|
|
Allergies
Yes. Spring is in the air! I can tell by the red itchy and watery eyes, the abundant coughs, and the sneezing that is so predominant in my patients this month. And tragically, I am seeing more and more children with these symptoms. With South Florida’s tropical climate there is no shortage of pollen from trees, plants, and weeds. Then there are the perennial offenders such as dust, dust mites, molds, foods, and pets.
Allergies can show themselves in many forms and symptoms. It depends on which part of your immune system is called to arms. There are antibodies called immunoglobulins which are the predominant cells that respond during an allergic reaction. These cells are used by the immune system to identify and neutralize foreign objects, such as bacteria and viruses . But when the immune system has gone awry it can attack substances that are normally harmless to our body such as pollen, dust, animal dander, and various foods.
There are five different types of immunoglobulins utilized by our immune system. They are IgA, IgD, IgE, IgG, and IgM. Each antibody has a different function. IgA is found in our mucous membranes, saliva, tears, breast milk and our digestive tract. Stress greatly reduces the amount of IgA found in our system. This is one reason we are more prone to colds and flus when we are under stress. IgD is found in small amounts in our blood streams. Its role in allergies is not well defined. IgE is one of the big players in allergies. It is what causes the release of histamine and can lead to anaphylactic shock in severe cases. IgG is the stealth bomber of allergies. This is the antibody which can take its sweet time in developing reactions to foods and environmental factors (up to 72 hours). The symptoms are also very general. They include fatigue, bloating, weight gain, muscle and joint pain, reflux, and general malaise. IgM is responsive in infections and is found in the blood when someone has suffered from a recent illness.
What do you do when your immunes system is malfunctioning? Many people resort to the standard Western medical drugs and prescriptions. But often the treatment can be worse (long term) than the allergy.
These side effects include but are not limited to drowsiness, anxiety, depression, and impaired thinking. Children can be especially susceptible to the side effects of allergy medication. Most often I see radical personality changes including attention deficits, hyperactivity, anger, aggression, irritability, and inability to complete tasks in school. Once the medications are terminated the symptoms subside. (You should never attempt to stop a medication without the advice of your doctor.)
What are your alternatives? There are many available today. One method that many seek is Traditional Chinese Medicine. This includes acupuncture, herbs, cupping, and oriental body work. When treated from this perspective an acupuncture physician will look for the root cause of the allergy. Most often deficiencies in the Lungs, Spleen, and Kidneys or their respective energy channels are the culprits. The physician would use the appropriate methods to tonify the proper organs and channels. In cases of chronic sinus problems there is often a pathogen lingering in the body. That pathogen (according to ancient theory) is wind. By using needles and herbs to expel the wind the sinus problems become a thing of the past. Depending on the health of the individual, it can take anywhere from one treatment to six months of treatments to cure the problem.
There are other treatments available to help eliminate allergies. One treatment called NAET (Nambudripad’s Allergy Elimination Technique) is gaining in popularity. This treatment is well liked by children because it uses acupressure and does not require any use of needles. The practitioner uses kinesiology to test for what substances the person is allergic to. Kinesiology is a method of testing that utilizes the strength (or lack of) your muscles to determine if your system is in balance. The patient holds a vial that is programmed with the electromagnetic frequency of the allergen. Then the practitioner tests to see if the muscle can stay strong. If you remain strong then the substance is not creating a negative reaction in your system. If you are weak, then you receive the acupressure treatment. Once the treatment is finished you must avoid the offending substance for 25 or more hours. Your practitioner will tell you how long to avoid the item. I have seen very good results with this procedure in the clinic. If you also address the health of your digestive system while undergoing NAET, you can permanently eliminate your allergy.
Another avenue to explore is BodyTalk™. The BodyTalk™ System is similar to NAET in that it works by first identifying the weakened energy circuits within the body using kinesiology. Instead of vials with electromagnetic signatures, there is a series of questioning that is used to determine which energy blockages within the body need to be addressed. Instead of acupressure, the client is lightly tapped on the top of the head, which stimulates the brain center and causes the brain to re-evaluate the state of the body's health. The result is that the general energy balance of the body is greatly improved.
Diet is one of the most important issues to discuss. You can eliminate all your known allergies and in six months be back to square one because of poor diet. A diet high in sugar and fat can wreak havoc on the system. Sugar and fat overburden the digestive system. In Chinese medical theory, these items cause an accumulation of dampness and injure the spleen. The spleen is in charge of breaking down nutrition into qi and distributing it to the rest of the body. The spleen hates dampness and does not function well when damp is present. Once damp starts to accumulate the water sits and becomes stagnant. This can lead to the formation of phlegm. The phlegm clogs the digestive system and lowers metabolism. It also leads to chronic phlegm conditions such as allergic rhinitis and sinusitis. After a while you drain your body’s health to the point where you develop allergies all over again. I have seen this with patients that did not want address the lifestyle changes necessary to maintain overall health. Proper diet is essential in treating allergies.
As you can see, there is more than one way to tackle the problem of allergies. As a matter of fact, I see the best results when people use a combination of techniques to get control of their health. In this day and age there is no reason to continue to suffer from allergies and all the symptoms they induce. Find a good practitioner that is experienced with allergy elimination and free yourself and children from the misery that spring can bring.
|
