ALLERGY SHOTS: SIDE EFFECTS OF IMMUNOTHERAPYThere are five possible side effects to an allergy shot: 1. A small area of redness (smaller than the size of a quarter), swelling, and itching at the site of injection that begins within a few minutes of your receiving the injection and that goes away within 1 to 2 hours.2. A larger reaction (larger than a quarter but smaller than a silver dollar in size), swelling, and itching at the site of injection, beginning a few minutes after the injection and clearing in 1 to 2 hours.3. A very large area of swelling (inches of swelling), redness, and itching that begins some 4 to 6 hours after a shot, lasts a number of hours, then gradually resolves itself over 24 to 48 hours.4. A mild generalized reaction that begins within 30 minutes of receiving an injection and consists of generalized itching, hives, and some coughing and mild wheezing.5. A severe, life-threatening reaction; this typically begins within 20 to 30 minutes after an injection, and takes the form of severe shock.The very mild reactions are common, large local reactions are less common, very large local reactions even less common, generalized mild reactions are uncommon, and the life threatening reactions are very, very rare. A recent study of deaths from allergy skin testing or allergy immunotherapy shots revealed 46 deaths since 1945. Considering the millions of such injections given each year – some say as many as 10 million each year – such a catastrophe is rare indeed. In fact, the chances of your dying from an allergy injection are 30 times less than those of dying from being struck by lightening, 2,000 times less than dying from the effects of smoking or passively smoking cigarettes, and 16,000 times less than dying in an automobile accident. I mention this because sometimes one hears scare messages about immunotherapy, implying that it carries a high risk of life-threatening reaction. Such messages are in fact, unfounded, providing the physician knows and understands what he or she is doing. Again, you should be absolutely certain that the physician in charge of your immunotherapy is properly trained and experienced in the safe and effective administration of this therapy.*56/322/5*

SOME ALLERGENS CAUSING PERENNIAL ALLERGIC RHINITISMammalsAlthough they are not major constituents of modern home furnishings, horse hair and cow hair were at one time used as stuffing in furniture and mattresses, as well as in mattings, padding, and felts. Exposure to these allergens can still occur via older beds, carpets, carpet pads, chairs, and sofas.
FeathersAlthough it is possible to be allergic to feathers, what we call our “allergy to feathers” is most likely a reaction to the house mites living in the feather pillows, not to the feathers themselves. Remember, feathers are specialized extensions of the skin of birds and are thus composed of epithelial cells, the basic foodstuff of house mites. As a rule, the older the feather pillow, the more of a problem it will present to an allergic person, due to the accumulation of mites over time. A feather pillow is such a perfect environment that a house mite couple finding their way into a feather pillow would no doubt think they’d died and gone to heaven.Caution: We tend to forget that feathers are used in things other than pillows. Watch out for things like comforters, quilts, down jackets, and sleeping bags.A Myth About Feathers: “I Can’t Take Egg-Containing Vaccines Because I’m Allergic to Feathers.” Horse feathers! A reaction to feathers has nothing to do with eggs. Egg protein has to do with eggs. If you are truly allergic to eggs, you should take egg-grown vaccines only with great caution, if at all.
CottonseedThis is one of the most potent allergens for humans. The culprit is a water soluble protein that is used most extensively in fertilizers and animal feeds. It can cause explosive symptoms when those allergic to it are exposed.For the record, it is extremely unlikely that cottonseed oil contains any active cottonseed allergen, due to its extensive preparation process.
KapokKapok is a light, cotton-like fiber derived from the fruit of the kapok tree, indigenous to Ceylon, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, and South America. After the fruit of the kapok tree is picked, workers remove the seeds and fibers and dry them in the sun. The fibers are lightweight, buoyant, and do not absorb water. It is these qualities that make it useful as a stuffing for mattresses, pillows, sleeping bags, and lifejackets. Like feather pillows, as it ages, it increases as a problem for allergic people, a characteristic some believe is due to its gradual invasion by house mites. Hence, kapok pillows should not replace feather pillows for feather-allergic people.*21/322/5*

The causes of contact dermatitis include the following materials:

Soaps and detergents: May irritate the hands, fingers, or wrists.

Plants: May touch the hands, forearms, ankles, etc. and create an itch usually followed by a secondary bacterial infection. (Examples include poison ivy, poison sumac, English ivy, and philodendron, as well as such plant derivatives as Japanese lacquer and cashew nutshell oil.)

Textiles: May cause contact allergy where the pressure of the clothing is greatest, such as under a hat band.

Jewelry: May cause contact dermatitis on earlobes, neck, and wrists.

Cosmetics: May cause contact dermatitis on eyelids, ears, fingers, etc. If the dermatitis is present in the scalp, the cause may be scalp lotions, hair tonics, hair dyes, or shampoos; if it is on the eyelids, the cause may be mascaras and eyebrow pencils; if it is in the armpits, the cause may be deodorants.

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Before we look at why various treatments haven’t been as effective as they could have been, we will look at the issue of anger.

Understanding our anger

In many instances our anger is more than justified, but we need to realise why we haven’t had the help we need. We also need to be careful that our anger doesn’t prevent us from seeking further help.

We may be angry about the overall lack of understanding and knowledge of anxiety disorders, or at not receiving an earlier diagnosis and effective treatment. Many people who have had the disorder for years feel cheated by the loss of family, social and employment opportunities. There is also anger that the lack of understanding has strengthened the myths and stigma surrounding anxiety disorders. These myths include: we are weak in character, not trying hard enough, or gaining too many secondary benefits from the disorder to really want to recover.

We need to understand why adequate help has not been available to us, and why it is still limited. As I said in the beginning, panic disorder has only been classified as a separate disorder since 1980. It has been only in the last few years that researchers have realised the possible serious disabilities associated with the disorders. Up until now the lack of understanding and adequate treatment hasn’t been anyone’s fault. The community as a whole is still not aware of the full extent and possible serious disabilities associated with the disorders; as individuals, we are. Some of us live with the disorder for years, but because of the lack of understanding we are too ashamed and humiliated to speak out. This is a mistake.

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It is not difficult to imagine how a disorder such as irritable bowel syndrome could affect a patient psychologically. For those with diarrhoea – one form of IBS – the symptoms are highly disruptive to normal life. Any outing revolves around the need to find a lavatory at short notice, and many outdoor activities, such as hiking or climbing, are virtually impossible. Apart from the pain which many patients suffer, the continual diarrhoea does great damage to the self-image and feelings of self-disgust are common. If the diarrhoea comes and goes, there is an understandable tendency to blame ‘germs’ and a neurotic concern about food hygiene may result. Where constipation is the predominant symptom, there may be considerable discomfort which again is damaging to morale.

Given these difficulties, it is hardly surprising that many patients with IBS show signs of neurotic depression and anxiety neurosis. Lack of understanding by family members and doctors is likely to compound the problem. Dr Joseph Miller, a clinical ecologist working in Alabama, writes: ‘These patients are not basically neurotic, but they are less able to cope with daily problems because their symptoms distract and bewilder them. They shop for relief from physician to physician, their self-esteem diminishes, and their anxieties increase when they are told repeatedly that their symptoms are “only due to nerves”. They receive symptomatic and supportive care rather than specific treatment. Many… become secondarily depressed from the feeling of being hopelessly trapped.’

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