According to the National Health Statistics Reports for the United States, the single most frequent diagnosis given out by doctors is “Hypertension,” commonly known as high blood pressure.

In 2006, the most recent year for these statistics, over 35 million visits to doctors resulted in a diagnosis of high blood pressure.(1)

In simple terms, high blood pressure is an increase in the pressure within your arteries (your pipeline) over 140/90. This increase in pressure is much like an increase in the pressure within a pipe. The higher the pressure, the harder the pump has to work, and the harder it is to contain that pressure within the pipe.

Therefore high blood pressure is well known to increase your risk for heart disease and heart attack (damage to your pump), and to increase the risk of stroke (blowouts in the pipe). An increase in blood pressure is well recognized to be related to weight gain.

However, there are many other causes, and not everyone who is overweight develops high blood pressure. One of the more interesting and certainly overlooked causes of high blood pressure may be food allergies.

The Case for Hypertension Caused by Food Allergies

Although not a major focus at our clinic, one of more interesting connections to the identification and removal of food allergies from their diet has been for some patients a significant and relatively quick drop in their blood pressure.

This has not necessarily been related to a drop in their weight, although that is often another positive side effect of the treatment program.

These make for interesting stories, but it also turns out that there are some published reports on the subject of food allergies and intolerances and the incidence of hypertension. In fact, one of these studies is quite large. In 2004 a report of 3,740 gluten intolerant adults on a gluten free diet found that they had on average significantly lower blood pressure than the general population.(2)

This study did not measure their blood pressure before and after the change in their diet, but other smaller studies have. A case of a gluten intolerant patient with well monitored blood pressure that hovered in the 150s/mid 90s prior to diagnosis showed improvement within 6 months after going gluten free, and was completely normal 128/80 within 15 months. (3)

But more dramatic results have been reported in larger studies involving more food reactions. A study of 15 people with hypertension were found to be reactive to a different combinations of foods such as wheat, egg, dairy, orange, beef, corn, cane sugar, and yeast.

In each case their blood pressure reverted to normal after removing the appropriate food(s) from their diet. And as an added bonus, everyone with migraine headaches also saw those disappear (which, believe it or not, are commonly triggered by food allergens). (4)

Summary

First, be sure to get regular check-ups. Blood pressure is one of the most common and preventable killers in the U.S. If you have high blood pressure, then be sure to get it treated by your physician. But if you have borderline high blood pressure, or if you’d like to reduce your medication or potentially eliminate it altogether, then you are strongly encouraged to look into the possibility that a hidden food allergy is contributing to your elevated blood pressure.

In fact, high blood pressure can be the only symptom that your food allergy is causing. But you may also have other health problems that will also benefit from diagnosing your food allergy (see our sister clinic website, Center for Food Allergies.

If you’d like to learn more about these types of food allergies and their connection to your health, please schedule an appointment with us. Our expertise is in helping you discover the hidden potential within you that can dramatically improve your health.

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1. National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: 2006 Summary, Number 3, August 6, 2008 by Donald K. Cherry, M.S.; Esther Hing, M.P.H.; David A. Woodwell, B.A.; and Elizabeth A. Rechtsteiner, M.S., Division of Health Care Statistics.
2. West J, et al. Risk of vascular disease in adults with diagnosed coeliac disease: a population-based study. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2004 Jul 1;20(1):73-9.
3. Lim PO, et al. Reversible hypertension following coeliac disease treatment: the role of moderate hyperhomocysteinaemia and vascular endothelial dysfunction. Journal of Human Hypertension. 2002 Jun;16(6):411-5.
4. Grant EC. Food allergies and Migraine. Lancet. 1979 May 5;1(8123):966-9.

Your immune system serves as a guard against foreign invaders. In the case of an allergy, the invaders are called allergens.

The primary weapon that it uses against invaders is the production of antibodies. The antibodies cause reactions that result in the offending allergens being removed from the body.

