Adios' Allergies - An Update!

Warm greetings to everyone! It has been such a long time since I shared my insights on common biological topics that leave us with uncommon health problems. This urged me to write an update blog or rather a success story on curing my allergies without excessive medicinal abuse. 

Before I start blabbering, I just want to give you a pictorial representation of my current hand condition just to prove it to you that it is not a click bait. 

A)   Before (2012-2015)

 
   B) Present (2016-2018)

                                                                                                                                                
Both of these photos were taken immediately after immersing my hands in water for just 15 minutes. Photo (B) clearly shows that my hand neither shows any skin swelling, peeling, a whitish appearance on moisture contact or any blackish tint upon skin dryness.

My happiness knew no bounds, as I constantly glance at my healed hands. This might seem like a childish behavior, but to be able to cure my skin hypersensitivity that was bothering me since childhood, such excitement is acceptable. Though the final outcome of the situation was looking wonderful just like the tip of the iceberg, the journey was really like the Titanic – full of ups and downs!

After I finished pursuing Masters in the fall of 2015, my frustration level kept on rising chiefly due to my Allergies and people making fun of it (as it is apparent from the first blog). This frustration proliferated further towards the dermatologist whom I visited consistently for 2 years (Let’s call him Dr. L for respect purposes) and he diagnosed my condition in a diverse spectrum – Right from fungal Infection to contact dermatitis to urticaria and so on.  I think Dr. L’s motto was Unity in Diversity but all that was uniting was my resistance to medicines. During these two years, I was prescribed Prednisone (synthetic steroid hormone to reduce inflammation), Anti-acids (Which depletes the acid in the Stomach) and immune-suppressors (To control my hyper active immune system). I was drowned in medication topically and orally to the point where I started gaining weight.

The helplessness was not due to the number of medicines that I was taking but the inefficiency to provide positive results further infuriated me. Since there was no specific diagnosis and way too much consultancy fees on every visit, I decided to change my boat, oh I meant to say Dermatologist!

Before I took an appointment of a Skin specialist, I decided to read the literature behind the adverse effects of Corticosteroids in Asthma as well as hypersensitive skin eczema, Xolair therapy that was recommended for my elevated serum IgE, and every possible information which could link my symptoms to any particular disease. As soon as I met my skin specialist (Dr. V.N), she listened to my case carefully, overhauled the affected region and told me that this was a case of dry skin. The diagnosis & treatment done previously was erroneous. Yes you read it correctly, it was Erroneous!

This meant that Dr. L was just experimenting for two years treating me like a lab rat. The fact that such professional Doctors were acting unprofessionally aggravated me. This moment made me wary of Doctors and their prescriptions.

Upon asking her about more details, I was suffering from a condition called ‘Palmoplantar Keratoderma’ which is thickening of the skin due to abnormal production of the protein Keratin. I did not believe her at first but the confidence in her diagnosis was spot on. Being still confused at the fact that it was dry skin all along, I asked her whether she was really sure of it. To which she calmly replied, “Do you want me to take a Biopsy sample and prove it to you?” This was extremely convincing to me. She further suggested that once the ‘dry skin’ part was taken care of, the swelling pattern would go away but on a temporary basis. On hearing the word temporary, I got disappointed with just the thought that my hands would stay like that for lifetime.  “Dry skin is genetic, you can’t really cure it but you can definitely keep it in check”, was the reply I got.

Even after such an advancement in the Medical field, this is the statement where a majority of prognosis end, but I chose not to accept it in the long run. Though the appointment was very convincing, I did not opt for the Biopsy report as I was saturated to the core with all the lacunae showcased by medical industry. I did ask the Doctor to provide any topical application but not steroidal. She prescribed me a cream under the brand name of ‘Moisturex’ which basically has Emollient, Humectant and Keratolytic properties.

Emollient – Helps in smoothening of the skin.

Humectant – Helps in retaining moisture in the skin.

Keratolytic – Helps in breaking down the excess keratin production on the affected area.

This topical cream was coupled with Vitamin A and D tablets (Cod Liver Oil Pills) and Multivitamin (Vitamin C, E) and Trace mineral (Zinc, Selenium, Copper) tablets. Within 2 weeks of this regimen, my Keratoderma lesions were healed for the time being. During the follow-up, I thanked Dr.V.N for curing the condition without any more steroid medication that was consuming me since 2 years. I haven’t visited her since because she tackled the root cause of the problem instead of just treating the symptoms like Dr. L!

