|
A
Novel Approach to Treating Allergies and Asthma
by Mark Swircenski
Allergies are frustrating. Your
doctor calls them asthma, rhinitis, sinusitis, dermatitis, eczema,
bronchitis, conjunctivitis, and who knows how to pronounce the rest of
them. All you know is that you have hives, itchy skin, hay fever,
constant ear infections, sinus infections, sinus headaches, and the
list goes on.
What Causes Allergies?
Allergies are an abnormal reaction by the immune system to normally
occurring substances in the environment. On exposure to the offending
substance, the unruly immune system produces chemicals that makes one
sick and causes the various symptoms that we have come to know as
allergies. Common allergens include pollens, dust, dust mites, mold
and foods.
How Are Allergies Treated?
The first step of any treatment program is avoidance of allergens;
however, this is not always possible or practical. The next step may
be medication, such as antihistamines, decongestants or steroids.
Unfortunately, medications only treat symptoms and do not change the
way your immune system reacts to allergy- causing substances.
Medications may be appropriate for someone who only experiences
symptoms for a short time each year.
The only treatment that tames the unruly immune system and
desensitizes the body so it doesn’t overreact every time it
encounters a pollen granule is immunotherapy. The first step is skin
testing to find out how allergic one is, so that the proper allergy
serum can be made. That is followed by administering gradually
increasing amounts of an antigen serum (which is an all-natural
extract of the dusts, molds and pollens that cause allergies.) That
amount is slowly increased until the immune system accepts the
material in these smaller doses without negative reactions. The
desensitization improves health and well-being and frees the immune
system to protect the body elsewhere.
Do You
Have Allergies?
The following allergy questionnaire lists symptoms and other
factors most commonly found in people who have some form of
allergy. By answering this questionnaire, your score will help
to determine if you have allergies.
If your total score is less than 8 points, it is not likely
that you have allergies. Scoring between 9-12 points indicated
that allergy is a possibility. A score between 13 and 30
points means that allergy is probable, while scoring over 30
points would suggest that allergy is very likely.
 | Do you have
fatigue? (3 points)
|
| Do you have
frequent headaches? (2 points)
|
| Do you have
sneezing, post nasal drainage or itching of the nose? (4
points)
|
| Do you have
frequent colds? (2 points)
|
| Do you
experience dizziness? (4 points)
|
| Do you get
sinus infections every year? (1 point)
|
| Do your eyes
itch, water, get red or swell? (4 points)
|
| Do you have
recurrent ear infections? (2 points)
|
| Do you have
asthma, wheezing, tightness in the chest or chronic cough?
(4 points)
|
| Do you have
eczema, skin rashes, itching or hives? (3 points)
|
| Do you have
indigestion, bloating, diarrhea or constipation? (1 point)
|
| Do your
symptoms worsen during the spring or fall? (4 points)
|
| Do your
symptoms change when you go indoors or outdoors? (3
points)
|
| Are your
symptoms worse after going to bed or in the morning? (2
points)
|
| Do you awaken
in the middle of the night with congestion? (2 points)
|
| Are your
symptoms worse when you come into contact with dust? (4
points)
|
| Are your
symptoms worse around animals? (2 points)
|
| Do you have
blood relatives with allergies? (2 points)
|
| Do you have
recurrent yeast infections, jock itch, Athlete’s foot or
fungus under your toenails? (2 points)
|
| Do you
develop symptoms after eating or drinking certain foods?
(2 points)
|
| Do you
sometimes feel stimulated, hyperactive or fatigued after
meals? (2 points)
|
| Do you have
dark circles under your eyes? (2 points)
|
| Do you have a
crease across the bridge of your nose? (2 points)
|
| Do you have
frequent nasal congestion or runny nose? (4 points) |
Total
Score:_______
|
In the United States, an estimated three million people are in
immunotherapy. Almost all of these patients are seen by allergists and
are treated with allergy shots. The process of weekly allergy shots
can be costly, time consuming and painful. Those days are gone!!
In other parts of the world, physicians are using sublingual
immunotherapy or, the more easily said, allergy drops. The concept is
similar to conventional allergy shots, but instead of injecting the
allergy serum, patients administer the serum as drops under the
tongue. This treatment is safe, simple and effective. About 80 - 85%
of our patients experience significant relief of symptoms within three
months.
Facts About Sublingual Immunotherapy
| Research has made it clear:
No-Shots therapy (sublingual immunotherapy) is safe and highly
effective.
|
| It is endorsed by the World
Health Organization as a viable, safe alternative to allergy
shots.
|
| The Journal of Allergy and
Clinical Immunology identified sublingual immunotherapy as
efficacious, particularly for certain populations (young children,
severely reactive).
|
| “Thus far studies have found
that drops were as effective as shots and, not surprisingly, well
accepted by patients and were safer. (Scientific American,
“Drink your shots,” April 2002.
|
| “Conclusion: Our study
demonstrates that sublingual immunotherapy is effective in
children and maintains clinical efficacy for 4 to 5 years after
discontinuation.” Long-lasting Effect of Sublingual
Immunotherapy in Children with Asthma Due to House Dust Mites: A
10-year Prospective Study, Clinical & Experimental
Allergy, February 2003.
|
| Over 100 studies from around
the world confirm the safety and efficacy of sublingual
immunotherapy (SLIT) for allergies. For a detailed listing of
studies published in the medical literature regarding SLIT, go to www.allergychoices.com
and click on supporting evidence.
