New allergies or sensitivies as we age?

[mn54]

at the age of 62 DW developed celiac disease. never had any problem eating all kinds of foods including wheat. now she has to be very careful what she eats. any restaurant must be gluten free before she will set foot in it. her doctor said it is not that unusual.

 

[JoeWras]

Well there's the theory that we are not "exercising" our immune systems enough. I'm not sure if this has merit or not. If it does, I guess we all need to eat some dirt, roll in ashes, and perhaps visit the local sanitary canal for a swim.

 

[travelover]

DW became allergic to gluten as she aged and has long been lactose intolerant. I'm now much more sensitive to dust mites, cats and tree pollen.

 

[W2R]

Well there's the theory that we are not "exercising" our immune systems enough. I'm not sure if this has merit or not. If it does, I guess we all need to eat some dirt, roll in ashes, and perhaps visit the local sanitary canal for a swim.

That was my father's theory, too. He used to drag us kids through the worst, filthiest, most miserable slums of Cairo and similar places. He told us (without even joking!) that was to make sure our immune systems were up to speed. See? Being a doctor's daughter was not all caviar and Cadillacs...

 

[tmm99]

I hadn't thought about it before, but you may be absolutely right about that. Seems like everybody we know is having sinus/allergy issues these days.

Right? Its not just about pollen allergies either. When I was a kid, nobody was allergic to peanuts. I grew up in Japan and we had to eat school lunches and we had to finish everything on our plate (or we couldn't go and play outside), and nobody ever said, oh, I can't eat this, I'm allergic to nuts (they served peanut butter all the time!)

 

[DayDreaming]

I appear to have recently become lactose intolerant. Never had a problem before.

Same here - it started around age 45 for me.

 

[HF63]

As I am getting older, I am more sensitive to noise. Even the lawn mower noise bothers me now and loud music is a no no.


The wonders of getting old strikes again !

 

[FindingForward]

As I am getting older, I am more sensitive to noise. Even the lawn mower noise bothers me now and loud music is a no no.


The wonders of getting old strikes again !

I'm so glad it isn't just me - noise stresses me out now much more now than it ever used to. Between the illegally loud motorcycle mufflers and hobby cars enthusiasts that roar past and the lawn company blowers several times a week, my neighborhood's gotten a lot louder the last few years.

I wish it didn't bother me: it really doesn't seem to bother others. But it's a family neighborhood with lots of screaming toddlers and older teens in tricked out cars still living with moms and dads. It's just the nature of the place. Really not much I can do about it, other than sell and move eventually.

Never thought I'd be looking at 55+ places - yikes.

 

[tmm99]

As I am getting older, I am more sensitive to noise...

Evidently, that is a scientifically proven fact, unfortunately.

 

[aja8888]

I'm so glad it isn't just me - noise stresses me out now much more now than it ever used to. Between the illegally loud motorcycle mufflers and hobby cars enthusiasts that roar past and the lawn company blowers several times a week, my neighborhood's gotten a lot louder the last few years.

I wish it didn't bother me: it really doesn't seem to bother others. But it's a family neighborhood with lots of screaming toddlers and older teens in tricked out cars still living with moms and dads. It's just the nature of the place. Really not much I can do about it, other than sell and move eventually.

Never thought I'd be looking at 55+ places - yikes.

Once we moved in ours, the noises went away! It's great! I can still visit my old neighborhood and I do, occasionally.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

Sensitivity to noise can be caused by magnesium deficiencies. We use to feed one of our kids burritos to help with this, since they are high in magnesium rich beans.

Magnesium and hearing - PubMed (nih.gov) - The last several decades have revealed clinical and experimental data regarding the importance of magnesium (Mg) in hearing. Increased susceptibility to noise damage, ototoxicity, and auditory hyperexcitability are linked to states of Mg deficiency.

 

[FindingForward]

Evidently, that is a scientifically proven fact, unfortunately.

Didn't know that - but makes a lot of sense. Growing up, especially in the teen years, I always wondered why all the "old" people - including my parents - made such a big deal about noise. Now I've officially joined the "get off my lawn" club.

It also seems like the number of motorcycles and cars illegally tuned up to make the most racket possible has dramatically increased the last few years. I don't remember nearly as many a decade ago. And police rarely enforce noise ordinances anymore.

 

[FindingForward]

Sensitivity to noise can be caused by magnesium deficiencies. We use to feed one of our kids burritos to help with this, since they are high in magnesium rich beans.

Magnesium and hearing - PubMed (nih.gov) - The last several decades have revealed clinical and experimental data regarding the importance of magnesium (Mg) in hearing. Increased susceptibility to noise damage, ototoxicity, and auditory hyperexcitability are linked to states of Mg deficiency.

Interesting. Thank you for sharing. Will look into that link.

 

[JoeWras]

Didn't know that - but makes a lot of sense. Growing up, especially in the teen years, I always wondered why all the "old" people - including my parents - made such a big deal about noise. Now I've officially joined the "get off my lawn" club.

It also seems like the number of motorcycles and cars illegally tuned up to make the most racket possible has dramatically increased the last few years. I don't remember nearly as many a decade ago.

It has turned up, but it isn't completely new. Harley riders with straight pipes have been a thing forever. Brap-brap-BRAP!

With music, 20 or 25 years ago it was about the bass. Apparently, everyone within 1/4 mile should FEEL your music. That has morphed into a more full spectrum fad of loud music.

