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Imagine a woman has a few drinks one night, drinks ibuprofen in the morning for a hangover, and goes for a run. She never had a problem with alcohol, ibuprofen or exercise before. But this time, a combination of the three triggers a life-threatening allergic reaction known as anaphylaxis.
This is a real case that happened to a patient of Dr. Andrew Murphy, an allergist at Suburban Allergy Consultants in Pennsylvania. So, is it possible to be allergic to exercise?
Not technically, Murphy says. When a person is exposed to something they are allergic to, a protein in the allergen, such as peanuts, grass or cat dander, interacts with it. antibody sure immune cells in their body. Immune cells trigger chemicals like histamine that cause sneezing, hives, wheezing, and other symptoms. There is no protein that enters the body when a person is training, so it is not possible to be allergic to running.
But exercise can trigger the same array of symptoms in people with a rare condition called exercise-induced anaphylaxis. “It’s not necessarily antibody-mediated, but exercise is a trigger and allergy is [immune] the cells are always on, ”Murphy told Live Science.
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Exercise alone is enough to trigger an allergic reaction in some people, but how it does this is unknown. One theory proposes that exercise causes a release of endorphins, which triggers the release of certain immune cells of chemicals such as histamine, according to a 2010 review of the journal. Current Allergy and Asthma Reports.
Other people, like Murphy’s patient, have a condition known as exercise-induced anaphylaxis, or FDEIA. For them, eating a certain food before working out can cause symptoms like wheezing or hives – even if they don’t react to that food when they bask. In the case of Murphy’s patient, the “food” was either alcohol, ibuprofen, or a combination of both. There are several theories why certain foods in combination with exercise can cause an allergic reaction, including that exercise makes the digestive tract more permeable, allowing allergens to come into better contact with the immune system. Ibuprofen can further increase the permeability and absorption by the body of foreign allergens, and it can interact directly with immune cells, according to the journal.
Exercise-induced anaphylaxis is rare. About 2% of people in the western world suffer from anaphylaxis and 5 to 15% of cases are induced by exercise, according to the journal. The food version of the disease is less common and accounts for between one third and one half of all cases. Few kids come into the office with either condition, Murphy said, and it usually shows up in teens and adults.
Treatment for exercise-induced, food-dependent anaphylaxis is simple: don’t eat for four hours before and after training, according to journal review Expert review in clinical immunology. Another option is to completely avoid trigger foods, if these foods are known.
When exercise is the only trigger, managing the disease may be more difficult than managing FDEIA, but doctors can help patients develop specialized exercise regimens, Murphy said. The amount of effort a person with dementia can safely put in varies. A relaxed walk may trigger a reaction in some people, but others can ride a bike without a problem. Each patient should work with a physician to determine their own limits. Murphy still prescribes an EpiPen for emergencies, and antihistamines may help prevent episodes, according to a 2001 review of the journal. American family physician.
Serious reactions in response to exercise are rare. In 25 years of practice, Murphy has only seen one person pass out. “I usually see more people with [skin-related] symptoms like hives, or they have swelling of the lips or wheezing with it, ”he said.
Originally posted on Live Science.
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