If you have allergy and asthma problems, you might well consider
this very effective method of desensitization – the No-Shots
method of sublingual immunotherapy. |
Mark Swircenski PA-C
is a Physician Assistant at Alaska Family Wellness Center and is
trained in sublingual immunotherapy. He may be reached at 561-9444 or
by email at MarkSwircenski@hotmail.com
|
The
Dangers of Environmental and Food Allergens
by David Newirth
Protecting
our children – our future – can be implemented through
appropriate food and environmental allergen testing. |
Food and environmental allergens have
been implicated in a wide range of medical conditions affecting
virtually every part of the body – from mildly uncomfortable
symptoms such as indigestion, gas, and bloating, to severe illnesses
such as arthritis, asthma, chronic fatigue syndrome, irritable bowel
syndrome, and depression, to name just a few. In children, these
allergens have been implicated in alarming numbers of cases of ADD,
ADHD, allergies, asthma, and chronic ear infections.
The recognition of food sensitivity was first recorded by
Hippocrates, who observed that milk could cause gastric upset and
urticaria (hives). In the 1920s, W.W. Duke published articles
containing his observations of foods causing allergic responses,
resulting in bladder pain, gastrointestinal upset, Meniere’s
syndrome, and headaches. We now know of the severe consequences of
anaphylactic reactions some people have to peanuts and shellfish,
creating life-threatening emergencies.
It is well-documented that the incidence of environmental and food
allergen-induced medical conditions is on the rise, primarily in
industrialized, first-world countries. In asthmatic patients, for
example, it is now estimated that 72% of these children and 44% of
these adults are afflicted with food and/or inhalant allergies.
Allergy Symptoms
Some of the common symptoms seen with allergies include sneezing,
itching, watery eyes, asthma, and skin rashes. In severe reactions,
there may be a rapid inflammation of the throat and upper respiratory
tract, severely compromising breathing capability. But most people are
not aware of the long-term, debilitating damage that allergens can
cause to all body systems and organs, to include the following:
anxiety, fatigue, depression, pain, recurrent infections, and
arthritis.
Common Allergens
Common food allergens are found primarily in the following groups:
wheat, dairy products, corn, tomatoes, citrus, shellfish, and peanuts.
However, comprehensive testing is vital to detect other food culprits,
as well. It is now well-documented and increasingly accepted in the
medical community of the role of milk and dairy products in causing
chronic ear infections in children. Research further points to the
efficacy of removing these culprits from children’s diets, and less
use of antibiotic therapy.
Common environmental allergens include: animal dander, dust mites,
seasonal pollens, molds and chemicals, which seem to be growing in
number with our increasingly toxic environment. Young children are at
greater risk to exposure to these allergens due to their developing
immune system.
Comprehensive Testing
The importance of environmental and food allergen testing can not be
emphasized enough in today’s world. With the heavy reliance on
allopathic treatment primarily consisting of antihistamines,
decongestants, and steroids (which puts people at increased risk for
infections and tumor growth, due to a depressed immune system), a host
of negative side-effects begin to show up. Not removing the offending
food and/or environmental allergen, coupled with the inappropriate
medication(s), produces a “double-whammy” effect on the immune
system, adding cumulative stress and toxicity.
Comprehensive testing to identify the allergen suspects, followed
by the removal of the offending allergens, coupled with appropriate
dietary, supplement, and lifestyle changes, can greatly improve
one’s quality of life, while simultaneously preventing future, more
serious and complicated health issues.
Recent and growing success has been documented in treating children
afflicted with ADD/ADHD via the removal of offending allergens in
their diet and environment. Unfortunately, dangerous and controversial
drugs such as Ritalin and Adderall continue to be dispensed with
reckless abandon. Protecting our children – our future – can be
implemented through appropriate food and environmental allergen
testing, followed by the removal of the identified agents, leading to
not only the cure of the immediate medical problem, but prevention of
additional, chronic disease processes in the future.
David M. Newirth, ND,
practices primary/preventive health care at the Alaska Family Wellness
Center. He can be reached at 561-9444.
|
Allergies:
Simple Help for a Miserable Challenge
Amie
Mosley
Once
again, the answer is to treat the cause rather than
symptoms.
|
The definition of an
allergy is the inappropriate
response by the immune system to a substance that is not normally
harmful. The immune system is a highly complex defense mechanism
that helps us to combat infection. It does this by identifying
‘foreign bodies’ and mobilizing the body's white blood cells to
fight them. In some people, the immune system wrongly identifies a
non-toxic substance as an invader. The white blood cells then overreact
and do more damage to the body than the invader. Thus, the allergic
response becomes a disease in itself. Common responses are asthma,
eczema, and hay fever.
Causes
of Allergies
Substances that cause
allergies are called allergens. Although almost any substance can cause
an allergy to someone somewhere in the world, the most common allergens
are: grass and pollen; dust; certain metals (especially nickel); some
cosmetics; lanolin; some animal hair; insect bites and stings; some
common drugs (such as penicillin and aspirin); some foods (including
strawberries, eggs, dairy, wheat and shellfish); some additives (such as
benzoic acid and sulfur dioxide); and certain chemicals found in soap,
shampoo and washing powder. However, the most common allergens of all
seem to be dairy and wheat products as we eat these in such abundance.
