test) is a blood test to determine the amount IgE antibody available to react with a specific allergen. The more IgE present, the stronger the allergic response is to the allergen. A similar type of blood test is called the ALCAT test (antigen leukocyte cellular antibody test). The ALCAT test involves exposing blood serum to a variety of allergy extracts followed by a computer analysis. Specific types of changes suggest the presence of an allergy.

Conventional Treatment of Allergies
   Once identified, allergies are generally treated with medications such as antihistamines, decongestants and corticosteroids. Unfortunately, most of these medications have unpleasant side effects, and as unusual as it may seem, some patients can even be allergic to the medication they are taking to treat the allergy!
   Antihistamines are given to relieve the commonly recognized symptoms of allergic rhinitis (hay fever) and other environmental allergies. Decongestants are used to reduce nasal congestion by shrinking blood vessels in the nasal passages. Both substances can cause side effects such as dry mouth and drowsiness. Corticosteroids reduce inflammation and mucus production in the lungs but risk potentially serious side effects that range from stunted growth in children to menstrual irregularities and osteoporosis in adults.
   The potential for side effects from drugs can be far worse than generally stated by physicians. One example, Serevent, is an inhaled drug commonly prescribed to treat asthma. In a testimony before the Senate Finance Committee on November 18, 2004, Vioxx whistle-blower Dr. David Graham revealed that “there is a statistically significant increase in serious asthma complications in Serevent-treated patients.” Graham, the Office of Drug Safety Associate Director for Science at the FDA, went on to say that Serevent has an unfortunate property: it can increase the risk of an asthmatic dying from their asthma.13 Serevent is on the list of drugs currently undergoing intense scrutiny by the FDA.

Alternative Medicine Treatments for Allergies
   When patients find that their prescription drugs are either not helpful or have intolerable side effects, they often seek relief through alternative medicine. Many non-pharmaceutical methods are available that have a track record for being gentle and quite effective. The first step in a drug-free regime includes a diet that eliminates the offending foods coupled with a variety of supplements such as vitamins, herbal combinations and homeopathic remedies.
   Individual herbs reported to be effective for eliminating allergy symptoms include bitter orange, stinging nettles and country mallow. These compounds are frequently combined in over-the-counter allergy preparations and are generally available at health food stores throughout Northeast Ohio.
   An allergy to peanuts is becoming very common, and unfortunately can be quite severe. Much research is being done to find protection for those suffering from this allergy, and good news is on its way. Mount Sinai and Johns Hopkins University researchers are investigating the effects of a Chinese herbal formula called FAHF-1 on peanut anaphylactic (the most severe) reactions. Researchers have concluded that FAHF-1 protected mice from anaphylactic reactions and significantly reversed the symptoms of IgE-mediated peanut allergy.14
   Food allergies are often associated with a disruption of the protective mucosal lining in the intestinal tract. Two common bacteria found in a healthy gut are Lactobacillus and Acidophilus. These living organisms are destroyed through the use of antibiotics, steroids and anti-inflammatory drugs. Replacing these two bacteria is instrumental in healing the mucosal lining and reducing allergies. According to the American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology, supplementing good bacteria may be beneficial for gut maturation and may protect an infant from developing eczema.15 One product, Culturelle™, has been scientifically proven to replenish the “friendly” bacteria commonly referred to as “the flora.” Culturelle™ can be helpful for children with milk allergies and adults suffering from chronic yeast infections.

