Definition
An allergy is an adverse immune system reaction to a substance that would normally be considered harmless. Allergic reactions are caused by exposure to allergens. An allergen is a protein that the body judges to be foreign and dangerous. Possible allergens include specific foods, environmental toxins, pollens, molds, mites, animal dander and a host of other irritants. Once exposed to an allergen, the immune system releases specific antibodies to destroy the enemy allergen, setting in motion a complex series of events involving many biochemicals. These chemicals then produce inflammation or other symptoms of an allergy response. Allergic responses can range from mild to severe, where prompt professional medical advice may be required.

Symptoms

Before you can treat an allergy you first need to find out what you are allergic to.

An allergy can have a lot of different effects on the body, here are a few of the most common: inflamed, scratchy and red eyes, tears, watery eyes, sneezing, coughing, itching, breathing difficulties, flushing cheeks, runny nose, swelling, vomiting, intestinal swelling or irritation, nose bleeds, hives and stomachache.

The most serious reaction when it comes to allergies is anaphylactic shock, which could be fatal if not treated in time. Anaphylactic shock causes swelling of the larynx; this obstructs the airway and can result suffocation. This is a medical emergency and needs to be treated as soon as possible; an injection of adrenalin normally stops the reaction immediately

Allergies can be caused by a lot of different triggers

• Contact allergens – Anything that you touch, that could cause a reaction like: latex, certain plants, cleaning products, jewelry, cleaning products and cosmetic products.
• Inhalant Allergens – Any airborne chemicals products, fumes, tobacco smoke, dust mites, car and truck exhaust fumes, pet fur, and pollen from trees and wheat from grass.
• Ingestant allergens – These includes food, liquids and medications and heavy metals in water. Most food allergies are caused by: wheat, corn, milk and dairy, egg whites, tomatoes, soy, shellfish, peanuts, chocolate, additives and pesticides.
• Injectant allergens – insect bites and stings, and injected medications

 

These can give you an indication where to start looking at what you might be allergic to, but if you’ve got an allergy especially a food allergy it’s very important to test what you are allergic for:

Headaches                : Wheat, Chocolate

Migraine                     : Alcoholic beverages, cheese, chocolate, nuts, wheat, citrus     fruits, tomatoes, eggs and milk

Eczema                      : Citrus fruits, tomatoes and eggs

Hay fever                    : Milk, wheat, nuts, chocolate, cola drinks and sulfites

Hives                          : Strawberries, tomatoes, eggs, chocolate, shellfish, mangoes, pork and nuts

Asthma                       : Wheat and eggs

Cerebral Symptoms : Corn, wheat and soybeans.

 

 

Side effects of using conventional medical treatment and why you should rather use natural products.

Antihistamines: The symptoms will go away, for the time that you are using the product, but it might only suppress the body’s reaction to the allergen. The side effects include drowsiness.

Steroid nasal sprays: The long term effects of this product are unknown.

Decongestants: Although it reduces the congestion, it might cause a type of a rebound effect and problems with alertness and excitability, difficulty falling asleep.

Laser surgery: Surgeons remove the mucous forming nasal tissue, there aren’t any severe side effects, but surgery should always be your last option.

Desensitization shots: Also known as allergy shots,

These medications can cause side effects like: headaches, loss of appetite, dizziness, drowsiness, vision changes, stomach upsets, irritability and dry mouth, nose and eyes. These symptoms should go away once your body is used to the medication, but if it persists you should consult your doctor. If you experience any of the following you should immediately notify your doctor; breathing difficulties, ringing in ears, irregular heartbeat or pounding of heart and urinary difficulties.

As with any medication there are few precautions that need to be followed. Try to avoid any medication when pregnant or breastfeeding. Be careful with long acting antihistamines when giving it to children under 12 years. Avoid or limit alcohol intake when using any medication. If you have any of the following your doctor should be consulted before deciding on a type of medication: high blood pressure, seizures, heart disease, over active thyroid, lung problems, stomach ulcers, family history if glaucoma or an overactive thyroid.

Antihistamines and any type of medication are designed to improve your health, but it is always best to first know everything about any product before using it.

When you are using antihistamines, anything that you eat or drink can have an effect on the medication. Medication for other conditions can also interfere with the antihistamines. So it is extremely important to take your diet, health status and any other medical conditions into consideration when you decide to start using an antihistamine. Antihistamines may act differently when combined with for example if you combine it with grapefruit juice it can cause hart palpitations.

A healthy lifestyle and exercise will keep the body itself in good condition, and better able to combat allergens. Eat a variety of non-allergic fresh fruit and vegetables, seeds, nuts and non-dairy animal protein. Sometimes you need a bit of extra help, an then it’s best to choose wisely because sometimes taking one wrong medication can lead to having to take lots more medication to fix the damage.

A few natural ways to treat allergies:

Aromatherapy: Use essential oils to relieve allergic reactions.

Accuipuncture: Used to desensitize a person’s reaction against an allergen.

Diet: If you know what you are allergic to, just stay away from those products, otherwise follow a diet with non-allergic foods. The elimination diet, rotation diet and proper food combining can be followed 

Enzyme-Potentiated Desensitization (EPD): is an applied immunotherapy technique that trains the immune system to be non-reactive to substances that usually provoke allergic symptoms.

Herbal Medicine: There are a very wide variety of herbs that offers relief from allergies.

Homeopathy: In some cases a minute diluted doses of the substance a person is allergic is prepared as a homeopathic solution that triggers the body’s natural ability to heal itself.  

Juice therapy: Fasting on juice will detoxify the body; this will enable the body to cope better with allergies.

Lifestyle:  As with anything prevention is always better than cure, a healthy lifestyle is your best weapon against allergies.

Nutritional Supplementation: Vitamin C counteracts the inflammation response which is associated with hay fever and asthma. Probiotics are very helpful in minimizing allergic reactions, because they restore healthy intestinal flora in the gastrointestinal tract.

Water: It is very important for people with allergies and sensitivities to keep well hydrated. Water has healing properties and people have seen great improvements in their health and allergies, only by drinking lots of water.

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