Allergies do run in
families (i.e., genetic weaknesses to a certain allergen) and it is also
believed that babies who are not breastfed are more likely to develop
allergies. It is interesting, however, that dietary practices causing
allergies are more often habitual rather than genetic. There may be an
emotional cause to the problem as well. For example, stress and anger
can be contributing factors to allergies, especially when the immune
system is suppressed.
Allergies can also be a
result of chemical and contaminate influences, such as petrochemicals
that the body stores in the fatty tissues in an attempt to remove them
from its delicate functions and balance. Then, when a second exposure to
an irritant happens, an allergic reaction occurs. The body's
inflammatory response is alerted and histamines are produced. A toxic
overload can result when repeated chemical exposures set off rampant
free radical reactions in the body—thus, an allergic reaction sets in.
Taking
Control
A three to seven-day
liquid diet can begin some toxin release. This might consist of a glass
of fresh carrot juice, a potassium broth, or two cups of miso soup
daily. The most important factor is to make sure the body is eliminating
two to three times daily. This is a must. Why? Because a
toxic body cannot work efficiently.
In addition, it is wise
to eat organic foods as much as possible, and especially avoid canned
foods. It is important to also avoid caffeine, which inhibits liver
filtering function, and foods sprayed with colorants, waxes or ripening
agents.
What else can you do?
Have a bowl of high fiber porridge every morning. Eat plenty of fruits,
vegetables and whole grains for fiber protection. Try to drink only
purified water, with liquid mint chlorophyll or barley green added for
detoxification and blood building.
Chemical
and Contaminate Allergies
Common symptoms of
chemical and contaminate allergies include: always feeling "low
energy" or "under the weather" regardless of how much
sleep one gets; abnormal metabolism; skin rashes; chronic respiratory
inflammation; ringing in the ears; nausea; diarrhea; headaches; low
immune response. The causes are repeated exposure and sensitivity to
toxic chemicals and environmental pollutants.
Once again, the answer is
to treat the cause rather than symptoms. Remove the most logical items
from the diet. Adjust the diet toward building healthy cells instead of
allowing the same cells to produce allergies. Take in some good fiber
for regularity and cleansing. Balance the endocrine system, and use a
good organic, plant-based, whole-food supplement for rebuilding and
enhancing the immune system. Keep in mind that all fibers are not
the same. We are after cellular cleansing—not just bulking the
stool.
Environmental
and Seasonal Allergies
Allergic rhinitis (which
causes swelling of the nasal passages, often with sneezing, mucous
discharge and watery or puffy eyes) can occur in two ways: 1) from
exposure to environmental pollutants, such as asbestos, smoke and fumes,
and 2) in reaction to seasonal conditions such as dust, pollen or
spores. In either case, allergic rhinitis often occurs when the body has
an excess accumulation of mucous, which then harbors environmental
irritants. Most drugstore remedies only relieve or, worse yet, mask
symptoms. There can also be a rebound effect: the more you use them, the
more you need them. Corticosteroid drugs for this type of allergy taken
over a long period of time do not cure the problem and often make the
situation worse by depressing immune defenses and impeding allergen
elimination.
Cleansing the internal
environment and changing the diet are the most beneficial things one can
do to control allergic rhinitis reactions or hay fever. Beginning with a
short three to seven-day cleansing diet, one can rid the body of excess
mucous build-up, release allergens from the body, and help pave the way
for diet and nutritional changes.
A
Different View of Allergies
Iridology is the science
of revealing the tissue condition of all organs of the body. This
brings into light the underlying causes of health challenges (such as
allergies) and identifies dis-ease before symptoms appear. This makes
Iridology a great preventative maintenance tool.
In Iridology, we have
found that the adrenals and bronchials are almost always
affected—either in being weak or having genetic weaknesses. We also
look at the endocrine and eliminative systems to pinpoint root causes.
A three to seven-day liquid diet can begin toxin release. This may
entail adding 2 Tablespoons each of Brewer’s yeast, Wheat germ, and
lecithin granules in one’s food daily. In addition, use only purified
water and a chlorophyll or barley green drink. Then, start a diet with
non-mucous forming foods: fresh vegetables and fruits, whole grains,
cultured foods such as yogurt, raw dairy, and seafood.
Avoid all refined and
preserved foods, sugars, caffeine, dairy products and fatty,
mucous-forming foods during healing. Lemon water in the morning and a
green drink (such as Chlorella) during the day will flush excess mucous
and support clean body energy. Remember to use a good fiber
source geared toward cellular cleansing.
Each person is unique.
The above suggestions are simply the beginning steps for eliminating
allergies. Be sure to see your health care professional for
guidance when attempting any cleanse.
Amie Mosley offers
cleansing programs and Iridology analysis in the Anchorage area. Call
561-3469; e-mail eyes@gci.net; or
visit www.eyes4health.com
or www.coloncleanse.info
|
Spring Allergies: New Advances Bring Lasting Relief J. Mark Tillotson
Like a boat with a hole in the bottom, you either fix the hole or you have to keep bailing. | The body’s immune system has evolved a complex and powerful inflammatory process that protects us from infections and parasites. In the process of providing that protection, the immune system may overreact to less potent foreign substances in the environment such as tree pollen.
