Natural Allergy Solutions

Take a look around and tell me what you see and hear? Of course you hear birds chirping and see children playing. But if pay close attention you will also see and hear people coughing, sneezing, itching, having difficulty breathing and suffering with many other unpleasant symptoms. It’s allergy season!

Allergies are a very common disorder and more than 50 million Americans suffer from allergic diseases. Allergies are the sixth leading cause of chronic disease in the United States, costing the health care system $18 billion annually.

The traditional treatment approach to allergies is antihistamine medication.  This may give some temporary relief but all allergy medications come with side effects and they do not get to the underlying cause of the problem. Therefore you are always addressing the symptom and not truly taking care of the problem.

So the big question that arises is why do some people suffer terribly with allergies when others, who are in the same environment, have no problems at all?

For this answer we need to dig a little bit deeper.

First we need to define what is an allergy? An allergy is a hypersensitivity disorder of the immune system. That is to say that a person’s defense system is on high alert to what it recognizes as a foreign invader. These foreign invaders are termed allergens. An allergen is a normally harmless environmental substance that the hypersensitive immune system mistakenly recognizes as being harmful. When the immune system detects a foreign invader it elicits an immune response or attack on this typically benign substance. It is the ensuing attack that causes people to suffer terribly with allergy symptoms.

So allergies are a disorder of the immune system and no two immune systems are alike. Each individual’s chemical makeup is unique which makes their responses to different environmental substances unique as well. This is why two people exposed to the same harmless substance can have two different responses. One person doesn’t even know that they were exposed. The other person starts sneezing, becomes itchy and experiences all of the other un-pleasantries that come along with allergies.

What most people, including many physicians, do not realize is that 80 percent of your immune system is located in your digestive system, making a healthy gut a major focal point if you want to maintain optimal health and reduce your risk of allergies.

What I generally find with clients that are suffering with allergies is that they have digestive problems. Most commonly I find a leaky gut. This is a situation where the lining of the gut doesn’t form a tight barrier (it becomes “leaky”) which then allows typically harmless substances to pass into the blood stream. Once in the blood stream, your body’s alarm system sounds and an all-out war is launched on the invader. Allergy sufferers’ immune systems are very hypersensitive. Even a trace amount of an allergen can result in an immune response.

Allergens come in many forms: Environmental such as mold, pollen, dust, animal dander and chemicals to name a few. There are also food allergies with the most common culprits being gluten (wheat), dairy, eggs, corn, yeast, soy and nuts. 

So how can someone suffering with allergies improve their situation naturally, if not stop the suffering?

The first thing I would recommend is to have a complete blood analysis. This gives a snapshot of your overall health and will give insight into what the underlying cause of your allergies may be.

Based on the results of your blood test, specialized testing may need to be pursued in order to completely investigate the underlying cause of your allergies. Specialized testing may include gluten sensitivity testing, food/environmental allergy testing or gut permeability testing.

Based on these findings an individualized program would be put together to help support the immune system. The program would consist of altering eating habits, specific supplementation, boosting immune system function and reducing allergen exposure. One of the most effective means of reducing allergies is to reduce the allergic burden on the body.  

This would include a modified elimination diet. An elimination diet would consist of eliminating possible food allergens from your diet. This gives your digestive tract time to rest and repair as well as allow your immune system to calm down. After a period of time, based on your health status, you then slowly begin to reintroduce different foods back into your diet one at a time. During the reintroduction phase, you monitor how you feel and react to each food that you add back. What you are looking for is a link between your allergy symptoms (stuffiness, sneezing, skin eruptions, headaches, stomach pain, etc.) and the foods that you are eating. Once identified you want to eliminate this food allergen from your diet. If you don’t, every time you consume this food you will get an allergic response and other potential adverse health problems.

In addition to eliminating possible food allergens you also want to reduce your toxic burden from sources such as smoking, heavy metals and poor water sources which can depress your immune system and make you more susceptible to allergies.

Another major area that you want to look at is appropriate nutritional supplementation that is based on your blood work. Proper nutritional supplementation can have a significant impact on improving the functioning of your immune system as well as reducing your allergy symptoms. Nutritional supplementation is based on individual needs but some of the more common supplements that have been demonstrated to reduce the impact of allergy symptoms are:  a good multi-vitamin, fish oil (omega-3 fatty acids), Vitamin D, probiotics, vitamin E, Vitamin C, specific herbal allergy formulations (look for it to contain: quercitin, stinging nettles leaf, bromelain, N-acetyl l-cysteine), lauracidin (active ingredient is monolaurin from the coconut plant; supports the immune system and helps kill bad bacteria and viruses while preserving the good bacteria) and Echinacea. These supplements are general recommendations. Specific dosages as well as combinations of each supplement would depend on your blood work and unique health condition. 

By repairing your gut, making the appropriate dietary changes and using appropriate nutritional supplementation when necessary you can very safely and effectively reduce your allergy suffering if not stop it completely.

Make the appropriate lifestyle changes to reduce your allergy suffering naturally so that you can get outside and enjoy the fresh air!    

Dr. Michael Kirk practices in Moorestown, NJ.  He can be contacted via his website:  www.PerformanceHealthandChiro.com .

Disclaimer:  The content of this blog is for informational purposes only. The information and recommendations outlined in this article are not intended as a substitute for personalized medical advice. The medical information in this article is intended as general information only and should not be used in any way to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The goal of this article is to highlight nutritionally significant information, and offer suggestions for nutritional support and health maintenance. Please be advised that any suggested nutritional advice or dietary advice is not intended as a primary treatment and/or therapy for any disease or particular bodily symptom.