Five Unbelievable Facts about Allergies

  The  immune system in our bodies acts as a defense mechanism against all kinds of foreign substances. When the immune system registers a threat in the form of ‘allergens’, it takes action in order to remove them from our body, even if they are partially harmless. Itchy eyes, a runny nose and raw/sore throat are some of the allergic reactions caused by allergens. Even though there is no cure for most allergies, there are certainly preventative measures one can take to ensure minimal harm.

Facts about Allergies

Here are five interesting and unbelievable facts about allergies that you may not have come across:

1. More than 7 million children and a staggering 17 million adults are affected by asthma in the United States alone. Even though there is a small chance that you may grow out of asthma with age, adults are still the major sufferers as there is currently no cure. At best, asthma symptoms can only be controlled to a certain extent in adulthood.

2. In 2007, Jasper Lawrence purposely infected himself with hookworms by walking near latrines barefooted in the hopes of curing his asthma. It worked like a miracle which led him to devote his entire life to hookworms.

3. A protein known as ‘Lipid Transfer Protein’ has the tendency to cause rashes and irregular heartbeats. Surprisingly, the element with most LTP is beer. As a nation, with over 87% alcohol consumers, being allergic to beer is rather ironic; however, the threat is real and existential.

4. It is possible to be allergic to one of the most common survival elements known to man, water. There are over 100 such cases registered. The last registered cases were two individuals who developed serious rashes and hives after coming into contact with water. Drinking water did not give rise to any complications, although showering was a slight problem.

5. Being lactose intolerant is an unfortunate condition many folks have to deal with. Milk is an essential nutrient, particularly for growing children. Many people dislike milk regardless of being allergic to it which is understandable, but being allergic to cheese is just plain sad! Nobody should have to give up on cheese!

If you have allergies get in touch with us today. Call (828) 438-1930 if you are in Valdese. We offer allergy testing and treatment for all patients and will make sure you walk out satisfied.

The post Five Unbelievable Facts about Allergies appeared first on .

from http://ift.tt/2bNui37
via IFTTT