The immune system has a unique ability to distinguish its own ‘self’ from any other ‘self.’ Determined by DNA, every living cell has one-of-a-kind glycoprotein attached to its cell wall that identifies “what” and “who” it is. That identity could be birch tree pollen, a dust mite or Mary Smith. Normally, the body’s immune system learns to accept a good number of non-self particles into the respiratory system without causing an inflammatory response. The overreaction to relatively harmless particles that causes tissues to become inflamed or swollen is an allergy.
In allergic individuals, the immune system reacts to a moderate or even low exposure to the foreign particles by producing an excessively high number of anti-allergen proteins. These proteins are specifically designed to attack the pollen or other allergen. An overabundance of anti-allergen proteins destabilizes the immune system’s Mast cells so that when they come in contact with a pollen particle, inflammatory substances such as histamine are released. This induces allergy symptoms of itching, swelling, and sneezing. These chronic symptoms are often diagnosed as hay fever, allergic rhinitis and asthma.
The most frequent spring allergens that occur in the
Anchorage area are Birch, Alder, Poplar, and Spruce plus the lesser allergenic trees of
Willow , Pine and Juniper. The annual allergy season is extended into the summer and fall as plant material decays producing allergenic by-products. Airborne allergens that are blown or carried into homes are added to indoor allergens of pet dander from family dogs and cats, house dust and indoor molds. Individuals with seasonal allergies may also have indoor or perennial allergies, both of which can be treated simultaneously.
There are two basic options for medical treatment of allergies. Like a boat with a hole in the bottom, you either fix the hole or you have to keep bailing. You can reduce exposure to pollen by staying indoors or reduce animal dander and house dust with air filters, dust collectors, and bare floors, but the body is still allergenic and symptoms will persist. Therefore, you keep bailing. Over-the-counter and prescribed medicines use antihistamines and decongestants to control allergy symptoms. These drugs often produce side effects and, at best, only provide another means of bailing the water, which continues filling the boat. Steroid drugs destroy you.
Naturopathic medicine features an effective arsenal for bailing allergy symptoms, but without the negative side effects. An example of one readily available alternative is nature’s premiere antioxidant, Vitamin C. When combined with such bioflavonoids as Quercetin (which is derived from flowers, fruits and vegetable pigments), these supplements help stabilize the cell walls of histamine-filled Mast cells and break down the histamine molecule. Natural supplementation on its own is a better way of bailing the water, but will not provide a profound and permanent cure. For individuals with significant airborne allergies, a lasting solution is called ‘desensitization’ or ‘immunotherapy.’ This is the best means available for true healing in the sense of actually fixing the hole (or preventing your allergic symptoms from recurring). Immunotherapy educates the immune system to stop producing the overabundance of anti-allergen proteins. There are presently two techniques of immunotherapy: Subcutaneous and Sublingual. Subcutaneous Immunotherapy (SCIT) is the older technique. This requires an elaborate series of tests performed by scratching suspected allergens into the skin to see if they trigger a strong allergic response. Those allergens found to irritate the skin (or that are otherwise found positive in a blood test) are then administered by repeated injections at the doctor’s office once or twice a week. These treatments usually take one to two years, followed by booster shots for another three to five years, or indefinitely. The drawbacks of SCIT are now evident. Treatment takes a long time, is expensive, and possibly painful. For these reasons, many patients stop treatment before completion. Also, adverse reactions including anaphylactic shock occur in a small percentage of SCIT patients. Children under the age of five are not allowed to receive SCIT because of their vulnerability to anaphylactic episodes. These negative aspects of injection immunotherapy for treating airborne allergies can be avoided with a new technique that is the standard of care in Europe . Instead of painful injections, allergen drops can now be placed directly under the tongue with the technique of Sublingual Immunotherapy (SLIT). SLIT uses drops of water with minute amounts of antigens that are self-administered at home. The immune system gently becomes accustomed or desensitized to the low doses of antigens and gradually learns to tolerate ever greater doses, thereby stopping the overproduction of anti-allergen proteins. The release of histamine and other inflammatory compounds ceases and the boat is fixed!
Recent European university studies have proven that SLIT is a potent cure for allergies and is safer than injection immunotherapy. A
University of
Vienna study concluded, “Sublingual immunotherapy is a well tolerated and clinically effective method of treatment for birch pollen allergies.” Twenty-two double blind studies evaluated at the Imperial College School of Medicine in
London concluded “SLIT is a safe treatment which significantly reduces symptoms and medication requirements in allergic rhinitis.” At the
University of
Genoa , 32,800 SLIT doses were administered with no asthmatic or anaphylactic reactions reported in adults or children. A Marmara
University
Hospital study in
Istanbul , focusing on the SLIT treatment of children with allergic rhinitis and asthma, found SLIT to be a useful alternative with no side effects. Young children in
Europe with one or two asthmatic parents are treated early on with Sublingual Immunotherapy to prevent the later development of allergies and asthma. Conventional SLIT can be improved even further by a naturopathic doctor with a holistic approach. Particular allergens from Alaskan flora, along with those actually obtained from patients’ homes, can be included to individualize the therapeutic drops. This way, the specific airborne allergens causing the symptoms are utilized to raise the effectiveness of the treatment. Nutritional supplementation and homeopathy may also assist in the quickness and completeness of the healing.
