Chicken Allergies

Urban Mama Chicken
Originally uploaded by key lime pie (Anna Wiz)

So as most of you know, I am allergic to chicken. And yes, it is weird. Apparently only .5% to .6% of the worlds population has it or something. And no, being allergic to chicken (for me at least) does not mean I am allergic to ALL poultry or even eggs.

Anyway, today as I was perusing through my reader, I saw an article about kids with allergies and how it is increasing, etc. This article made me think about my allergy to chicken. I have never met someone allergic to chicken. I really have never even read up on it once my allergy doctor told me that I was definitely allergy to chicken. So I decided to look it up today to find out more about it. Boy did I learn a LOT.

So I found out that "the most common and prevalent manifestation or symptom of chicken allergy are frequent infections like ear infections and bladder infections; asthma attack; bed-wetting; eczema; skin rashes; acne; unusual fatigue; insomnia; migraine; depression and chronic disturbance in the gastrointestinal system. Some people with chicken allergy even develop sinusitis which is somehow unusual if they don't really have the history. Hives and joint pains are also prevalent to them."-Source

From that list this is what I had/have
*ear infections
*depression (in high school)
*chronic disturbance in the gastrointestinal system *sinusitis.

So I still get ear infections frequently, and have sinusitis (chronic sinus infections, etc). I have read that once you get a sinus infection you are more prone to get more. Isn't it great that my doctor kept telling me that stress was the cause of all these things and refused to recommended an allergy doctor (forgot the name) for years until I pretty much forced him to.

Oh also, which is even lovelier, is that: "Chicken meat contains allergens or allergy-producing substances that are called purines. These substances are mainly cited for the onset of several other diseases like gout. Gouts are characterized by the formation or onset of kidney stones.Purines in chicken meat may lead to excessive uric acid accumulation in the body that can possibly lead to what is called kidney stones.
-Source

I was hospitalized TWICE for kidney stones, when I was 14 and 15. The doctors all thought it was VERY odd because mostly only older men get these, not 14 and 15 year old girls. But they were again lame and refused to research this really weird abnormality.

I just found this kidney stone thing out and sinus infection and ear infection thing, just a few hours ago, so right now I am very perplexed. Good thing I gave up the chicken because otherwise I might be having kidney stones every year or more again! eek.

I tell everyone now to question what they ate when they keep getting reoccurring symptoms, and this is why. My symptoms were weird and occurred quite often and so I decided it meant I needed help not just to deal with being sick all the time by taking pills like my doctor recommended. It is much easier to ditch the chicken then be stuck in a bathroom all day with a bucket of pepto.