Seasonal Allergy

It's that time of year again: the days are getting longer, the flowers are blooming, and we can trade our winter coats for light jackets. Most of us consider the arrival of Spring a cause for celebration, but if you're one of the fifty million people suffering from seasonal allergies, you probably aren't jumping for joy.

One of the most frustrating things about seasonal allergies is determining the cause. Is it pollen? Is it climate, temperature, or atmospheric change? Is it gluten, which seems to be to blame for so many disorders today? Everyone wants to know why there are experiencing the watery eyes, runny nose, headaches, itchy skin, stuffiness, or congestion every Spring. These symptoms are collectively known as allergic rhinitis, or hay fever.

There are several causes for these allergies, and some of them may surprise you:

Infection

Heredity

Malabsorption disorders

Hormonal deficiencies

Post Trauma

Radiation stress

Emotional event

Vaccination additives

Weak immune system

Over-exposure to allergens

Candida

Chemicals such as GMOs, food additives, and pesticides

Whatever causes an individual to become sensitive to pollen, the question remains, what can be done about it? While a pollen allergy, by itself, is usually easy to eliminate, allergic rhinitis typically encompasses allergic reactions to several environmental triggers, such as mold, trees and some foods, that may require more extensive treatment.

There are a few different ways to alleviate the symptoms of hay fever, the most common of which is to take medicines such as Claritin or Zyrtec. In the past, a physician had to prescribe these medications; however, these days they are available over-the-counter. If you are satisfied with managing your symptoms, these meds can help; however, I strongly suggest that before taking them you research their side effects.

If symptoms are severe, most allergists will recommend shots once a week for one to two years, followed by maintenance injections once a month for two to three years. This is the guideline procedure set forth by the American Academy of Family Physicians. But what, you may be wondering, are in these allergy shots? Allergy shots contain small amounts of the things that you are allergic to, or allergens. The dose of allergens starts very low and is slowly increased over the course of the treatment. If this method sounds counterintuitive to you, you're not alone. After all, if a patient were allergic to cockroaches, would you suggest injecting them with little bits cockroach?

The latest approach to environmental allergies is sublingual drops. First, a scratch test is done to establish what the person is allergic to, whether it's trees, grasses, molds, and pollens. Then he or she is given liquid drops to take daily for approximately one year. This reduces office visits, but the success rate is not clear. It is also expensive, and therefore best suited to patients with very good medical coverage.

Another method-and my personal preference--is natural allergy elimination. This safe, very gentle technique reprograms the body in about four months, with no side-effects. I like it because, unlike the other treatments, it gets to the root cause, rather just managing symptoms, and it has been clinically proven to work.

In my practice, I have seen patients whose allergies are triggered by a wide range of allergens. Sometimes the hay fever is initiated by a virus; sometimes it's triggered after the patient moves to an area with a higher concentration of pollen than they are used to. Still other patients are experiencing a malfunction of their autonomic nervous system that affects their tolerance to pollen. I have been successful eliminating seasonal allergies--or hay fever--for my patients, regardless of the underlying cause. Like with any ailment, there were a few individuals who were not completely cured because I could not identify an underlying genetic component. However, I do have a 90% success rate in eliminating hay fever. One of my patients had been receiving allergy shots for twenty-five years, with little relief. Yet in just three office visits, I was able to eliminate her symptoms by treating her emotionally. Of course, everyone is different and the approach has to be individualized. I also can determine very quickly if a case is beyond my ability.

There are currently 10,000 holistic practitioners that utilize natural allergy elimination techniques. Over the past decade, they have helped several hundred thousand patients completely cure their seasonal allergies. Are you sick of dreading Spring? Find a good and experienced holistic practitioner!