All posts tagged: allergic

Are you ‘allergic to work’? GP reveals everything you need to know about Sick Building Syndrome

Are you ‘allergic to work’? GP reveals everything you need to know about Sick Building Syndrome

Published by Daniella Wilson

People may joke about being “allergic to work” or going into the office, but can a building actually make you sick? According to doctors, yes, they can. Called “sick building syndrome”, it involves developing a host of symptoms while you’re inside a particular building, which resolve when you leave again or make other changes to the environment. It may sound strange, or hard to prove, but this is a legitimate condition that is recognised by the NHS. We caught up with qualified GP Dr Kathryn Basford to learn more about the possible causes of sick building syndrome, and what you should do if you think you might be experiencing it. © Getty ImagesSick building syndrome happens when you experience symptoms inside a building that resolve when you leave The causes and symptoms of sick building syndrome So what signs should you be on the lookout for? Symptoms can be similar to mild allergic reactions, with the only difference being that they are in response to a particular building or environment. “Sick building syndrome (SBS) is …

Your microbiome may determine your risk of a severe allergic reaction

Your microbiome may determine your risk of a severe allergic reaction

Published by skeptic

Peanuts are one of the most common food allergens Radharc Images / Alamy The microbiomes in our gut and mouth may determine whether people with a peanut allergy develop a life-threatening reaction. This could help explain why some people with the allergy experience relatively mild reactions, while others develop severe, or even fatal, symptoms. “There’s a big question around why some patients are more susceptible to more severe reactions,” says Rodrigo Jiménez-Saiz at the Autonomous University of Madrid in Spain. Peanut allergy occurs when the immune system mistakenly identifies proteins in the legume as a threat, causing it to produce excessive amounts of a particular type of antibody. This ramps up inflammation, leading to symptoms such as itching, swelling and vomiting. In extreme cases, peanut exposure causes anaphylaxis, a life-threatening reaction that typically involves breathing difficulties. Jiménez-Saiz and his colleagues wondered whether the microbes that live on and within us play a role here, given the huge influence that our body’s various microbiomes have on our immune system. To find out, they inserted a small …