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Nutrition & Healing - Hay Fever
By Dr. Jonathan V. Wright
If you have hay fever or allergic sinusitis, and would rather not, it's necessary to find and deal with what you're allergic and sensitive to. It's also helpful to re-arrange your diet, and take advantage of nutritional supplements, as well as herbal and other remedies.
At the top of the allergy list are inhalant allergies, which must be identified, eliminated or avoided as much as possible, and desensitized when elimination and avoidance aren't possible. Your inhalant allergy pattern is unique to you, so testing and desensitization treatment must be done 'individually, almost always at a clinic.
However, "general inhalant allergy treatment" should be done too. Thorough cleaning and dusting (especially in the bedroom); air filtration, dust covers, relocation or elimination of dust-collecting furniture and draperies and so on can be very helpful, especially for allergic sinusitis, and should be done right along with individualized desensitization.
Surprisingly, finding and dealing with food allergy can make quite a difference in some cases of hay fever or allergic sinusitis. Its a matter of "reducing the total allergic burden" on your body. More than a few folks have said their hay fever or sinusitis got a lot less when they quit milk and dairy products, for example.
While "scratch" testing may be helpful in finding inhalant allergies, it's inaccurate for foods. You might find it helpful to read the brief on Allergy Testing for more information.
Diet changes not necessarily related to allergy can be very helpful, too. Start by "cleaning up your diet," eliminating all refined sugar, white flour, and food chemicals. These are all burdens your body chemistry and immune system don't need, and deprive your system of much more important nutrients!
Vitamin treatment always starts with vitamin C, preferably the sodium ascorbate or calcium-magnesium ascorbate forms. For adults I work with I end at least one to two grams three times daily, and sometimes more, depending, of course, on the severity of the problem If excess gas or "loose bowels" or diarrhea occur, just cut back on the amount of vitamin C.
Pantothenic acid, sometimes called vitamin B5, one gram twice daily, is frequently helpful, as well as Vitamin A (not beta-carotene), 25,000 units daily for adults, less for children.
These individual items are always recommended along with a comprehensive vitamin-mineral supplement.
Other natural remedies can be very helpful, too. According to Iowa Senator Torn Harkin, bee pollen completely relieved his hay fever. He reports he ate a lot of it over a short period of time and his hay fever went away! A very few people are allergic to bee pollen, so always try just a little bit first.
Capsules of freeze-dried Urtica Dioica [Urr-tic-ah- Dye-oh-ik-ah] (stinging nettles), an herbal remedy, are available in most natural food stores. Research shows they're helpful a bit better than half the time.
Many of the folks I work with have been helped with the use of negative ion generators, which emit safe negative electricity into the air. Negative ions are soothing to the membranes of the sinuses and respiratory tract, and frequently relieve hay fever or sinus symptoms. A negative ion generator by the bedside is usually helpful, and some people have more than one around the house and at work.
"Mainstream" medical treatment of hay fever and sinus problems includes both prescription and nonprescription antihistamines, and nasal sprays which usually contain powerful synthetic cortisone-like molecules. Sometimes, allergy treatment is included as well.
Because of differences in age, sex, metabolism, or potential allergy, these diet and supplement therapies may not be suitable for you. Consult a health care professional skilled in nutritional and natural therapies. To locate one near you, you might call the American College of Advancement in Medicine at 800-532-3688 or the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians at 206-323-7610.
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