Title: A Natural Management of Allergies
This is allergy season for many people. Trees are pollinating along with a variety of flowers, not to mention grasses which have yet to reach peak levels in the summer. There is relief out there, and it is in a natural form. First, there are natural anti-histamines that work well to decrease the body's histamine response when you react to an environmental allergen. The easiest and most common product to take is your Vit. C. Many of us don't take enough of the Vit. C to see its effects as a histamine blocker. There are others: Quercetin being a very efficient histamine blocker, which I like to use during this season; also perilla seed another good one. Bromelain is also a great addition to an allergy regimen, as it "eats up inflammation" in the body, the inflammation caused by the allergic reaction. My favorite is a homeopathic product, that is made from the growing buds of the Black Currant plant, which is used as a "drainage" remedy - it will work on draining the sinuses and mucus membranes of the edema usually associated with allergies due to environmental triggers. In my practice, I also find it beneficial to do a general "detox" to help overcome toxins in the body, which contribute to the patients inflammatory response, There are other histamine blockers as well. Each person must be treated as an individual, and not labeled. I use the slogan "Treating the person, not just the disease". If additional testing is needed it is suggested including testing the adrenals, which impact on the body's immune system, and also additional allergy testing on foods or chemicals. When the body is sensitive to foods, a condition of toxicity is found in the body, which over sensitizes the immune system to environmental allergens as well.
Constitutional homepathic prescribing will always benefit the patient, by increasing the person's ability to self-heal, and be less reactive to environmental factors such as pollens, molds, dust, etc. I use homeopathy to strengthen the immune system of the patient, so there will be less reactivity, thereby less allergy symptoms, as well as working on the acute symptoms such as stuffiness, nasal discharge, headaches, itchy eyes, coughing, sneezing etc. The homeopathic remedy is specific to the person, and is based on the patient's individual symptoms that are presented.
Important to note, that in the naturopathic treatment of allergies, you are not adding any more toxins to the body - which is already overloaded with toxins from the environment - synthetics and toxins found in foods, drugs, pesticides, etc. Natural products are used, found in plants, natural amino acids, and natural minerals, therefore you are allowing the body to clear itself of toxins, and manage the inflammation of allergies in a natural and nutritive way.
I do all specialty testing for allergies, adrenals, detoxification at my office in Milford, CT. I have been in practice as a Naturopathic Doctor for over 17 years, and have found many patients to be quite happy with the above approach to their allergies.
Dr. Mary Battilocchi, N.D.
Copyright © 2010, Dr. Mary BattilocchiNaturopathic Doctor: Dr. Mary
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