Coz Being Ageless Is Priceless

Posts tagged ‘allergies’

Is There Relief From Chronic Allergies?

Allergy skin testing

Image via Wikipedia

It sucks! Suffering from allergies, that is. Symptoms are annoying (and could include stuffy nose, red, itchy eyes, constant sneezing, dark circles under the eye) to life-threatening (anaphylaxis). It is caused by the hyper-reactivity of the immune system to natural as well as synthetic substances found in our food, air (inhalant allergens), and chemicals in our environment. The typical response would be the use of OTC and prescription anti-histamines, steroids and epinephrine (for anaphylactic conditions). Most of them are effective except for some unpleasant side effects such as drowsiness (anti-histamines), suppression of the immune system (steroids), and tachycardia (epinephrine). One more thing, a person has to take them indefinitely because the root cause/causes are not really addressed (by just symptomatic treatment alone). There are natural alternatives to allergy treatment and they include quercertin and bromelain. They may be taken  if one is wary of taking any medications whatsoever. One thing though, is that it still doesn’t address the cause or causes of the allergy.

Other more effective treatments for allergy include immunotherapy (subcutaneous or sublingual) and L.D.A. therapy. Subcutaneous immunotherapy, otherwise known as “allergy shots” involves the administration of gradually increasing amounts of allergens over several months to a couple of years. The injections are given weekly or biweekly. This causes the body to produce less symptoms than are otherwise caused by exposure to antigens. Sublingual immunotherapy, on the other hand, involves the administration of liquid antigen drops under the tongue. It is safe, convenient and can be used on high-risk patients, such as elderly patients, asthmatics, and pregnant patients.

L.D.A. (low dose allergen) therapy, is a method of allergy treatment that was started by Dr. Leonard McEwen from England. Originally known as EPD or enzyme potentiated desensitization, Dr. McEwen used very tiny doses of various allergens along with an enzyme called beta-glucuronidase. Treatments were administered every 60 days. The treatment was found to be effective for a wide range of allergens (food, inhalants, chemicals) as well as other immune system disorders. EPD however, is no longer available in the US and has been replaced by L.D.A. L.D.A. therapy is similar to EPD and acts by stimulating T-suppressor cells. The main difference is that the allergen solution used for L.D.A. is not sold at regular pharmacies. It is made by compounding pharmacies according to a doctor’s specifications/prescription. The main benefit of L.D.A. therapy is that it seems to train the immune system to stop attacking normal substances that the body encounters (foods, inhalants, chemicals), rather than just temporarily alleviating symptoms or lowering the body’s histamine levels.

Related Articles

Category:

Tips

Tagged with:

Mad as a Hatter: Does It Matter?

Alice in Wonderland iPhone wallpaper

If you think I’m talking about the character in Alice in Wonderland, think again. In today’s blog, I’m going to discuss how toxins, particularly heavy metals (like mercury) could affect everything, including our mental health. The phrase “mad as a hatter” was coined in the early 19th century when “hatters” or people who were making hats started experiencing uncontrollable trembling and appeared insane. Apparently, the hatters were using glue that contained mercury at the time. Mercury toxicity can manifest as loss of appetite, fatigue, depression, emotional instability, peripheral numbness, tremors, poor memory and cognitive function, decreased senses of touch, taste, hearing and vision, and neuromuscular disorders. High levels have also been implicated in acute myocardial infarction. All the symptoms just mentioned  are quite common. Therefore, it’s always a great idea to rule out the presence of (heavy metal) toxins in anyone experiencing the said symptoms or anyone who has a possible exposure to mercury (and that means all of us). Mercury is now found all over the place, including our air (esp. surrounding coal-powered plants), food and water supply. In fact, common sources include fish (all fish now, compared to just large fish during previous years), dental amalgams, skin lightening agents (very common in Asia), some hemorrhoidal creams, some vaccines, medical instruments such as thermometers and sphygmomanometers, batteries, electrodes, some fertilizers, the paper industry and finally, the gold industry. In fact, there were recent reports in the news of mercury/lead toxicity in parts of Nigeria where people are involved in gold mining.