An advanced naturopathic SLIT protocol that is highly effective can be completed in six months with no need for yearly booster treatments. As a cured patient said to her doctor 12 years after naturopathic SLIT treatment for her allergies, “What you did with those little drops was absolutely amazing!”
Dr. J. Mark Tillotson is a naturopathic allergist practicing at the Glacier Allergy & Health Clinic and can be reached at 274-0012. | |
|
Allergy
Sufferers Take Note!
With summer
already here in Alaska, it is high time to minimize the sniffles,
sneezing, and itchy, watery eyes that accompany seasonal allergies.
Did you know that 25% of the population suffers from allergies—and
that allergies are a leading cause of chronic disease in the United
States? In addition, 40% of children with allergies report that their
activity is limited due to allergy symptoms.
If you can
reduce your allergy symptoms, your activities will be less limited. Here is a handy checklist to follow if you have tree
(springtime), grass (summer) or weed (fall) allergies:
|
Wash hands
after working/playing outside. Change clothes.
|
|
Bath/wash
hair in the evening to keep pollens out of your bedding.
|
|
Indoor/outdoor
house pets track pollen in the house in their fur. Bathe
pets
regularly and keep pets out of bedrooms.
|
|
Use a HEPA
air filter to lower pollen levels inside.
|
|
Use a
vacuum with a HEPA filtration system to prevent recirculation of
settled pollens.
|
|
When
driving in your car, keep windows rolled up and select the
“recirculation”
mode for air control.
|
|
Avoid
hanging laundry outdoors. Use your dryer to keep your
clothing pollen-free. |
It is
important to note that a number of factors—such as wind, temperature
and time of day—can affect the amount of pollen in the air.
For example, grasses pollinate in the morning and again in the
evening, but trees only pollinate about three hours after sun up. It
is during these cycles that pollen levels are highest. Check the
pollen charts and stay indoors with windows closed during these high
pollen periods. If you feel a need to air the house, do it
during the “non-pollinating” times.
To learn more,
sign up for free e-mail announcements on the American Academy of
Allergy Asthma and Immunology website (www.aaaaia.org)
or go to www.anchorageair.info
for current information on pollen and mold.
Take note,
take care, enjoy the outdoors and live a life without limits!
|
Alternative
Allergy Treatment.
From headaches, congestion and basic body aches to
life-threatening asthma attacks, there are many symptoms
caused by allergies. Indeed, through holistic health
technology and alternative medicine, we’ve learned that
allergies and sensitivities can be the core cause of many
illnesses.
Devi
S. Nambudripad, M.D., D.C., Lac., Ph.D., the original creator
of Naet (Nambudripad Allergy Elimination Techniques (http://www.naet.com),
was one of the first alternative practitioners to understand
allergies as blockages in energy pathways of the body. In this
framework, allergic symptoms are viewed as reactions of our
nervous system sending red flags to the body, telling it that
something is wrong.
Naet
technology uses non-invasive, drug-free, clearing techniques
that eliminate allergies from the nervous system and, thus,
the illnesses that result from imbalance. Holistic allergy
clearing has grown so rapidly in the last five years that it
has become a science of its own. Since Naet was created in
1983, over 9000 licensed medical practitioners from all over
the world have been trained in the technique and use it as
part of their energy medicine procedures.
For more information about eliminating allergies, check with
your health practitioner or call Amy Cynowa, DC, at Total
Health, Inc. (563-2929) or Sandra Talt, DC. |
The
Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, Alaska Chapter (AAFA
AK), is dedicated to helping patients with asthma and allergies live a
life without limits through education and support. To learn
more, visit www.aafaAlaska.com
or call 800-651-4914.
|
Food
Sensitivity and Allergy Awareness
by David Newirth
|
“Let
food be your medicine, and medicine be your food.”
~
Hippocrates
|
There is
growing concern about our food supply coming from foreign producers
along with the issue of increasing food intolerances, sensitivities,
and allergies, which hence will be referred to collectively as
“toxic food syndrome.”
It is
estimated that 95% of the population suffers from toxic food syndrome.
The vast majority of these people are completely unaware that there is
a connection between the foods they are ingesting and the chronic
disease issues they struggle with. The nation’s medical care costs
are approaching $1.2 trillion dollars. With $900 billion of those
dollars spent on chronic disease care, it is reckless not to promote
and find preventable means of addressing this epidemic through our
diet, as a cornerstone of health and wellness.
Toxic food
syndrome is a non-discriminating purveyor of disease and aggravation
to our bodies. It cuts across all lines of age, gender, race,
ethnicity, economic status, and education levels. From children
through the geriatric population, people are being poisoned by the
foods they are eating—even though sometimes these are generally
recognized as “healthy” foods.
Do
you have any of these symptoms?
Food
sensitivities can cause a variety of chronic symptoms. In fact, you
might be surprised that so many symptoms can be linked to foods. The
following is just a brief list of symptoms that can be greatly and/or
totally alleviated through identification and elimination of
offending/reactive foods:
|
Arthritic
pain
|
|
Aching
muscles
|
|
Acne and
rashes
|
|
Constipation
|
|
Bloating/Belching
|
|
Diarrhea
|
|
Depression
|
|
Fatigue
|
|
Fluid
retention
|
|
Mental fog
|
|
Sinus
congestion
|
|
Weight
gain
|
Children
struggling with ADD/ADHD and other childhood developmental disorders
have been helped immensely once we identify the offending foods in
their diet. This is also the case with children who experience chronic
ear infections. Adults with irritable bowel disease and syndrome, as
well as people struggling with arthritis, have also been helped
tremendously once we identify and eliminate trigger foods.
