Allergy Testing
I practice allergy and environmental therapy. This includes allergy testing, food intolerance testing, chemical sensitivity testing and homeopathic desensitisation. Homeopathic desensitisation is a gentle therapy which aims to reduce the impact of your allergy, food intolerance or chemical sensitivity.
WHAT ARE ALLERGIES?
The term allergy was first used nearly a hundred years ago by Baron Clemens von Pirquet. He defined allergy as being any altered response to the environment. In this context the environment means the food we eat, the water we drink, the air we breath and anything to which we come in physical contact. To put it another way, an allergy is an overreaction, by the body, to an ordinarily harmless substance. These substances he termed allergens.
Nowadays we tend to talk about allergies, food intolerances and chemical sensitivities, but the same basic definition is a useful one; they all involve the body over-reacting in some way. Increasingly it is being found that there is no easy way to differentiate between allergies and intolerances - both involve the immune system but in slightly different ways. Whilst intolerances, or delayed allergies, used to be thought by most doctors to be all in the mind, they are now increasingly recognised as causing many different health problems. Some 70 percent of the population are thought to have one or more food intolerance. Intolerance can cause, or be involved, in migraine and headaches, muscle and joint pains, irratable bowel syndrome, and much more.
WHAT IS MUSCLE TESTING?
Muscle testing is a safe and non-invasive method for evaluating food and environmental sensitivities. With the patient lying, and fully clothed, small samples are placed over the patient's naval. If the patient is sensitive (i.e. allergic or intolerant) to the sample then their test muscle will go weak. Young children, infants and debilitated patients can be tested via a surrogate.
WHAT IS HOMEOPATHIC DESENSITIZATION?
With homeopathic desensitization the patient is given a homeopathic potency of the allergen. For example, a patient might come along, and after muscle testing, be found to be sensitive to diesel fumes. A homeopathic remedy would be given for this. Homeopathic remedies are medicines which contain a minute amount of a substance which, in a larger dosage, would give you the symptoms you already have. In this example we would give a homeopathic diesel fumes remedy. Because the remedy is so dilute, or potentised, there is no danger of an allergic reaction. Instead it stimulates the immune system to no longer react to what is ordinarily a harmless substance. This technique is particularly valuable in helping patients with food intolerance, chemical sensitivities and hay fever. Obviously, with true food allergies, such as to peanuts, the best approach is always one of strict avoidance.
COULD ALLERGY TESTING HELP ME?
Symptoms linked to food allergy, in its broadest sense, include:
| Anxiety | Diarrhoea |
| Arthritis | Ear infections |
| Asthma | Eczema and dermatitis |
| Attention deficit | Hay fever |
| Bedwetting | Headaches |
| Bloating | Inflammatory bowel disease |
| Bronchitis | Insomnia |
| Chronic fatigue syndrome | Learning disorders |
| Coeliac disease | Migraines |
| Crohn's disease | Rhinitis |
| Depression | Weight gain |
| Cravings |
If you have any of these conditions then an allergy could be causing some or all of your symptoms. Avoiding the cause of your illness can bring partial or complete relief.
WHAT HAPPENS ON MY FIRST VISIT?
At your first visit I will ask you about your symptoms, general health and lifestyle and medical history. Following muscle testing we will discuss which foods or chemicals seem to be causing your problem. A plan of action will be agreed and remedies prescribed if needed.
WILL I BE ABLE TO EAT NORMALLY?
Whilst you may have heard stories of people being allergic to everything, this is, in fact, highly unusual. I find that most people only test weak to a small number of foods or chemicals. Only patients with very significant health problems tend to have extensive food allergies. A varied diet encompassing all the different food groups is essential for good health and this is always the final goal. Quite often no allergies are found and these patients are delighted to be able to worry less about what they are eating!
WILL I NEED TO SEE MY GP?
Most patients won't need to see their GP, provided they have already seen the GP for a diagnosis. Occasionally I might suggest it would be wise to see a doctor. If for example, you test weak for both wheat and another grain, such as oats, I would suggest that you be tested for gluten sensitivity (coeliac disease).
HOW MANY SESSIONS WILL I NEED?
I see most patients for between 1 and 4 sessions, depending on how complex your complaint is, and how many sensitivities you have.
DO I NEED TO BRING ANYTHING?
I use small phials of purified foods and chemicals for testing but it is great to test the real thing. If you suspect any given food or household substance please bring a small sample in with you for testing. Any food which you eat daily, or crave if you don't, is more likely to cause you a problem, so a sample of this would be good too, as would a small sample of tap water.
Jamie Gisby - allergy testing, kinesiology, food intolerance testing and homeopathic desensitisation- in Gloucester, Cheltenham and Cirencester
