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Allergy Symptoms: some common ones

by Allergy Guy

Allergy symptoms, I seem to have them! Could it be that I might have allergies? you might ask yourself.

This is a good question because it is easy to assume that your symptoms might be an allergy when it isn’t, or isn’t an allergy when it may well be.

Allergy symptoms are the clues that indicate that your immune system is reacting to allergens.

There are many clues which might indicate allergies, but they are often extremely hard to read. Just because one person has certain symptoms, does not mean to say that someone else with those symptoms is allergic to the same thing, or in deed anything at all. Two people with the same allergy may have different symptoms.

Here are a list of symptoms to look out for. Just one or two symptoms may or may not mean anything. If you have several symptoms that don’t make sense when taken together, it could be an indication that you have allergies. There could be other causes as well of course.

Feel free to leave a comment with any symptoms missing here.

Head

Mood

Skin

* There are conflicting views as to whether eczema is an allergy symptom or not.

Digestion

Note: See the Bristol Stool Scale to evaluate different types of stool. Not pretty, but when you notice, you should know.

Respiratory

Other

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{ 45 comments… read them below or add one }

1 Dennis June 30, 2011 at 19:04

Hello,

Is it possible for seasonal allergies to cause lightheaded feeling while standing up and clogged ears. My eyes are also quite itchy and about a week ago I broke out with a red ichy rash on my chest. at first I went to the doctor cause I thought I had a sinus infection, but after being sent to an ENT and having a CT scan, everything came back negative. He told me it is probably allergies and I should try some different meds. Nothing really seems to work and I can take this anymore : (

I also suffer from anxiety. I don’t know if maybe everyhing is in my head. Does anyone have any suggestions on reliving my symptoms with of meds. Also what could I possible be allergic too? I think it may be grass.

Thanks

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2 Ireneb May 6, 2011 at 23:12

Hi,
I was just given allergy testing. I was given the skin testing as well as blood tests.Both tests came out negative for allergies. However, after I eat I itch under my ears down to my jaw. I’ve tried to elimnate different things from my diet to see if anything offered relief but nothing has helped.

I constantly get hives unless I take a daily allergy pill. When I don’t take an allergy pill daily I suffer from nasal symptoms as well. I was also tested for Celiacs disease and that test was negative. I can’t take this anymore. Can anyone suggest another course of action that I might take to check what I can do to get relief. I really need to get to the bottom of this.

Thank you for any suggestions.
I –

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3 Allergy Guy May 16, 2011 at 13:10

Allergy testing is not always accurate. It can be helpful, but it wasn’t for you, unfortunately.

You may not be eliminating problematic foods for long enough, or you may not be eliminating everything that is a problem (you likely have more than one allergy). See ..allergy self test.. for more details and helpful hints.

Good luck!

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4 divalou April 2, 2011 at 03:25

Hi
I started itching insanely all over my body, from scalp to feet, about 2 months ago. Steroid cream/Calamime/Piriton etc didn’t help & I scratched myself till I bled. I thought I was reacting to soy milk so instantly eliminated this from my diet, I also washed everything that comes into contact with my skin with Soap Nuts so there is no chemicals on my skin. The itching eventually lessened after about 2 weeks, but still flares up but not to such a degree. I then thought maybe it was actually milk that I was reacting to so have tried to cut out milk products from my diet. But then I have had milk all day long and not itched but then have had totally milk free days and began itching again!

There is no rash & it almost feels like a burning sensation/itch and my nose its constantly blocked and itchy.
Can anyone suggest any thing?

Thanks

Louise

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5 Allergy Guy April 4, 2011 at 13:33

Sounds like eczema, although I could be wrong.

See article on eczema for more info.

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6 Kristin February 23, 2011 at 13:46

I stopped eating meat the end of Nov 09 and developed allergies in Dec 09. I have been tested for food and environmental allergies because Ive had several allergic reactions that result in my eyes swelling shut. Nothing is consistent when this happens, once it was the library, once a restaurant and once in the bathroom after a shower. Has anyone heard of developing allergies after becoming vegetarian? This is so frustrating!

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7 Bonita Poulin April 16, 2011 at 14:56

It could be coincidence. It could also be an allergy or sensitivity. Mold comes to mind or pesticides residues on your food. Libraries are often full of musty books. Many restaurants have mold problems too. If a place smells musty, don’t stay there. Listen to your body!

