Allergies come in all forms to just about everything and many different, but all "allergic", reactions. According to my allergenist there are three basic "types of reactions": none, a moderate reaction and a severe reaction. There are also the "grey" areas, between none and moderate and between moderate and severe. All of my "allergic reactions" fell clearly between the grey areas – clearly all were moderate.

Some people are allergic to aspartame. Some people are allergic to pollens. Some people are allergic to house dust. Some people are allergic to fungus. Some people are allergic to vitamins. Some people are allergic to drugs. Some people are allergic foods. I'm one for all of the above.

Other common allergies include animal dander, sea foods, peanuts, insect bites and other medications. But there's a lot more. For just about everything on earth there's someone who is allergic to it. So some allergies are exceptionally rare whereas others are very common.

As an allergic reaction, some people break out in hives. Some people get sick. Some people get elevated blood pressure and some people itch mightily. There are other reactions of which I'm unaware. However, in my case, I react to vitamin A, all B's and D, aspartame, sucaryl and their predecessors, exactly the same way: they raise my blood pressure. Not just a little, but a lot. I react to some medications (tetracycline, geocyllin), amino acid supplements and my favorite food, mushrooms, by feeling seriously sick to my stomach. And I react to flu shots by getting the flu – three times for every shot, immediately, after three months and again after 6 months.

My particular allergic reactions (and I say "allergic" reaction as they were documented over a period of ten years by three different doctors and an allergenist and confirmed as "allergic reactions") take these three different forms. Thankfully I never react with hives or itching or any of the other bizarre reactions which occur. Mine are bad enough.

My blood pressure normally runs about 135 / 75. On aspartame or sucaryl daily for just one month my blood pressure rises above 165 / 90. If I go longer, say two months, it gets up to the 175 / 100 range. This is dangerous territory indeed. My elevated blood pressure is just a little less violent to vitamins – but still too high.

Oooops! There's another important consideration to allergies. Its called "Climate"! My major allergies are to pollens. As a result, I do not fare well in dry climates and I absolutely thrive in a tropical environment – the damper the better. Other people thrive in a dry climate and need to avoid high humidity – the dryer the better.

The best way to get a handle on your allergies – if you have any and just what they are – is to consult an allergenist. Allergenists do not come cheaply, but they are well worth the investment so far as your health is concerned. The next way to get a good handle on allergies is to experience them and document them and learn how to avoid them.

Your good health will be your reward for learning to cope with your allergies in advance, by avoiding them and staying healthy.

Disclaimer: This article in no way should be taken as “medical advice” on any product, condition or course of action, nor does it constitute in any way “medical advice” endorsing any specific product, specific result, nor any possible cure for any condition or problem. This article is meant as a source of information upon which you may base your decision as to whether or not you should begin using any vitamin, mineral and/or herbal supplement for better health, or begin using a “greens” product as a dietary supplement.

If in doubt, or if you have questions, you should consult your physician and, if possible, consult a second physician for a possible different opinion. The author does not bear any responsibility for your decisions nor for the outcome of your actions based upon those decisions.

About the Author

Loring Windblad has studied nutrition and exercise for more than 40 years, is a published author and freelance writer.

This article is Copyright 2005 by http://www.organicgreens.us, http://www.organicgreens.ca and Loring Windblad. This article may be freely copied and used on other web sites only if it is copied complete with all links and text, including the Authors Resource Box, intact and unchanged except for minor improvements.