Why spring allergies occur and how to help them naturally.

Spring allergies affect thousands of residents of Ottawa each year. Airborne pollen is the most common cause of seasonal allergies, also known as hay fever or allergic rhinitis.

An estimated 80 percent of your immune system is located in your gut, so supporting your digestive health is essential to also supporting your immune system, which is your primary defense system against ALL disease, including allergies and asthma.

Processed food, GE ingredients and synthetic additives all decimate the beneficial bacteria in your gut, thereby having a negative effect on your immune system. Ideally, you'll want to avoid processed foods, focusing on organic, locally grown foods instead, and include fermented foods in your diet to optimize your gut flora.

For short-term relief of allergy symptoms, acupuncture has been found to be effective. Irrigating your sinuses with a neti pot is also recommended.

A number of foods and herbs can help alleviate allergy symptoms, including hot pepper, quercetin, butterbur, goldenseal and eucalyptus oil.

For more long-term relief, consider an allergy therapy that uses acupressure to reorganize your body’s immune system so that it stops over reacting to allergens.

Sue Taylor

Ottawa Allergist

Can local honey alleviate seasonal allergies?

Many allergy sufferers believe that locally produced honey can alleviate symptoms. The idea is that bees become covered in pollen spores when they from one flower to the next -- spores which are then transferred to their honey.

It is thought that eating that honey, even just a spoonful a day, can build immunity through gradually exposure.

A study, published in 2011, assessed the effects of the pre-seasonal use of birch pollen honey or regular honey on symptoms and medication during birch pollen season.

A total of 44 patients with diagnosed birch pollen allergy consumed either the birch pollen honey or regular honey daily from November to March. The control group consisted of 17 patients who were just using their usual allergy medication to control symptoms.

The study found that, during birch pollen season, compared to the control group, the patients using birch pollen honey experienced:

• 60 percent reduction in symptoms
• Twice as many asymptomatic days
• 70 percent fewer days with severe symptoms
• 50 percent decrease in usage of antihistamines

Sue Taylor

Allergist

Allergy Testing and Allergy Therapy

The Allergy Co and Ottawa Holistic Wellness

Source: Mercola.com

Do you have Seasonal Allergies?

No?

Perhaps you should think again...

Even if you do not have the classic symptoms of seasonal allergies such as sneezing, runny nose, congestion and itchy eyes you may still be suffering with reactions to the spring pollens and moulds.

We all know that allergies and sensitivities can cause symptoms such as those above, but did you know they can also cause less obvious health issues? Mould in particular can be linked to fatigue, muscle aches and pains, joint issues, brain fog, itchy skin and eyes, digestive issues and mood changes.

I remember one client of mine who had serious digestive issues. When she came to me she complained that every spring she would suffer with really bad bouts of nausea, intestinal cramps and palpitations. She couldn't understand why when she was always very careful about what she ate. We determined that she was reacting to the moulds.

Another client commented that just at the time when everyone else was celebrating the disappearance of the snow and the warm spring sunshine she felt really tired, achy and depressed. Turned out that she was also reacting to the moulds.

Clearly it is not possible to avoid mould in our environment, it is in the air, the soil and to some extent in our homes (the kitchen and bathroom will always have a little no matter how clean we are).

So what is the answer? You can go for allergy shots, a painful process which usually has to be repeated every year, or you can take prescription meds from the doctor, or over the counter allergy meds. These will help to suppress the symptoms but will not deal with the cause.

There is a system of allergy treatment that can effectively turn off your allergies and sensitivities. It is fast, painless, non-invasive and suitable for people of all ages from newborns to seniors. It is called NAET,  and is based on acupressure (no needles). It can even be used to alleviate severe anaphylactic allergies to peanut, milk, egg, latex, shellfish etc. Once treated the allergy is gone, usually for good. So, no more meds!

Sue Taylor

Allergist

Allergy Testing and Allergy Therapy

The Allergy Co

Why a holistic approach? Katy's story.

Are you fed up with being treated as a group of separate pieces rather than a whole person?

When I talk to my clients one of their main complaints is that modern medicine often approaches their health concerns as consisting of separate parts. When seeing their family doctor they are only allowed to discuss one issue at each visit, and will be referred to several different specialists, each to take care of one piece of their health.

The Holistic approach is different! A holistic practitioner will consider all of the pieces as part of the same whole being - YOU.

I would like to share Katy's story with you.

Katy came to me for relief from her chronic sinus issues. She also suffered from skin rashes, digestive issues and a 'weak back' which often felt sore. She had a nasal spray for her sinuses, a cream for the rash, pills for her digestion and a combination of anti-inflammatory pills and painkillers for her back.

I carried out an overall assessment of her symptoms, considering the factors which were triggering them. This included allergies / sensitivities, intolerances (items her body was not designed to deal with), nutritional deficiencies, emotional and structural issues.

Her sinuses were being affected by  food allergies and environmental allergies such as dust, mould, pollen and her cat: her digestion was being affected by food allergies and an intolerance to gluten: her back was triggered by a deficiency in iron and the gluten intolerance, both of which were affecting the function of her back, buttock and thigh muscles which in turn destabilised her lower spine. Her skin was partly allergies and partly triggered by stored emotions in her body relating to several traumatic events in her life.

Katy made some changes to her diet, started taking an iron supplement and drinking more water. We then treated her to desensitise her to the foods and environmental allergens. Within a few days this brought about relief from her sinuses and digestive issues, and over the next few weeks her back became progressively stronger and less sore. She is no longer taking any of her medications.

The last piece of the picture was the emotional component. There are a number of ways in which to tackle stored emotions in the body. Katy has begun treatment with a Classical Homeopath, this is an ongoing process, but has already brought about an even greater improvement to her digestion and skin.

This story really highlights the importance of considering all your symptoms as part of one whole, and addressing all of the underlying issues in order to achieve optimum health. I feel very lucky to be part of a diverse team of health professionals who will work with you to restore all the aspects of your health.

Sue Taylor

Allergist

Allergy Testing and Allergy Therapy

The Allergy Co