What are the differences between food intolerances, sensitivities and
allergies?
Food
intolerances do not involve the immune system and are usually due to a
missing enzyme needed to metabolize the product. For example, a person
who is “lactose intolerant” is unable to process milk products
containing lactose because he or she lacks the enzyme lactase.
Food
sensitivities do involve the immune system and are characterized as a
delayed-sensitivity response. That is, the reaction may occur two to
12 hours after ingesting an offending food, although some reactions
may not occur for up to 24 to 72 hours. Common culprits include wheat,
dairy, citrus, eggs, corn, and soy. This time delay makes it difficult for a person to relate a
specific food with a corresponding symptom(s). Food sensitivities are
the most common type of toxic food syndrome in the population.
Although they are not life threatening, they can cause untold and
extensive havoc over a lifetime.
Food
allergies, while much rarer in the general population, are a very
serious immune system response which can lead to anaphylactic shock
and death if not treated immediately. This response can happen almost
immediately to just a few minutes after ingesting an offending food.
Common food allergies involve nuts (especially peanuts), fruits and
shellfish.
What
causes food sensitivities?
Most food
sensitivities occur with protein complexes of the ingested food that
are not adequately broken down by the digestive system, followed by
the ingestion of these partially digested proteins with which the
immune system cannot identify or recognize as nutritional and, thus,
beneficial. Rather, the immune system responds with the production of
antibodies, which then causes a cascade of reactions in the body. Over
the course of time these continual assaults wear out the immune
system’s first line of defense, secretory IgA, a protective mucosal
layer on the inside of the gut. And this ultimately leads to a
pro-inflammatory environment causing a loss of the tight-cell
junctions, which is responsible for “leaky gut syndrome.”
As mentioned,
the result of this process can be any one (or more) of a number of
symptoms such as bloating, constipation, diarrhea, rashes, headaches,
fatigue, and fluid retention.
How
do you know if you have food sensitivities?
Of over 100
food sensitivity/allergy tests that I have administered on behalf of
my patients, all have come
back with offending foods identified. On average, there have been 16
to 17 foods out of the 115 tested showing up as reactive foods, with a
low of 4 to a high of 38. The reactive foods are also rated by their
reactivity from a +1 to +4, indicating mild to moderate reactivity to
severe reactivity.
How is testing for food sensitivities performed?
A simple blood
sample is first obtained, and the serum is separated from the sample
and sent to the testing laboratory. The serum is then scanned against
the 115 food samples utilizing ELISA microtiter plate technology, a
state of the art approach to this type of testing. A
computer-generated printout reveals the results and is coupled with
information on how to substitute foods, create healthier recipes, and
more.
I have used
this test on patients as young as 2.5 years, with remarkable health
improvements following the elimination/rotation dietary regimen.
What
happens after receiving the food sensitivity/allergy information?
The reactive
foods are ideally eliminated for a period of 60 to 90 days, while the
patient simultaneously adopts a rotational food plan. The rotation
diet embodies the idea that you don’t eat the same food multiple
times in a day (while also allowing for a day off between eating that
food again) with the intent of giving the immune system a broad
spectrum of foods to avoid over-sensitization. After the 60 to 90-day
abstention period, patients can reintroduce the mild to moderately
reactive foods on a rotational basis, usually without reacting to them
as before.
The importance
of a healthy, balanced diet is a critical cornerstone of optimal
health and wellness. Simultaneously, a healthy diet functions as part
of a proactive lifestyle. It is clear that that the
“one-diet-fits-all” approach is ineffective and harmful. In
addition, however, it is important for each of us to identify the
seemingly healthy foods that for our unique body may in fact be
harming us. This can have a tremendous impact not only on symptom
reduction, but also—in most—cases can actually arrest and reverse
many disease processes.
As
borrowed from the computer world: garbage in, garbage out! Learn which
are the best foods for you and begin your personalized path to optimal
health and wellness.
Dr.
David M. Newirth
is a naturopathic doctor and operator of Alaska Natural Health
Solutions in Anchorage, AK. He can be contacted @ 569 – 5757 or
visit his website at www.alaskanaturalhealthsolutions.com
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Don't
Let Allergies Rule Your Life
by Nick Lamothe
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Anyone
who is sick and tired of being sick and tired may have
underlying hidden allergies and should address their allergy
syndrome.
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The complexity of allergies is
gaining more attention because of the growing number of people
suffering from a wide variety of allergy symptoms.
As general awareness of the allergy syndrome grows, doctors are
beginning to recognize and diagnose allergies as an underling
component of many medical conditions. In fact, it has been estimated
that 40 to 50 million Americans suffer from allergies, and that 50% of
the world’s population has some type of allergy related
difficulties.
Medical professionals are now faced
with the reality that people can have reactions to everything
imaginable including foods, scents, common household chemicals,
pollens, dust, animal hair and dander, natural chemicals in the
environment, internal organs, medications, prosthetics, and even
physical properties such as sunshine, barometric pressure, altitude,
heat, cold, rain and wind. For
the allergy sufferer the world can be an unfriendly and sometimes
unbearable place to live.
