CAN HYDROGEN HELP TO RELIEVE ALLERGIES? 

What is Allergy? 

List of known major allergens 

Allergies, also known as allergic diseases, are a number of conditions caused 

by hypersensitivity of the immune system to typically harmless substances in the environment. These diseases include hay fever, food allergies, atopic dermatitis, allergic asthma, and anaphylaxis. Symptoms may include red eyes, an itchy rash, sneezing, a runny nose, shortness of breath, or swelling. Food intolerances and food poisoning are separate conditions.  

Common allergens include pollen and certain foods. Metals and other substances may also cause such problems. Food, insect stings, and medications are common causes of severe reactions. Their development is due to both genetic and environmental factors. The underlying mechanism involves immunoglobulin E antibodies (IgE), part of the body's immune system, binding to an allergen and then to a receptor on mast cells or basophils where it triggers the release of inflammatory chemicals such as histamine. Diagnosis is typically based on a person's medical history. Further testing of the skin or blood may be useful in certain cases. Positive tests, however, may not mean there is a significant allergy to the substance in question.  

Early exposure to potential allergens may be protective. Treatments for allergies include avoidance of known allergens and the use of medications such 

as steroids and antihistamines. In severe reactions, injectable adrenaline (epinephrine) is recommended. Allergen immunotherapy, which gradually exposes people to larger and larger amounts of allergen, is useful for some types of allergies such as hay fever and reactions to insect bites. Its use in food allergies is unclear.  

Allergies are common. In the developed world, about 20% of people are affected by allergic rhinitis, about 6% of people have at least one food allergy, and about 20% have atopic dermatitis at some point in time. Depending on the country about 1?18% of people have asthma. Anaphylaxis occurs in between 0.05?2% of people. Rates of many allergic diseases appear to be increasing. The word "allergy" was first used by Clemens von Pirquet in 1906.  

The severity of allergies varies from person to person and can range from minor irritation to anaphylaxis ? a potentially life-threatening emergency. While most allergies can?t be cured, treatments can help relieve your allergy symptoms. 

Hydrogen and its anti-allergic properties.

Although the exact mechanisms for mediating the protective effects of molecular hydrogen (H2) are not well understood. It has now been proven and accepted that Molecular Hydrogen has anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic and anti-allergic properties.

Hydrogen attenuates the phosphorylation of the FCE receptors on the mast cells. This in turn abolishes the signal transduction and leads to inhibition of the activity of NADPH oxidase subsequently reducing the formation of inflammatory substances. Hydrogen was found to inhibit the activity of all the molecules involved in this pathway.

It was found that hydrogen acts to counteract allergic reactions by modulating specific signalling pathways. Drinking hydrogen rich water may be an effective way of fighting against a wide range of allergic diseases such as allergic rhinitis, hay fever, conjunctivitis and bronchial asthma in humans. Most drugs act on specific target sites.

However, hydrogen differs from the conventional medicines, it can reach any site of the cells and exert its effects by a combination of changed pathways. Although it is very effective, it has no known adverse effects. Therefore, hydrogen has the potential to become a novel "drug".