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Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Natural Allergy Remedies - There is Hope!

Dealing with Allergies

When I was young, I suffered from all kinds of allergies.  They were mostly seasonal allergies while a few were reactions to certain foods.  My mother would tap me on the head and assure me that my allergies would disappear as soon as the weather got better or when my stomach had recovered from the ingested food.  She didn't give me any medication for my allergies because her own mother – my grandmother – told her that there was no need to treat allergies.  "Leave them be.  They'll just go away on their own," she used to say.

Grandma was right.  They do go away eventually.  I went through life tolerating my allergies and in a way, I'm grateful that I wasn't fed any syrup or decongestant or given tablets and capsules to get rid of them.

Ever since I can remember, I was always wary about taking medication – over-the-counter or prescription allergy medication.  I'd rather live with my allergy than take drugs to cover up the symptoms.  I'm sure grandma would be proud of me if she were still living today.

The Cleveland Clinic classifies allergies into major types:  environmental, drug, and food, including pediatric allergies.  It defines an allergy as the immune system's incorrect reaction to a foreign substance.  The immune system reacts to a foreign body as though it was harmful.  

Allergens are substances that trigger allergies.  Your allergy may be different to the allergy of your co-worker down the corridor. If you have food allergies and you're not sure if the foods you buy contain allergens, you'll be happy to know that the US Food and Drug Administration now require food manufacturers to include the eight (8) top allergens in their labels if they are included in manufacturing the product.  (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/food-allergies/AA00057).

These eight allergens have to be listed on the label:
• Milk
• Eggs 
• Peanuts 
• Tree nuts (such as almonds, cashews, walnuts) 
• Fish (such as bass, cod, flounder) 
• Shellfish (such as crab, lobster, shrimp) 
• Soy 
• Wheat

Be careful though:  if the label says "non-dairy", it doesn't mean that the product is completely dairy-free.  A milk derivative (like casein) could be present.

If you're looking for natural remedies to relieve allergies, I would give the following products a try:

  • Aller-sine Allergy Remedy by Vaxa – a product that is made in the USA and helps relieve runny nose, watery eyes and minimizes reactions to pollen, mold and animal dander. Contains no medication.
  • Vaxa Sinus Formula – helps individuals deal with their chronic sinus infections
  • Ceramic Neti Sinus Pot – the all-natural product for your nasal cleansing/irrigation needs.
You don't have to take allergy medication to get relief. I would try the Neti Sinus Pot first to try and eliminate with a natural salt solution the allergens that may be in your nasal passages. If you need additional help, you can try the Sinus Formula or Aller-Sine allergy remedy.

Good luck.

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