Allergies are linked to stress, says study

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Stress could be an aggravating factor in people who suffer from allergies. According to a Japanese study, the increase in allergic reactions could be linked to the stress hormone corticotropin.

“In my daily practice, I meet many patients with allergies who say their symptoms worsened due to psychological stress,” explains Dr. Mika Yamanaka-Takaichi from the University of Osaka, who led the study.

The researcher’s work links the production of corticotropin, a hormone produced during a stressful situation, to the proliferation of mast cells. The latter are involved in allergies in the nasal cavity. This mixture could thus be at the origin of aggravated allergies.

A better understanding of the origin of allergies allows us to find adapted treatments to better deal with them.

“We have also found promising therapeutic potential in candidates like antalarmin,” Dr. Yamanaka-Takaichi indicated.

In the United States, more than 50 million people are believed to be allergic to something. Experts note that allergy diagnoses are on the rise. According to WHO projections, half of the world’s population will be affected by an allergic condition by 2050. In comparison, it was less than 5% in 1970. JB

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