Well it is that time of the year again, allergy season. Do you know that allergies are an attack on our immune system! In other words an abnormal response in the body to what the body should do. In most cases allergies begin after the immune system has been compromised. Allergies are usually a signal that something else is happening within the body. The symptoms of allergies are the body’s way of saying pay attention.

Let’s look at the symptoms of spring time allergies. Some people experience watery eyes, sneezing, runny nose, rashes or hives. The difference between a rash and a hive is that hives are raised red blotches and this is what most people experience. As well many people just don’t feel like themselves, they are fatigued during allergy season.

Now let’s understand what happens in the body during an allergic attack because that is what it is, an attack on the body that the body’s immune system can’t handle. Let’s just think about this for a moment, if the body’s immune system can’t handle this attack then the immune system must be depleted.

So the allergen goes into the body either by breathing it in, by touch and even by mouth, let’s say it is airborne pollen and you breathed it in. The body will automatically begin to recognize something foreign and start to produce antibodies, specifically called IgE. These antibodies bind to pollen or allergen in the body. This reaction then causes another reaction of mast cells which then produce another reaction called histamine. If the immune system was healthy the pollen or allergens would not bother the immune system.

For the sake of this article, let’s say the immune system has been compromised and the symptoms appear, what do you do now? There are some homeopathic medicines that are helpful for what is called hay fever, and in an acute case, used for a short period of time any of the following could be used, Natrum Muriaticum, Lycopodium, Arsenicum and Gelsemium. As well Bach Flower remedies could be used. If you are all stuffed up I would suggest a netty pot or steaming. A steaming is easy to do, you take a bowl of steaming water with mineral salts in the water, place a towel over your head like a tent over the bowl of steaming water and breathe. Caution, be careful of the steaming it can burn don’t get to close to the steam.

In my opinion what a person should really do is work on their immune system. Since a large part of the immune system is in the intestinal area that would be a good place to start. Taking a probiotic or I prefer organic keifer would be helpful, it puts good flora in the intestines. As well I would begin taking bee pollen granules. Again you have to use caution in starting with bee pollen, just a few granules at a time and build yourself up to 1/8th of a teaspoon. After a while you can take the bee pollen a couple of times a day. If you have a bee allergy put one little granule in your hand and make a closed fist. Open in a few minutes. If there is no swelling or redness you can start with the bee pollen granules. If you have any swelling or redness I would caution using without a practitioner’s supervision.

If you get started now maybe next year you won’t have allergies. It takes time to rebuild your immune system.

Diane Elms D.H.M.H.S., CCI, CCII, Homeopath, Specializing in Drugless Cancer Care, 2006 Iridologist of the Year. If you have any health related questions contact diane@choicesforhealthandharmony.com, 905 768 0848.