Jonathan Wilhoite Blog: Rise In Meat Allergies Triggered By A Tick Bite

Friday, April 22, 2016

Rise In Meat Allergies Triggered By A Tick Bite

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It usually starts as a slight itchy sensation within the mouth or sometimes even just around the lips or tongue, often times brushed off as a small allergy that sometimes hours later it wakes you up in your sleep scratching away or feel your face, lips or eyes swelling.

This is a sign of a nasty allergy that happens to a lot of people and very recently, a grim indicator of an allergy caused by a tick bite and a meat allergy that has been rapidly spreading across the eastern and southern United States. They call this creature the lone star tick.

Dr. Scott Commins, associate professor of medicine and pediatrics at the Thurston Research Center of the University of North Carolina, said that there have already been some 3500 cases reported about this allergic condition and they expect to see more.

This condition has been reported as early as twenty years ago, but have not had much incidents reported, however, there is a big increase in the number of incidents since last year.

Known as the alpha-gal syndrome, this is characterized by a tick bite in people that can trigger an allergic response after consuming red meat which is followed by tell-tale signs of like swollen lips, face, breathing problems and numbness that could even be deadly unless immediate medical attention is sought.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still does not have a database of this condition, but Dr. Commins pointed out they have received reports from several areas in the United States and they are seeing a steady increase in the number of incidents.

Researchers believe that this may have started with a tick picking up the alpha-gal after biting a deer, assistant professor Dr. Andrew Nickels, from Vanderbilt pointed out.

Dr. Nickels said that when the tick bites a human it gets to pass along the alpha –gal substance that is usually found in all types of red meats from beef, corn, venison and lamb.

While those suffering from allergies are usually complain about a terrible stomach upset or several abdominal cramping even after 6 hours long since it was last eaten.

Although the scientists claimed that it may take some time before they can finalize the result of the study, they said that it definitely can highlight the details to improve and enhance diagnosis of the condition.

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from NUTRITION CLUB CANADA http://nutritionclub.ca/rise-in-red-meat-allergies/amp/