Allergies

Allergies and hidden factors that might be making you sick!

To date, 2017 has been the worst season for allergies on record.  There are crazy amounts of pollen and ragweed in the air and now a days every family has some sort of pet or multiples of them.  So, when your itches eyes, sniffles and coughing attacks flare up it’s easy to blame your surroundings.

But are there other factors at play?  Have you been gaining weight, having trouble sleeping, experience headaches, anxiety or digestive issues? Did you know allergies could be causing all of those issues?

Leo Galland, MD, of integrative medicine, states in his new book, The Allergy Solution: The Surprising, Hidden Truth about Why You Are Sick and How to Get Well, that there is an epidemic of allergies sweeping the nation, with more than a billion people reporting symptoms.

In his book, Dr. Galland talks about allergies and genetics.  It has always been believed that allergies were genetic, but if that is the case why are so many more people suffering now than in past decades?  50 years ago there were few people with allergies.  100 years go there were hardly any.

So, why the huge increase in the last 100 years?  Researchers are starting to link factors such as the food we eat, products in our homes and outdoor pollutions to the massive allergy outbreak.

Being overloaded with allergies can certainly bring about conditions like anxiety, sleeplessness, weight gain and headaches.  Unknowingly, you may be causing your own issues.  The good news is, you can fix it!

Think of it this way…if something is undoubtedly environmental, you can either eliminate it or change it.

For a start – let’s talk about a healthy gut.

What we eat can have major effects on our body.  More and more it is becoming evident that the key to being healthy is in your gut.  Your gut helps your body get the nutrients is needs while reducing the levels of bad bacteria in your system.  A diet of sugars, processed foods and saturated fats is not going to promote a healthy gut.  In fact, it will work the opposite.

If you are not eating a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables and a diet rich in fiber change it!!!  Now!!

Next – let’s clean house.

Changing your diet might not be enough to stave off those headaches and runny noses.  Your home can be a major trigger as well. 

1.       Do a mold check.  Mold is a huge factor in allergies and can make you very, very sick.  Look for leaky pipes, storm damage or leaky roofs that can let water puddle and form mold.  Keep basements and garages dry with a dehumidifier.

2.       Dust mites are another great champion of allergies.  Wash bedding, drapes, throw rugs and stuffed animals in hot water and dry on hot heat.

3.       Change your cleaning products.  If you can’t afford to “go green” there are several great homemade recipes using non-toxic ingredients or heavy perfumes.

If your allergies persist find a specialist who can test you for foods, molds, dust mites and outside  allergens.  Once you know what is causing your symptoms, changing your diet and cleaning up your house will help get your immune system back on track and your allergies under control.

Which plants produce pollen and when? When is allergy season?

Which plants produce pollen and when in Albuquerque and hen is allergy season?

What this table shows

The Pollen Production table shows when different kinds of pollen are produced in Albuquerque.

• Juniper/Cedar pollen is produced from January through April and from September through December.
• Elm pollen is produced from January through April.
• Ash pollen is produced from March through June.
• Cottonwood pollen is produced from March through June.
• Mulberry pollen is produced from April through May.
• Chenopodiaceae pollen is produced from April through August.
• Sage pollen is produced from May through August.
• Grass pollen is produced from May through October.
• Ragweed pollen is produced from August through October.
• Albuquerque's Pollen Season lasts from March 1st through October 1st.

If you live in New Mexico and suffer allergies you probably are fighting runny noses, watery eyes and sneezing year round.  

Stop buying tissues and start taking Seasonal Allergena Tabs.  

How do the Tabs work?

The immune system defends us against disease. When harmful substances are detected, such as pollens, the immune system creates antibodies, which destroy or neutralize allergens (i.e. pollens, dust and/or mold) that cause us to have allergic reactions. However, sometimes even our immune system is not strong enough to defend against these allergens. Allergena is a Homeopathic Sublingual Immunotherapy that reduces the body's negative reaction to allergens. Our homeopathic allergy drops build immunity by exposing your body in micro doses to whatever it is that you are allergic to. This way, the body becomes safely conditioned to tolerate the allergens that previously brought on allergic reactions, and ultimately reduce allergic symptoms. Below are a few definitions to give you a better idea of how Allergena works:

• Sublingual: Underneath the tongue. 
• Immunotherapy: Treatment to stimulate or restore the ability of the immune (defense) 
  system to fight infection and disease. Allergy shots are another form of Immunotherapy.