Now, as for cars with their fake resonators, that seemed to pick up steam about 20 years ago and increases day by day it seems. Just absolutely obnoxious. As a Subaru driver, it pains me to know that there is a whole subculture into this noise on the sportier versions of the cars. Gives us all a bad name. The boxer engine apparently works well with the noise makers.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

My recent gut testing showed I had gluten issues (gliadin antibodies) and was high in at least one gut bacteria linked to Celiac disease. I was also vitamin D deficient, which can kill this particular bacteria. There's been a ton of cool stuff in the tests we've been doing like this, which has helped us change our supplements and tweak our diets. My allergies and gut issues are all subsiding since we did the testing.

Related link - Possible Role of Vitamin D in Celiac Disease Onset - PMC (nih.gov).

 

[Jackietime]

I am now super sensitive to scents... any artificial kinds... perfume, cologne, air fresheners and of course cigarette smoke. I can barely breathe when the scent is heavy. I have to use unscented versions of everything.

 

[KB]

We've been doing nutrition, gut and organic acids testing in my family and most of the allergies and sensitivities seem to match up with something being out of range on the tests.

Where are you having this testing done? Can you share a link? Thanks.

 

[Walt34]

That was my father's theory, too. He used to drag us kids through the worst, filthiest, most miserable slums of Cairo and similar places. He told us (without even joking!) that was to make sure our immune systems were up to speed. See? Being a doctor's daughter was not all caviar and Cadillacs...

That's been a topic of conversation here too, since I very rarely get sick from any "bugs" and DW frequently does. But growing up my family had all sorts of pets, not only dogs and cats (and usually more than one of each) but birds, fish, turtles, a chicken for a few years, gerbils, hamsters, and probably some others I can't remember. And my dog slept in my bed under the covers.

DW, in contrast, was raised as "little Miss Prim" and would never have been allowed to soil her hands with any members of the animal kingdom (her loss!). So she didn't have the exposure to infectious agents that I did and it could be said she's paying a price for it.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

Where are you having this testing done? Can you share a link? Thanks.

I wrote it up here - Functional Medicine Tests for IBS (and more) - Early Retirement & Financial Independence Community (early-retirement.org).

 

[harllee]

Right? Its not just about pollen allergies either. When I was a kid, nobody was allergic to peanuts. I grew up in Japan and we had to eat school lunches and we had to finish everything on our plate (or we couldn't go and play outside), and nobody ever said, oh, I can't eat this, I'm allergic to nuts (they served peanut butter all the time!)

I am 70 and allergic to peanuts, I was allergic as a child and almost died because there were no tests to tell what I was allergic to. Finally my mother figured it out. I had to be very careful at school, no epi pens then. I could not eat anything at friends houses or at parties, etc. You might not have heard about kids with peanut allergies because those kids were sick and dying and no one knew why. I am glad they have now figured it out and publicize it so kids don't have to go through what I did.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

I am now super sensitive to scents... any artificial kinds... perfume, cologne, air fresheners and of course cigarette smoke. I can barely breathe when the scent is heavy. I have to use unscented versions of everything.

We had chemical sensitivity in my family, too. We fixed it to some degree with nutritional testing in the past, and also have unscented everything, but it has always still been a problem for me in some situations, like off gassing on new carpets. However, when I did the nutrition testing recently, plus the newer organic acids and gut tests that weren't available before, I was off in several of the issues noted below. I was also off in a marker that isn't listed in the paper below, but is linked to high levels of one of the VOCs in new carpets.

Biochemical abnormalities in patients with multiple chemical sensitivities - PubMed (nih.gov) - Patients with MCS show numerous physiological and biochemical abnormalities and are generally sicker than a control group of allergic patients. Associated with MCS are mitral valve prolapse, hypothyroidism, autoimmune thyroiditis, specific abnormalities of amino acid and essential fatty acid metabolism, and diminished activity of ESOD and EGPx. Equally prevalent among MCS patients and controls are deficiencies of magnesium and Vitamin B6......Furthermore, 41% showed impaired excretion of essential amino acids, despite a high protein diet, and leucocyte vitamin C was low in the 5 patients not taking vitamin C supplements. Anti-oxidant deficiences may certainly contribute to hypersensitivity to environmental pollutants and toxic chemicals. In fact, treatment with anti-oxidants, including selenium, vitamin C, copper, zinc, and sulfur-containing amino acids was associated with major clinical improvement in 14 (25%) of the patients in the MCS group and with limited relief of symptoms in another 10 (18%). In all patients in whom ESOD or EGPx were repeated, improvement in levels was observed following treatment."

 

[Dash man]

I appear to have recently become lactose intolerant. Never had a problem before.

I got a double whammy! Lactose and Fructose intolerant. Diagnosed earlier this year after a few years of misdiagnosis.

 

[ugeauxgirl]

For years I thought I was sensitive to wheat. When I quit eating it, my allergy symptoms improved markedly. But then I went to France and ate bread- a lot of it- every day. I felt wonderful. I had an awful allergy attack as soon as i got back.

I suspect what I'm really sensitive to is the preservatives and other additives in American food that aren't allowed in Europe. I cut a lot of that stuff out, bake my own bread, and I'm feeling good!

 

[RobbieB]

Ever since I was a child, I thrived in dirt. Pops caught me chewing on a dried earthworm once and saw me chewing happily with half a grasshopper in my hand.

After that it was dirt hill climbing and dirt clod wars in the new construction a block over.

Making mud pies had only a bit part in the whole scheme.

So.... whassss uppppp with all this "clean stuff"? Make your home germ free with the latest anti-microbial stuff you can get. Oh, you can't even get that in these "covid times" eh? Well, maybe you don't even need it eh?

Yeah, clean it what we need. Because the cleaner products ads tell us so. So they can sell more cleaner products. No brainer.

 

[COcheesehead]

Can no longer deal with garlic.