To test if someone has elevated levels of metals, particularly mercury, one can have a blood, hair or (provocative) urine testing done with chelating agents like DMSA or DMPS ( although others may use EDTA or other natural chelating agents). A blood specimen is usually used to determine acute exposure while hair and urinary testing informs us more of chronic exposure. Labs that perform the latter tests include Doctor’s Data and Genova Diagnostics. In Asia, I would imagine that Vitech Pro, a company based in Bangkok, is the one that performs these tests. Regular blood tests for mercury could be performed at any reputable lab like Quest or LabCorp. What do you do if your levels are elevated? Besides avoidance of possible sources (kinda difficult nowadays), the accepted form of treatment is a process called chelation therapy.  This has to be done properly however. Otherwise, further damage can be done. Natural oral chelating agents include vitamin C, alpha lipoic acid, garlic, cilantro, onions, chlorella and some therapeutic-grade essential oils. EDTA is available in oral (least effective), suppository and injectable forms. Other chelating agents include penicillamine (for copper toxocity), deferoxamine (for iron poisoning), dimercaprol (for arsenic, mercury and lead), DMSA and DMPS. It is important to individualize treatment in any case. Factors such as kidney and liver function, nutritional deficiencies, allergies, and general patient constitution should all be taken into account when one embarks on a cleansing or detoxification program. For more information, please check out the American College for Advancement in Medicine web site, http://www.acam.org. and the American Academy of Environmental Medicine web site, http://www.aaemonline.org.

Related Articles

Category:

Environment, News, Tips

Tagged with:

Autoimmune Diseases: Immune System Gone Loco?

Peppermint and Corsican mint plant (cropped) P...

Image via Wikipedia

One of the most interesting concepts that I’ve learned is that so-called “autoimmune diseases” are caused by accumulation of toxins in the whole body (that means including the brain, which, we are led to believe is impermeable like an iron curtain because of the blood brain barrier). This is in contrast to the general belief that autoimmune diseases are caused by an “immune system gone haywire”. Standard treatments include the use of anti-inflammatories such as NSAID’s and steroids. If they don’t work, then the use of immuno-suppressive agents are next in line. Makes sense if you just want to address the symptoms of inflammation. However, doesn’t it make more sense to try to find out the cause of why the immune system’s gone haywire? Toxins from the environment including heavy metals, pesticides, synthetic hormones and microorganisms, as well as toxins produced from internal metabolism, all contribute to these toxic burden. Well-functioning detoxification organs help our bodies eliminate these toxic build up. However, there are those people who just aren’t able to keep up with the elimination of these wastes. Thus, symptoms of toxicity start to appear. These include allergies, asthma, digestive problems, fatigue, headaches, insomnia, joint pain, mood swings, skin problems and weight changes. Therefore, it makes sense to help rid the body of toxins and these can be done in different ways. Simple detoxification “procedures” that someone could easily incorporate include fasting, drinking more water, eating a plant-based diet, deep breathing and exercise. Other detox programs may need the guidance and support of a nutritionally-minded physician or other holistic practitioners. Nutritional supplements to support the organs of elimination and drainage such as kidneys, liver, lymphatics, lungs, colon and skin, all go a long way in improving someone’s over-all health. As far as auto-immune illnesses are concerned, natural anti-inflammatories can be used for symptomatic treatment while waiting for the “detox treatments” take effect. These include your essential fatty acids (from fish oil or krill oil or for vegetarians, flax seed oil), curcumin, and peppermint oil, among many others.

Related Articles

Related Articles

Category:

Opinions, Tips

Tagged with:

We Need Bugs….

The good ones, that is. In a recent article in Scientific American magazine, it was reported that prophylactic bacteria may protect critically ill patients against pneumonia. The study was done at the Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska and was subsequently published earlier this month at the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. This is great considering that you rarely hear about preventive medicine in mainstream medical journals. Good bacteria such as Lactobacillus and Bifodibacterium are part of the body’s normal flora. Their numbers can decrease due to factors such as antibiotic intake, NSAID use, and even just by drinking tap water (chlorinated and fluoridated). When this imbalance between good and bad bacteria happens, conditions such as antibiotic-related diarrhea, small bowel bacterial overgrowth, candidiasis and “leaky gut syndrome” could occur. Symptoms of these conditions could range from gas, bloating, food sensitivities, allergies, joint pains, muscle aches, fatigue and brain fog. It’s really important to take probiotics on a regular basis nowadays (even without a history of taking antibiotics or NSAID’s because our water supply is not as safe as it used to be). Typical water purification methods usually remove particulate matter and certain microbes. It does nothing however for removal of heavy metals (lead, mercury, arsenic, etc.), VOC’s (volatile organic chemicals), certain bacteria (such as Cryptosporidium), and mostly importantly, pharmaceutical drugs (from people flushing them in the toilet, etc). It certainly won’t hurt to invest in a good water purification system. Remember, most water sold in plastic containers may just be filtered municipal water. Let’s not even get into that now! I’ll save that rant for another day. How about that? In the meantime, take a good probiotic supplement daily and make sure to stay hydrated with pure water. By the way, the probiotic that I use is called Life 5.

Category:

Environment, News, Tips

Tagged with: