Understanding Allergies

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

There is a common practice today among many physicians to stamp anything which they cannot successfully diagnose as an “allergy”. I am not saying that allergies do not exist, there certainly is a strange group of body reactions to which has been given the title allergy.

To explain it simply, allergies are the body's reactions to certain factors. Usually, these factors (animal fur, pollen, some foods, etc.) are harmless to people but, in other cases, a body sees them as harmful substances
To protect itself, the body will produce histamine, a kind of byproduct of the antibodies the body creates to help itself. This is what causes the symptoms of allergies: the sneezing, coughing, fever, hives, etc.

There are two main groups allergies can be divided into: (1) skin allergies, those which are located on the surface of the body; and (2) respiratory allergies, those which inhabit the chest, throat and nasal areas.

In the respiratory allergies group you would find such common conditions as hay fever, asthma, sinusitis, etc. These conditions are centered in the respiratory system, but some (particularly hay fever and sinus conditions) tend to spill over into other areas, as for instance the eyes, which may tear, redden and puff under a severe attack. These particular types of allergies have been linked to Vitamin C deficiency. Supplementing your diet with Vitamin C as well as the B complex will prove useful in the treating of this kind of allergies.

On the other hand, skin allergies, which can appear as hives and skin rashes, as an example, are in a great degree related to an over acid condition of the body. These acids are produced right within the body and consumed day in day out in the daily diet. For this type of allergy a well balanced diet consisting of foods in its most natural form will help control a hyper-acid condition in the body. Also, it will be necessary to start by cleansing the system completely. Daily natural baths with particular emphasis upon the area affected are also recommended.

It is also a good idea for skin allergy patients to soften the water they use for bathing with a cup of starch (one that does not require boiling to dissolve completely in water). Bicarbonate of soda should never be used to soften water for people with sensitive skin, since it is an alkali and will have a drying and destructive effect in time. Dry skin should not be bathed too frequently or for long periods of time. Baths should be quick affairs and olive oil may help to relieve the loss of natural skin oils.

source : Here

0 comments: