Allergies
An
allergy is an adverse reaction to a substance that is harmless to most of the
population. Symptoms from allergies are many and varied. A reaction can be so
severe that it is life threatening or it can result in a minor rash, sinus
problem or other minor symptom. Some health care providers believe that
allergies can also be the cause of chronic health problems like colitis,
eczema, migraine headaches or other, often mysterious health problems.
Most
medical treatment of allergies is directed toward the symptoms. This is a good
approach if the symptoms are life-threatening. If the symptoms are chronic, it
is better to find the underlying cause of the allergy. Even patients with
severe reactions who take medication will do better if the underlying cause
of their allergic symptoms is addressed.
Many
of the symptomatic treatments actually undermine health and can make the
underlying cause of the allergy worse. Nasal sprays, for example, irritate the
mucus membranes. The membranes swell and produce more mucus as a response to
the irritation of the spray. They actually create the problem that they are
designed to solve.
Steroid
medications, while giving symptomatic relief, deplete the adrenal glands.
Ironically, good adrenal function is necessary to overcome allergies.
The
commonly used antihistamines like cetirizine (eg. Zyrtec), desloratadine (eg.
Clarinex),
and loratadine (eg. Claratin) do not have the extreme side effects of steroids.
Fatigue and dry mouth are common side effects of these drugs. Loratadine may also produce headaches. Deslortadine
and loratadine (in very high doses) have produced
tumors in mice. While offering relief, these drugs do not, however, address the
underlying cause of the allergy.
It
is good to relieve symptoms—it is better to fix the underlying cause
Adrenal
function:
The
adrenal glands produce hormones that enable the body to keep
inflammation in check (many of the
symptoms of allergies are from inflammation). The steroid drugs used to quell a
severe allergic response are similar to the hormones produced by your adrenal
gland.
The
adrenal glands are directly affected by stress. They are responsible for the
"fight or flight" response. Hans Selye, MD,
conducted some experiments creating stress in rats. The rats were made to tread
water with their legs tied until they became exhausted and died. He found that
the adrenal glands responded to stress in three distinct stages. In the initial
stage (the alarm reaction), the adrenal glands enlarge and the blood supply to
them increases. As the stress continues (the resistance phase), the glands are
large and functioning well. Eventually, if the stress continues, the glands
reach the third stage, which is adrenal
exhaustion.
The
physiological changes brought on by the adrenal glands during stress is called
the fight or flight response. Many people in modern society do not have the
luxury of a recovery period for their overworked adrenal glands. Stress is
constant. The changes caused by the overproduction of adrenal hormones stay
with them. The stimulation of the adrenal glands causes a decrease in the
immune system function, so an individual under constant stress will tend to
catch colds and have other immune system problems, including allergies.
People
with weak adrenal glands frequently crave coffee and sugar, as well as salt.
Sugar and caffeine stimulate the adrenal glands. It's as if your adrenal glands
are two horses towing a wagon load of bricks up a mountain. Sugar or caffeine
is the whip you use to get the horses to keep trying. What they need to get to
the top of the mountain is nourishment and a rest
period.
To
effectively treat the adrenal glands, you must eliminate as much stress from
your life as possible. Situations are not always controllable, but stress is.
Stress is cumulative. Emotional, structural and chemical stresses all affect
the body the same way. Your adrenal glands do not know the difference between
an IRS audit, treading water, extremes in temperature or excessive sugar
consumption. Excess sugar consumption will add to the stress of the IRS audit.
Eating
sugar and skipping meals are two things that are especially stressful to the
adrenal glands, which work to maintain your blood sugar level. Eating sugar
causes a temporary increase in blood sugar, which soon drops. Skipping meals
also causes the blood sugar to drop. The adrenal glands then have to work to
increase the blood sugar. Hypoadrenia and
hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) usually exist together.
The
digestive system:
Some
believe that there is a connection between poor digestion and allergies. If
there is not enough hydrochloric acid produced in the stomach, or if there is
inappropriate microbes (like yeast) growing in the GI tract, the immune system
may be overworked. Incomplete digestion creates large molecules that sometimes
trigger immune system response, creating allergies. It is just an idea that is
held by many natural health care physicians, and it needs more research.
However, many allergy sufferers improve when the digestive system is treated.
The
nervous system:
Nerves
control the entire body. This control extends to the adrenal glands, digestion
and other areas that may influence allergies. There are many hands-on
techniques that address the nervous system. Balancing the nervous system can solve many health problems, including allergies,
by treating the source of the problem.
Can
a good food be bad for you?
Sometimes eating whole foods and following a good diet is not enough to achieve
good health. It may be necessary to take your wellness program a bit farther by
finding foods to which you are sensitive and eliminating them from your diet.
You
can be sensitive to a food that you crave. Sugar cravings, the desire for junk
food and the inability to lose weight can be the result of hidden food
sensitivities. This is very different from the familiar kind of food allergies.
People commonly think of an allergic reaction as being immediate and severe,
like breaking out in hives from eating strawberries.
Hidden allergies and sensitivities don't usually have a sudden and obvious
reaction. The reaction to the offending food can take as long as 72 hours.
People with this type of allergy often have a chronic health problem that they
can't link to any particular food. Sinus problems, digestive problems, eczema,
headaches and obesity are examples of the health problems that can be caused by
hidden allergies.
The
addictive “allergy”
This concept is based on the ideas of Theron Randolph, MD.Dr. Randolph looked
at food sensitivities in an entirely new way. Here are some of his ideas.
Avoidance is not the only way to bring hidden allergies
under control
There are many well-documented cases of people who have been exposed to
chemicals and developed many sensitivities. Physicians using natural health
care are well aware of the fact that these patients respond to vitamin therapy.
Vitamin C can reduce histamine levels. Trace minerals can support the liver in
its effort to get rid of toxins. Supporting the adrenal gland and improving
digestion are also useful strategies for bringing allergies under control.
In
his book, Brain Allergies: The Psychonutrient
Connection Including Brain Allergies Today (Keats Publishing, 1988), Dr.
William Philpott has some case histories of patients
with mental problems who, by removing food allergens from their diet,
experienced great improvement in their psychological symptoms. Many of the
patients could tolerate their allergic foods after vitamin supplementation.