I can’t remember when I didn’t suffer from some sort of allergy. As an infant I had many food allergies, and though I outgrew these at a young age, in my teens I became severely allergic to shellfish. As an adult, I developed a new set of allergic reactions to some pollens as well as to mold and mildew.
When I moved to Illinois two years ago I thought surely my allergies would improve. I had been living in Atlanta, where the temperate climate and the city’s vast number of trees cause year-round pollen production. While I wasn’t severely affected by the pollen, I suffered terribly from the large quantities of mold and mildew brought on by the wet, mild southern winters. I was sure the cold northern winters would reduce this problem.
To my surprise, just a month after moving, my allergies not only worsened but became chronic. I found myself taking prescription allergy medicine daily, and by late fall I was suffering from allergy-related sinusitis, sinus infections, and migraines caused by sinus pressure. These conditions persisted throughout my first Illinois winter and well into spring. I took numerous antibiotics during this period as well as daily allergy medications. Some airborne allergens common to this region must be the cause of my allergic reaction and subsequent sinus problems, my doctor explained.
After numerous physician visits and even more numerous pharmacy trips, I began looking for other ways to cure my allergy problem.
Alternative health care options run the gamut from holistic doctors, chiropractors, and acupuncturists to naturopaths, homeopaths, and massage therapists. Most practitioners in any of these fields, I reasoned, would be likely to take a holistic approach to health and healing. They would see me as more than the sum of all my parts. Jerry Gore, M.D., a holistic doctor and director of the Center for Holistic Medicine in Riverwoods/Deerfield, Illinois, says he views the human body as having several sheaths — the physical, the energetic, the mental, and the spiritual — and treats patients on all these levels.
What’s more, many alternative therapies, which include homeopathic remedies, herbal or vitamin supplementation, aromatherapy, breathing techniques, and meditation, are available without an alternative health care practitioner. Homeopathic remedies, vitamins, and herbs can be found in a health food store, and a variety of books and classes offer ways to learn breathing techniques and meditation. Once I got started on the right track, I hoped, I would be able to take care of myself.
In the area where I live, alternative health care practitioners are difficult to find. Therefore, my first step toward alternative allergy cures was the local health food store. There, I first purchased a good multivitamin with minerals, herbs, and antioxidants to ensure that my body was getting the proper nutrients. Nutrition plays a vital role in health, as we know, and the presence of allergies indicates that the body is weak, run down, or in some way dysfunctional. This larger problem renders the body unable to cope with allergens in a normal manner.
I also purchased several individual vitamin and herbal supplements: vitamin C, calcium, and magnesium to reduce inflammation and the production of histamine and to aid in healing and immune function; zinc, which also aids in immune system function; feverfew, which, when coupled with the calcium and magnesium, helps prevent migraine headaches; and echinacea and goldenseal, herbs that bolster the immune system and help fight viruses and infections.
I then chose two homeopathic remedies, one for sinus problems and one for allergies. According to Gore, the strongest homeopathic remedies actually work on the energetic, rather than physical sheath of the body and should be taken under supervision. Many homeopathic remedies, especially those offered by health food stores, are not as potent, thus are safe to take without supervision. On the other hand, they may not work as well or have the long-lasting results desired.
Sujatha Pillai, a homeopath with Chicago’s American WholeHealth, explains that homeopathic remedies such as those I chose contain several substances. "The idea is that one or the other of those substances would be the right remedy for you," she says, adding that most people benefit more from finding a specific remedy to suit their particular allergy symptoms. By doing so, you not only can treat the symptoms but actually prevent the allergic reaction from occurring again.
Armed with my health food store purchases, I stopped at the Batavia office of Brian Tutor, my chiropractor. In addition to his degree in chiropractic care, Tutor holds certificates in acupuncture and nutrition. I discussed my allergy problems with him and asked what alternative therapies he might recommend.
He suggested I take a particular homeopathic remedy that introduces into the body airborne allergens specific to this region. During the times of year that I suffered most with allergies and related sinus problems, Tutor recommended I not only increase my chiropractic treatments but begin acupuncture treatments as well. "Basically," he opined, "diseases or allergies are caused by blockages in the body." Both these therapies can help clear blockages.
