Allergies

Originally Posted by Temari

With it being summer and all, I've been on constant alert for 'leaves of three'. My sister and aunt both recently broke out with poison ivy in a couple places, so I've been staying away from them as much as possible. Maybe its not medically possible, but I've always felt that I'm ridiculously allergic to poison ivy (more than most people), simply because of how quickly it travels when I get infected. I'll find a small spot on my leg, cover it so I cant scratch it, and somehow, within a day, it'll be on my face. One summer I had to walk around with gloves on at all times, because both my hands were COVERED with poison ivy. It was not fun.

So while mine may not be considered a true 'allergy', what kind of allergies do other people have? Any interesting stories in how said allergy was discovered?

It is very much an allergy and it comes in varying degrees like you said. The summer camp that i work at in July and August is covered in those accursed plants. I have multiple friends who refuse to go into the bush because they know they'll react. They usually end up getting it anyways, and the reaction can be anywhere from an itchy rash to huge pussing open sores. I myself got poison ivy once, and i never want to go through that again. I avoided it for years afterwards, until one week at camp i was working maintenance one week and was set to striking campsites. That meant walking around in poison ivy almost constantly. Despite my prolonged exposure that day, i didn't get any break outs or rashes of any kinds. I think i'm immune, but i'm not really into testing that theory, and i know many people who are immune.

As far as my own allergies go, i've had bad digestion problems for a few years now. After seeing a naturopath i took an allergy test that measures allergies and intolerances small enough to escape a scratch test. The test reported that i'm allergic to all dairy and garlic of all things. I've since seriously reduced my dairy intake. It's worked wonders for me. I've lost 30 pounds with no change in exercise, my digestion has sorted itself out, and my complexion is clearing up. I will admit i had my doubts about naturpathic methods, but this one is working.

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