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This past semester one of my students asked why she itched whenever she began
to exercise. Years ago a good friend claimed she would itch if she pushed
herself above a certain exercise intensity and stated that she would only
workout so hard and not any more.
These two individuals are among a small group of people who exhibit allergic
reactions to physical exercise. Their symptoms are similar to those a
person would exhibit to a mild food allergy. Seldom are the symptoms severe
enough to warrant medical attention. Although innocuous, they are none-the-less
annoying. If, however, you suffer from exercise-induced
anaphylaxis, ceasing exercise is a must.
Exercise-induced anaphylaxis differs from a mild allergy. Symptoms begin
with tingling sensations and itching, a systemic allergic reaction progresses to
include hives, asthma symptoms, swelling of the mouth and throat area,
difficulty breathing, vomiting, cramping, a drop in blood pressure, and loss of
consciousness. While these symptoms are serious and potentially life
threatening they are generally not deadly.
Most exercise-induced anaphylaxis is associated with recent food intake
either prior to or during exercise. Apparently, the food destabilizes the
immune system and exercise triggers the overall response. Often exercising
prior to eating can solve the problem. Over-the-counter antihistamines can be
used to reduce the response. A last resort is the use of self-injectable
epinephrine as is used with bee-sting or sever food allergic reactions.
As more and more followers of the Fountain of Youth Project become
active and involved in exercise it is inevitable that some of our
readers will experience the milder type of symptoms and wonder whether
to continue on with their exercise program. The answer is yes. The immune
systems in individuals with exercise-induced allergies are erroneously
sensing that a harmless substance (in this case exercise) is dangerous. As
long as the symptoms aren't severe there is no danger in continuing with your
exercise. In fact, typically there is a threshold
intensity below which you can exercise and the symptoms won't
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