The term allergy
comes from two Greek words which mean “altered reaction.”
This is an accurate description of what happens to people who
suffer from allergy symptoms. From
a clinical perspective, an altered reaction occurs when the brain
chooses an inappropriate response to a sensory stimulus.
For example, when someone pets a cat it is inappropriate for
the eyes to become itchy, watery and inflamed, or to get a headache,
or hives on the skin. In the same sense it is an inappropriate response for someone
to get a migraine from smelling rubber or eating a tomato.
Unfortunately for many people, this is the way their body
responds to stimuli in the world.
For people who have known allergies
to a large number of offending substances, getting the appropriate
care may be difficult because some allergy reactions can interfere
with standard medical treatment.
Allergy reactions can also manifest as symptoms normally
associated with other diseases or syndromes, thereby making it
difficult to get the correct diagnosis.
However, things get even more complicated when individuals seek
the expertise of a doctor for their unusual symptoms, but medical
tests come back negative as if everything is normal.
Imagine how frustrating it would be for a doctor to help
someone when there is no clear evidence that there is even a problem!
And yet, this is the very scenario that many individuals have
to deal with who have multiple allergies or hidden allergies.
When an individual has symptoms with
no obvious explanation, allergies are often a contributing causative
factor—even without a history of allergic reactions.
The last 25 years of allergy research has led some to believe
that allergies are at the core of every disease condition, and if
addressed early enough can lead to a quick and long lasting recovery.
In any case, dealing with allergies is an important step in achieving
good health and maintaining longevity.
The allergic reaction can be
described as the body’s way of trying to protect itself from a
perceived threat to the organism. This means that the body may try to prevent a substance from
getting in by closing the throat, constricting air passages or
blocking the sinus pathways. This
can be an overwhelming task for the body since we are exposed to so
many substances in our world. Substances
can enter the body through intake of food or drink, and many chemical
components are breathed in every day.
Potential allergens can also be absorbed into our skin or hair,
and we are continuously exposed to many electromagnetic frequencies (EMF).
The body may even try to prevent subtle energies from invading
its inner space.
If the body is unsuccessful in
preventing the offending substance from entering the organism, it may
then try to expel the substance.
A person may thus get loose stools, a runny nose, watery eyes,
hives, skin rashes, or may feel the need to vomit.
In these cases what appears to be an altered reaction may be
the body’s attempt at removing the perceived threat.
If the body chooses this response to a common food—such as
corn, milk, chocolate, or wheat—a person might be told they have a
sensitivity or intolerance to the offending item.
When dealing with allergies we need
to be aware that everything in nature has an energy field around it.
Further, the body has sensory mechanisms associated with acupuncture
meridians which are capable of sensing these energy fields.
This is why some individuals are so allergic that they will
react simply by being near an item—even if it’s not touched.
Dealing with an allergic syndrome can be very frustrating for
families controlled by these inappropriate responses.
The body does not always respond to
an allergen with an observable or obvious reaction.
If the body has enough healthy energy, it may adapt to the
allergic item, even if there are multiple substances to deal with.
These are known as hidden allergies.
A person may have many allergies but if their stress level is
low and their energy is good, the body may be able to adapt to its
environment without extreme reaction.
Even in these cases, there is an altered reaction in function
though it is not severe enough to alert the conscious mind.
It may, however, affect some biological function and force the
body into further adaptation at other levels.
What we want to remember is that any time the body reacts to a
substance (whether that reaction is obvious or hidden), the body is
expending energy in an attempt to protect itself from the offending
items.
If an individual has had hidden
allergies long enough, he or she will begin to develop symptoms.
Any time there is an allergic syndrome present and the body is
constantly expending energy to defend itself, the immune system is
greatly burdened. This is
often the underlying reason for tiredness and fatigue, recurring colds
and flu, unexplained aches and pains, constant stuffy nose, dizziness,
irritability, brain fog, and lack of motivation. The allergy syndrome can also cause changes in behavior in
children, especially when exposed to specific substances.
Fortunately, today we have some very
effective ways to rid the body of these unwanted altered reactions
associated with the allergy syndrome.
By correctly stimulating the body’s immune system, the
allergic reaction can be eliminated. Every time an inappropriate response is corrected, it frees
up energy that the body can use for healing instead of protection.
Even testing for allergies can be performed pain free when
using kinesiology (muscle testing). Parents, grandparents and children can all benefit from this
type of testing and allergy elimination techniques.
Indeed, people do not have to spend their lives suffering from
allergies.
Allergy elimination techniques are
done by health professionals in clinics across the United States.
Many teach self-help techniques that can be done at home to
help speed the healing process. Eliminating
allergies and allergic reactions is essential to restoring natural
function and health. Anyone
who is sick and tired of being sick and tired may have underlying
hidden allergies and should address their allergy syndrome.
Those with known allergies should also seek an allergy
specialist in their area, especially one who teaches elimination
techniques that can be done at home.
Don’t let allergies rule your life.
Get involved and find out how you can begin to eliminate your
allergies today!
To
learn more I recommend the book Naet:
Say Good-Bye to Your Allergies by Devi Nambudripad (Delta
Publishing Company, 2003) or go to www.naet.com
Nick
Lamothe, PhD, operates a successful allergy and nutritional clinic
in Eatonville, WA. His company, Allergies Lifestyle and Health,
also sells allergy testing samples to doctors around the world.
