My name is Marilyn Baker, and I have horrible allergies. I’m 42 years old and have been suffering from allergies since I was a child. I have seasonal and environmental allergies. Allergies plague me year round. When I was young, my parents even moved to a dryer area in the hope of helping me. Over the past eight years, I have done extensive research both through doctors and online. I have managed to come up with some combinations that have helped me a great deal. My allergies aren’t gone, but they have become manageable. I do have to have allergy shots, but I also use some natural remedies. I am happy to be able to share my findings with you here on my blog. I hope you can find some of this of value.
When most people think of allergies they think of an immediate severe reaction. For example, you might eat a peanut and swell up, have a hard time breathing and vomit right there on the spot. These are called fixed allergies. The response is immediate, predictable and severe. However, there are other types of food allergies called cyclic. These allergies are delayed in their response. And although there is not as much known about them, they are just as common. Here is what you need to know about cyclic food allergies.
How Do I Know It Is A Cyclic Food Allergy?
Cyclic food allergies are harder to detect because they are delayed. If you have a fixed allergy, it is obvious that there is a problem because you will see an immediate reaction. However, a cyclic allergy could take days to show itself and in addition, the symptoms are much less severe. For example, you might have an upset stomach, unexplained constipation, eczema, diarrhea, blood in the urine or stool and even vomiting. Since the reaction is so delayed, it can be hard to know what it causing the problem. This is why it goes undetected in many individuals.
How Are Cyclic Food Allergies' Diagnosed?
If you have a cyclic food allergy, the best thing to do is to start keeping a food journal. You should write down everything you eat, even small amounts of things. In addition, you should write how you felt that day, your bathroom habits, any occurrences of skin rashes or eczema, and any other abnormalities. This will hopefully help you to pinpoint what is making you sick.
Another way to detect the allergies is to do an elimination diet. You should try taking out the 8 major foods that cause food allergies. Then after the system has been cleansed from these foods, you can slowly start to add them back in. You add in one food at a time and wait about a week before trying new foods. This will help you see whether it is dairy, wheat, corn, eggs or something else that is causing you to be sick.
Lastly, you can get a blood test. You will need a test that detects IgG antibodies in the blood. These are the antibodies that are indicative of a cyclic food allergy. The tests are pretty specific that they can tell what foods are causing you to have reaction. Once you determine which foods are making you sick, you can eliminate them, or begin treatment from an allergist like Diane L. Ozog, MD, SC.
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