Monosodium glutamate, also called monosodium glutamate, or E621, is a flavor enhancer. That is to say that the flavor of food without taste himself. Although it is derived from beet or cane sugar (produced by fermentation). Suspected cause allergic-type reactions, glutamate is debatable. But what is it exactly?

1. A funny salt

The MSG is a kind of salt: it comes in the form of small white crystals. Basically, glutamate was used in Chinese and Vietnamese cuisines, but in recent years, it is found in a variety of processed foods: crisps, stock cubes, surimi, soups ready, some sauces some industrial meats, etc..

2. The Chinese restaurant syndrome: myth or reality?

By 1968, the United States, many people report the symptoms they experienced few minutes or hours after eating Chinese hot flushes, palpitations, headache, nausea and even asthma and angioedema ( 1). Very quickly, it is suspected the glutamate to be the origin of this “Chinese Restaurant Syndrome” which affects about 2% of population. Since then, several studies have attempted to prove in vain …. ”These studies are inconclusive, said Dr. Virginia Dean, a specialist in food allergies in Brugmann (Brussels). In fact, by provocation tests (2) on people who said they were allergic to monosodium glutamate, these n have not responded consistently. Or fasting, at high doses and different ways. In short, to date, nobody has proved beyond doubt that glutamate is solely and directly responsible for the Chinese restaurant syndrome. ” Another curious fact: glutamate is naturally present in other foods such as mushrooms, tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, meat, etc.. However, people sensitive to the flavor does not make particular responses to these foods …

3. Food intolerance

If they do exist, the response to glutamate is not an allergy per se, but rather a food intolerance.The difference? ”An allergy is an immune reaction of the body vis-à-vis an allergen, involving antibodies (IgE), said Dr. Dean. Intolerance, which can cause exactly the same symptoms, is caused by something else for example, a gastrointestinal disease or pharmacologic agents (caffeine, histamine). ”

Allergies or not, one thing is sure: if you repeatedly experience any symptoms after eating a meal, Chinese or not, you should consult an allergist. ”Although the mechanism remains mysterious and the uncertain role of glutamate, an update is necessary. It does not angioedema for nothing! The person may be allergic to something else or it has a genuine intoleranceglutamate. In this case, you’d better be sure before to follow a special diet. “ A word …

(1) Swelling of the face and / or throat due to an allergic reaction.

(2) The challenge test is to administer doses of allergens under medical supervision. This is the most common way to establish what a person is allergic.

Each year, authorities are warning holidaymakers against the black henna tattoos ephemeral.The black dye added to henna, which draws on the natural color of brown-orange, may cause serious side effects.

1. Allergic Eczema up due to a type of tattoo

For 5 years, dermatologists and allergists reported cases of allergic contact dermatitis a few days to weeks after the completion of tattoo ephemeral based black henna. These reactions are due to the presence of a black dye. Last year, 32 cases were registered against 17 in 2007. The number of cases has risen sharply, but this may also reflect the impact of the information campaign conducted in 2008 which led to improved reporting of these serious side effects.

Allergic eczema have been reported mainly in women, average age 17 years.However, it was children aged 4 to 12 years in 12 cases. Note that the allergic reaction may be limited to the tattooed area or spread to the surrounding area, and indeed the whole body. Reactions can be severe and require urgent medical intervention with hospitalization.

2. Risk of irreversible Polysensitization

Finally, this can cause allergic dermatitis Polysensitization including rubber, dyes, clothing or hair dyes. The problem is that this is then Polysensitization irreversible and can be very restrictive, such as preventing the practice of certain occupations (hairdressers …).

Finally, resist the temptation to make a tattoo, as ephemeral as it is, you may leave a bitter memory for a lifetime. And if your child demands it, be firm! Another safer alternative: choose a tattoo of an orange-brown color, but especially not black!

What cons mite allergy? Remove dust mites, of course! Except that it is impossible to completely eliminate dust mites and mere traces may be sufficient to trigger an allergy. There is a definitive solution: desensitization.

1. Autumn is conducive to the proliferation of mites and allergy attacks

With autumn, the mites live on in our homes. The heat and humidity are two factors favorable to their multiplication. Results, the allergic reactions in people sensitized to these little creatures increase. But the symptoms of allergic rhinitis, even if they are benign, are nonetheless very distressing, disrupting daily life, day and night. They also handicap in all activities: stuffy or runny nose, repeated sneezing, watery eyes, difficulty breathing …

Worse, allergic rhinitis promotes sinus and ear infections in children. Finally, allergic rhinitis may develop into asthma …

2. How to escape this allergy to dust mites?

A priori, the solution is obvious: eliminate mites! The main measures include banning predatory carpets, rugs, armchairs, to use anti-mite covers and air as possible, particularly chambers.