   Homeopathic formulas containing diluted plant and animal extracts have also been used to help with allergies. Homeopathy works by a principle referred to as “like cures like.” For example, a substance that produces allergy symptoms in large quantities can eliminate the symptoms if given in minute quantities. Homeopathy is non-toxic, without side effects and available in most health food stores.
   Interesting reports have been written about hypnotherapy to uncover the root cause of an allergy – and then treat it using subconscious suggestions to address the emotional or psychological associations with the reaction. Louise Hay's book, You Can Heal Your Life, suggests that allergies are associated with giving up personal power or with the belief that the world is unsafe. Hay's unusual, but often successful, approach to health suggests that when the thought or belief that is holding the allergy in place is changed, the symptoms disappear.
   Another unconventional but frequently effective way to identify and treat allergies is through the use of kinesiology, commonly referred to as muscle testing. With this method, the patient holds a vial containing a suspected allergen in his hand while the practitioner applies gentle pressure to the opposite arm to determine the strength or weakness of the muscle. If the muscle tests weak, sensitivity to the substance has been identified.
   There are several techniques incorporating the use of kinesiology to relieve allergies. Perhaps the most widely known is a method called NAET, Nambudripad's Allergy Elimination Technique, named after its founder, Dr. Devi Nambudripad. Two other similar techniques are BioSET (Dr. Ellen Cutler's method) and Tenpenny's Sensitivity Reduction Technique, or T-SRT (developed by me). These techniques involve the combined use of kinesiology, homeopathy and acupressure/ acupuncture, and are categorized as forms of energy medicine.
   Energy medicine works to re-pattern the immune system so that it no longer reacts to a harmless allergen as if it were a threatening invader. What makes this form of allergy elimination so remarkable is that a successful treatment means you no longer need to avoid the allergen. In a study published in 2001 in Alternative Medicine Review16, 87.2% of the study's 90 participants rated the efficacy of the technique as “good to excellent” after eliminating their allergies using this approach.
   The acceptance of alternative treatments for allergies is gradually coming to the forefront. Unfortunately, until these methods are fully embraced by conventional medicine, most will not be covered by standard health insurance. However, if getting well and eliminating allergies is the goal, many allergy sufferers will choose to find a way to incorporate the costs into the family budget. By following a healthy diet and including vitamins, herbs and energy medicine techniques into a well-rounded program, restoring health in 2005 can be accomplished.
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1 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI). The Allergy Report: Science Based Findings on the Diagnosis & Treatment of Allergic Disorders, 1996-2001.
2 Hewitt Associates LLC. The Effects of Allergies in the Workplace. 1998.
3 B. Häggqvist. Cl & Exp. Immunology. Vol. 134, Issue 2, pg 202. Nov. 2003.
4 Fiejka M. Aluminum as an adjuvant in vaccines and post-vaccine reactions. PMID: 8235346.
5 Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2000 Mar; 84(3):341-4.
6 Karol, MH. Respiratory allergy: what are the uncertainties? Toxicology. 2002 Dec 27; 181- 182:305-10.
7 W Morgan et. al. Results of a home-based environmental intervention in urban children with asthma-The Inner City Asthma Study. NEJM 351(11):1068-80 (2004).
8 Wickens K, Pearce N, Crane J, Beasley R. Antibiotic use in early childhood and the development of asthma. Clin Exp Allergy 1999; 29:766-771.
9 Nsouli TM, Nsouli SM, Linde RE, et al. Role of food allergy in serous otitis media. Ann Allerg 1994; 73: 2159.
10 R. Ceriani et al. Lactose Malabsorption and Recurrent Abdominal Pain in Italian Children. Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, 1988;7(6):852-7, p. 852.
11 Hunter JO: Nutritional factors in inflammatory bowel disease. Eu J of Gastro & Hep 1998; 10: 235-237.
12 Journal of Pediatrics, Vol 114, p51-8, 1989.
13 Senate Finance Committee Hearing transcript, Nov. 18, 2004.
14 Li XM, Zhang TF, Huang CK, Srivastava K, Teper AA, Zhang L, et al. Food allergy herbal formula-1 (FAHF-1) blocks peanut-induced anaphylaxis in a murine model. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2001; 108: 639-46.
15 J Allergy Clin Immunol 2003; 111:389-95.
16 Altern Med Rev 2001;6(2):188-202.

Dr. Sherri Tenpenny is the president and medical director of OsteoMed II, an integrative medicine clinic in Middleburg Heights, Ohio. OsteoMed II's practitioners have 22 years combined experience using T-SRT, an allergy elimination technique unique to OsteoMed II. More than 65% of patients come to OsteoMed II specifically for this treatment. Dr. Tenpenny teaches T-SRT to physicians – primarily MDs and DOs – around the country through the American Academy of Environmental Medicine (www.aaem.com). For more information about allergy elimination at OsteoMed II, visit www.osteomed.com or call (440) 239-3438.

Photos by Bob Perkoski, www.Perkoski.com.