Allergy Relief without Drugs

Allergy Relief without Drugs
By
Murray Grossan, M.D.

Allergy symptoms are on the rise with increasing allergic rhinitis, allergic conjunctivitis and bronchial sysmptoms. Allergic rhinitis has led to painful sinuses and allergy type headaches. The stress factors lead to fatigue and lowered overall resistance to disease.

We know this is a bad season- more rain, and a longer growing season for weeds and grasses. For example they expect the ragweed season in New York City to be one month longer! Ouch!

One key to allergy relief is to get less pollen into your nose: drive with windows closed and air conditioner on. Try to work in air conditioned filtered places. Don’t bring pollen into your house on your clothing.

Allergy is “cumulative.” When pollen count is low, dust and perfume may not bother you. But, as the pollen count rises, the pollen plus dust equals symptoms. Dust adds to your hay fever. Make your bedroom as dust free as possible. Whether you are actually allergic to dust, or simply that dust adds to your symptoms like a sandpaper effect, dust proofing the bedroom is important for allergy relief.

Getting chilled gives you allergy symptoms. Carry a jacket when you go out. Fatigue and poor sleep increases allergy symptoms.

Hot spicy foods add to your allergy load. You may not be allergic to regular mustard, but the added histamine released by spicy seasoning can add to the “arithmetic” to give you symptoms.

Check your thyroid level. Are your periods irregular? Is you’re your hair becoming brittle and your skin dry? Are you more tired these days? Is there a sudden weight gain? Correcting your thyroid level may be a significant factor in reducing allergy symptoms.

Nasal cilia beat to move pollen, dust and bacteria out of the nose. IN the beginning of nasal allergy they beat especially fast and with vigor. But, soon the cilia may become exhausted; then bacteria just lay there and can multiply and cause a sinus infection. At those times is is important to keep them moving vigerously. Actions that help are drinking hot tea, lemon and honey and singing “ooooommmm:” Use pulsatile irrigation to move the cilia and restore their fast movement. The wave action of the pulsating saline stream rocks the lazy cilia back and forth and restores their movment.

As the nasal tissues swell, stale lymph fluid may build up in the nose. This prevents good blood circulation to the area. Pulsatile saline nasal irrigation moves out the stale lymphatic swelling and bring in fresh healthy blood. That massage reduces nasal swelling.