Clinical Ecology of Allergy

Clinical ecologists make use of skin tests, where appropriate, but do not rely on them to reveal food and chemical allergies. They realize that there is much still not understood about allergies and their effect on the immune system. Studies of ecological illness have shown that an increasing number of people throughout the Western world, are developing multiple allergies to their diet and chemical environment. These ecology-caused illnesses do not produce the normally accepted responses within the immune system. Therefore, attempts to stimulate the appropriate immunoglobulin, as in standard allergy tests, will not give an indication of allergy to a particular substance. It is apparent, at this stage, that medical science is not in a position to explain why people become sensitive to various foods and/or chemicals, and the mechanism of this sensitivity.

For this reason, clinical ecologists have had to develop other techniques of diagnosing food and chemical sensitivities in the increasing numbers of people presenting this problem. Bearing in mind that many conditions involve multiple masked allergies, it is no easy task to commence the painstaking business of unravelling them. Most dedicated clinical ecologists tend to use a combination approach. They ascertain what they can with conventional testing and invariably, as this produces limited results, they then look to other methods, as well as a careful and detailed study of the individual's diet and chemical environment. Unfortunately, very few doctors are willing to become involved in this difficult field of medicine. The attractions for solving people's health problems, with prescribed drugs, is obvious. The trouble is that this approach often does not work, and the patient lingers on in a twilight world of continuous illness palliated by drugs but never cured, with the quality of his life drastically reduced.

Among the alternative diagnostic techniques evolved by clinical ecologists, is the elimination of allergenic foods by dietary control. This is then followed by reintroduction of suspect foods, over a period of time, with careful notice being taken of possible reactions. The process itself is tedious but simple. Where there is no interested doctor accessible, the individual can carry out this process himself. It does, however, require sound management and self discipline.

Alternative diagnostic techniques have been refined in America, in recent years. According to Dr Carl Ebnother, director of the Centre for Orthomolecular Medicine in California, tests can now be done for 150 food allergies. Dr Ebnother says that the average person today is allergic to 25 foods. If this is the case, then it is no wonder there are so many health problems in America and similar countries, such as Australia. It indicates that most people are suffering from some form of ill health, due to an overload of allergenic toxins.

Home Remedies ,Natural Beauty and Aromatherapy Recipes