Allergy Help

From the April 2008 Newsletter of the Health Nut, a natural foods store in Susanville, California:
This is just a quick note to let you know what's new here at the Health Nut. We're getting ready for allergy season this month. Rather than take allergy drugs with some pretty scary side effects, here are some healthy alternatives that really work: [Stinging] Nettle (capsules and tea), Quercetin (a bioflavonoid with antihistamine-like qualities) Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B-5) really works for a lot of people, [including Keith Volberg who most of you know here as the resident health expert], histaminum (homeopathic, works well if you start taking it now). There are several other homeopathic remedies that help with allergic symptoms when they are full-blown. Local honey and bee pollen work very well, too. We've had some good feedback on our local Schall's Honey. Customers have told us that their allergies have virtually cleared up using a spoonful or two of our local honey each day. 04-02-08

www.HEALTHNUTLASSEN.COM

I have had excellent results (for myself and others) with Stinging Nettle herb over the years, it dries up the sinuses without any of the side-effects typical of antihistamines such as drowsiness. Plus it is a nourishing herb filled with minerals. I also know many folks who have had great success with Quercetin (found in onions, apples, tea, red grapes, citrus, broccoli, cherries and cranberries to name a few). It can be even more effective when blended with bromelain, an enzyme in pineapple. Though I am not familiar with using pantothenic acid for allergies here is one article from the Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients on the topic, Pantothenic acid and allergy relief.

Using herbs and supplements is just one avenue for treating seasonal allergies. Since allergies are a sign of the immune system being overwhelmed by the environment, take care to reduce stress or practice stress management skills such as meditation, guided imagery, yoga, and choosing a well-balanced whole foods diet. Drink plenty of fresh pure water, get plenty of rest, and include moderate exercise in your lifestyle as well.

A daily self-care program such as Donna Eden's Energy Medicine will also support the systems of the body and likely reduce allergies. Be Well! Janis

04-16-08

Holistic approaches that may be helpful

A warm salt-water solution poured through the nose may offer some relief from both allergic and infectious sinusitis. A ceramic pot, known as a “neti lota” pot, makes this procedure easy. Alternatively, a small watering pot with a tapered spout may be used. Fill the pot with warm water and add enough salt so the solution tastes like tears. Stand over a sink, tilt your head far to one side so your ear is parallel to the floor, and pour the solution into the upper nostril, allowing it to drain through the lower nostril. Repeat on the other side. This procedure may be performed two or three times a day. courtesy vitaminshoppe.com

'Tongue Drops' Cut Bee Sting Allergy

This form of immuno-therapy reminds me in many ways of homeopathy, where micro-doses of a substance that causes a symptom are given in order to relieve that symptom (an ultra-simplified description). Be Well, Janis

Placing Venom Under the Tongue May Offer Alternative to Allergy Shots
By Charlene Laino
WebMD Medical News


March 18, 2008 (Philadelphia) -- Taking allergy drops instead of enduring painful shots may someday become an option for people who are allergic to honeybee stings.

In a preliminary study, Italian researchers found that putting honeybee venom under the tongue was safe and significantly reduced reactions in people allergic to bee stings.

Immunotherapy using the ubiquitous allergy shot is the standard treatment for allergies to everything from insect stings to dust mites. Tiny amounts of the allergens are injected into the patient until tolerance develops.

The new study involved a different form of immunotherapy, called sublingual immunotherapy. It involves putting extracts of allergens under the tongue. Like the shots, sublingual immunotherapy reduces allergic sensitivity in many patients over time.

Although a popular treatment for asthma, rubber latex, and other allergies in many European countries, sublingual therapy has not been approved for use in the U.S.

And it's never been used to treat sting allergies, even in Europe, says researcher Giovanni Passalacqua, MD, of the Allergy and Respiratory Diseases Clinic at the University of Genoa.
Honeybee Venom Drops vs. Placebo

The new study, presented here at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunotherapy (AAAAI), is the first attempt to determine if sublingual immunotherapy is effective against honeybee sting allergies, Passalacqua says.

The study involved 30 people with a history of local allergic reactions to honeybee stings. A local reaction is a large raised patch of pricked skin right in the area of the sting. These raised bumps are often called wheals.

The participants were randomly assigned to receive either sublingual immunotherapy in the form of honeybee venom drops placed under the tongue, or placebo drops.

Patients in the immunotherapy group got escalating doses of honeybee venom for six weeks, followed by a maintenance dose, given three times a week for six months.

"You hold the drop under the tongue for about one or two minutes, then swallow," Passalacqua says.
The Bee Sting Challenge

Then came the bee sting challenge. "We put insects in a jar and then put the jar on the patient's forearm" and looked to see what happened, he says.

It worked. The median diameter of the sting wheals in patients given sublingual immunotherapy dropped from about 8 to 3 inches. Looked at another way, wheal diameter was reduced by more than 50% in more than half of them.

"This was a very apparent and very significant reduction in the size of the reaction to the sting," Passalacqua says.

In contrast, there was no change in wheal diameter in the placebo group, and one person broke out in hives.

The findings show that sublingual immunotherapy against honeybee stings works, Passalacqua says.

© 2008 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved.

Got the Flu? Try Oscillococcinum

Oscillococcinum is a homeopathic remedy marketed by the French company Boiron. While Wikipedia denounces it as mainly a placebo benefit, due to lack of scientific basis, I have used this myself and have known many others who have found it to bring significant relief to the flu, and to shorten the duration by days if taken early enough.

As far as the placebo effect is concerned, that is the mind-body connection at it's simplest. ALL DRUGS have a placebo effect, don't be fooled into thinking otherwise. What we believe in our minds has a direct effect to the immune system. Our cells are eavesdropping every thought and feeling!

This product is inexpensive, simple and safe to take, and I have personally been prescribed this over the counter product by my family physician in the past. It's in my cabinet, waiting for the next flu victim, like my neighbor last week. Though seriously ill with flu, he claims to have experienced 5 hours of relative comfort after taking a dose of oscillococcinum. That is one testimony of many I have heard over the years. This is not a substitute for medical care, of course! But if you are home feeling miserable, waiting out the virus, drink plenty of fluids, get your rest, and give this a try. It can be found at most drug stores and pharmacies, as well as natural food stores.

From the Boiron website: As soon as you start feeling run-down or have other flu-like symptoms, take Oscillococcinum. Oscillo^® is regulated as a drug by the FDA and is supported by published clinical studies as well as more than 65 years of use throughout the world.

• Clinical studies show that Oscillo reduces the severity and duration of flu symptoms
• Great taste and convenient to take
• No side effects or interactions with other medications
• Good for everyone 2 years of age and older

http://www.oscillo.com/