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For some reason, it took me 26 years to develop allergies. I’d never had them before, and then all of a sudden one day, every allergy-related symptom I’d ever heard of (scratchy throat, itchy eyes, clogged sinuses, etc) knocked me out while mowing the grass, and now I can’t shake the thing. What’s worse is that all the medications seem to leave me completely drowsy. So, I for one couldn’t be happier to see New Scientist reporting that allergies might soon be a thing of the past! According to the article, a Biotech firm in Zurich has developed a drug that fools the body into thinking it’s been attacked by a common bacteria. This “fake attack” then convinces the body’s immune system to concentrate on fighting “the potentially larger threat, rather than producing allergic reactions to less harmful things.” And while I don’t understand how it works completely, so far, the tests seem pretty miraculous. Preliminary results on 10 people with extreme hay fever showed that the drug eliminated their symptoms completely, and it all seems terrific. Finally, a world where everyone can stop and smell the flowers without any side-effects!
Comments (5)
Comment
I saw something similar, perhaps on the Freakonomics blog.
In the spirit of self-experimentation, a person with severe allergies and asthma had been cut off from a prescription plan and was really suffering.
He researched and found reference online to the low incidence of allergies and asthma in under-developed countries. Hypothesized is that there is a parasite that triggers the immune system to such an extent that hay fever like allergies and asthma don’t occur.
Further research led him to the hook worm. His looming drug costs led him to the streets of Cameroon, barefoot and stepping through the feces-infested alleys. And, it worked.
Although the infection by the hookwork is painful and uncomfortable as it moves from skin contact to the lungs, and a terrible bout of coughing for a few hours, all symptoms cleared up. He only needs to keep a supply of worms to re-infect himself every few weeks.
posted by Joe K on 9-29-2006 at 1:41 pm
ugh. That’s amazing!
posted by Mangesh on 9-29-2006 at 1:51 pm
I used to suffer from serious seasonal allergies, with symptoms exactly like you describe, and had to take all kinds of meds. Then I stopped eating dairy and two years later they all went away.
It’s worth a try, as you wait for the future to become the present… cool news though!
posted by David on 9-29-2006 at 3:52 pm
insane… and it really worked for you? I hate allergies, but I love ice cream. Might be a hard trade off!
posted by Mangesh on 9-30-2006 at 1:02 pm
That is bizarre; it’s like treating a headache by stomping on the sufferer’s foot. Imagine; faking an attack by a bacteria that “is encountered far less today because of modern cleanliness” is the way to eliminate allergic reactions to everyday stuff. I remember reading somewhere that kids that have pets — and less cleanliness at home — have fewer allergy problems.
Like you, I didn’t have any allergies until my late twenties. Now I can’t eat a lot of things I used to enjoy and have severe reactions to pollens and household dust. I can’t function without a morning dose of 12-hour Sudafed.
I had heard from somewhere the bit about giving up dairy, and wondered if that would work for me. Two years is a while to wait though, and a lot of missed ice cream treats for something that might not work. Hmmm.
posted by Dave on 10-1-2006 at 2:48 am