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Asthma?
Allergies? Just Say “Nyet!”
by
Mike Macy
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The
protocol enables a practitioner to determine when the allergy
began in order to release emotions, issues, or beliefs lodged in
the tissues at that time... |
Recent
years have brought new approaches to allergy elimination. Typically,
these involve nourishing the associated organs, avoidance,
desensitization, and energy work. As good as this approach can
be, it also often involves bags of supplements and numerous
treatments. For those of us not independently wealthy, there is a
better option.
Dr.
John Upledger—the Michigan State University researcher whose team
established the existence of the cranio-sacral system in the early
1980s—recently pioneered a whole new approach to working with the
nervous and immune systems.
Elegant
in its simplicity, Dr. Upledger’s protocol eliminates allergies by
using the cranial rhythm to access the body’s wisdom and healing
potential. This enables a practitioner to determine when the
allergy began and what was going on at the time in order to release
whatever emotions, issues, or beliefs lodged in the tissues at that
time, and then asking the immune system to dial back its reaction to
the allergen. Typically, all this is achieved in an hour!
Last
June, a patient of mine presented with the worst allergies she’d
ever had. Her entire respiratory tract was irritated, and she
found breathing difficult. Indeed, she was using her secondary
breathing muscles in her neck and abdomen. With each inhalation,
her head was pile-driving her cervical vertebrae into her thorax.
First,
we ensured that her thymus gland had adequate space, blood, and
energy. (This is described in the Alaska Wellness archives: “Curing
Colds and Flu” Nov-Dec 2007.)
We
asked her body if it would show us what the allergen was. The patient
reported that she saw a dandelion. When asked how long she’d been so
sensitive to dandelions, she said eight days. We asked her body to
show us something from eight days previous related to dandelions. The patient remembered driving home
from a meeting where she’d learned that her state retirement health
benefits expired at age 65—thereby dumping her in the Medicare briar
patch with everyone else. When asked what emotions or issues that
revelation had engendered, she responded: “Shock, anger, and
betrayal.”
Was
she willing to let go of those feelings? (She was.) Did she want to
replace them with their antitheses? (She did; she chose “calm” and
“faith”.) I asked her to go ahead and do the change-out. She
went right to work. Within minutes, her breathing eased.
We
asked her thymus if it was able to recognize dandelion pollen. (Yes.) We
asked thymus if the next time it encountered dandelion pollen it would
be willing to forego the allergic response (Yes.) A follow-up
call two days later indicated it had.
This
session was especially gratifying because it didn’t require
avoidance. Indeed, scores of dandelions were in full bloom right
outside my office window. And two years before, the patient’s
husband had stopped mowing their lawn, which had since turned into a
dandelion meadow.
We
finished the session by asking thymus to send immune cells to soothe
and repair any inflammation to the lungs, bronchi, and airways. We
restored the lungs’ visceral motility and synchronicity. We
relaxed the secondary breathing apparatus in the neck and abdomen.
And we calmed the thoracic and abdominal organs and the central
nervous system. The session lasted just over an hour, start to
finish.
From
my experience, this case is fairly typical. Dr. Upledger talks
about a patient who presented with an allergy to walnuts. During
the session she realized that the tree under which she had been
sexually assaulted as a child was a walnut. Once she let go of the
stored emotions, her walnut allergy disappeared.
It’s
easy to see how such a traumatic experience could lead to a severe
allergic reaction. But it’s important to recognize that, to the
body, there really isn’t any relative scale: events are either
traumatic or not.
Whether
a given experience is traumatic or not and whether it gets stored in
the tissue and creates an allergic response or some other symptom
depends on the emotional state of the person at that time. Therefore,
something we normally take in stride can become lodged in our tissue
if we experience it on one of those days when we got out of the bed on
the wrong side.
In
other words, if you have allergies, you needn’t fear looking under
the hood. You needn’t fear finding and re-experiencing some
event that you’d long forgotten—assuming you are willing to let go
of the associated emotion or issue. Why not? You’ve
already faced the event and survived. And even if it was too much
for you or you weren’t in a position to deal with it at the time, if
you are reading this today, you are probably in a much stronger
position—with more emotional resources, a better support system,
etc.—to move through that material and eliminate the allergy.
For
some people, the above protocol will not slay the allergy dragon
entirely. Not to worry. Usually, the problem is that the nervous
system may be stuck in an elevated alert status and the immune and
digestive systems have been put on hold because survival—fleeing
from the threat or beating the crap out of it—is more important than
deriving the maximum benefit from your food or fighting a cold.
Advanced
CranioSacral Therapy techniques make this easy to address, usually in
a single session or less. With advanced CranioSacral
techniques’ direct access to the 100 to 200 billion immune cells at
your disposal, soothing irritated tissues, removing toxins, and
replacing scarred with healthy tissue is a piece of cake.
Finally, Visceral Manipulation allows us to get the whole
orchestra—the lungs and all the internal organs—back in sync and
playing in key.
Mike
Macy combines
advanced cranial and visceral techniques to slay allergies, chronic
pain and illness and optimize health in Anchorage. Contact:
(907) 258-7261 or
mmacy@acsalaska.net.
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