[2000rpm]

Originally Posted by Tgo

Well, I can share my experience at length. Hope it benefits your friend.



Skin-Prick Test - for determining the allergens affecting an individual.
Your friend needs to see an allergy specialist. And the allergies are also very specific to the surroundings you are in, a change of location, frequent travelling etc. will not help the diagnosis since the clinics only test for the most common allergens present in the specific geographic locale. Discuss with the doctor soon.

Originally Posted by asbshyam

Types of Allergies

- Sneezing, I sneeze like there's no tomorrow
- Irritated throat, I get a minor itch, probably due to an inflammation on my throat
- Swollen skin if I scratch it with nails or draw with sharper objects like a pen or pencil
- Allergic Conjunctivitis, swollen bumps on eyeballs, White discharge
- Unusually itchy skin
- Super sensitive nose, I can sometimes smell pan being chewed in the apartment below mine. For me this is sensitive, as I usually cannot tell what's cooking in my own kitchen.

Originally Posted by vivek_lm

A topic very close to my heart, maybe more so since I've been an asthmatic right from babyhood.

I've been on maintenance inhaler medication since the past 18 years. I had the allergy test detailed by BHIPian TGO earlier in this thread done while i was in upper primary school.

Originally Posted by car love

I am a life long sufferer of allergies. I have done every possible test and explored almost all available remedies. My two cents..

Originally Posted by parambyte

I have someone very close to me who has allergies and no doctor has been able to help.

Originally Posted by Turbo Head

Can't believe I could find this thread on Team-BHP, I am done searching for my allergies all over the google and couldn't find appropriate answers. Thanks for initiating the same.

So any suggestions/help/pointers will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

Thanks a lot for sharing very personal experiences here, never thought that there are so many people are in the same boat (have not quoted everyone to maintain the readability of the post).

I basically have been thinking about this in the back of my mind and the best analogy I have come across is.

Allergies are like car rattles

• They are difficult to find but easy / cheap to fix
• They drive you crazy and you know ITS THERE all the time
• Every mechanic (driver) will give you their own theories unless they have seen an exact one in the previous experience
• Paying personal attention to understand the source through trial and error seems to be the mantra

I have a few solutions from people here, the DIY non medication related is something I will ask the friend to try (like NETI).

Thanks all for your honest inputs.

[Ameya_G]

I am allergic to - Cake! can you believe it?
This started only over the last 3-4 years, where having a cake with lot of icing and cream give me horrible bloating feeling and I end up spending hours in the washroom. Typically black forest, pineapple and the cakes with similar texture cause this discomfort. However, I can gorge on any amount of Rava cakes, sliced cakes without any problem.
Small mercies of life

[prasathlr]

Well, I have one of the weirdest allergy. I have never heard someone having this allergy.

I am allergic to Beer

Immediately after consuming beer, my upper body feels itchy, and within some time I start sneezing, then it progress to breathing difficulty and in rare case my whole face swells up. It takes around 1 hour for the body to return to normal after I stop drinking. I am totally fine with other alcoholic drinks like Whiskey, Vodka, Gin, Tequila etc. except for beer! So frustrating at times while my friends are chilling with beer!

[Durango Dude]

My take; allergy testing is a "money spinner", nothing much comes out of it. I don't send any one for allergy testing. Take an antihistamine, if you've GERD that can also affect allergies adversely. If you don't have anything specific coexisting, avoid further testing and take an anithistamine, nasal spray and inhaler, treat intestinal worm infestation and take anti reflux medication. Avoid Dust/Pollution, Perfumes/Cosmetics, Incense, Mosquito repellents, soft toys, carpets, wool, moulds, fungi and pet hair. Foods to look out for would be sea food, nuts, etc. These are the broad based things one needs to avoid. Don't ask for a cure... Remember cure for Allergy is in avoiding the Allergen and not in medication, when you can't avoid Allergen then medicines come into play..You may need to take a course of steriods (oral or injectable) if conventional drugs fail to work or in life threatening situations

[Arjun Bharadwaj]

Feels like I found a lot of my brothers in one place.

Apart from the usual allergies mentioned above which probably trigger in me due to dust/pollen etc., past a few years I seem to have also developed a weird allergy to certain fruits(mango, papaya, litchi). They trigger a sudden irritation in the mouth/throat/chest etc. The interesting part is I was never allergic to any of these before. Keen to know if any of you have faced this issue? Also, what did you do to overcome the same. I feel bad to avoid all these fruits as I would be missing the nutrition they provide as well.