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8 Stacy August 26, 2011 at 12:57

Did you switch from meat to soy substitutes? Soy might be the culprit.

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9 Amanda February 2, 2011 at 03:51

Hi,

Could this be a food allergy?

My partner has been experiencing respiratory problems for about 2 years now and he hasn’t been able to smell or taste anything. He also suffers from a blocked nose which is sometimes constantly running and has asthma symptoms but has been tested for asthma and has been told he doesn’t have it.

He’s spent a fortune talking to specialists and having tests done and no-one can tell him what’s wrong! I strongly believe he’s allergic to a food as some days it’s worse than others and his nose runs constantly for hours or he struggles to breathe and therefore has to use an asthma medication, even though he doesn’t have asthma but it’s the only thing to allow him to breathe again. Then other days his nose won’t be so blocked or runny and he occasionally gets a slight sense of smell back.

He was taking a medication at one stage called Prednisone which cured everything but unfortunately he cannot take the medication for long periods.

He’s almost given up but I’ve finally managed to talk him into trying an elimination diet, I’m surprised the specialists haven’t told him to try something similar before.

I’ve been reading some of the information on this webiste and we’ve decided that he’ll try a gluten free diet for 4 weeks and see if there’s any changes. Is this long enough and can anyone else suggest other diets that may be worth trying?

Thank you in advance for your advice :o)

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10 Allergy Guy February 2, 2011 at 13:35

It sounds like your partner may be experiencing allergies.

For more ideas about finding the cause, see the ..allergy self test.. article on this website.

He may have other allergies such as mold or dust. Unlike seasonal pollen allergies, mold and dust can be a problem throughout the year. You’ll find information about both on this website.

I suggest he try the gluten free diet for 6 to 8 weeks. Some people take longer to recover than others.

Let us know how it goes.

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11 ANITA November 26, 2010 at 11:57

i have a rash on my face and neck i am allergic to glutten but do my best not to eat it. my question is i work in a restaraunt and sometimes have to make sandwiches if i didn t wash my hands or wore gloves and touch my face would this have caused the rash.

ANITA

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12 Allergy Guy November 26, 2010 at 16:48

I’m not sure that it would, Anitia, but I can’t be sure.

It is more likely that your food is still contaminated a little bit. It is very hard to be perfectly gluten-free, there is always a new way for crumbs to get into your food that you didn’t think about etc.

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13 Tabitha November 26, 2010 at 09:09

i think i am allergic to turkey. i have eaten it two times now and have had the same reaction of stinky burps, severe bubbling in my stomach, and severe diahrea, all happen hours after eating it. is this possible? it has never happened to me before.

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14 Allergy Guy November 26, 2010 at 16:47

Yes, it is possible.

See Meat Allergy article.

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15 Susan Ann November 13, 2010 at 16:22

Hello allergy guy,

I have slight swollen wrists and ankles(with pitting). ANA testing 1:160 No symptoms of lupus or sclerderma (thank god!) Noticed tinnitus and exercise induced hives, swelling of eyes after taking Iburpropen (never happened before) and drinking wine(more itchy than swollen)

Any thoughts?

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16 Allergy Guy November 15, 2010 at 14:06

Hi Susan,

I’m sorry but I can not help you.

For one thing, I am not a doctor. For another, it is not possible to diagnose based on a short paragraph.

Best of luck!

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17 TThomas July 23, 2010 at 16:56

Also my voice goes high-pitched when i drink vodka does this mean im allergic to this too??

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18 Allergy Guy July 26, 2010 at 17:14

If that’s the only reaction, than I doubt it.

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19 TThomas July 23, 2010 at 16:55

Hi,

Ive suffered from allergies for five years and have finally got my doctors to listen and take note that somethings wrong. Even though I was given an epi-pen i never once had an allergy test…. anyways when i have a reaction i swell with fluid which stays in my body its trapped at the top of my arms and legs its really embarassing and am really aware of it.

How do i get rid off it?? I dont want to be stuck with it for the rest if my life!!

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20 Allergy Guy July 26, 2010 at 17:13

The best way to get rid of it is avoid triggering a reaction.

Avoid the allergens that cause the problem.

