Global Courant
Allergies are the sixth leading cause of chronic disease in America (1), costing American businesses more than $250 million annually due to increased absenteeism and reduced productivity. (2) With the incidence of allergies skyrocketing, eliminating the causes and discovering new treatments is key to bringing the epidemic under control.
What is an Allergy?
When the immune system “mistakes” common substances like pollen or nuts as a “foreigner,” it can overreact and mount an often violent response to expel the “threatening invader,” called an allergen. An allergic reaction occurs when a specific antibody, IgE, links the allergen to a specialized white blood cell called a mast cell, releasing histamine into the circulation. The results are the commonly recognized symptoms of an allergy: itchy, watery eyes, sneezing and a runny nose. Allergic reactions can also manifest as an asthma attack, severe abdominal cramps, or an immediate, severe skin reaction recognized as hives. The most serious type of allergic reaction, anaphylaxis, can lead to loss of consciousness and even death.
Why are allergies on the rise…unsuspected causes
Researchers have identified many substances that can induce the production of IgE antibodies. One little-recognized cause was the preservatives found in vaccines. Mercury, aluminum and gelatin have been reported in the medical literature to increase IgE levels, which play a potential role in the development of allergies. (3) There is evidence that the MMR can induce IgE antibodies, evidence that viral immunizations can cause atopic reactions (allergies) in children. (4) Children are exposed to these substances from the routine vaccinations at two months of age. Because a newborn’s immune system is not yet fully developed, childhood is a high-risk period for allergic sensitization. Events that occur early in life, such as vaccination, can trigger the development of allergies and asthma later in life.
Asthma incidence appears to disproportionately affect socially disadvantaged residents of low-income inner-city neighborhoods. A well-documented cause for this is exposure to a protein found in cockroach ejections. One in five children in the US is allergic to cockroach allergens, as revealed by a positive skin prick test.(5) This is believed to be the leading risk factor for the development of asthma in children living in inner-city homes.
Antibiotic exposure has been linked to the development of allergies. A recently published study in the Journal of clinical and experimental allergy(6) documents that children who receive antibiotics during the first year of life are more than four times more likely to develop asthma than children who have never taken antibiotics. When statistics are adjusted for factors such as gender, ethnicity, family size, family history of asthma and parents’ smoking habits, the risk of developing asthma is six times larger in those who have received antibiotics than the risk experienced by children who have never taken them.
Common health problems: Think allergies
Allergies are often the underlying cause of many seemingly unrelated health problems. Many people don’t realize that symptoms such as body aches, fatigue, indigestion, headaches, ear infections, irritability, hyperactivity, and learning disabilities can be symptoms of overlooked food and environmental allergies. Studies have revealed the following facts:
o The results of a study of 104 children with >chronic ear infections showed that 78% had positive food allergy tests and an elimination diet led to a significant improvement in symptoms in 86%. The most common allergenic foods were cow’s milk (38%), wheat (33%), egg white (25%), peanuts (20%) and soy (17%)(7).
o An Italian study of 204 babies found that about 45% had it upset stomach caused by cow’s milk.(8)
o Children with inflammatory bowel disease experienced long-term remission of symptoms when placed on diets that eliminated grains, dairy products and yeast.(9)
o Professor John Egger reported in the Journal of Pediatrics that epileptics who also have food intolerance symptoms such as headaches, stomachaches or ADHD may experience seizures triggered by food additives.(10)
In addition, many parents don’t realize that the hyperactivity, distractibility, and aggressive behavior associated with ADD and ADHD can be caused by food intolerances. These concepts have been around for many years and have been fully discussed in books by two researchers/doctors, Dr. Ben Feingold, author of Why your child is hyperactive and dr. Doris Rapp, author of Is this your child. Dr. Rapp documented in her book that 67% of children diagnosed with ADHD actually responded to unrecognized food and environmental allergies.
What can be done?
An unusual but effective way to identify and treat allergies is through the use of kinesiologycommonly referred to as muscle testing. In this method, the patient holds a vial containing a suspected allergen in his hand while the doctor applies light pressure to the other arm to measure muscle strength. If the muscle tests weak, a sensitivity to the substance has been identified.
There are several techniques that use kinesiology to relieve allergies. Perhaps the most famous is a method called NAET, named after its founder, Nambudripad’s Allergy Elimination Techique. Two other similar techniques are BioSET (the method of Dr. Ellen Cutler) and Tenpenny’s Sensitivity Reduction Technique, or T-SRT (developed by Dr. Sherri Tenpenny.) All of these techniques involve the use of kinesiology, homeopathy and acupressure/acupuncture, and are categorized as forms of energy medicine.
Allergy elimination using energy medicine techniques works to “reshape” the immune system again so that it no longer responds to harmless substances as if they were a threat. What makes this form of allergy elimination so remarkable is that successful treatment means you no longer need to avoid the allergen. In a study published in 2001 in Assessment of alternative medicine(11), 87.2% of the 90 study participants who eliminated their allergies using an energetic approach rated the technique’s efficacy as “good to excellent”.
Alternative treatments for allergies are gradually gaining acceptance. Until these methods are embraced by conventional medicine, most will not be covered by standard health insurance. However, if getting better and eliminating allergies is the goal, many will choose to “do whatever it takes” and find a way to fit these costs into the family budget. By following a proper diet and incorporating herbs, vitamins and energy medicine techniques into a well-rounded health program, 2007 health recovery can be achieved.
A drug-free, alternative treatment for allergies
World News,Next Big Thing in Public Knowledg
#drugfree #alternative #treatment #allergies
