Allergies occur when your immune system reacts to a foreign substance — such as pollen, bee venom or pet dander — or a food that doesn't cause a reaction in most people.
Your immune system produces substances known as antibodies. When you have allergies, your immune system makes antibodies that identify a particular allergen as harmful, even though it isn't. When you come into contact with the allergen, your immune system's reaction can inflame your skin, sinuses, airways or digestive system.
The severity of allergies varies from person to person and can range from minor irritation to anaphylaxis — a potentially life-threatening emergency. While most allergies can't be cured, treatments can help relieve your allergy symptoms.
Lifestyle Recommendations:
• Acquire a good air purifier to cleanse the air of allergens in the home and office; when cleaning use a vacuum with a Hepa filtration system. • Flush nasal passages with a neti pot – Silvercillin™ Liquid can be used as an effective nasal wash. • Detox the body to rid internal circulating allergens that keep triggering histamine release • Shower again at the end of the day and either change clothes or thoroughly wash clothes that may have collected pollens and other allergens throughout the day. • Delegate outdoor jobs like lawn work or animal care to others or wear a dust mask during outdoor activities. • Drink plenty of water throughout the day – if desired, add slices of cucumber, lemon, and blueberries.
Dietary Tips and Caveats:
• Avoid sugar, dairy and wheat products. • Consider taking 1 tsp daily of local, authentic raw honey for allergy prevention and histamine reactions not for children under 1 year of age. • Eat foods rich in vitamin C and the bioflavonoid, quercetin, such as berries, tomatoes, peppers, citrus fruit,
apples, broccoli, onion and dandelion greens – avoid any if intolerant. • Eat foods with the anti-inflammatory properties of omega-3 fats such as wild, cold-water fish like salmon, anchovies and halibut, walnuts, flaxseed meal and chia seeds. • Use the spice, turmeric, to flavor foods like soups, vegetables and fish.
How Chiropractic Care Can Help:
The close relationship between the nervous system and immune system is good news for chiropractic patients. By improving the communication between the brain and spinal cord, chiropractic care can help regulate and coordinate the body’s reaction to allergens.
Strengthen the immune system. Misalignments in the spine—particularly the neck—can disrupt the brain’s lines of communication with the rest of the body. Irritation in the upper cervical joint, for example, may compromise immunity and amplify allergic symptoms. By manipulating the joints and soft tissue, a chiropractor can restore the body’s alignment and re-open essential pathways between the brain and spine.
Regulate stress hormones. Many allergy sufferers also have weakened adrenal glands, which means their bodies have a harder time moderating allergic reactions. Since the adrenal glands are fed directly by spinal nerves, a properly aligned spine can help regulate the amount of cortisol the body produces. This can help mitigate the severity of allergy symptoms.
Support the respiratory system. Like the immune system, the respiratory system depends on an unimpeded flow of information to and from the brain. Chiropractic care keeps the pathways open, fortifying the respiratory system to better withstand allergic attacks.