Easier said than done I know, but that really is the best answer.

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21 Mary Lou Kendle May 6, 2010 at 22:18

After one glass of white wine, my face gets flush and warm. Is this an allergy? What can I do to eliminate this, if anything, without eliminating wine altogether even at a occasional level.

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22 Bonita Poulin April 16, 2011 at 14:49

Listen to your body! Perhaps it was some mold or other contaminate in that wine. Try another type. If you consistently get that reaction, stop drinking wine. Eliminating wine from your life is not the end of the world! Some of us have had to give up so much more!

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23 Stacy August 26, 2011 at 12:54

From what I understand, alcohol does this to alot of people because it opens up the capillaries in the skin, especially to women, I think because we have female hormones that interact or exacerbate that capillary response. Or it could be the sulfites in the wine. If that is the case, you might get a headache along with this, and you might notice reactions to other foods with sulfites like some sea foods, hot dogs, etc.

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24 Dustin May 3, 2010 at 21:40

Hi,
I just found out I have allergies…Yikes! I need help I have a class 1 allergies to wheat, corn and milk. I am not sure If i should be worrying. Will this get worse if I continue to consume wheat, corn and milk. I have mild symptoms sometimes but, I feel like its a gamble to consume those. My test scores are as follows Corn – 0.36, Milk – 0.52 and Wheat – 0.65 (almost a class 2). Just an FYI. I live in the corn capital and I love corn!

Thank you in advance for any advice and help!
Dustin,

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25 Allergy Guy May 3, 2010 at 22:23

Hi Dustin,

Food allergy tests are notoriously inaccurate. See them as a guide.

The good news is that you have found out why you feel lousy – I assume that’s why you got allergy tests in the first place.

If you want to feel better, try eliminating the foods your test showed you to be allergic to and see what happens.

See the elimination diet article for more details.

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26 Garet Thompson March 4, 2010 at 01:14

Thai Spicy Food caused vomiting and diahria

I have had two incidents of severe gastric distress leading to violent vomiting followed by diahria after eating particularly spicy Thai food. One other time I had a similar reaction to a dish consisting of Doritos and enchilada sauce of which I ate too much.
The complicating factor is that I love Thai foods and usually eat Pad Thai and such with no issues. The two times I had the reaction, I had had a soup dish or spicy salad. I usually have no problems with other spicy foods of any kind. It doesn’t make sense to me but over the last 5 years I have had three incidents which are quite violent.
I don’t have any of the usual food allergies.
Any suggestions?

Garet Thompson

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27 Bonita Poulin April 16, 2011 at 14:44

You could be allergic to specific spices. I have that problem. Once a friend invited us over for curry food. It was good but afterward I threw it all up and was very embarrassed. Everybody should learn to do muscle testing so you can figure these things out for yourself.

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28 Paula Mills October 29, 2009 at 12:42

allergy

Hi,

I have an allergy to what i think is a dry mould in the air vents in our home. We have now blocked up the vents but i know the mould is still present within the walls.
The allergy brings me out me little red blisters all over my arms chest neck and face. They then all join up together, making it look like i have 3rd degree burns all over me.My face swells up and eyes burn and become really puffy. My skin then goes really dry and cracks . It is really itchey and embarrassing as people stare at me like I am a freak.
Anti hystamine tablets no longer work, and my doctor is recultant to say the least about putting me on anything stronger.
Do you have any ideas on how i can :

A) Get rid of the mould in the walls.
B) Calm dow the reaction on my skin

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29 admin October 29, 2009 at 19:23

Mold in vents

Hi Paula,

If you have mold in the walls, then you’ll have to open up the walls, and clear out all damp building material and mold.

Yes, that is major construction.

It is very important that you have the walls reconstructed properly. They can only have mold in them if there is a moisture problem – a leak or a problem with condensation.

This is not an area to save money on. If your health problems are connected to mold, then what you’re experiencing is just the tip of the iceberg.

The fist thing you need to do is get a mold inspector to come check out your house and see if you actually do have a mold problem or not (unless its so bad that its obvious).

Good luck with it. Let us know how it goes.

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30 cheryl Bixenman September 22, 2009 at 16:33

Soy allergy?

