Posted by Jack Boyd on March 27, 1999 at 17:26:10:
In Reply to: Allergies anyone?????? posted by Terry on March 27, 1999 at 08:06:26:
I have allergies all year round. One of my pet theories is that clusters are essentially an allergic reaction - a reaction to something ( who knows what ) that puts our chemistry out of whack.
I have no empirical evidence - just a gut feeling.
One other thought about the CAUSE issue.
One could probably construct 3 categories regarding cause.
1) There is probably a genetic predisposition - we have something in our physiological makeup that makes us prone to this ( some nuerological deficit or something ).
2)There is then some precipitating event that puts us into a cycle or makes us chronic - I would suggest that the leading candidates are the circadian clock and are problems with regulating it, maybe some enviromental insult resembling an allergic reaction, etc., etc.
3)Once we are in a cycle or are chronic - stress, relaxation after stress, exercise, diet, alcohol, smoking, etc., etc. all play a role in bringing on an in individual attack.
I think our discussion and disagreements about causes have more to do with deciding which of the three categories ( see above ) we are addressing.
I better quit while I am ahead.