In order to prevent the re-occurrence of such swelling on my skin, I started searching for ways that could naturally heal my Dry skin, Asthma, elevated IgE levels without any drug dependence. I know I was asking for a lot, but then what can you expect from a Biotechnologist? While searching I found Dr. Eric Berg’s channel on YouTube and he turned out to be my salvation. He is a Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) who specializes in the endocrinology of Weight loss, but also extends his study in creating a Healthy body inside out. I found this approach of creating health changes inside the body by consuming right foods at the right time; very logical and scientifically robust.

I went through all his YouTube videos (>2000) as well as read his book ‘The 7 Principles of Fat Burning’ in which he succinctly says that every human body falls in one of the 4 body types (I will mention everything in my Weight loss Blog in detail soon. Let me currently focus only on the Allergy part). When I went through the literature of all the 4 Body types (Liver, Thyroid, Ovary and Adrenal), I matched all the symptoms of an Adrenal Body type.

The most shocking revelation regarding the adrenal body type was that the synthesis of natural Glucocorticosteroids (Body’s Anti-inflammatory machinery) is inhibited in presence of Synthetic Corticosteroids and Adrenal function gets compromised because the body’s self-respect comes first. Human body has a tendency to stop producing anything that we provide externally; especially when such sensitive adrenal hormones are considered.

So without wasting any time, I picked up my medical file which has all the clinical reports since Childhood, and started making a list of medicines that I had taken for my allergies. To my grave surprise, every medicine had a steroidal component in some form or another. Because of this, my adrenals were exhausted, Liver was exhausted as it was constantly exposed to toxic chemicals from such meds and I was nutritionally deficient to be very precise.

Adrenal fatigue was the primary reason that I was unable to lose weight as I pushed the body through some home workouts. It was high time to create health inside to obtain the results on the outside.

So after studying the entire endocrinology described by Dr. Berg, I thought of starting his program of ‘Liver Enhancement’ for about 2-3 weeks.

During this plan, I embraced the following things very strictly to get my Health back;                      

   1) I stopped every medicine that I was popping or applying topically immediately (Even those prescribed by Dr. V.N). I got a Non-steroidal replacement for my Asthmatic inhaler.

   2) As part of Dr. Berg’s Nutritional Ketosis principle, I curbed my refined carbohydrates to less than 20g a Day. (Ketosis is a process of using Fat as the key source of fuel for the Body instead of regular Glucose/Glycogen). This was the toughest challenge as I had to stop consuming Chapatis, Rice, Dal, Biscuits, Breads, Pasta, Cakes, Soft-drinks etcetera. I used to consume only Raw/Partially cooked vegetables as our body has maximum potassium requirement (4700mg), and also to suffice other essential plant phytonutrients like Calcium, Magnesium, B-vitamins as well as Fat soluble Pre-Vitamin A and Vitamin C to some amounts. 

  3) I was eating exactly 3 nutritional meals a day, NO SNACKING in between, thus Balancing my macronutrients in such a way that I was eating Moderate amount of Protein and Fat, but negligible amount of Carbohydrates.

   4) I got all the Junk out of the trunk; meaning I did not consume any junk food for a long time.

  5) I improved intake of natural Omega – 3 fatty acid - rich foods like Hemp seeds (Unfortunately they got banned), Flax seeds (Wonderful source of Omega -3 fats, highly anti-inflammatory), Chia seeds (Rich source of Calcium), Sunflower seeds (Rich in B1: Thiamine) and many more. 

   6) Lastly I started getting my Vitamin D directly from the Sun; as the UV-B rays react with Cholesterol on the skin to synthesize our body’s natural Glucocorticosteroids. This has improved my skin texture significantly and I haven’t suffered from any skin problems ever since. (Touching every wood in the vicinity)

Now reducing Carbohydrates and incorporating intermittent fasting between meals has an incredible link with inflammation in general that leads to Allergies. Carbohydrates are extremely damaging to the retina and are known to cause eczema, deplete B-Vitamins, electrolytes, acid in the stomach (Anti-acids worsen the situation as we deplete more acid and digest less efficiently).  

On the other hand, intermittent fasting allows the body to clean up the cell debris and also prevents insulin spike (Insulin is the most Dominant Fat storing Hormone, which is spiked whenever we eat.). This process is termed as Autophagy where the body finds time to replenish by-products as well as repair damaged protein, skin-collagen thus providing an anti-ageing effect. Fasting also spikes Growth Hormone which improves the texture of the skin.

