According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, as many as 50 million people – about one in five – have allergies in the United States alone. The number is on the rise, with no real understanding of why, said Jill Smothers, nurse practitioner at the Storms Bowdish Allergy Clinic in Colorado Springs, Colorado.ìWe know that there are a lot more chemical additives in our food than before,î Smothers said. ìThe soil is not being turned as it should, and a lot of the food out there now is just junk. We eat more of that junk food than we should.îDr. Faith Christensen, a naturopathic doctor at Springs Natural Medicine in Colorado Springs, said years ago, there were no genetically modified foods. Pesticides and herbicides are more widely used and often trigger a reaction in the immune system, which is more of an acquired allergy.However, certain foods seem to be more problematic than others, like peanuts, Smothers said. ìIt is definitely more common to have a peanut allergy, in general, and there are so many children developing peanut allergies,î she said.Dr. William Storms with the Storms Bowdish Clinic said there is no sound answer for the reason that so many people are allergic to peanuts. They happen to be unlucky food for many people in the United States, Storms said. Other foods cause major problems in other countries, and there is no strong explanation for it, he added.Since the advent of Amendment 64, which legalized marijuana in Colorado, Smothers said there has been an increase in people having reactions to common environmental allergens, like sage brush and rag weed. ìIt is called ëweedí for a reason,î she said. ìPeople with very high fall allergies often experience more allergic symptoms in the fall when they consume marijuana, because they are literally consuming something they are allergic to.îUnderstanding a true diagnosisAllergies are often brought on by exposure to something in food or the environment, but some people are born with a hyperactive immune system, which makes them more sensitive than the average person, Christensen said.ìYou have to categorize things,î she said. ìIt (reactions) may be crossing into the realm of an autoimmune response. To determine that, we do a blood test to see if you have antibodies in your blood related to those foods. That would be considered a true allergy.îSome people have an intolerance to a certain food and not a true allergy, and it is usually manifested in the digestive tract, Christensen said. In that instance, probiotics can help support digestive tract health. Likewise, digestive enzymes can help deal with a simple sensitivity to a food.An allergic reaction can also result from under-active adrenal glands, Christensen said. The adrenal glands produce cortisol, which is an anti-inflammatory agent. As people reach adulthood, stress often increases, which impacts the adrenal glands by releasing less cortisol, she said. That instance is not a true allergic reaction and can often be resolved with herbs and dietary and lifestyle changes, she said.Treatment optionsIf someone has a blood test diagnosis to determine allergens, they can take herbs and dietary supplements to change the way the body handles the food, Christensen said. ìThat change takes about six to 12 months. Essentially, you are trying to repair your digestive tract and help modulate your immune system so it is not reacting to that food anymore.îSmothers said sometimes allergies in children will resolve themselves as the children mature, usually starting between the ages of 7 and 9. Their bodies change; and, as they enter puberty, their allergy can disappear, she said.If adults suspect allergies, Smothers said it is best to get tested. ìOftentimes, we can put people on immunotherapy, basically allergy shots,î she said. ìWe can desensitize them to those environmental allergies and reduce the allergy load on their bodies.îSome people believe that exposure to an allergen in small amounts can help a person deal with their allergic reactions and reduce or alleviate them, Smothers said. However, she said medically there is not much evidence to support that theory.There is no foolproof way to avoid developing allergies as one ages, Christensen said. In general, more exposure to different things while you are growing up means you are less likely to develop allergies later in life, she said. However, for an anaphylactic reaction, which is a sudden, widespread, potentially severe and life-threatening allergic reaction, there is no amount of exposure that will help weaken that reaction later in life, she said.