In many people, foods act as allergens rather than nutrition. This can result in the symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

The immune system produces numerous kinds of antibodies, called immunoglobulins. IgE and IgG are acronyms for the two different kinds of antibodies produced by the immune system in allergic reactions to food.

You might be asking why you need to know this...

Conventional allergy testing looks for IgE reactions only. These types of reactions typically occur immediately after contact with or ingestion of the allergen, and in some cases can cause serious, even fatal, health problems. Potential IgE reactions include swelling of the lips and tongue, hives, bloating, abdominal pain, or sudden diarrhea.

These are the reactions that people usually think of when they hear the word allergy. However, IgE reactions can also lead to many other symptoms not traditionally recognized as being caused by food allergies.

The problem with this type of testing is that most food allergies are not IgE reactions, but are rather IgG reactions, which usually show up hours or even days after ingestion of the allergen.

They are generally not nearly as dramatic as the more severe IgE reactions, and usually result in "mere" constipation, diarrhea, bloating, gas and abdominal pain. Both antibodies are important, and food allergy testing should include both or the cause of IBS may be missed.

More information on testing for food allergies.
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Chronic congestion of the sinuses, ears and/or the nose can be an extremely frustrating sinusitis problem that does not ever truly seem to go away. 

All too often I hear patients state that they have not found relief even after many rounds of antibiotics or multiple surgeries. This is because antibiotics and surgery often don’t address the cause of the congestion.

What Causes Sinusitis and Runny Nose? 


Sinus infection (sinusitis) and runny nose are inflammatory conditions that result in mucous production and congestion. This leads to the resulting problems of sinus pressure headaches, a runny nose, or stuffy ears. 



What Causes Inflammation? 


Inflammation is caused by anything that can activate the immune system. It can be caused by a bacterial, fungal, or viral infections, or by environmental or food allergies. 
Bacterial and fungal infections are readily treated by antibiotics, and viral infections generally resolve on their own.

Food allergies are the most under-rated cause of inflammation and congestion, and frequently exacerbate known environmental allergies. 



How Do Food Allergies Trigger Sinusitis or a Runny Nose? 


An allergy is an immune response, resulting in inflammation and in this case mucous production. Such a response to food can be exhibited in any part of the body, because nutrients are digested, absorbed and circulated throughout the body. This is why food allergies can cause a wide range of problems, including sinusitis and runny noses. 
There are many other conditions that can be caused by food allergies.

What Foods Trigger Sinusitis and Allergic Rhinitis?


Any food that can trigger the immune system via an allergic reaction is capable of causing sinusitis or allergic rhinitis. And the fact is, any food is equally capable of triggering an allergic reaction. 


There is no one-to-one correlation between foods and symptoms or diseases. Food allergies result in inflammation, which then leads to problems such as sinusitis. 
Therefore proper blood testing must be done in order to determine one’s food allergies. 



Why Is It So Difficult to Recognize One's Own Food Allergy? 


This is problematic because of the often delayed nature of food allergies. Allergy symptoms may show up hours or even a day later, after a food is well absorbed into your system. 
This difficulty is compounded by the fact that certain foods, such as dairy and wheat, are so prevalent in our diet that many people eat them nearly every day. Therefore connecting your symptoms with your eating habits often nearly impossible.



What Causes a Food Allergy? 


It is most likely that food allergies are genetically predetermined. In the big picture, humans have only recently introduced many current day foods into the diet, so it’s not surprising that the immune system doesn’t recognize every food as a friendly substance. 
Undoubtedly we do not understand everything there is to know about food or food allergies.

How Do I Determine if I Have a Food Allergy?


The only sure way to determine if you have a food allergy is to have your blood tested for antibodies to a variety of foods. This is done with an ELISA Food Allergy Panel, which measure your immune response to approximately 100 different foods. 
If you experience sinusitis, a runny nose, or suspect that you may have a food allergy, contact the IBS Treatment Center at info@ibstreatmentcenter.com to schedule an appointment.

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