I’ve been following Nutritional Ketosis and Intermittent Fasting since 3 years and I’ve never felt so healthy and energetic. My Asthma, Skin hypersensitivity, Sinuses, Tinnitus, Lower back pain have improved significantly during these experimental years. I would like to thank Dr. Eric Berg who has really showed me the path of creating a healthy body without charging me a penny. It is rightly said that sharing is caring, and no doubt I believe it 100%.

So when someone tells me that genetics play a vital role in determining your Health issues, I wish them luck in choosing their parents wisely (Sarcasm Alert – You cannot do that!). A healthy dietary change is enough to save thousands of rupees spent on medicines and doctors.

Fun fact: Drinking 8 glasses of Water is a Myth. Drinking excessive water flushes out the electrolytes from the body. Always add Lemon (Vitamin C) and Sea Salt to the water in order to put the electrolytes back in.

P.S – Drinking 8 Glasses of Water does not help getting rid of Acne. Please stop doing that!

Adiós Allergies!

Warm greetings to everyone! 

It has been such a long time since I shared my insights on common biological topics that leave us with uncommon health problems. This urged me to write an update blog or rather a success story on curing my allergies without excessive medicinal abuse. 

Before I start blabbering, I just want to give you a pictorial representation of my current hand condition just to prove it to you that it is not a click bait. 

A)   Before (2012-2015)

 
   B) Present (2016-2018)

                                                                                                                                              
Both of these photos were taken immediately after immersing my hands in water for just 15 minutes. Photo (B) clearly shows that my hand neither shows any skin swelling, peeling, a whitish appearance on moisture contact or any blackish tint upon skin dryness.

My happiness knew no bounds, as I constantly glance at my healed hands. This might seem like a childish behavior, but to be able to cure my skin hypersensitivity that was bothering me since childhood, such excitement is acceptable. Though the final outcome of the situation was looking wonderful just like the tip of the iceberg, the journey was really like the Titanic – full of ups and downs!

After I finished pursuing Masters in the fall of 2015, my frustration level kept on rising chiefly due to my Allergies and people making fun of it (as it is apparent from the first blog). This frustration proliferated further towards the dermatologist whom I visited consistently for 2 years (Let’s call him Dr. L for respect purposes) and he diagnosed my condition in a diverse spectrum – Right from fungal Infection to contact dermatitis to urticaria and so on. 

I think Dr. L’s motto was Unity in Diversity but all that was uniting was my resistance to medicines. During these two years, I was prescribed Prednisone (synthetic steroid hormone to reduce inflammation), Anti-acids (Which depletes the acid in the stomach) and immune-suppressors (To control my hyper active immune system). I was drowned in medication topically and orally to the point where I started gaining weight.

      The helplessness was not due to the number of medicines that I was taking but the inefficiency to provide positive results further infuriated me. Since there was no specific diagnosis and way too much consultancy fees on every visit, I decided to change my boat, oh I meant to say Dermatologist!

Before I took an appointment of a Skin specialist, I decided to read the literature behind the adverse effects of Corticosteroids in Asthma as well as hypersensitive skin eczema, Xolair therapy that was recommended for my elevated serum IgE, and every possible information which could link my symptoms to any particular disease. As soon as I met my skin specialist (Dr. V.N), she listened to my case carefully, overhauled the affected region and told me that this was a case of dry skin. The diagnosis & treatment done previously was erroneous. Yes you read it correctly, it was Erroneous!

This meant that Dr. L was just experimenting for two years treating me like a lab rat. The fact that such professional Doctors were acting unprofessionally aggravated me. This moment made me wary of Doctors and their prescriptions.

Upon asking her about more details, I was suffering from a condition called ‘Palmoplantar Keratoderma’ which is thickening of the skin due to abnormal production of the protein Keratin. 

I did not believe her at first but the confidence in her diagnosis was spot on. Being still confused at the fact that it was dry skin all along, I asked her whether she was really sure of it. To which she calmly replied, “Do you want me to take a Biopsy sample and prove it to you?” This was extremely convincing to me. She further suggested that once the ‘dry skin’ part was taken care of, the swelling pattern would go away but on a temporary basis. On hearing the word temporary, I got disappointed with just the thought that my hands would stay like that for lifetime.  “Dry skin is genetic, you can’t really cure it but you can definitely keep it in check”, was the reply I got.

Even after such an advancement in the Medical field, this is the statement where a majority of prognosis end, but I chose not to accept it in the long run. Though the appointment was very convincing, I did not opt for the Biopsy report as I was saturated to the core with all the lacunae showcased by medical industry. I did ask the Doctor to provide any topical application but not steroidal. She prescribed me a cream under the brand name of ‘Moisturex’ which basically has Emollient, Humectant and Keratolytic properties.

