Sniffles & Bumps

One out of every ten people in the U.S. suffers from some major form of allergy, such as asthma. One out of every two may suffer at one time or another from a minor form, such as simple hives. Beginning with these estimates, Manhattan Allergist Harry Swartz wrote a book, published this week, called Allergy: What It Is and What to Do About It (Rutgers University Press; $2.75).

Man lives in a world that is chock-full of things likely to cause allergies, says Swartz. He cannot escape them from the time he gets up in the morning until he goes to bed at night. Going to bed is no escape, either: fresh-laundered sheets may have bits of cornstarch sticking to them; the bedroom chair may have been put together with fish glue. If a man drinks gin, he may suffer an allergy as well as a hangover. Not counting the olive in a Martini, Dr. Swartz lists some of the possible ingredients of gin that may cause an allergy: aniseed, caraway, cardamon, fennel or coriander seed, cinnamon, cloves, calamus root, licorice, orris root, sloeberries, juniper berries, nutmeg, orange or lemon peel.

Allergic response may come along three main routes: 1) from certain natural agents such as bacteria, dust and proteins; 2) from such physical agents as heat and cold; 3) from the emotions. Whatever the cause, the final result--whether it shows up as hives or hay fever--is always expanded capillaries.

The jokester who cracks that a man is "allergic to his wife," or "allergic to his job" may be on sound scientific ground, says Swartz. Unhappiness at home or office can cause allergic reaction that results, for instance, in asthma. Swartz tells of a garment manufacturer whose asthma became almost unbearable every spring, and then improved in the fall. It was not a case of pollen sensitivity, as the victim thought, but worry over his business sense. In March he made up his samples and started to worry; by September, he knew that his judgment about them had been all right.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.