Chronic Stress Aggravates Allergies

As the incidence of allergies and asthma increases in the general population, many studies have been done that clearly link such reactions to stress levels in people's lives. Researchers at Ohio State University presented findings last month from a project that reinforces these conclusions. What is particularly interesting about this study is that it also correlates chronic or ongoing stress with delayed allergic reactions. In other words, stress today can lead to allergic reactions tomorrow.

We in the natural health field have long believed and taught that stress can have numerous long-term effects on many systems of the body, including the immune system which is closely tied to allergic reactions. This is why lifestyle changes such as a natural, whole-foods diet, including plenty of fresh, pure water, and lots of physical exercise, are so much more useful for controlling allergies than the medications often prescribed that tend to have side effects that tear down the immune system instead of strengthening it. In fact, the best way to prevent allergies from ever occurring in the first place is to pursue a lifestyle of wellness that keeps you healthy instead putting yourself in a position where you have to overcome disease. If you should suffer from high stress levels, along with a very healthy diet I would suggest the following: Learn to say no; spend at least 30 minutes every day listening to music, reading or just being quiet; remove yourself from stressors; take a good Vitamin B-12 and B-Complete along with an organic, liquid multi-vitamin mineral complex; exercise (walking is excellent) for 40 minutes every day, and get sunshine on your body every day.

Remember: It is much easier to stay well than to get well.


Stress, Anxiety Worsen Response to Allergens
Thursday, August 14, 2008; 12:00 AM

THURSDAY, Aug. 14 (HealthDay News) -- Even a little stress and anxiety can greatly worsen and extend a person's reaction to common allergens, a new study says.

The finding, to be presented Thursday at the American Psychological Association annual meeting, in Boston, are important, as allergies are the fifth-most-common chronic disease in the United States. The researchers estimated that Americans pay more than $3.4 billion for allergy medications and allergy-related doctor visits annually, and lose about 3.5 million work days a year because of them.

"Allergies are not minor problems," researcher Jan Kiecolt-Glaser, a professor of psychology and psychiatry at Ohio State, said in a news release issued by the university. "A huge number of people suffer from allergies and, while hay fever, for example, is generally not life-threatening, allergy sufferers often also have asthma, which can be deadly."

The study looked at 28 volunteers with a history of hay fever and seasonal allergies. Researchers gave standard allergy prick tests to the volunteers, then measured the raised "wheals" that formed on the arms of the participants before and after they were subjected to stressful situations, such as given a speech and answering a series of math questions. They were tested again the next day as well.

"The wheals on a person who was moderately anxious because of the experiment were 75 percent larger after the experiment, compared to that same person's response on the day when they were not stressed," Kiecolt-Glaser said, signifying a stronger reaction.

"But people who were highly anxious had wheals that were twice as big after they were stressed compared to their response when they were not stressed. Moreover, these same people were four times more likely to have a stronger reaction to the skin test one day later after the stress," she said.

This second-day "late-phase reaction" signals an ongoing and strengthening response to the allergens, the researchers said. It suggests that sufferers may react strongly to other stimuli that previously hadn't caused them to develop an allergic reaction.

Co-investigator Gailen Marshall, a professor of medicine and pediatrics at the University of Mississippi, said late-phase reactions typically do not respond to common allergy treatment, such as antihistamines.

"Late-phase reactions also occur in allergic asthma and can, in the proper settings, be potentially life-threatening. The results of this study should alert practitioners and patients alike to the adverse effects of stress on allergic reactions in the nose, chest, skin and other organs that may seemingly resolve within a few minutes to hours after starting, but may reappear the next day when least expected," he said.

Therefore, people may be setting themselves up to have more persistent allergy issues by being stressed and anxious when allergy attacks begin, Kiecolt-Glaser said.
More information

The U.S. National Library of Medicine has more about stress.

SOURCE: Ohio State University, news release, Aug. 14, 2008