Allergy Elimination Therapy - Spring is in the Air
By Caroline Hamilton

When is sneezing not a symptom of a cold? Very often, when it represents an allergic reaction to something in the air. It is estimated that 35 million Americans suffer from upper respiratory allergic reactions to airborne pollen. Pollen allergy, commonly called hay fever, is one of the most common chronic diseases in the United States. Worldwide, airborne dust causes the most problems for people with allergies. The respiratory symptoms of asthma, which affects approximately 15 million Americans, are often provoked by airborne allergens (substances that cause an allergic reaction). 

Allergic diseases are among the major causes of illness and disability in the United States, affecting as many as 40 to 50 million Americans. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, a component of the National Institutes of Health, conducts and supports research on allergic diseases. The goals of this research are to provide a better understanding of the cause of allergy, to improve the methods for diagnosing and treating allergic reactions, and eventually to prevent allergies. 

What is an allergy? 

An allergy is a specific immunologic reaction to a normally harmless substance, one that does not bother most people. Allergic people often are sensitive to more than one substance. Types of allergens that cause allergic reactions include food, dust particles, medicines, insect venom, mold spores, or pollen. 

The word allergy comes from a Greek word meaning altered energy. When we experience an unusual reaction to substances in our environment such as foods, fabrics, chemicals, metals, medications, plant or animal substances, we call these reactions allergies or sensitivities. When a reaction is particularly strong, it is recognized as an allergy. 

When the body's immune system overreacts in this way, uncomfortable symptoms can result. Allergies or sensitivities can show up as any of these symptoms: 

Food cravings, Eczema, Mood swings, Fatigue, Diarrhea, Gas, Insomnia, Bloating, Ear infections, Itching, Mental confusion, Muscle spasms, Dizziness, Respiratory infections, Obsessive behavior, Weight gain or loss, Hives, Headaches, Addictions, Cough, Cramps, Fainting spells, Eating disorders, Bed wetting, Irritability, Sore throat, Yeast infections, Unexplained pain, Urinary tract disorders... 

As you can see, many common health conditions can merely be symptoms of underlying allergies or sensitivities. Once discovered and treated, many symptoms may disappear. Why are some people allergic to these substances while others are not? 

Scientists think that people inherit a tendency to be allergic, although not to any specific allergen. Children are much more likely to develop allergies if their parents have allergies. Even if only one parent is allergic, a child has a one in four chance of developing allergies. Exposure to allergens at certain times when the body's defenses are lowered or weakened, such as after a viral infection, during puberty, or during pregnancy, seems to contribute to the development of allergies. 

Some people with allergy develop asthma. The symptoms of asthma include coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath due to a narrowing of the bronchial passages (airways) in the lungs and to excess mucus production. Asthma can be disabling and sometimes can be fatal. If wheezing and shortness of breath accompany allergy symptoms, it is a signal that the bronchial tubes also have become involved, indicating the need for medical attention. 

Symptoms of Allergies to Airborne Substances  

The signs and symptoms are familiar to many: 

• Sneezing often accompanied by a runny or clogged nose
• Coughing and postnasal drip
• Itching eyes, nose, and throat
• Allergic shiners (dark circles under the eyes caused by increased blood flow near the sinuses)
• The "allergic salute" (in a child, persistent upward rubbing of the nose that causes a crease mark on the nose)
• Watering eyes
• Conjunctivitis (an inflammation of the membrane that lines the eyelids, causing red-rimmed, swollen eyes and crusting of the eyelids).

In people who are not allergic, the mucus in the nasal passages simply moves foreign particles to the throat, where they are swallowed or coughed out. But something different happens to a person who is sensitive to airborne allergens. 

As soon as the allergen lands on the mucous membranes lining the inside of the nose, a chain reaction occurs that leads the mast cells in these tissues to release histamine. This powerful chemical enlarges the many small blood vessels in the nose. Fluids escape through these expanded vessel walls, which cause the nasal passages to swell, resulting in nasal congestion. 

Histamine can also cause sneezing, itching, irritation, and excess mucus production, which can result in allergic rhinitis (runny nose). Other chemicals made and released by mast cells, including prostaglandins and leukotrienes, also contribute to allergic symptoms. 

Pollen Allergy 

Each spring, summer, and fall tiny particles are released from trees, weeds, and grasses. These particles, known as pollen, hitch rides on currents of air. Although their mission is to fertilize parts of other plants, many never reach their targets. Instead, they enter human noses and throats, triggering a type of seasonal allergic rhinitis called pollen allergy, which many people know as hay fever or rose fever (depending on the season in which the symptoms occur). Of all the things that can cause an allergy, pollen is one of the most widespread. Many of the foods, drugs, or animals that cause allergies can be avoided to a great extent; even insects and household dust are escapable. Short of staying indoors when the pollen count is high -- and even that may not help -- there is no easy way to evade windborne pollen. 

People with pollen allergies often develop sensitivities to other troublemakers that are present all year, such as dust. For these allergy sufferers, the "sneezin' season" has no limit. Year-round airborne allergens cause perennial allergic rhinitis, as distinguished form seasonal allergic rhinitis. 

Mold Allergy 

Along with pollens from trees, grasses, and weeds, molds are an important cause of seasonal allergic rhinitis. People allergic to molds may have symptoms from spring to late fall. The mold season often peaks from July to late summer. Unlike pollens, molds may persist after the first killing frost. Some can grow at subfreezing temperatures, but most become dormant. Snow cover lowers the outdoor mold count drastically but does not kill molds. After the spring thaw, molds thrive on the vegetation that has been killed by the winter cold. 

