Allergies
An ‘allergy’ can be described as sensitiveness of the
body to a substance which does not normally affect other persons. There are
innumerable substances in the environment which can cause mild to violent
reactions in many people. These reactions range from true allergies due to intolerance
of certain foods and substances, to those resulting from pollution. Allergic
reactions may occur within a few minutes of the patient coming in contact with
the allergen, or they may be delayed for several hours or even several days.
Almost any part of the body can be affected by allergies. The portion of the
body which is affected is called a shock organ. Common sites are the nose and
eyes, the skin, chest, intestines and ears. Allergic reactions are caused by a
wide range of substances and conditions. These include pollen, dust, cosmetics
and animal hair; poisonous plants, serums, vaccines and drugs; physical agents such
as heat, cold and sunlight; as well as a variety of foods. Among the numerous
allergens in the food department, the more common ones are oranges, milk, eggs,
wheat, fish, chocolates, cabbage, potatoes, tomatoes and strawberries.
Symptoms
The symptoms of allergy are as varied as the
substances causing the reaction. These include recurring headache, migraine,
dizziness, irritability, nervousness, depression, neuralgia, sneezing,
conjunctivitis, diabetes, eczema, heart-burn, hay fever, indigestion,
constipation, diarrhea, gastric ulcer, asthma, overweight, high blood pressure,
chest pain, heart attacks, a stuffy or runny nose, shortness of breath,
swelling of the face and eyes, etc. The same food can cause different symptoms
in different people. Many allergies are multiple and may be caused by multiple
allergens.
Causes
Allergy is an indication of lowered resistance and
internal disharmony caused by dietetic errors and faulty style of living. It is
believed that the major cause of allergy is feeding babies such foods as
cereals, meat, corns, whole milk, etc. before they reach the age of 10 to 12
months. These foods cause allergic reactions as babies lack the proper enzymes
needed for their digestion before that age. Babies should be breast-fed for at
least eight months as this is nature’s way of providing all the required
nutrients during this period. Another important cause of allergy is today’s
processed foods loaded with numerous chemical additives, many of which cause
powerful reactions. An allergic condition can result from diet imbalances.
There can be a breakdown in the body’s ability to handle sugar due to excessive
intake of refined sugar and consequent blood sugar irregularities, or mineral
and vitamin imbalances due to defective dietary patterns. Emotional and
psychological stress can also lead to allergies. According to Dr. Hans Salye,
the world’s premier researcher on stress, allergic symptoms are often nothing
more than body’s reaction to stress. A person can through chronic stress,
become sensitive to common foods or commonplace substances like petrol fumes.
Treatment
There are various ways to tackle many of the allergic
disturbances. First, the sources must be identified. This is a difficult but
not impossible task. Second, once the sources are discovered, they should be
avoided. Third, and most important, general health and resistance should be
built up to establish immunity to them. There are two methods to detect
disturbing foods. The first method is the trial -and- error elimination diet.
This automatically eliminates many hazards and foods. Keep to organic, untreated,
unprocessed foods as far as possible and you will eliminate another set of
hazards such as pesticides, various sprays and other poisons. After having
eliminated as many disturbing factors as possible, a self-search should be
carried out to ascertain any suspicious symptoms from foods. It is advisable to
try an eliminary diet, excluding suspected foods for two weeks until the cause
is detected. Occasionally, by changing the brand or the type, you can find a
food substitute that does not upset you.
Another way to detect the cause of allergy is by Dr.
Coca’s "pulse test." The method is as follows: Check your pulse
before a meal. Then limiting that meal to one food only, wit for half an hour after
eating and take your pulse again. A slight increase is considered normal, even
up to 16 extra beats. If your pulse does not rise above 84, you may be
allergy-free. But if your pulse rises beyond that point, and remains high an
hour after the meal, you have found your food allergy. The best way, however,
to prevent or overcome allergies is to strengthen the overall physical resistance
so as not to fall an easy prey to every allergen that comes along. To start
with, the patient should fast on fresh fruit juices for four or five days.
Repeated short juice fasts are likely to result in better tolerance to previous
allergies. After the fruit juice fast, the patient can take a mono diet of
vegetables or fruits such as carrots, grapes or apples, for one week. After
that one more food is added to the mono diet. A week later the third food is
added and so on.
After four weeks, the protein foods can be
introduced, one at a time. In case an allergic reaction to a newly introduced
food is noticed, it should be discontinued and a new food tried. In this way
all real allergens can be eventually eliminated from the diet. The body
requires a large alkaline reserve for its daily activity. The many emergencies
of acid formation through the day from wrong foods, fatigue, mental stress and
lack of sleep can be met by the competency of the alkaline reserves. Boosting
the normal body reserve of alkalines by liberal use of alkaline- forming foods
is essential for those suffering from allergies.
The foods which should be excluded from the diet are
tea, coffee, chocolate, cola drinks, alcohol, sugar, sweets and foods
containing sugar, refined cereals, meats, fish, chicken, tobacco, milk, cheese,
butter, smoked, salted, pickled foods and foods containing any chemical additives,
preservatives and flavouring. These foods cause either toxic accumulations or over-stimulation
of adrenal glands or strain on pancreatic enzymes production or disturb the blood
sugar balance. For preventive purposes, the entire C complex vitamins - known
as the bioflavonoids, are recommended. They gradually strengthen cell
permeability to help immunise the body from various allergies, especially hay
fever. Often the addition B5 , or pantothenic acid brings
great relief to allergy sufferers. Multiple allergies may result from poor
adrenal gland functioning. In such cases liberal amounts of pantothenic acids
help cure them, although the recovery will take several weeks. An adequate
intake of vitamin E is also beneficial as this vitamin possesses effective
anti-allergic properties, as some studies have shown. An exciting remedy for
allergy has been discovered by an Indian physician, Dr. Hement Pathak. He found
that the use of five drops of castor oil in a little juice or water taken on an
empty stomach in the morning, is highly beneficial for allergies in the
intestinal tract, skin and nasal passages. Dr. Pathak, who is an expert in
Chinese medicine, has reported numerous cases of allergic protection by this
method. For allergic conditions in which an element of stress is present, it is
essential to employ such methods as relaxation, exercise, meditation and mind control.
These methods will reduce or remove stress and thereby contribute towards the treatment of allergies. Yogic asanas like yogamudra
ardhmatsyendrasana, sarvangasana, shavasana and anuloma-viloma , pranayama are
also beneficial.
Source: www.healthlibrary.com through
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