Allergy Medicines and Dementia

Are your allergy medicines increasing your risk of dementia?

A recent study showed some allergy medicines can increase your risk for dementia.  Anticholinergic drugs are drugs that block the action of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine in the brain.  They are found in several medicines taken for asthma and allergies.  Researchers at Indiana University found that people taking medicines that contained anticholinergic drugs did worse on cognitive tests and had smaller sized brains than those who didn't take the drug.

This is not the first time a link has been established, but it is the first time that anticholinergic drugs and their ability to block the brain chemical called acetylcholine has been suspected.
 

See a list of drugs the researchers studied. (1)

Scientists are hoping the findings will lead to a better understanding of how this type of drug affects the brain and if it can raise the risk of dementia and/or impair thinking. 

The newest study that was published in JAMA Neurology engaged over 450 people who were all over the age of 70.  60 of them were taking at least one of the medicines listed as an anticholinergic drug.

The thinking based tests disclosed that those taking this type of drug did not test as high as those who were not taking the drugs. 

The study also revealed that anticholinergic drugs led to users' brains processing blood sugar differently in both the region of the brain that is tied to memory and Alzheimer’s and the overall brain.

Further tests showed the people who were using the drugs had larger brain cavities or ventricles and smaller brains. 

Even though the tests are not conclusive scientists are working on finding another drug to administer to elderly patience that do not have anticholinergic properties.

And though I am not elderly, I do not want to increase my risk of Alzheimer’s or dementia.  I lost my father to dementia.  It is a mean and terrible way to die.  There is no one who is left untouched when a family member suffers from a debilitating disease like that. 

If you suffer from allergies, there are several natural andhomeopathic remedies on the market.   Our moto, if it wasn’t around 500 years ago or if it is synthetic you don’t need it.  

Spring Allergies and Ligustrums

Is ligustrum triggering your Spring Allergies?

Those beautiful what flowering plants are blooming in nearly every park, yard, and hedge-fence in the South.  Japanese and Chinese ligustrum privets are increasingly spreading every summer.  You can’t escape it.

In fact, they are so prevalent that many believe it is the primary cause of spring allergies.   Allergy suffers would love to see them eradicated.  So, why are they everywhere?

Ligustrum plants can handle a wide range of weather conditions and are among the easiest small trees and shrubs to grow. Because of their undemanding nature and adaptability, they are used largely in home landscapes. People plant them as hedges, foundation plants, patio trees or in shrub borders.

But as far as ligustrum triggering your allergies – there is little to no chance.

The simple fact that you can so easily smell and see the flowers is evidence that ligustrums does not produce allergens.

Most flowering trees and shrubs are pollinated by birds or insects. That is why these plants spawn fragrant and brightly colored flowers.  They need to lure insects to carry pollen from one plant to another. The pollen from these showy plants and flowers is heavy and sticks together.  In fact, it is too heavy to be airborne. It relies on the legs of an insect to carry it.

Most allergies are caused by plants that do not produce showy flowers.  Shrubs like cypress, jasmine vine, juniper and wisteria or trees such as alder, ash (male), aspen (male), beech, birch, box elder (male), cedar (male), cottonwood (male), elm, hickory, red and silver maples (male), mulberry (male), oak, olive, palm (male), pecan, pine, poplar (male), sycamore, walnut, willow (male) are the biggest culprits for producing airborne pollen that wreak havoc on our immune systems.

Wind-pollinated plants are what trigger allergies.  Their pollen grains are small, unusually abundant, and light enough to be carried for miles on a gentle spring breeze. A very unique chemical is released when the pollen comes into contact with something wet or moist, like another plant or your nose. These chemicals are specifically designed to let the plant know that his pollen “mate” has arrived. But when they lose their way and end up in your sinuses or eyes, those same chemicals induce sneezing, running noses and headaches.  

Being that Ligustrum goes overboard on the fragrant of its flowers to draw in the busy bees and insects there is no reason to suspect it is wind-pollinated.  In fact the pollen is very heavy so even if a strong breeze kicks up the pollen would drop like a rock to the ground.

You would need to set up your lawn chair directly under the plant and lift your chin just so for the pollen to drop straight into your nose.  Then maybe, you could blame your allergies on ligustrum.

So if you want to resolve your allergies, you'd best look for less -fragrant plants and try the new Allergena Tabs.  They contain 150 allergens to help boost your immune system and help relieve some allergy symptoms.