What is an Allergic Sensitivity?

When most of us think of allergies, we imagine only the most visible symptoms: hay fever, asthma, runny nose or even the anaphylactic reactions that produce swelling, constricted throats and can result in life-threatening conditions. These types of allergy symptoms are caused by an immunoglobulin E reaction (IgE for short ) and produce acute inflammation. Most allergy tests are designed to focus only on these severe IgE reactions, leaving many allergic symptoms undiagnosed. But not everyone who suffers from allergies will experience these symptoms.

Therefore, a new understanding of allergic sensitivities is needed to understand the full range of how the body reacts to foreign and toxic substances, beyond IgE reactions.

The New Definition of Allergies

An allergy is any bodily reaction to nutrients, foods, inhalants, chemicals and foreign substances that produces a cellular dysfunction and disturbs the normal physiology of the cell, gland, organs or systems.

For example, many food allergies (which tend to be IgG reactions) are not as visible as IgE reactions. Despite this fact, such allergies and their symptoms — constipation, gas, bloating, headache and fatigue — can cause just as much suffering and frustration in those they afflict. Because these symptoms tend to go undiagnosed (or are seen as part of a separate problem), people don’t realize they have allergic sensitivities that may be able to be treated naturally by altering one’s diet or taking supplements.

Sympathetic Dominance

Furthermore, allergies can have a snowball effect. Allergies can throw the body into a sympathetic dominant (fight-or-flight) state as it tries to process toxic or foreign molecules. The consistently high levels of adrenaline in such a state can make the body nutrient-deficient and reduce oxygenation to the cells. In such a state, the body is highly vulnerable to allergens, as it has a harder time processing molecules normally. Of course, stress arising from the allergy symptoms only reinforces this sympathetic dominant state, further weakening the body’s natural healing properties.

The Natural Allergy Treatment Perspective

By looking at allergies from this holistic perspective, we can better understand why simply using drugs and medication won’t work for many allergies. Allergic sensitivities affect the whole body, as well as the emotions and mind. While some might think a food allergy, for instance, would only affect the digestive system, it can cause problems in the respiratory system or contribute to feelings of lethargy. Only by getting to the root of the allergic sensitivity can you heal the whole person. My functional approach to healing is based on these two principles: get to the root problem and treat the whole person.