Today i was doing ok, then i went to a 2nd hand store with my kid (she needs scrap material for a costume this summer) and the dust in there about killed me.
I know i have an allergy to it, but instantly my feet swelled, my knees did, my lower back etc. every spot my RA and OA is in. Almost like allergies are what causes the inflammation and not arthritis.
I wish i had the money to see a allergist so i could test for everything, maybe stuff i live around etc. is causing this more than it needs to be.
Guess what? Allergies and inflammatory responses go hand in hand.Really? I am alergic to dust too... and just before my last flare, I was "spring cleaning" my bedroom. Where does the dust come from??? Under my bed was awful. I just put in hard wood floors, so the dusting would be easier. Wow, I had no idea. That might explain some things. Thanks Crunchy, Your a wealth of knowledge.I'm afraid I have to agree with Crunchy on this one. An allergic response in the body is caused by the body's immune system responding in an inappropriate way - attacking itself. That is also what occurs in auto-immune diseases such as RA, asthma, lupus, Hashimoto's hypothyroidism, etc. The response mechanism is the same - the symptoms are different. The sed rate rise comes from the inflammation caused by this response, the joint pain comes from the deterioration in the joints caused by the body attacking itself. It is all very much related, and if we could ever fully understand it, we would find the cure to much of the illnesses of mankind!
When my son was about 8 his routine urine test showed blood cells in his urine. My pediatrician was concerned and sent us to a specialist. After thoroughly testing him, he found nothing that would cause it. But he explained that it isn't uncommon in families who have auto-immune diseases running through them - and the trigger can be as simple as an allergic reaction or even a cold. It fires up the immune response and can cause inflammation anywhere - even in an 8 year old boy's bladder!
The unfortunate history of autoimmune diseases is that we have spent all our time treating the symptoms and the damaging results. We also need to focus on how to stop the body from overreacting to all the things we are exposed to in the course of our daily lives. The human body has obviously been designed to protect itself with automatic responses to anything it considers a threat, we just need to learn to tweak that response without shutting down the entire immune system. I hope that through genetic research, and yes, stem cell research, we will find a way to do just that.
Yes an allergic reponse is an immune system response, but it is NOT an auto-immune response. I have had this discussion with my allergist and he explained that they were two totally different physiological reactions.What is the difference?
An allergic response is the result of your body attempting to protect itself from what it considers to be an outside invading force which doesn't result in the destruction of any part of the body.It's just varying degrees of the same thing. When you have an allergic response to dust and your eyes water and itch and your nose runs, it's due to the inflammation caused by your body's response. For some that is as bad as it gets, and it can be controlled or blocked with OTC meds. For others, those with auto-immune diseases, that sort of reaction can be carried to an extreme and stopping it is difficult. The reason you haven't had allergies or asthma is that the inflammatory process has been stopped before it can get started, due the anti-inflammatory action of the prednisone. Just as with allergies the inflammation can be stopped and the condition improves, it only takes a trigger to fire up the inflammation again.
For some people with RA, it's a hair-trigger. Those of us who have asthma know that often we can have our asthma flare up with just one breath of an allergen. As we take a breath of something we are sensitive to, the airways immediately tighten and the inflammation starts. For some folks with RA, that initial allergic inflammatory reaction can spread throughout their sytem, activating the RA response.
No, they aren't varying degrees of the same thing. The inflammation resulting from an allergic response doesn't result in pain, an increased sed. rate, ccp., etc.http://www.drgreene.com/21_1291.html
Your body's immune system is designed to attack harmful substances like bacteria and viruses. But with allergies, your body launches an assault on substances that are basically harmless -- such as pollen, mold, dust mites, pet saliva and dander, and even medications and insect sting venom.
Not only do allergies cause a range of annoying symptoms such as sneezing and itchy eyes, but they can aggravate or trigger other conditions such as asthma, sinusitis, and ear infections. For example, when allergies cause inflammation in your nasal passages, the opening to your sinuses can become blocked, leading to sinus inflammation, sinus infections, and sinus pain. Similarly, if allergies cause inflammation in your ear canal, the ears don't drain properly, which can lead to ear infections.
But allergies don't stop there. The body's immune system is active from your head to your toes: allergies can cause different skin-related symptoms (such as hives, eczema, and rashes); some types of allergies can lead to gastrointestinal problems; and assorted allergy-related symptoms can pervade the body (such as fatigue, headaches, loss of smell, and sleep disturbances).
I know that food allergies are a major concern for RA as they cause inflammation for sure. I get pain in my feet where my RA is and my lower back when I am in places with a lot of dust.
I hope this helps the subject.
The actual pathophysiology of an allergic response and autoimmune disease is totally different. The two things they have in common are the immune systme overreacts and there is inflammation, but that is it.
The hypersensitized (allergic ) person develops IgE type antibodies to typcial proteins. There is excessive activation of mast cells and baslophils by immunoglobulin E.
This does not happen in RA.
That may be it, but that is enough to send inflammation into overdrive.
My point is that inflammation can be caused by allergies which add to the already existing RA inflammation which in turn makes the inflammation worse.
Shanbr: Wish I had posted the info you did for I have that info and much more.