Emollient – Helps in smoothening of the skin.

Humectant – Helps in retaining moisture in the skin.

Keratolytic – Helps in breaking down the excess keratin production on the affected area.

This topical cream was coupled with Vitamin A and D tablets (Cod Liver Oil pills) and Multivitamin (Vitamin C, E) and Trace mineral tablets (Zinc, Selenium, Copper). Within 2 weeks of this regimen, my Keratoderma lesions were healed for the time being. During the follow-up, I thanked Dr.V.N for curing the condition without any more steroid medication that was consuming me since 2 years. I haven’t visited her since because she tackled the root cause of the problem instead of just treating the symptoms like Dr. L!

In order to prevent the re-occurrence of such swelling on my skin, I started searching for ways that could naturally heal my Dry skin, Asthma, elevated IgE levels without any drug dependence. I know I was asking for a lot, but then what can you expect from a Biotechnologist? 

While searching I found Dr. Eric Berg’s channel on YouTube and he turned out to be my salvation. He is a Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) who specializes in the endocrinology of Weight loss, but also extends his study in creating a Healthy body inside out. I found this approach of creating health changes inside the body by consuming right foods at the right time; very logical and scientifically robust.

I went through all his YouTube videos (>2000) as well as read his book ‘The 7 Principles of Fat Burning’ in which he succinctly says that every human body falls in one of the 4 body types (I will mention everything in my Weight loss Blog in detail soon. Let me currently focus only on the Allergy part). When I went through the literature of all the 4 Body types (Liver, Thyroid, Ovary and Adrenal), I matched all the symptoms of an Adrenal Body type.

The most shocking revelation regarding the adrenal body type was that the synthesis of natural Glucocorticosteroids (Body’s anti-inflammatory machinery) is inhibited in presence of Synthetic corticosteroids and adrenal function gets compromised because the body’s self-respect comes first. Human body has a tendency to stop producing anything that we provide externally; especially when such sensitive adrenal hormones are considered.

Without wasting any time, I picked up my medical file which has all the clinical reports since childhood, and started making a list of medicines that I had taken for my allergies. To my grave surprise, every medicine had a steroidal component in some form or another. Because of this, my adrenals were exhausted, Liver was exhausted as it was constantly exposed to toxic chemicals from such meds and I was nutritionally deficient to be very precise.

Adrenal fatigue was the primary reason that I was gaining weight rapidly. It was high time to create health inside to obtain the results on the outside.

So after studying the entire endocrinology described by Dr. Berg, I thought of starting his program of ‘Liver Enhancement’ for about 2-3 weeks.

During this plan, I embraced the following things very strictly to get my Health back;                      

   1) I stopped every medicine that I was popping or applying topically immediately (Even those prescribed by Dr. V.N). I got a Non-steroidal replacement for my asthma.

   2) As part of Dr. Berg’s Nutritional Ketosis principle, I curbed my refined carbohydrates to less than 20g a Day. (Ketosis is a process of using Fat as the key source of fuel for the Body instead of regular Glucose/Glycogen). This was the toughest challenge as I had to stop consuming chapatis, rice, dal, biscuits, breads, pasta, cakes, soft-drinks etcetera. I used to consume only Raw/Partially cooked vegetables as our body has maximum potassium requirement (4700mg), and also to suffice other essential plant phytonutrients like Calcium, Magnesium, B-vitamins as well as Fat soluble Pre-Vitamin A and Vitamin C to some amounts. 

  3) I was eating exactly 3 nutritional meals a day, NO SNACKING in between, thus balancing my macronutrients in such a way that I was eating moderate amount of protein and fat, but limited amount of carbohydrates.

   4) I got all the Junk out of the trunk; meaning I did not consume any junk food for a long time.

  5) I improved intake of natural Omega–3 fatty acid - rich foods like Hemp seeds, Flax seeds (Wonderful source of Omega -3 fats, highly anti-inflammatory), Chia seeds (Rich source of Calcium), Sunflower seeds (Rich in B1: Thiamine) and many more. 

   6) Lastly I started getting my Vitamin D dose directly from the Sun; as the UV-B rays react with Cholesterol on the skin to synthesize our body’s natural Glucocorticosteroids. This has improved my skin texture significantly and I haven’t suffered from any skin problems ever since. (Touching every wood in the vicinity)

Reducing carbohydrates and incorporating intermittent fasting between meals has an incredible link with decreasing inflammation in general that leads to allergies. 

