Question:
Is there anybody in the world left who wouldn't qualify as having
allergies after this list is gone through? This seems quite exagerrated
to me and not based on what experts in the field of allergy would list as
symptoms of allergies.
Answer:
POSSIBLE SYMPTOMS OF ALLERGY
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Abnormal Heart Rate
Aching Muscles
Alcoholism
Anaphylaxis
Anxiety
Arthritis
Asthma
Attention Deficit Syndrome
Bad Breath
Bed Wetting
Black Eyes ('Allergy Shiners')
Blisters
Bloating
Blocked Nose
Blocked Sinuses
'Burning'
Candidiasis
Catarrh
Chest Pains
Chilblains
Choking
Chronic Fungal Infections
Chronic Yeast Infections
Colitis
Constipation
Coughing
Cramps
Crohn's Disease
Crying Fits
Cystitis
Delusions
Depression
Dermatitis
Diarrhoea
Dizzyness
Drug Addiction
Dry Scaly Skin
Dullness
Duodenal Ulcers
Ear Infections
Eczema
Epilepsy
Erratic Behaviour
Fainting
Fatigue
Fever
Fluctuating Weight
Fluid Retention
Food Cravings and Addictions (inc Withdrawal Symptoms)
Frigidity
Glue Ear
Gut Spasm
Hallucinations
Hay Fever Rhinitis
Headache
Hives
Hoarseness
Hyperactivity
Hypertension
Hyperventilation
Hysteria
Impotence
Increased Mucus
Indigestion
Inflamed Sinuses
Insomnia
Irrational Behavior
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Irritability
Itchy Eyes
Itchy Nose
Itchy Skin
Joint Pain
Lethargy
Mania
Memory Lapses
Menstrual Symptoms
Migraine
Mouth Ulcers
Muscle Spasm
Nappy Rash
Nausea
Nettle Rash
Numbness
Obcessive Compulsive Disorder
Obesity
Palpitations
Panic Attacks
Paranoia
Phobia
Piles
'Pins and Needles'
Psoriasis
Red Eyes
Redness of Skin
Runny Eyes
Runny Nose
'Scalding'
Schizophrenia
Sinusitis
Sleep Disturbances
Sneezing
Sore Throat
Stomach Ulcers
Sweating
Swollen Tissues
Tension
Tight Chest
Tinnitus
Tremors
Urinary Frequency
Urticaria
Vaginal Discharge
Vaginal Thrush
Vertigo
Violent Behaviour
Vomiting
Weals
Weight Loss
Wind
Wheezing
White Pasty Skin
But that's everything! Find me one person who doesn't have at least
one of those symptoms.
In a way, that's the point. The symptoms of allergy are unpredictable
and vary from person to person. The cause of any of these may not be allergy, but then again they might
be.
Allergy is simply another cause which has to be eliminated as part of
the diagnostic process.
With 1:3 people having known allergies, and the possibility of a great
number more having hidden allergies, plus the people suffering from
illnesses unrelated to allergy, it's not surprising that most people
will have some of these symptoms.
The fine print is that she said *possible*. Yes, those are all *possibly*
the result of allergies. But only for a very few of them is allergy the
most likely explanation, so this list is essentially useless. Statistics
texts discuss this sort of stuff under "Bayesian inference". Andromeda
might like to look up what they say about when it *doesn't* work. You're onto something if several of these symptoms coexist, or if their
severity varies in a way that correlates with exposure to an allergen. The list is far from useless...I have sent the hard copy to many friends
who have written back and said they suffer from as many as half the
symptoms. They have then gone to their doctors and asked for referrals
to allergists and freed themselves from everything from steroids,
painkillers and tranquillisers to psychiatric care. The point is that people who have these symptoms whose doctors have been
unable to find a cause should be investigated for allergies as part of
the diagnostic work-up. Currently it is very rare for this to happen.
This list is particularly relevant when you remember which websites we
are reading here. I have posted it so that people who already have
problem allergies know that if they suffer from these symptoms they may
also be related to their allergies, and may wish to have them
investigated from that angle.
