Tag: allergies

All Natural Allergy Treatment

April 7, 2016

Allergies are nothing to sneeze at. Dust, pores, and pollen come in through the nasal passages, irritating you and leaving you sniffling and sore as you gradually forget what it once was like to not be congested. We have all been there. Unfortunately, the conventional choices are either to suffer through the season or medicate with allergy medication that simply knocks you out. I for one don’t want to sleep through spring, so I use these strategies to make the season bearable.

 

Stay in good health

This may be an obvious point, but the better health you are in at the start of allergy season, generally the better off you will be. Be sure to eat a lot of produce and drink half of your body weight in ounces of water per day.  Plus, because your body won’t be in overdrive from reacting to all of your allergy triggers, it will be greater equipped to fight off other illnesses and leave you feeling better overall

 

Herbs

The following herbs have wonderful historical results for improving allergy symptoms. Try to find them as ingredients in herbal teas:

  • Dong quai (Angelica sinensis) – Used as an antihistamine and anti-inflammatory.
  • Eyebright (Euphrasia officinalis) – Reduces congestion and secretions. It is good for itchy eyes, sneezing, and excess mucus.
  • Gingko (Gingko biloba) – Contains bioflavonoids and is used as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory.
  • Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) – Helps reduce allergic, inflammatory, and histaminic reactions and supports liver function.
  • Red clover (Trifolium pratense) – Helps build the body’s resistance to allergies.
  • Stinging nettles (Urtica dioica) – Used as an antihistamine and anti-inflammatory.
  • Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) – Reduces congestion and secretions.

If tea isn’t your thing, you can also try to find these herbs in the form of supplements. Be sure you check with your health practitioner to get the best herbal recommendation for you to make sure they won’t interfere with any medications you are currently taking. If in doubt, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

 

FSA (Fun Sweaty Activities)

Not only will this help you achieve your goal of good health, but several minutes of vigorous activity will open up nasal passages and decongest you.

 

 

Homeopathics

The concept behind homeopathy is that “like cures like.” So, homeopathic treatment for allergies is for one to take very small amounts of that which they are allergic to. Eventually, the body will create a tolerance. I can individualize homeopathic recommendations to help support your body through allergy season.

 

 

Energetic Assessment and Allergies

April 5, 2016

Sniffles, sneezes, body aches, and exhaustion. Seasonal allergies are a real pain. How do you treat them, though? The conventional method is by popping pills and drinking thick syrup every time symptoms rear their ugly heads. If you are familiar with these treatments, then you know what comes next: heavy eyelids and coma-like sleep.

While sleep can be relieving after a rough day of dealing with symptoms, is this really the proper way to deal with allergies? If you are just sleeping through your symptoms, what is really being solved?

This is where I come in.

While I cannot diagnose anyone with an allergy, I can perform an energetic assessment to show you the way your body reacts to certain elements and recommend appropriate homeopathics to help support your body. The way that the assessment works is as follows: frequencies of different elements (specific tree pollen, molds, etc) are introduced through the skin via a metal stylus and a stress response is recorded. The higher the stress response, the more likely there is a sensitivity.

I will run through a list of frequencies of common pollen and molds as well as a number of other toxins that could possibly be linked to your symptoms. Then, I will imprint the frequencies of the specific allergens into a bottle that is securely balanced for environmental allergens. This will give your body the support it needs to feel well again.

This test is non-invasive and results are immediate. In one sitting, you can be assessed for how your body responds to stressors at an energetic level and receive a custom protocol for healing. Why not give it a try? Sign up for a free phone consultation and let’s talk about your needs.

What’s Eating Your Kid?: How to Identify Food Sensitivities in Your Child

August 17, 2015

Source: Stuart Richards, flickr

Bitter morning coffee wakes you up. A crisp salad makes you want to go outside. A heavy turkey dinner makes you want to sleep.

Food has such a sway on how we feel during our day to day lives. For a large percentage of us, some food makes us feel downright awful. Nearly 80% of the population suffers from some sort of food sensitivity. Children, especially, suffer from food sensitivities because they often lack the knowledge of dietary needs and the ability to express their symptoms.

Food sensitivities are not to be confused with allergies. 5% of the population is estimated to suffer from a true food allergy. If your child has a true food allergy, you will probably be able to identify it fairly swiftly. Perhaps your child’s tongue swells up after eating a peanut butter sandwich or they get a rash after eating some strawberry shortcake.

Food sensitivities, however, are a bit more difficult to notice and identify, although they can cause as much harm as an allergy. Sensitivities can present themselves in your child as restlessness, depression, mood swings, or even aggression. If you suspect that your child is suffering from a sensitivity, here are some steps you can take to identify it.

 

 

Allergy Test:

A doctor will take and test blood to determine whether or not your child is suffering from a true food allergy. There is also a ‘prick test’ in which a doctor will inject small amounts several allergens in a patient’s back and verify whether or not a bump develops, indicating a sensitivity. A true food allergy cannot be diagnosed through a prick test alone, though food sensitivities can.

Pro: These tests bring results fairly quickly, which will allow you to begin treating your child sooner.

Con: These tests have a fairly high false positive rates, especially for patients with eczema, asthma, or other allergies. Prick tests can be painful, especially for a child.

 

Elimination diet:
Avoid a suspect food for 3-4 weeks and then slowly reintroduce it and monitor the effects. If symptoms reappear with reintroduction, it is likely your child has a food sensitivity.

Pros: This diet is easy and virtually free. This can also be an empowering way to take control of your child’s health.

Cons: This diet is not always effective. If your child is suffering from sensitivities to more than one food, let’s say gluten and chocolate, eliminating only one might not alleviate symptoms to a point where sensitivity can be confirmed. In addition to this, you may have to try several foods before you can pin down a sensitivity. This can be an extremely time consuming process, during which your child may be suffering. Furthermore, even though a food may have caused your child no problems a year ago, food sensitivities can develop at any age, which means you must always be on alert.

 

Energetic Assessment:

Frequencies to foods are introduced through the skin and a stress response is recorded.

Pros: This test is non-invasive and results are immediate. In one sitting, you can be assessed for how your body responds to food at an energetic level.

Cons: Energetic assessment results not in a diagnosis, but instead a lifestyle recommendation. Well, maybe that’s not really a “Con.” Following the suggested lifestyle based on energetic assessment has historically shown to be a beneficent way of keeping food sensitivities at bay, although this test is not commonly covered by insurance.

 

 

In the end, only YOU know what is right for your child. If you are having trouble deciding which action to take, please contact me or comment below! While I can’t perform an allergy test, I have experience with elimination diets and energetically assess clients at my office quite frequently. I’d love to help you help your child live each day as best as they can.