Blockages, as Tutor refers to them, can consist of anything from muscle tension to scar tissue to immobilized joints to dysfunctioning organs. Blockages also can be caused by negative thoughts or emotions. In every case, blockages cause "decreased blood and energy flow and nerve supply through the blocked areas," says Tutor. Blood flow to all areas of the body is important, because "blood brings nutrients through the body and helps the body disperse toxins and waste products from the body. If you don’t have proper blood flow, the body’s way of healing is going to decrease dramatically," he explains.
"Blockages in the cleansing organs are of particular importance to those suffering from allergies. If the kidneys, liver, and colon receive insufficient blood and energy flow and nerve supply...their function of cleansing the body and detoxifying the body is reduced, and that is when the body starts developing a lot of allergies to things," says Tutor. To aid these organs in their job, Tutor suggests drinking a lot of water — at least eight glasses a day.
Chiropractic treatment involves the physical manipulation of the spine and joints to correct misalignments or subluxations. How does this help fight allergies? According to Tutor, if vertebrae are misaligned or fixated, nerves may become pinched or damaged, thus decreasing not only nerve supply but blood and energy flow as well. Each vertebra corresponds to a specific organ or body area. Thus, making sure the whole spine is properly aligned ensures proper function throughout the whole body. If a joint in an extremity is misaligned, this, too, can decrease blood and energy flow through that area.
The role of acupuncture is more direct. The small needles a practitioner inserts into specific points on the body address energy flow in specific pathways related to the body’s organs. This stimulates particular body parts by increasing energy flow to them." Allergy therapy treats points for cleansing organs, such as the large intestine and colon, the lungs, the liver, and the sinuses, as well as points for the autonomic nervous system, the stomach, and allergies.
Tutor suggested that I "wash" my sinuses with a saline solution daily, a therapy sometimes recommended by traditional allergists and wise grandmothers. Using a bulb syringe or a cylindrical syringe with a medium-sized opening, I learned to force a warmed saline solution into the nasal cavity. Once the water has drained, blowing the nose flushes out the remaining mucus and airborne allergens. If the process seems to be cumbersome, Gore suggests using a "Netti pot" to produce the same basic sinus cleansing. With this technique, saline solution is poured from a special container into one nostril until it runs out the other.
After five acupuncture treatments and about two months of using my new supplements, remedies, and therapies, I found myself feeling better. Spring arrived and my allergy and sinus problems seemed to melt away along with the snow. The accompanying migraines also left and for several months I had few allergy symptoms if any.
I would be remiss, however, if I did not relate that in late fall my sinus problems came back in full force. Tutor was on a surgical leave of absence, thus I was unable to continue or even increase my chiropractic or acupuncture treatments without changing doctors, which I was hesitant to do. I continued taking my supplements and once again began using the homeopathic remedies and flushing my sinuses, but this did not seem to help much. I spent a great deal of the fall and winter on antibiotics, nasal sprays and standard allergy medications.
In early spring I began my chiropractic and acupuncture treatments once again. After three sessions, I found myself able to go for several days without traditional medications. I still suffered some symptoms, however, so I knew there must be more that I could do.
For additional allergy relief, Gore suggested I take a hard look at my diet. Not only might I have some new food allergies, I also might possess a physical constitution lending itself to mucous membrane illnesses. Basing his comments on Ayurveda, the ancient Indian healing practice, Gore says I might be worsening my condition by eating mucus-producing foods, when instead I could improve it by eating mucus-cutting foods. Lists of such foods are available from Ayurvedic and holistic doctors and in books on Ayurveda. Certain spices also aid in decreasing mucus production, and he suggests I use these when cooking.
Gore also suggested some additions to my supplementation program, such as L-tyrosine and B6 to bolster adrenal gland function, milk thistle to improve liver function, and a natural antihistamine product combining N-acetylcysteine, bromelain, nettles, and quercetin.
On an energetic level, Gore recommended using breathing techniques, such as the diaphragmatic or cleansing breath. "You are then working with the energy part of the body in the way a string is attached to a kite," he explains. I also decided to see a homeopath to help me find a specific remedy. Maybe I’d not only reduce my symptoms but eliminate my allergies once and for all.
In case that wasn’t enough, I began to explore whether I might need either a colon cleansing or candida therapy, both of which can remove built-up toxins in the body. In the meantime, I began to examine my mental state. I asked myself, "Is there anything, or anybody, I am trying to reject?"
As a result of this many-pronged approach, my allergies have improved. So far, I have not found the "perfect remedy." for my allergies or their symptoms. But I plan to keep trying substituting foods, using supplements and trying natural remedies; so far, they’ve done nothing but good.