[ChiragM]

Seems like I have developed an allergy thanks to the lockdown.

The skin on my right-hand fingertips started peeling off. It was dry and started cracking. My fingertips turned red thanks to the lose of skin. I ignored it and continued to work regularly but it got so bad that I developed cuts on my fingertips and they started burning even without me touching anything.

Had a video call with a soc and he said I have fingertip eczema. Apparently happened due to excessive use of soaps. I regularly wash my hand when I am cooking. I feel it could be because of the dish washing liquid since it is strong. Doc told me to reduce the use of hand sanitizers and use only mild soaps. He has given two creams for it. Hope it goes away soon.

Originally Posted by 2000rpm

[*]Milk / Lactose (can be as specific as brand of Milk)

I was lactose intolerant at birth. It was there for many years and I survived on soy milk and diluted milk (added to my diet slowly over the years). Thankfully, its gone now.

[aghate]

Originally Posted by ChiragM

Seems like I have developed an allergy thanks to the lockdown.

The skin on my right-hand fingertips started peeling off. It was dry and started cracking. My fingertips turned red thanks to the lose of skin. I ignored it and continued to work regularly but it got so bad that I developed cuts on my fingertips and they started burning even without me touching anything.

Had a video call with a soc and he said I have fingertip eczema. Apparently happened due to excessive use of soaps. I regularly wash my hand when I am cooking. I feel it could be because of the dish washing liquid since it is strong. Doc told me to reduce the use of hand sanitizers and use only mild soaps. He has given two creams for it. Hope it goes away soon.

I have had it as well for months. The cuts suddenly appear don't they? And it is only on the fourth finger on my right hand. It started similar to what you have experienced and later it developed tiny blisters. This moved to the tip of the middle finger but that was because I applied cream to the infected area and was applying it to other areas of my hand.

The steps that I have followed to keep it in control are,
- Keep hydrated, drink a lot of water.
- Always apply a moisturizer post washing my hands.
- For the blisters I had applied an ointment (Germolene) before I went to bed. Not sure what is the Indian equivalent of it but since the Doctor has already prescribed you two creams it should be good.
- I wear latex/rubber gloves if I am involved in any household cleaning stuff which involves usage of water or other cleansing agents.
- For me, it does appear to be the dish washing liquid and hence the precaution of wearing gloves.
- Lastly, no matter how much is the urge to scratch the infected areas 'do not' touch it or scratch it. If at all, gently rub the prescribed cream on it whenever you feel the need to do so.

I no longer have the cuts or blisters now but my skin is yet to recover fully. This will take time.

Hope this helps.

[NiXTriX2004]

Originally Posted by Turbo Head

It's 2020 currently I am allergic to I guess almost everything I eat, Wheat, Gluten, Veggies, Fruits (specially citrus), Dairy products, Alcohol, Non-Veg etc.

Spoke to several friends, doctors, googled, however couldn't find any proper treatment for the same. Few suggested going for detailed food tests, which is again extremely long, expensive, pain staking and hit and trial method. Infact most of the doctor I searched and met are dedicated to other types of allergies (Dust, Asthma, Medicines etc.). Next option I am contemplating is Homeopathic/Ayurvedic treatments, which takes their extremely long course of time to show it's effectiveness.

So any suggestions/help/pointers will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

I have been experiencing the same for the past year or so. You might be having the same thing I have and I would suggest you get a blood test done. Check for CBC, ESR, and AEC. I think you'll find your AEC is higher than normal. Please consult a good Ayurveda doctor. I think you will have better results as Ayurveda will address the root cause rather than the symptoms. Sometimes a slow and steady approach works best.

I am undergoing Ayurvedic treatment called Panchakarma/Virechana. This treatment is designed to address the excessive Pitta in the body. My AEC was around 950 before I started treatment and after one course of treatment (10 days) dropped to around 550. I feel a lot better now, a lot fresher, and more importantly not irritable all the time because of the constant itching. All the best.

[KL01toKA03]

From the time when I was a child I used to have very high eosinophil count (around 14%). I was allergic (runny nose, headache, rashes) when exposed to smoke or dust. The sneezing would persist until I take medication (Avil or Cetrizine).

I would also get cold and fever if someone else in the house had it. This continued till recently, when I changed my dietary habits. I changed overnight from a non-vegetarian who has eaten many things like snakes, worms, and bison to a vegan. I haven't got a cold or fever since that point. Also, my eosinophil count has also reduced to values well within the accepted range. I still get a headache when exposed to smoke, but there is no sneezing or runny nose, and Avil is no longer in my medicine cabinet. The downside is that I have to take care of the sick and cranky kids when everyone in the house is down with fever.