My face and eyes are burning from the inside out and now I am itching only on one side

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31 admin September 23, 2009 at 12:51

Cause and effect

With most allergies, you have to try to corrolate cause and effect.

Specific sets of symptoms usually don’t tell you much about the cause of the allergy.

Try eliminating soy from your diet, and see if the symptoms go away.

Soy is actually not a very healthy food, so eliminating it from your diet is probably a good thing.

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32 Heather August 4, 2009 at 13:41

Another side effect

Dizziness – caused by stuffed nose, which results in nausea.

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33 Patricia Voss May 28, 2009 at 15:25

soy allergies

Hello,
My name is Patricia and my son has just been tested for food allergies. He tested positive for soy. can you please give me a list of foods not to eat.
Thank you
Patricia Voss

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34 admin August 31, 2009 at 19:15

Soy Allergy Page

Hi Patricia,

Here is an article I just wrote about soy allergies.

It does not include everything, but it is a start.

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35 Guest February 26, 2009 at 19:44

strange toddler behavior – allergy?

My granddaughter, who will be 3 years old in May, has long had a problem with strange behavior with her hands, and occassional seizure-like symptoms. It is getting worse. Her parents took her to see a specialist recommended by the family Dr., but apparently neither medical person thinks this is of much concern. My worry over it has led to problems with the parents, and they will not even share information with me about what her tests showed and what the Drs. said to look out for. I decided the problem was too much TV, since she is allowed to watch up to 8 hours of TV or more a day!!! However, when she was here this week, she began exhibiting stonger symptoms in the late afternoon, after not having been exposed to TV all day, and for most of the previous day. Not only did she clench and unclench her hands into fists and rotate them, which is the primary behavior, but she also tightened her torso with her chest extended a bit, grimaced with her mouth, made soft little bat-like sqealing sounds (eeeeee), and on some occassions her eyes seemed to roll back. Some times she looked at the ceiling while this was happening. She is basically out of it for a few seconds while this goes on. The hand thing seems related to excitement. The other symptoms happen less often, but they occur with the hand symptoms. This happened over a dozen times in the space of a few hours. Usually when she spends time with me, she does not do this at all. That particular afternoon, she had eaten quite well, so I wonder if this might be related to a food allergy or intolerance. She is the strangest eater I have ever encountered. All she wants is milk, baby formula, apple juice (which I do not give her because of the high sugar content and sacylicates) and rice cakes. She will eat carrots, peas, both raw in the pod and cooked. Green beans, raw and cooked, bananas, tomatoes, cucumber, grapes and berries. Sometimes apple. She likes oats. Her parents basically feed her easy to feed things like crackers, cookies, cereal, fruit, and way, way too much cheese. Plain cheddar and mozzarella, macaroni and cheese, pizza, lasagna, cheese ravioli, etc. She gets terrible constipation from all the cheese and milk. I have gone almost out of my mind trying to figure out what might be causing this, and what foods she might be sensitive too. The day she had all these episodes, I had been happy she had tried some breaded dinosaur chicken nuggets (supposedly without harmful additives), some granular lecithin, carrots, and a drink I have been mixing up with baby formula (for the vitamins and iron) with a tablespoon of pureed baby turkey blended in, 1/2 tsp. of rice bran, and a tsp. of rice protein. She gets hives frequently, but we don’t know what from. I suspect the M&M’s trail mix with peanuts her dad has all over the house and that she nibbles at at night, but I don’t know. I was making her formula/milk drink with a cooked egg yolk, but she was itching, so I stopped, thinking she might be allergice to the egg yolk. She eats almost no meat of any kind except for occassional spagetti with meat sauce. She does eat a little lentil soup. I worry about her lack of iron and zinc because she eats so poorly. She is extremely intelligent. She can almost read, and can count to 20 and knows what the numbers mean. This is while being raised by one parent who is basically illiterate and who does not read to her or talk with her or give basic interactions. If anyone has any insights, I would appreciate any feedback. I have no ability to have her tested, and my requests to have all this checked out have met with increasing hostility to the point where she was kept from me for two months. I used to care for her almost full time for a year, and when she was with me, she almost completely stopped the hand shaking/clenching. I don’t know whether it is stress, TV, lack of nutrients, or sensitivity to food or chemicals. I hate to think this intelligent little angel is going to suffer possible permanent brain damage because I did not try harder to find a solution to this.

