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The specialty in medicine in which doctors assist patients in uncovering the cause and effect relationship between their environment and their ill-health, and help them learn to avoid those inciting factors is called Environmental Medicine (Clinical Ecology).

Allergy -- Reactions --MCS

The term "allergy" was created to describe an abnormal response to substances that your system recognizes as foreign which do not cause reactions in most people.  Substances which cause allergies include pollens, danders, mold, dust, foods, chemicals, drugs, air pollution, and perfumes.

These substances are called "allergens" or "antigens".  Allergy can produce symptoms in almost every organ of the body and often masquerades as other diseases.  Allergy can affect your skin, eyes, ears, nose, throat, lungs, stomach, bladder, vagina, muscles, joints, and your entire nervous system, including your brain.

In many cases the allergies have existed for awhile,  but gradually become worse until you are forced to do something about them.  Your ability to adapt to these stresses finally runs out.

• Heredity -- the ability to have an allergic reaction appears to be hereditary. Somewhere is your family somebody slipped you some allergic genes.  The more people, and more severe the allergies, the earlier you are likely to experience allergic manifestations.
  
• In childhood, more boys than girls have allergies.
  
• In adults, the ratio is reversed and more women have allergies, especially beginning at age thirty and lasting until menopause.  After that the incidence is about the same for men and women.
  
• For some people there is a hormonal component.  By the way, parents and children may be allergic to different things.

The Causes of Allergies

• Infection -- It is possible to develop allergic sensitivities after a bout of severe infection, viral, bacterial of fungal.

• Chemical Exposure -- Heavy exposure to pesticides or other petrochemicals can lead to the development of allergic reactions.

• Stress -- An increased stress load, whether emotional or physical, positive or negative, can play a role in allergies.  Getting married or having a baby are happy events, but they are stressful.
  
• Nutrition -- Poor nutritional habits contribute to the development of allergies as well as other illnesses.

  In many cases the allergies knave existed for awhile, but gradually become worse until you are forced to do something about them. Your ability to adapt to these stresses finally runs out.

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Over 400 Physicians have grouped together to form the American Academy of Environmental Medicine in the U.S., Canada, Australia and England to study and treat people with illnesses or health problems caused by adverse, allergic or toxic reactions to a wide variety of environmental substances.

To diagnose your conditions, a detailed environmentally oriented history must be taken by your physician. You may be asked to keep a food and behavior diary to complete the history. Each complaint or symptom is traced chronologically, possible cause and effect relationships to environmental exposures are explored. this history, coupled with an objective physical examination leads to a provisional diagnosis which is used to direct 'testing'. the 'testing' determines those substances causing your symptoms and which treatment will improve your condition.

Testing is done in the physician's office by a trained technician under the supervision of the physician.

For more information, write:

American Academy of Environmental Medicine

4510 West 89th Street, Suite 110

Prairie Village, Kansas 66207

Check our Doctors Referral pages for Listings of Environmental Doctors.