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Allergies & Asthma

A Novel Approach to Treating Allergies and Asthma

The Dangers of Environmental and Food Allergens

Allergies: Simple Help for a Miserable Challenge

Spring Allergies: New Advances Bring Lasting Relief

Allergy Sufferers, Take Note!

 

 

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.