In the warmest areas of the United States, however, molds thrive all year and can cause year-round (perennial) allergic problems. In addition, molds growing indoors can cause perennial allergic rhinitis even in the coldest climates. 

Where do molds grow? 

Molds can be found wherever there is moisture, oxygen, and a source of the few other chemicals they need. In the fall they grow on rotting logs and fallen leaves, especially in moist, shady areas. In gardens, they can be found in compost piles and on certain grasses and weeds. Some molds attach to grains such as wheat, oaks, barley, and corn, making farms, grain bins, and silos likely places to find mold. 

Hot spots of mold growth in the home include damp basements and closets, bathrooms (especially shower stalls), places where fresh food is stored, refrigerator drip trays, house plants, air conditioners, humidifiers, garbage pails, mattresses, upholstered furniture, and old foam rubber pillows. 

Bakeries, breweries, barns, dairies, and greenhouses are favorite places for molds to grow. Loggers, mill workers, carpenters, furniture repairers, and upholsterers often work in moldy environments. 

Dust Allergy 

An allergy to dust found in houses is perhaps the most common cause of perennial allergic rhinitis. House dust allergy usually produces symptoms similar to pollen allergy. 

What is house dust? 

Rather than a single substance, house dust is a varied mixture of potentially allergenic materials. It may contain fibers from different types of fabrics; cotton lint, feathers, and other stuffing materials; bacteria; mold and fungus spores (especially in damp areas); food particles; bits of plants and insects; and other allergens peculiar to an individual home. 

Dust also may contain microscopic mites. These mites, which also live in bedding, upholstered furniture, and carpets, thrive in summer and die in winter. However, in a warm, humid house, they continue to thrive even in the coldest months. The particles seen floating in a shaft of sunlight are dead dust mites and their waste products. These waste-products, which are proteins, actually provoke the allergic reaction. House dust mite allergy is the major year-round allergy in the world, though ragweed allergy is more prevalent in the United States. 

Waste-products of cockroaches are also an important cause of allergy symptoms from household allergens, particularly in some urban areas of the United States. 

Animal Allergies 

Household pets are the main culprits in causing allergic reactions to animals. It was once thought that pet allergy was provoked by dander or fur from cats and dogs. Now, however, the allergen is known to be proteins in the saliva that is present on the dander or fur. Cats win the prize for causing the most allergic reactions. One reason may be that cats preen themselves more than other furry pets. This preening coats the hair with saliva containing allergens, which become airborne when the saliva dries. Also, it may be because cats are held more and often spend more time in the house, close to humans, than do dogs. 

Some rodents, such as guinea pigs and gerbils, have become increasingly popular as household pets. They, too, can cause allergic reactions in some people. Urine is the major source of allergens from these animals. 

Allergies to animals can take 2 years or more to develop and may not subside until 6 months or more after ending contact with the animal. Carpet and furniture are a reservoir for pet allergens, and the allergens can remain in them for 4 to 6 weeks. In addition, these allergens can stay in household air for months after the animal has been removed. Therefore, it is wise for people with an animal allergy to check with the landlord or previous owner to find out if furry pets had lived previously on the premises. 

What is Allergy Elimination Therapy? 

Using a pain-free combination of Eastern and Western medicine, Allergy Elimination Therapy is designed to eliminate allergies and sensitivities. Many people have been quickly freed of allergic reactions caused by exposure to animals, foods and numerous environmental elements. 

How does Allergy Elimination Therapy work? 

Allergy Elimination Therapy utilizes the wisdom of Eastern medicine’s understanding of acupuncture and acupressure points, and Western medicine’s development of kinesiology, which uses gentle muscle testing to monitor information about a person's nervous and immune systems. It is a painless technique that uses no needles or drugs. 

It starts by first determining which substances your body is sensitive to. The next step is desensitizing your body to that substance. Allergy Elimination Therapy uses acupressure techniques to restore the normal energy flows in the body so that in the future, that substance can be experienced or consumed without an allergic reaction. 

After the treatment, the patient avoids that substance for 25 hours and then is retested to verify that the allergy has been eliminated. Some people will need more than one treatment to eliminate a severe allergy. When an allergy has been successfully eliminated, more foods or substances can be tested and treated as needed. 

Why is it important to eliminate allergies? 

Allergies and sensitivities cause the body to malfunction. Protective reactions are launched when there is no benefit to one’s health. Instead of being protective, this mechanism actually results in harm by depleting the body’s resources and placing further stresses on all the body’s systems. And that’s not all. 

Allergies and sensitivities can stand in the way of healing and can prevent the full absorption of essential nutrients. For many people, the elimination of allergies and sensitivities is an essential component in becoming healthy.
 

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About the author:

Caroline Hamilton received her Bachelor of Science degree from Florida state university. She is in her 6^th year of doing allergy elimination. Caroline was trained under Dr. David Minkoff at Lifework Wellness Centre in Clearwater Florida where she was the head allergy specialist for three years. She moved to Brantford in March of 2001 where she opened her own practice. Caroline has performed over 20,000 allergy elimination treatments. 

The Brantford Allergy and Wellness Centre

Address: 113 King George Road
Brantford Ontario, N3R 5K5
ph# 519-758-2121, fax# 519-758-2121
email: info@brantfordallergy.ca
website address: www.brantfordallergy.ca