Allergy predisposition is much like driving on bald tires. If your mucous membranes are thinned out and can’t protect you from various airborne particulates, you become a sitting duck as these particulates may easily penetrate these membranes and pass into your bloodstream, triggering an immune response.
With the prospect of this extremely wet 2017 winter-spring season finally looking as though it will improve to reveal some sunshine, we will go from mold sensitivities to the pollen allergies. There’s been one good thing going for the pollen sufferers with this extreme wet, it’s helped prevent many earlier pollens from flying and starting allergies sooner.
So, with all those who dread spring and the pollen invasion, how can we protect ourselves from the scratchy eyes, runny nose, and downright miserable conditions. Preparation ahead of time for the allergy season can go a long way toward avoiding the disabling symptoms that accompany allergies.
The only way your body will react to an allergen is if it makes it’s way into the body to trigger an immune reaction. With food allergies, these allergens have to make their way past the mucous membranes of the gut. Skin allergies occur when these allergens penetrate the skin. Sinus and respiratory allergies occur when allergens are absorbed through the mucous membranes of the sinuses or the lungs.
With this in mind, anything which weakens membranes and creates an entry to the bloodstream through these membranes, opens the door to allergy response. The allergic response is your body trying to defend itself against foreign proteins.
Maintaining healthy mucous membranes requires specific nutrition. Vitamin A is critical to all membranes, both mucous membranes as well as normal growth and health of the skin. Lacking this critical nutrient is a foundation of many skin disorders as well as sinus and ear infections. Yellow vegetables as well as green leafy vegetables are great sources. All cell walls require good fats to maintain their integrity. Consuming trans fats or hydrogenated fats compromise these tissues. Equally, a low fat or fat free diet can increase allergies.
Elevated cortisol causes a thinning of mucous membranes, allowing more allergens to enter the system. This can be the result of over-taxing the adrenal glands with the big killer, Stress! The weaker the adrenal glands get, the more allergies you can expect. Healthy adrenal glands maintain a strong sympathetic nervous system. Parasympathetic dominance feeds into allergies. The allopathic model involves suppressing the parasympathetic nervous system without supporting the sympathetic nervous system.
Rebuilding the sympathetic nervous system can be accomplished by improving phosphorous levels, strengthening the adrenal glands, and reducing stress. The last of these is sometimes the toughest of all. Unfortunately stress comes with the territory much of the time. How we handle stress is important, since in many instances, stress tends to handle us.
Restoring membrane health is the job of herbs like Goldenseal and Euphrasia. These are found in herbal combinations like Sinus Forte from the Australian company MediHerb. Other herbs including echinacea assist in regulating immune function. Nettle leaf, found in many allergy formulations, also assists with membrane strength, and is used as an antiallergic herb. Other herbs known to impact allergies are: Albizia, Baical Skullcap, Elder flower, Garlic, Golden rod, Horseradish, and Ribwort. As you might notice, both garlic and horseradish, being foods, can be consumed more often to aid in controlling or preventing allergy.
It’s far better to prepare ahead of time, and strengthen the system rather battling allergies when they are at full tilt. Don’t drive on bald tires and wait for a blow-out. It’s time to deal with restoring your tread so those pollens can’t puncture your membranes.
With the prospect of this extremely wet 2017 winter-spring season finally looking as though it will improve to reveal some sunshine, we will go from mold sensitivities to the pollen allergies. There’s been one good thing going for the pollen sufferers with this extreme wet, it’s helped prevent many earlier pollens from flying and starting allergies sooner.
So, with all those who dread spring and the pollen invasion, how can we protect ourselves from the scratchy eyes, runny nose, and downright miserable conditions. Preparation ahead of time for the allergy season can go a long way toward avoiding the disabling symptoms that accompany allergies.
The only way your body will react to an allergen is if it makes it’s way into the body to trigger an immune reaction. With food allergies, these allergens have to make their way past the mucous membranes of the gut. Skin allergies occur when these allergens penetrate the skin. Sinus and respiratory allergies occur when allergens are absorbed through the mucous membranes of the sinuses or the lungs.
With this in mind, anything which weakens membranes and creates an entry to the bloodstream through these membranes, opens the door to allergy response. The allergic response is your body trying to defend itself against foreign proteins.
Maintaining healthy mucous membranes requires specific nutrition. Vitamin A is critical to all membranes, both mucous membranes as well as normal growth and health of the skin. Lacking this critical nutrient is a foundation of many skin disorders as well as sinus and ear infections. Yellow vegetables as well as green leafy vegetables are great sources. All cell walls require good fats to maintain their integrity. Consuming trans fats or hydrogenated fats compromise these tissues. Equally, a low fat or fat free diet can increase allergies.
Elevated cortisol causes a thinning of mucous membranes, allowing more allergens to enter the system. This can be the result of over-taxing the adrenal glands with the big killer, Stress! The weaker the adrenal glands get, the more allergies you can expect. Healthy adrenal glands maintain a strong sympathetic nervous system. Parasympathetic dominance feeds into allergies. The allopathic model involves suppressing the parasympathetic nervous system without supporting the sympathetic nervous system.
Rebuilding the sympathetic nervous system can be accomplished by improving phosphorous levels, strengthening the adrenal glands, and reducing stress. The last of these is sometimes the toughest of all. Unfortunately stress comes with the territory much of the time. How we handle stress is important, since in many instances, stress tends to handle us.
Restoring membrane health is the job of herbs like Goldenseal and Euphrasia. These are found in herbal combinations like Sinus Forte from the Australian company MediHerb. Other herbs including echinacea assist in regulating immune function. Nettle leaf, found in many allergy formulations, also assists with membrane strength, and is used as an antiallergic herb. Other herbs known to impact allergies are: Albizia, Baical Skullcap, Elder flower, Garlic, Golden rod, Horseradish, and Ribwort. As you might notice, both garlic and horseradish, being foods, can be consumed more often to aid in controlling or preventing allergy.
It’s far better to prepare ahead of time, and strengthen the system rather battling allergies when they are at full tilt. Don’t drive on bald tires and wait for a blow-out. It’s time to deal with restoring your tread so those pollens can’t puncture your membranes.
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