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Allergic and related diseases increase inflammation and may put you at risk for developing other conditions.^1,2 With health resilience playing a crucial role in the course of allergy-related conditions, treating the underlying causes may modify the immune system response. Atopic diseases are a class of diseases related to immune system responses such as asthma, allergic rhinitis, and eczema, many of which are common childhood chronic conditions.³

Commonly known as an “atopic march,” allergy-related illness often begins in early life and can disrupt general development and well-being;^1,4-6 it is all too common for clinicians to see adult patients who have been suffering from allergies for most of their lives.

IFM educator Kara Fitzgerald, ND, IFMCP, describes such a case, in which a 60-year-old female patient experienced hay fever, asthma, and chronic allergic sinusitis. Dr. Fitzgerald used a “6R protocol,” which is an enhanced version of IFM’s “5R protocol” for gut health, to address the root cause of the patient’s atopic disease. Treatment included appropriate laboratory testing, targeted supplementation, and steps to reduce gut inflammation. Thus far, the patient has reported only occasional asthma flares and no further sinusitis episodes.

Read more about Dr. Fitzgerald’s approach to asthma and allergic sinusitis

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References

1. Moreno MA. Atopic diseases in children. JAMA Pediatr. 2016;170(1):96. doi:1001/jamapediatrics.2015.3886
2. Davis DMR, Drucker AM, Alikhan A, et al. American Academy of Dermatology Guidelines: awareness of comorbidities associated with atopic dermatitis in adults. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2022;86(6):1335-1336.e18. doi:1016/j.jaad.2022.01.009
3. Simon D. Recent advances in clinical allergy and immunology. Int Arch Allergy Immunol. 2018;177(4):324-333. doi:1159/000494931
4. Hill DA, Spergel JM. The atopic march: critical evidence and clinical relevance. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2018;120(2):131-137. doi:1016/j.anai.2017.10.037
5. Yang L, Fu J, Zhou Y. Research progress in atopic march. Front Immunol. 2020;11:1907. doi:3389/fimmu.2020.01907
6. Jung S, Lee SY, Yoon J, et al. Atopic dermatitis with coexisting food allergy in early life is associated with childhood asthma. Allergy Asthma Immunol Res. 2022;14(5):565-580. doi:4168/aair.2022.14.5.565