This is a quick summery of possible treatment for patients with food sensitivities and environmental allergies
Food sensitivities can express themselves through psoriasis, eczema, acne, joints pain, indigestion, and other symptoms. If you think you may be sensitive to a particular food, identify it and eliminate the whole food group it from your diet for 3-4 weeks. For example: if milk is a problem, then eliminate dairy products: milk, ice cream, sour cream, butter. You have to be very careful to eliminate everything from that group. For example, in eliminating dairy you may have to also eliminate many bread products, because most bread recipes call for dry milk. During that 3-4 week period restore the integrity of digestive tract with Glutamine and probiotics.
Environmental allergies express themselves as stuffed nose, postnasal drip with cough or watery eyes, and snoring, among other symptoms. Identify the cause with an allergy test and then eliminate the allergen if possible. For example, in the case of dust allergy you may have to get rid off rugs and carpets and buy hypoallergenic pillows and mattress covers. If mold is a problem, treat the mold in your basement and stay away from food molds such as blue cheese and blue cheese salad dressing.
Unfortunately; you can not get rid of trees and grasses in spring and summer. Here are some possible treatments:
- Clean your nose, using a neti-pot twice per day. This tool may look weird at first, but if I have learned to use it, so can you. Even kids in my practice have learned to use it.
- Take Vitamin C up to 3 g/day for short period of time.
- Quercetin and nettle is a good combination of herbs to prevent degradation of mast cells, which contain granules of histamine and heparin. When mast cell is broken, histamine spilled out, that creates local inflammation. Heparin is anti-coagulant that insures constant blood and mast cells flow to the side of inflammation. MD often prescribe anti-histamine drug.
4. Take vitamins A and E. Although no randomized controlled trials show that they work, lack of those vitamins may cause hyperactive immune system. Also Vitamin A is responsible for normal reproduction of epithelial cell which are normal lining in the nose and throat and are definitely suffering during an allergy season.
- Glycyrrhiza glabra or licorice will increase your internal level of cortisol, which will decrease inflammation. This herb may raise your blood pressure. DO NOT TAKE IT WITHOUT SUPERVISION OF YOUR NATUROPATHIC DOCTOR.
- Sage will decrease mucus production
- Try acupuncture
- You may also try homeopathic remedies:
Natrum muriaticum for sneezing, watery eyes, clear nasal discharge.
Nux vomica for stuffed or runny nose especially at night.
Sabadilla for sneeze attack.
Allium cepa for watery eyes and clear nasal discharge that irritates area under the nose.
There are also combination remedies for dogs and cats, dandruff, pollen and many other allergens.
Stay healthy.