But in practice it is virtually impossible, especially as even simple traces are sufficient to trigger an allergic. Furthermore, it is important to eliminate mites as soon as possible to limit the development of inflammation.

So what? There are many medications to take in case of crisis, which relieve and stop the crisis. Or treatment of funds and space to prevent reactions. But neither does the cause, except desensitization. This is the only radical solution against dust mite allergy.

3. Desensitization is a long time, but effective!

It is a process over the long term. Desensitization involves administering gradually increasing doses of allergens. The body gets used to respond normally to the allergen rather than an overreaction. Once completed this phase of habituation, the treatment continues with a maintenance phase which lasts about three years. But the improvements are visible from the first year.

Today, the doses of allergens are most often administered sublingually by subcutaneous injection. This represents real progress and greatly eases the constraints of this treatment.

Everything must begin with a consultation with an allergist, who will identify in advance the allergen in question and determine whether the desensitization is adapted.

The frequency of food allergy has doubled in 5 years! Did you know that it can manifest itself in many different ways?

1. Explaining the growth of food allergy?

According to the Asthma and Allergy Association, the incidence of food allergy has doubled in five years. To date, 4% of French food allergies, about one in ten children. How to explain this phenomenon?

This increase in allergies is probably related to the profound changes in our lifestyle and diet. To date, no single factor explains this trend, but rather the overall changes in our lifestyle that would be involved. It is not excluded that certain measures that were previously recommended for preventing allergies, are not partly responsible for this increase in food allergies.

2. How to manifest a food allergy?

A food allergy can induce signs localized to the skin, gastrointestinal tract and respiratory tract. Food allergies can cause reactions extended throughout the body.

Note that the allergic reactions occur within a few minutes to several hours after eating the food in question.

3. When food allergy occurs on the skin

It can be an additional hives, skin scrapes and red spots appear (like a nettle sting). They disappear quickly and often reappear in another location.

The angioedema: this particular form of urticaria is manifested by swelling of the face, lips and eyelids. Sometimes the tongue and throat swell, too, can cause respiratory arrest, it’s an emergency!

Eczema (or atopic dermatitis): the classic among children, the eczema results in red patches and small red spots that itch and flow. They are most often localized on the cheeks, forehead, ears and base of the thumb. Sometimes on the trunk, folds of elbows, behind knees, buttocks and scalp.

4. When food allergy occurs in the gastrointestinal tract

These are digestive disorders that appear in the form of nausea, vomiting, stomachache, diarrhea or constipation.

5. When food allergy occurs in the airways

The nose is affected: clogged, it itches, not to mention sneezing. The eyes are also affected: red, they bite, scratch and cry.

If the lungs are affected, the manifestation of food allergy is asthma with breathing difficulties and wheezing.

Beware of anaphylactic shock

This is a true life threatening emergency that requires an injection of adrenaline. The most serious manifestation of food allergy is reflected by signs at the mouth, throat and respiratory symptoms may be accompanied by a decrease in blood pressure and even unconsciousness.

The treatment of celiac disease based on complete and definitive exclusion of gluten. Given the ubiquity of gluten in processed foods, gluten-free diet is as difficult as binding.

1. Celiac

Celiac disease is not only infants when dietary diversification and people suffering from chronic diarrhea. This condition must also be raised against anemia, bloating, pain, fatigue, recurrent mouth ulcers, joint pain … Such symptoms may justify the creation of a serological assaying IgA anti-transglutaminases to identify a possible intolerance to gluten.

The treatment requires total exclusion of the gluten to eliminate symptoms and prevent complications (bone loss, autoimmune disease, lymphoma, cancer of the small intestine …).

The gluten-free diet is very restrictive in that this protein is present in grain and flour are very common and widely used in food industry.

2. The basics of gluten-free diet

It is necessary to remove all foods containing the following cereals: wheat, rye, barley and oats, and replaced by rice and corn.

The food trade the most common are:

• For wheat flour, breads of all kinds, crackers, cookies (sweet and salty), meal, all the pasta, pastry products, Bakeries, pastry, bread crumbs.
• For the rye flour, bread, gingerbread.
• For the barley: pearl barley, pot barley, malt (beer).

With the return of good weather, the vegetation explodes, throwing thousands of grains of pollen in the air we breathe. It is a problem for people allergic each year suffer a myriad of symptoms: runny nose, stuffy nose, sneezing, coughing, sore eyes … It’s hay fever! Here are some guidelines to be followed to protect you from pollens.

Allergy to pollen, the symptoms it causes, ruins the lives of allergy sufferers. Eyes red and irritated, sneezing repeatedly, runny or stuffy are typical signs of hay fever, events plaguing daily.

The first thing to do is to consult an allergist to make a diagnosis and identify which pollen you are allergic. Beware, there are cross-allergies, such as an allergy to birch pollen allergy coupled with an apple or pear.

If necessary, your doctor will prescribe a treatment to prevent symptoms, if not mitigated. A tip, do not suffer from your allergy to take it. Do it right the warning signs. That’s how your treatment is most effective.

Meanwhile, observe the following ten guidelines to keep pollen from a distance.

Put yourself in the shadow of pollen

1. Ventilate your home in the morning and not afternoon.

2. Do not smoke and stay away from smokers.

3. By car, keep windows closed.

4. Avoid attendance of chlorinated pools.

5. Do not dry your clothes outside, especially not at night.

6. Do not mow the lawn yourself.

7. If you have gardening, wear a mask.

8. Wear sunglasses.

9. Do not rub your eyes.

10. Keep checking bulletins from the National Pollen Monitoring aerobiological (NGIK): www.pollens.fr. You can also subscribe to the new service Pollen Alerts Widget pollens indicating that you are sensitive and your department. Well, not starting a weekend or holiday without consulting the bulletin Pollen your destination.

Is it possible that a jogging triggers a food allergy? It’s rare, but it is true that physical exertion can induce an allergic reaction to a food eaten shortly before.Explanations.

Sometimes a jog or aerobics causes the typical symptoms of food allergy, namely skin symptoms (redness, itching, swelling of the face, hands or feet), respiratory (cough, shortness of breath , chest pain) and gastrointestinal (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain …), or even more rarely sick or anaphylactic shock.

In such circumstances, and away from any food intake, it is not obvious to think of a food allergy. And yet, it is possible. Here are some clues that can put on the track.

1. What foods are involved?

The foods most often cause allergic alimentaireinduite effort are crustaceans and wheat flour (pasta, bread).

Followed many other foods: celery, tomato, cabbage, lentils, fish, grapes, kiwi, hazelnuts, chicken …

2. Food allergy-induced: Chronology of Events

Time from ingestion of food and the onset of symptoms: 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Interval between onset of exercise and the onset of symptoms: 5-50 minutes.

Duration of the crisis after the cessation of exercise: 3-4 hours.

3. What sports are most often involved?

Jogging, walking and aerobics.

Much more rarely cycling, swimming or skiing.

4. What are aggravating factors?

The intensity of the allergic reaction varies widely and can be enhanced by certain factors: the cold, the pollen season, stress, fatigue, lack of sleep, menstruation, aspirin or anti-inflammatorynonsteroidal.

In conclusion, physical exertion can trigger an allergic reaction to food. It is important to think and consult their doctor.

Some women ask, I usually pay great attention to health, why will get pelvic inflammatory disease? Because female reproductive system completely separate from the urinary system, reproductive system out through the vagina and the outside world, which through the fallopian tube and pelvic opening, abdominal connected. On the one hand the vaginal opening larger, easier to go outside of the bacteria-induced inflammation, on the other hand many of the vagina itself Permanent pathogens, usually when we live in peace good immunity, but decreased immunity, these pathogens on will stir up trouble, causing inflammation occurs. Cause pelvic inflammatory disease There are four main reasons:

1. Menstrual period not pay attention to health

Endometrium during the menstrual stripping, intrauterine blood sinus opening, and a blood clot there, this is a good breeding conditions for bacteria. If not pay attention to hygiene during menstruation, use of health standards for sanitary napkins, or toilet paper unqualified, or sex life, and this will provide retrograde bacterial infection, thus resulting in pelvic inflammatory disease.

2. Postpartum or post abortion infection

Postpartum patients with postpartum or small weak constitution, cervical population expansion has not yet been well off, then the vagina and cervix in the presence of bacteria may be upstream of pelvic infection.