Carbohydrates are extremely damaging and are known to cause eczema, deplete B-Vitamins, electrolytes, acid in the stomach (Anti-acids worsen the situation as we deplete more acid and digest less efficiently).  

On the other hand, intermittent fasting allows the body to clean up the cell debris and also prevents insulin spike (Insulin is the most dominant Fat storing Hormone, which is spiked whenever we eat.). This process is termed as Autophagy where the body finds time to replenish by-products as well as repair damaged protein, skin-collagen thus providing an anti-ageing effect. Fasting also spikes Growth Hormone which improves the texture of the skin.

I’ve been following nutritional Ketosis and Intermittent Fasting since 3 years and I’ve never felt so healthy and energetic. My Asthma, Skin hypersensitivity, Sinuses, Tinnitus, Lower back pain have improved significantly during these experimental years. I would like to thank Dr. Eric Berg who has really showed me the path of creating a healthy body without charging me a penny. It is rightly said that sharing is caring, and no doubt I believe it 100%.

So when someone tells me that genetics play a vital role in determining your Health issues, I wish them luck in choosing their parents wisely (Sarcasm Alert – You cannot do that!). A healthy dietary change is enough to save thousands of rupees spent on medicines and doctors.

Fun fact: Drinking 8 glasses of Water is a Myth. Drinking excessive water flushes out the electrolytes from the body. Always add Lemon (Vitamin C) and Sea Salt to the water in order to put the electrolytes back in.

P.S – Drinking 8 Glasses of Water does not help getting rid of Acne. Please stop doing that!

Troubles Of Having Allergies

Troubles of Having Allergies

Greetings to all!

My name is Mayur D. Chauhan and I am going to share my allergy experience over the years. It might seem funny as to why I have selected such a topic but an individual who is suffering from an allergy can totally relate to it. So without wasting any more time, I will begin.

I was born in the year 1992. Sometimes I like to call it the year of “Allergies” for myself. Let’s start from the most deadly allergic disease Asthma. Asthma is a respiratory condition in which the individual has spasm in the bronchi of the lungs and he/she has difficulty in breathing. Deadly is not a Hyperbole, I mean it. Having extremely weak physique in my childhood, Asthma was really dominant over me. I was just 6 months old when I had started experiencing these Asthmatic attacks. It was very difficult as the only thing that you beg for is Air. So much of Air was available in the atmosphere but so less of it was actually reaching me.

All this might seem dramatic but it isn’t. Reality for an Asthmatic patient is way too worse. I had attacks mainly during night time which made me deprived of sleep. My family members remained awake just to ensure that I slept well.

Let’s talk about the delicious dishes that I ate during my childhood. Oh wait, there were none! Yes I was not allowed to eat any confectionaries. An innocent kid like me was being stopped from eating chocolates and Ice-creams as it was thought that these sugary foods induced such asthmatic attacks.

But Asthma alone did not enjoy with me, so he invited other allergies to give him company. I had a hypersensitive skin which bled even on a simple scratch. I had a lot of rashes which made me look completely red. My mom kept applying Topical applications for years. Even the Chemist would call my Mom by the cream name which she bought almost weekly for my skin issues.

So after many years of treatment, I consulted a Doctor in the year 2004 who finally saved me from this chronic pain.

The most important thing that the Doctor told was – Let him eat all that he wants! And I did not stop from then.

Jokes apart, I was given a Foracort-400 inhaler which consists of two essential components. One of them was Budesonide (Inhalant Corticosteroid having anti-inflammatory nature) which is in combination with Formoterol (Long acting Bronchodilator).

And this was like a life potion for me. I was feeling better day by day. I was enjoying like a normal individual. After some years, my dose was decreased to 200 and even my symptoms were disappearing. The body rashes started to decrease gradually and my skin was getting back to normal.

By 2010 I finished my 12^th standard and to my surprise I had more problems waiting for me. I had the most common skin disease – Acne Vulgaris Stage II. I started its treatment under a quite experienced Dermatologist. I overcame my acne and the excessive oil problem within a year.

But in the same year, I had another big problem which I didn’t realize it at that time. I had a weird skin problem in which my hands would swell during Summer and become normal during Winter. I thought that it would be my sensitive skin that is playing with me. Since the swelling was not severe I did not care to treat it.