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36 Guest March 19, 2009 at 13:29

Strange toddler behavior

My daughter does the same thing… I am going to the pediatrician this afternoon. I have been sick over it. She is 3 years 4 months. At first the little episodes were very infrequent, but just recently they have become a daily occurrence and have become more severe. Very similar to your granddaughter. We did the same thing by limiting TV, Computer etc. Doesn’t seem to help. Please let me know if you have found any resolve.

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37 Guest October 20, 2009 at 16:06

Strange Toddler Behavior

My nephew does the same things that your daughter and granddaughter does, he is also very intelligent and a wonderful little boy who is a complete social butterfly. The episodes with this hands tend to happen when he is excited. He recently asked his parents why he does this because it embarasses him. They took him to a nuerologist who diagnosed him with a form of autism. He is now on medication and is doing really well. The episodes with his hands have calmed down almost to the point of stopping. I don’t know if this is what is wrong with your daughter and grandaughter but it might be worth checking out.

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38 Guest February 19, 2009 at 03:49

Msg or other?

I know i have msg allergy. But can you tell me if that or maybe say a panic attack would have a cold flushing feeling inside?

I do have panic attacks, high blood pressure, i do not know if i am allergic to other foods.
Lish

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39 admin February 19, 2009 at 11:37

Could be either

Hi Lish,

I can’t give you a definitive answer, but I can tell you that speaking from experience, allergies can make everything harder to deal with, and make small challenges seem like major show-stoppers.

Take away the allergen (msg for example) and after a few days (or weeks) when the allergen clears out of your system, you feel fine once again and everything seems easy, even the big challenges of life.

I would not be surprised if delayed food allergies caused panic attacks in many cases.

My guess is that you are allergic to other foods besides MSG. Few people are allergic to just one thing.

Check out $Self-Testing-for-Food-Allergies$ to learn more about discovering your food allergies.

Hope that helps!

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40 Guest Pat March 21, 2009 at 16:07

MSG

My reaction to msg is upper arm pain, and pain and tightness in my chest. It lasts for about 1/2 hour. My doctor knows nothing about this allergy. He told me if something causes pain it can’t be an allergy. Then he did many tests, on liver, pancreas, gall bladder and found nothing. But I have had it now for many years. It scares me because sometimes it makes me think I might be having a heart attack. Most of the sites don’t go into detail about this type of symptom.
Can you direct me to a place that describes such symptoms and what can do to prevent it. I avoid all foods that I know can have msg. I try to eat only organic. But it still slips in. I’ve had this reaction since the late 1990’s and I am in my seventies now. Also I have a son who is now having symptoms. Thank you. Pat

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41 admin March 21, 2009 at 23:09

MSG allergy symptoms

Hi Pat,

There are different types of allergic reactions. Most doctors use a very narrow definition of the word “allergy”.

Still, you’ve noticed a correlation between MSG and pain, so allergy or not, it seems that you react to MSG. You’ve had the tests, so it seems that there is nothing serious to worry about.

All I can tell you is what you already know: avoid MSG, and learn all you can about what foods contain it. I’ll see if I can post more info about MSG – that is a great idea for an article, thank-you.

I suspect that restaurants are the biggest culprits when it comes to MSG exposure despite your best efforts.

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42 adrian January 21, 2009 at 15:15

beer allergies

I have enjoyed a drink of beer but have noticed when i sometimes have a drink my nasel passages dry out and my mouth starts also to feel dry ,I also seem to have a feeling of pressure build up across the bridge of the nose I have always imagined this is de-hydration however it occurs after only 1 drink.

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43 Guest August 17, 2009 at 12:10

hopps

I once had a friend who was allergice to hopps. He would have this same reaction after only a couple sips of beer. Along with sneezing and a redness in his face.

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44 admin August 17, 2009 at 13:39

Thanks

Thanks for the extra info.

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45 Monica July 6, 2011 at 15:03

i myself have had a drink and my mouth feel dry, however it just the interaction of the yeast from the beer causing the pasties. 🙂 It may or may not mean you have an allergy but it doesnt mean you cant go get tested for an allergy 🙂 good luck and hopefully it isnt, a nice ice cold beer does its justice on a summer day! cheers!

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