Spring has sprung a little early this year, and as a result, so have allergies. I Started noticing the red eyes and the sniffling a few weeks ago as the trees started to bud, but now, everywhere I look, I see people with tissues coming out of their sleeves and a blurry puffed up look about their eyes trying to see through the mist of tears. There is also the classic sign of itchy throat or constant throat clearing that happens at this time of year. These poor individuals have to clear their throats about every 2 minutes, or cluck their tongue at the back of their mouths in the hopes of scratching that unscratchable itch. For some, allergies are paired with asthma, or eczema, adding more drugs to their pharmaceutical maintenance regime, or they suffer. Thus is the fate of the allergy sufferer,unless they deal with their underlying sensitivity.
Allergies and your immune system
You see, allergies are merely the body trying to defend itself against foreign substances that it think can harm it. In the event that you have breathed in, eaten or touched something that is harmful to you, the body releases a flood of histamines to attack the invader and get rid of it with mucous, diarrhea, hives and other allergic reactions. This is a great response, if the offending particulate matter were really harmful, but pollen is not harmful, and the immune systems of people with allergies, depending on their sensitivity level, are sent into overdrive as if the threat is real, thus creating a problem, allergic symptoms. These reactions make your already hyper sensitive immune system overtaxed and you become tired and more susceptible to other more real problems like viruses, colds and flus.
Why do we get allergies, and how do we get rid of them?
There is debate as to what causes allergies, and why some people develop very strong, even life threatening allergies, and some seem completely untouched by most everything. Early introduction to highly allergic foods such as strawberries and nuts have been linked. As well there have been studies that show a home environment that is so clean that it does not allow the child’s immune system to fully developed, have been linked. It is clear though that genetic factors can influence allergies and that the general state of your immune system plays a large role. You cant change your genes, but you can help your immune system out. Eating properly, exercising regularly, sleeping well, all the stuff that you already know will help to ease the severity of your symptoms, but you will still have them. Antihistamines are an option as well as allergy shots, but these both have side effects to varying degrees, and often the need to increase the dose of medication doesn’t offer a long term solution. It is also working against your bodies natural defense (anti) and so confuses the body sometimes making it create more histamines, thus you need more and more. Homeopathy is a natural way to get your body to react more proportionately to allergens. Instead of blocking the bodies natural (but over) reaction to the pollens, grass, dust, etc. it supports your immune system and calms it down so that it is better able to differentiate what is a real threat, and what is just a speck of ragweed. This is a long term solution to fixing the underlying problem, but also just as effective as taking allergy pills, without the drugs. If you are tired of chasing after your runny nose, have a spouse that snores to wake the dead or you constantly look like you have been chopping onions, consider all of your options, and find out more about how homeopathy can help you live a healthier, tissue free spring and summer.