But after 5 years of ignorance, my hands started to swell aggressively & frequently. Ultimately I get to know that I have Contact dermatitis. It means that the skin shows inflammation upon contact to certain chemical, detergents, scented soaps etc. I started its treatment and continued for more than a year but the condition would keep recurring. My hand color would keep on changing from Black patches to Red patches and vice versa.

These Patches followed a symmetric pattern on top of my hands. Black patches showed swelling during extreme humid conditions. Even when I would take a bath, it would swell. I usually had to wait for half an hour to dry it completely before going out.

Apart from all these, my spinal cord decided to intervene. I had a disc damage which made it difficult for me to bend in the forward direction. I even found ‘Red’ stretch marks on my stomach. It wasn’t a cherry on the cake but an addition of more pain to the already existing reservoir of Pain.

I knew I had a lot of problems and finally a thought came into my mind. I guessed maybe my respiratory condition was related to this contact dermatitis. The next day I just rushed to my chest specialist and told him about all my plights. He gave me some systemic corticosteroids to clear up the hand condition and suggested me to go for the IgE test.

I’ll just give you a gist about IgE. IgE (Immunoglobulin E) is an antibody which gets activated in presence of allergens like chemicals, detergents, spores, animal dander etc. When an individual gets exposed to any of the above mentioned chemicals for the first time, these IgE antibodies get activated and bind to the specific receptors present on Mast cells and Basophils (Body's Immune Cells). This phase is called as the Sensitization phase.

Upon a second exposure of the same allergen, it binds to two molecules of IgE which have cross linked with each other. This activates the Mast cells and Macrophages which in turn releases certain inflammatory mediators like histamines, leukotrienes, chemokines etc. These mediators are chiefly responsible for all the inflammation occurring at any site.

So when I get the IgE report, I found that where my serum should have 100 IU/ml it has 2065 IU/ml. So basically speaking, I was Hypersensitive to allergens. Also the corticosteroids that I took for around 20 days did not show any results. On this, I was suggested the Anti-IgE treatment. The Doctor told me to research about it.

So being a Biotechnologist, I started researching on ways to decrease my IgE. Natural ways were plenty but it could not be trusted. For example, I read a research paper which highlights the beneficial role of Green Tea on reducing IgE levels.

There were two main Solutions for decreasing IgE,

     1.     Systemic Corticosteroids (Which did not work in my case)

     2.     Anti-IgE therapy (Omalizumab)

Corticosteroids do play an important role in decreasing the IgE levels by directly acting on the B lymphocytes which synthesize IgE. But they seem to have a lot of side effects on a long time basis.

So I started reading more about the drug Omalizumab (Trade Name - Xolair). 

It’s a recombinant DNA-derived humanized IgG1k monoclonal antibody that specifically binds to free human immunoglobulin E (IgE) in the blood and interstitial fluid and to membrane-bound form of IgE (mIgE) on the surface of mIgE-expressing B lymphocytes. In simplest words it prevents the binding of IgE to the Mast cells and Basophils thus decreasing the amount of inflammatory mediators inside the body.

All this seems very fascinating but I knew it wasn’t easy. The drug is founded by Genentech and Novartis and is very expensive in India. After speaking to an expert who works in one of the laboratories performing Anti-IgE therapy, I found out the reality behind the treatment.

One 15mg injection of Xolair was supposed to cost Rs. 21,000 in India. Based upon my height and weight, I was supposed to take 3 such injections in a month. I had to carry out the treatment for at least 4 months. Then based upon the results it could extend beyond that. So basically the ultimate amount would come to 5 lakhs with that rate. Even with discounts, the amount would come up to 2 lakhs.

I literally laughed at this for a long time. 

Immediately I went to my dermatologist and spoke with him for half an hour. He calmed me down and told me that this was just making a fuss. He told me to start basic topical applications and protect the skin on a regular basis. So I have finished a month of his treatment again and hands have become clear now. But you never know, it can be back again.

Why am I writing this? Am I being a cry baby by writing all this down? Absolutely not!

The reason behind this writing is that people really don’t know what an allergic person is facing. I’ve heard people saying ‘Eeww what’s this?’, ‘Defective hand’, ‘Do you work in a factory which produces Crackers’, ‘Is it contagious’ and Blah Blah Blah!!

People have no clue about someone's sufferings but and quick to judge. You ask them about their body, and they are completely blank. Mind you such allergies are very difficult to face.

Your so called ‘Humor’ may be an addition to their pain.

All I want to say is ‘Understand people with any such allergies. If you cannot support, at least don’t criticize and make fun of those people. They are fighting strongly.

My respect goes to all the people who are fighting against such allergies. Be strong. Take care.