3. Infection after gynecologic surgery:

Induced abortion, IUD put ring or surgery, tubal surgery, HSG, endometrial polypectomy, or excision of submucous myoma, if sterilization is not strict or existing chronic inflammation of reproductive system, that is likely to cause postoperative infection. While others pay no attention to personal hygiene of patients after surgery, or after non-compliance with doctor’s advice, early resumption of sex life can also be caused by ascending infection of bacteria, causing pelvic inflammatory disease.

4. Inflammation spread to neighboring organs:

The most common is the occurrence of appendicitis, peritonitis, because they are adjacent and female internal reproductive organs, inflammation can spread directly attracted female pelvic inflammatory disease. Chronic cervicitis, the inflammation can also be through the lymphatic circulation, caused by pelvic connective tissue inflammation.

Pelvic inflammatory disease refers to the female pelvic reproductive organs, connective tissue around the uterus and the pelvic peritoneal inflammation. Chronic pelvic inflammatory disease are often inadequate treatment of acute from persistent, long time because of disease, illness more stubborn genital bacterial infection can be reversed through the uterus and fallopian tubes to reach the pelvic cavity. But in real life, not all women will suffer from pelvic inflammatory disease, the incidence is only a few. As women have a natural defense reproductive system function, in normal circumstances, be able to resist the invasion Xijun, Zhiyou when the body’s resistance to drop or due to the other reasons women natural defense capabilities are destroyed which have led to pelvic the occurrence of inflammation.

Caused a major cause of pelvic inflammatory disease are:

1. Postpartum or post abortion infection:

Maternal physical weakness after birth, cervical mouth turbidity due to residual blood fluid flow, not time off, spin-off of the placenta within the uterine surface, causing the birth canal or childbirth, injury, or placenta, fetal membranes residue, or the early postpartum sexual life, intrauterine invasive pathogens trip could indicate easily lead to infection; spontaneous abortion, medical abortion during the prolonged vaginal bleeding, or organized Residues in the uterine cavity, or induced abortion is not strict aseptic abortion can occur Deng Jun after infection.

2. Intrauterine infection after surgical procedures:

Such as place or remove the IUD, dilatation and curettage, tubal surgery, hysterosalpingography, hysteroscopy, submucous myoma enucleation, etc., due to an active sex life before surgery or surgical sterilization is not strict preoperative indications of poor choice, reproductive tract existing chronic inflammation caused by surgical interference with acute exacerbation and spread; while others pay no attention to personal hygiene of patients after surgery, or after non-compliance with doctor’s advice, also allows bacteria ascending infection, pelvic inflammatory disease caused.

3. Bad menstrual health :

Without attention to menstrual hygiene, sanitary napkins and pads to use dirty, period bath, Deng Jun sexual intercourse during menstruation can lead to pathogen invasion and inflammation.

4. Direct spread of inflammation to neighboring organs:

The most common appendicitis, peritonitis, because they are female internal genital organs and adjacent to the spread of inflammation can directly, causing pelvic inflammatory disease; chronic cervicitis, the inflammation can also be through the lymphatic circulation, caused by pelvic connective tissue inflammation.

5. Acute episodes of chronic pelvic inflammatory disease.

In general, unmarried women are not susceptible to inflammation in the genitals, it is not absolute. In addition to sexual intercourse because of pathogens, into the uterine cavity within the genital surgery, it can also violated in other ways within the genitals, commonly the following types:

1. Bad habits such as menstrual bath, that is, common causes. Because the resistance decreased menstrual period, lower body was soaked, the water up into the vaginal bacteria can be inside the genitals. Such as menstruation, swimming, water, bacteria more easily into the vagina, then into the uterus, fallopian tube inflammation.

2. Dirty masturbation dirty fingers or dirty equipment surfaces are contaminated with bacteria, and may even have gonococcus, mycoplasma and other sexually transmitted pathogens. When using these dirty massage clitoris or inserted into the vagina, there may be germs into the body, lead to inflammation.

3. Other diseases, the most common is appendicitis. If Delayed diagnosis, purulent appendix, pelvic inflammatory exudate can flow, causing salpingitis. Suffering from acute enteritis, intestinal bacteria can be spread through genital lymphatic vessels, causing genital inflammation. TB bacteria can pelvic blood flow; intestinal tuberculosis bacteria can be a direct violation of the genitals, causing genital tuberculosis.