Truths About Allergies
Article contributed by:
Raffles Medical Group
Allergies can have
severe consequences.
Understanding these
commonly heard myths can
help defend you and your
loved ones from
allergies. Experts from
Raffles explain the
fallacy in these myths.
Get it right today!
1. Keeping short haired
pets won’t cause
allergies
Pets, whether furry or
non-furry, short haired
or long haired, all have
the propensity to cause
allergies in those who
are susceptible.
The culprit in pet
allergies is the protein
that is found on the
hair or in the saliva of
pets such as cats and
dogs.
Cats often cause more
allergy problems than
dogs because they tend
to lick their fur a lot,
spreading saliva protein
onto their coats.
These proteins can
trigger an allergic
reaction within minutes
if breathed in by the
allergy-sufferer.
The symptoms may include
itchy eyes, sneezing,
asthma and skin rashes.
Dr Chris Foo,
Specialist in
Dermatology, Raffles
Skin Centre
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2. We are safe from hay
fever since we are not
exposed to hay
Hay fever is a misnomer
on two counts. It
is neither caused by hay
nor is there associated
fever. It is
caused by allergy to
pollens dispersed by the
seasonal flowering
plants usually in spring
time giving rise to
nasal congestion,
blocked and running
nose, breathlessness,
general feeling of
unwell and possibly
secondary sinusitis.
This 'flowering' season
coincides with the
'haying' season, hence
the “guilty by
association” factor
comes into play.
Dr Aw Chong Yin,
Specialist in ENT
Surgery, Raffles ENT
Centre
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3. Food allergies are
the most common type of
allergies
Food allergy is a
difficult problem
because it is actually a
group of diseases.
Public perception of
food allergy is very
different from doctors'.
Too many diseases are
being blamed on food
allergy and too many
people, especially
children are labelled as
being “food allergic".
Food allergy is
perceived to be present
in 20 per cent of adults
when the true figure is
closer to one to two per
cent. Through
questionnaire surveys,
prevalence of food
allergy has been
reported to range from 5
per cent in Singapore to
12 per cent in Japan.
However, when doctor's
assessment is included
in an Israel prevalence
study, the prevalence
was only 1.7 per cent.
Therefore, food allergy
is not as common as
people think it is.
A/P Wong Soon Tee,
Specialist in
Dermatology, Raffles
Skin Centre
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4. If a food gives me
problems, I’m allergic
to it
The short answer would
be ‘maybe’. It all
depends on the problems
you think the food is
giving you. The
classic immediate type
of allergic reactions
includes symptoms that
can develop within
seconds or minutes, for
e.g. angioedema,
urticaria, hives, and
anaphylaxis. Some
of these symptoms are
severe and can be life
threatening, requiring
immediate medical
attention. If you
suspect that there is a
food group that causes
you these symptoms, you
should consult your
doctor who can suggest
some tests to confirm
this.
It is important to
remember that there are
other medical conditions
that can also make you
feel unwell. It is
therefore important that
you consult your family
physician for him to
find out the cause of
the problem. It
may involve blood tests
to rule out conditions
like diabetes, anaemia,
thyroid disease. A
food allergy test may
also be required.
Dr
Melvyn Wong, Senior
Family Physician,
Raffles Medical
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5. Natural / organic
foods are non-allergenic
Limiting your diet to
organic food is no
guarantee that you will
avoid triggering food
allergies. In
fact, some of the most
allergenic foods are
"natural", unprocessed
foods: cow's milk, eggs,
peanuts, wheat,
soybeans, fish and
shellfish, and nuts.
These foods, together,
account for close to 90
per cent of all food
allergic reactions.
The proteins in the
food, and not the
chemicals related to
growing the food, are
the cause of allergies.
Ms
Nehal Kamdar, Senior
Dietitian,
Raffles Internal
Medicine Centre
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6. Allergies are
psychosomatic
Although stress can
influence, heighten or
worsen allergies, the
causal relationship is
not so straight forward.
More research needs to
unravel the exact
mechanisms as many
people do not develop
allergies with stress.
Researchers are still
trying to pin-point
stress-related factors
which may influence our
immune system and also
clarify protective
factors. We can
then fine-tune lifestyle
modification to help
allergy sufferers and
hopefully prevent
children and vulnerable
adults from developing
certain allergies later
on.
Meanwhile, it's best to
take good care of your
physical and mental
health, manage stress,
and avoid potential
allergens and addictive
substances (e.g.
smoking, drugs, and
excessive alcohol) and
high-risk behaviours.
You should also see your
doctor early for help in
any of these areas.
Dr
Arthur Lee, Specialist
in Psychiatry,
Raffles Counselling
Centre
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7.
I should save my
prescription allergy
medication for the days
I am suffering most
Anti-allergy medications
work best when taken
according to the
treatment plan your
doctor has given you.
This is especially true
for prescribed nasal
steroid sprays and
anti-histamines, which
may become ineffective
if only taken on “as
needed” basis.
Usually nasal steroid
sprays work best after
two to three weeks of
continuous therapy, and
you may need to continue
this for an extended
period for maximal
benefit. The dose
of anti-histamine
tablets and nasal sprays
may be tailed down
gradually once symptoms
become more manageable.
Hence it is not
advisable to take these
medicines only when
needed, but to follow
the directions given by
your doctor regarding
therapeutic does and
frequency.
Dr
Rupert See, Senior
Physician,
Raffles Medical
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8. Allergy shots
don't work
Allergy shots also
commonly known as
immunotherapy injections
have been very popular
in the United States for
the last 50 years.
Immunotherapy is used to
decrease the body's
response to allergens
such as dust mite, tree
and grass pollens.
There is enough evidence
to support the fact that
it is effective.
However, up till
recently, it could only
be administered via
injections on a regular
basis. Technology
has since advanced such
that allergen
immunotherapy can now be
effectively given via
placing drops under the
tongue on a regular
basis without the need
for injections.
This is called
sublingual
immunotherapy.
Instead of calling it
allergy shots, perhaps a
more appropriate name
might be allergy drops!
Dr Stephen Lee,
Specialist in ENT
Surgery, Raffles ENT
Centre
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Article contributed by:
Raffles Medical Group
Dated: July 2011
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