We often think of Allergies as a Spring and Summer issue, but Fall and Winter can be equally rough for allergies, and if you are like me, I have indoor/outdoor allergies that afflict me all year around. Now that Fall has arrived in New England I thought I would write about the different types of allergies and what you may be able to use to help in the caring of them. An allergy is an inappropriate response by the body’s immune system to a substance that is not normally harmful. The immune system is the highly complex defense mechanism that helps us to combat infection. It does this by identifying “foreign invaders” and mobilizing the body’s white blood cells to fight them. In some people the immune system wrongly identifies a nontoxic substance as an invader, and the white blood cells overreact and do more damage to the body than the invader. This, the allergic reaction, becomes a disease in itself. Common responses are nasal congestion, coughing, wheezing, itching, hives, and other skin rashes, headache and fatigue.
Allergens can cause an array of allergic reactions, and anything can cause a reaction to the right host. The most common are pollen, dust, certain metals, (nickel) being the most prominent, some cosmetics, lanolin, animal hair, insect venom, some common drugs (penicillin and aspirin), some food additives (benzoic acid and sulfur dioxide) and chemicals found in soap and washing detergents. Many people are allergic to mold. Molds are microscopic living organisms, neither animal nor insect, that thrive where no other life form can. Molds live throughout the house, under sinks and in bathrooms, basements, along with refrigerators and any other damp, dark place. They also thrive in the air, in the soil, on dead leaves, and on other organic material. They may be destructive but they can be beneficial. They help to make cheese, fertilize gardens, and speed decaying of garbage and fallen leaves. Penicillin is made from mold.
Mold spores are carried by the wind and are most active in the Summer and Fall months. In warm climates they thrive year round. Cutting grass, harvesting crops, or walking through tall vegetation can provoke an a reaction. Foods can also cause allergic reactions. Some of the most common are chocolate, dairy products, eggs, shellfish, strawberries, and wheat. Food intolerance is not the same thing. A person with a food intolerance is unable to digest and process the food correctly, usually due to lack of certain enzyme or enzymes. Some allergic reactions to food can occur as soon as the item is ingested and are much easier to identify and eliminate from the diet. A delayed reaction is harder to identify. Any irritating cough or tickle in the throat may be a sign of food allergy. Allergies do run in families, and it is also believed that babies who are not breast fed are more likely to develop allergies. There may be an emotional cause to the problem as well; stress and anger, especially if the immune system is not functioning properly, are contributing factors.
Food Allergy Self Test
If you suspect that you are allergic to specific food, a simple test can help you determine if you are correct. By recording your pulse rate after consuming the suspected food you can reveal if you are having an allergic reaction. Simply sit down, relax your body, deep breathing, and a calming sound can help. Then with a second hand watch count the number of beats in a sixty second period. A normal pulse is reads between 52 and 70. After consuming the food you are testing, waiting fifteen minutes and retake your pulse. If it has increased more than 10 beats, remove it from your diet for one month. Once you discover the culprit you can then speak to your doctor or a Natural Health Care provider about medications or supplements that can help you with your food or seasonal allergies. ALWAYS CONSULT WITH YOUR DOCTOR BEFORE TRYING ANY SUPPLEMENTS OF ANY KIND.
This is not too take the place of a doctor’s advice. Always seek medical care before trying anything new. Courtesy of PRESCRIPTIONS FOR NUTRITIONAL HEALING.