[Gordon]

Does anyone know where a skin patch test can be done in Mumbai to detect allergens and irritants?

[Hatari]

Originally Posted by 2000rpm

I dont have any but my best friend is suffering from them since long. The problem with allergies is diagnosis on what causes allergies. I know a lot of people who are suffering from Allergies but havent been able to figure out what they are allergic to, even till the age of 35-40. My friend is one such person.

My ENT suggested a blood test at the Allergy & Asthma Treatment centre in Kolkata (near Gariahat)
They identify the items one is allergic to on a scale. Over a hundred things showed up on my report but most with lower degrees of a reaction which doesnt affect one's life.

Right from Fruits/vegetables/trees/animals/Moulds/Fibres/insects etc
It completely changed my life!

I was allergic mainly to eggs (I ate eggs everyday since I was a child), stopping it cured me overnight.

Eggs/Dust/Old cotton (the musty smell from old stuffed blankets were right on top off the list.

Eggs I could stop, Dust i could control to a certain degree, and replaced old blankets with new micro fibre filling.

Its been years now and I eat eggs a couple of time a week with no problem.

Originally Posted by BRV

Severity of running nose reduced when am am sleeping away from the Fan. Still have the issue though.

Me too, it was from the Dust accumulated on top of cupboards etc that increased if the fans were on full blast.

Originally Posted by Gordon

Does anyone know where a skin patch test can be done in Mumbai to detect allergens and irritants?

This method is ancient, not done anymore.

Originally Posted by Arjun Bharadwaj

Feels like I found a lot of my brothers in one place.

Originally Posted by Sheel

My symptoms stay for a week [its terrible week to b honest] and its cure is monteleukast, momeflo nasal spray & maybe an anti-allergy. The most sure shot cure is steam inhalation, about 3 to 5 times a day.

Originally Posted by ObsessedByFIAT

Allergies!! Tell me about it!! I am too suffering from an unknown allergy and all I can do is wait for the it to subside!

Suggest try this place.

Also, what helps me is regular exercise helps control the reaction with improved immunity.

[Gordon]

Originally Posted by Hatari

This method is ancient, not done anymore.

Suggest try this place.

Also, what helps me is regular exercise helps control the reaction with improved immunity.

Thanks for your response.

1. Was this test a blood test or prick test?
2. How much did it cost? I see some IgE tests costing about 18-20k to test against all allergens.
3. Do they also test for metals? Nickel, Copper, etc?

[bblost]

We got the full testing done from https://www.allergytest.in/for my mom.

We found she is allergic to eggs, potato, lemon and brinjal.

The allergy reaction would cause her to have a lot of discomfort after a few hours of consuming these. So had never even imagined they would be a problem.

When she would feel bad, she would stop consuming meat, chicken and fish and instead eat boiled potato, lemon juice and eggs.

Those in turn were aggravating her symptoms.

The test is expensive at almost 10k. But they are worth every penny.

[Jaguar]

Originally Posted by Arjun Bharadwaj

Feels like I found a lot of my brothers in one place.

Apart from the usual allergies mentioned above which probably trigger in me due to dust/pollen etc., past a few years I seem to have also developed a weird allergy to certain fruits(mango, papaya, litchi). They trigger a sudden irritation in the mouth/throat/chest etc. The interesting part is I was never allergic to any of these before. Keen to know if any of you have faced this issue? Also, what did you do to overcome the same. I feel bad to avoid all these fruits as I would be missing the nutrition they provide as well.

Quoting a 2-year-old post, but yes, I too have developed an allergy to Mangos since the pre-pandemic days. I was never a fan of Papaya and didn't have litchi of late, so don't know if those also trigger the same response. And like you, I too used to eat those earlier without any issues.

I am thinking we are allergic to some pesticides or chemicals they use to preserve or ripen these fruits these days. The reasoning is that my ENT was able to spot the mango allergy by me just telling him the symptoms and nothing about what I had eaten.

[Hatari]

Originally Posted by Gordon

Thanks for your response.

1. Was this test a blood test or prick test?
2. How much did it cost? I see some IgE tests costing about 18-20k to test against all allergens.
3. Do they also test for metals? Nickel, Copper, etc?

Blood test, it was 4-5 years ago, cost 6-8k then if I remember correctly.
I do recall someone mentioning the IgE test being 2-3 times that in Delhi.
The one I did didnt test for metals.