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Arizona allergies can make many people miserable.
Spring is here and pollen is in the air. For some of us this means allergies, sometimes referred to as hay fever. This is an interesting term since it has nothing to do with hay or fever. It refers to environmental allergies.
What people commonly associate with allergies is a lot of sneezing and itchy eyes. These symptoms are the result of histamines that are released from the mucous membranes (the soft, moist tissues in our bodies). This histamine release is signaled by the immune system. There is a part of the immune system that creates antibodies that target specific invading agents. Usually these “invading agents” are bacteria. Each line of antibodies is designed specifically for a particular invading agent.
Allergies are the result of our immune system mistakenly identifying pollen as a potentially harmful invading agent requiring an antibody. Once it creates a line of antibodies specific for a particular pollen, it will continue producing those antibodies for the rest of our lives. They will always be on guard looking for their pollen counterpart.
So, for the rest of our lives, whenever we come in contact with that particular pollen, the immune system will send out the matching antibody that will attach to the pollen. This coupled antibody-pollen complex will then land on mucous membranes and trigger the release of the symptom producing histamines.
An irony here is that one of the results of the histamine release is inflamed mucous membrane tissue. The more inflamed the tissue is, the more likely that other pollens will “invade” our bodies through these inflamed tissues and trigger more allergies.
Since it is almost impossible to persuade the immune system to cease in their unnecessary protection against otherwise harmless pollen, treatment becomes a matter of management of symptoms rather than cure. Thus we have the abundance of over-the-counter anti-histamines on the market these days.
Management of hay fever type allergies consists of avoiding exposure to the pollen and blocking the release of the histamines. Avoiding pollen is tricky. You can move away during allergy season. You can lock yourself in a bubble by keeping the windows rolled up. And, you can wash off the pollen from your hands and face each time you enter a building.
Blocking the histamine response is a bit easier, though over-the-counter anti-histamines often carry some side effects. There are herbal formulas that may accomplish the same effect without the side effects. Consider quercetin or hisperidin plus bromelain on an empty stomach as a management tool.
Injectable vaccines are available to help control the initial immune related antibody release. Recently, a strategy of low-dose vaccines has been developed. This is an ongoing trend in the medical world where extremely low doses of a substance is given that will trigger an internal response in the body rather than relying on the substance itself as the agent of treatment.
Along this line of strategy are homeopathic remedies that may help. Homeopathy is a branch of medicine that works much like vaccines. The remedies are very dilute substances that one usually places under the tongue. These remedies act like anti-antibodies. They “re-educate” the immune system to not attack the pollen that enters the body. Without the antibody-pollen complex there will be no histamine related symptoms; no runny nose, no itchy eyes, no sneezing.
As you can see, hay fever is a case of an over zealous immune system protecting you against substances that you don’t want to be protected against nor need to be protected against. Vaccines are sometimes effective at “re-educating” the immune system, though often allergies are another instance where life long management of the symptoms is the most effective approach.
Dr. Michael Miles is a licensed Naturopathic Doctor. After receiving his bachelor’s degree in psychology and pre-med, he completed his studies in medicine at the highly regarded Bastyr University in Seattle, Washington. Dr. Miles offers a holistic, integrative general practice, which focuses on treating chronic and degenerative diseases, digestive disorders and hormonal imbalances, as well as allergies and infections of all kinds. He holds a special interest in chelation therapy used in the treatment of cardiovascular disease. He is also very active in cancer research. He prefers non-toxic treatment techniques that include botanical medicine, clinical nutrition and homeopathy, but will offer pharmaceutical remedies when appropriate. You will find Dr. Miles to be compassionate, sincere and a strong advocate for your health. He is opening a new office in Catalina in June of 2014 which will feature hyperbaric oxygen therapy in addition to his normal services. www.catalinaclinic.com
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