Allergies – Seasonal and Year-Round

The best way to control your allergies is to build up your natural defense system now.

Spring in the air, trees in bud and lawns turning green are one of those good news/bad news things. Move over cold and flu season and enter all that miserable sniffling and sneezing triggered by trees and grasses coaxed back to life by the milder weather.

Seasonal allergies — hay fever, allergic asthma and allergic conjunctivitis — are faced by more than 35 million Americans each year. The culprit – pollens, which are tiny, egg-shaped powdery grains released from flowering plants and carried by the wind or insects. When pollen is present in the air, it can land in a person’s eyes, nose, lungs and skin to set up an allergic reaction.

But that is only a part of the allergy equation. 20% of Americans have some kind of allergic reaction to food, water or even air year-round.

There are many theories as to why we suffer from allergies. Some scientists believe if one of your parents has an allergy, there is an increased chance that you will have an allergy.  If both of your parents have allergies, there is an even higher chance that you will develop allergies.  And some believe that exposure to allergens when your body’s defense is weakened, may also contribute to the development of allergies. So whether it is genetics or environmental, let’s take a closer look at allergies….

An allergy is an overreaction of your immune system to something that is foreign to your body, but may not be dangerous to other healthy individuals.  People can be allergic to pollen, mold, antibiotics, food such as peanuts or shellfish, or any number of other things in the environment.  When exposed to an allergen, your immune system generates an inflammatory response, giving you symptoms like a runny nose, itch, or rash.  Scratching and sneezing might be uncomfortable, however in other situations, an allergic reaction can be life threatening.  Individuals with severe allergies can develop an “anaphylactic” reaction after exposure to an allergen, which can cause trouble breathing and a sudden drop in blood pressure, and often requires immediate medical attention.

Disturbingly, the incidence of allergies has been on the rise, with a dramatic increase in the United States in the past thirty years to the point where one out of every five Americans has an allergy, including an increase in the number of food allergies among children. Some experts believe that the way we process certain foods may contribute to allergic reactions in young children.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires food manufacturers to list the eight most common ingredients that trigger food allergies. Most other countries have similar rules. The eight foods included in food allergy labeling account for an estimated 90 percent of allergic reactions. These eight foods are:

Milk

Eggs

Peanuts

Tree nuts (such as almonds, cashews, walnuts)

Fish (such as bass, cod, flounder)

Shellfish (such as crab, lobster, shrimp)

Soy

Wheat

Why such a sharp increase in the number of allergy sufferers?

The Hygiene Hypothesis – While our immune systems have evolved to help us fight off pathogens,interestingly, living in cleaner home environments where we are exposed to fewer disease-causing organisms can actually cause the immune system to overreact to harmless things in our environment, like that peanut butter you just snacked on, or your friend’s cat.

So inside our environment might be healthy, but outside – air pollution has been associated with an increase in allergic diseases.  In urban communities, where we live closer to diesel exhaust and traffic, exposure means you’re more likely to develop allergies, while those who are already allergic are more likely to have a response.

At The Healthy Choice Compounding Pharmacy, we have what you need to help keep your body’s allergic response at bay without drowsiness or other side effects. The key to supplementing is to start early – specifically, before the transition into warmer weather for seasonal allergy sufferers. Now is not too soon. We recommend this effective natural supplement on special this month:

Natural D-Hist™

120 Capsules

This gentle vitamin and herb enriched anti-histamine helps you overcome allergies by building up your natural defense system. The vitamin C and stinging nettle dry up nasal passages, and the array of other natural ingredients steadies histamine production.

Recommendations:As a dietary supplement, Loading Dose: 2 capsules three times per day for 7-10 days. Acute: 2-3 capsules as needed. Maintenance: 1 or more capsules per day or as recommended by your health care professional.

 

Brand: Ortho Molecular Products

Unit

120 Capsules

Supplement Facts

Supplement Facts

Serving Size 1 Capsule

Ingredients Amount Per Serving Units % Daily Value Vitamin C (as Ascorbic Acid USP)            150  mg       250% Quercetin Dihydrate            200  mg         * Stinging Nettles Leaf            200  mg         * Bromelain (2,400 GDU/g)(from Pineapple)             50  mg         * N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine USP             25  mg         *   *Daily Value Not Established

Other Ingredients

Natural Vegetable Capsules. May contain one or more of the following: Calcium Sillicate, Magnesium Stearate, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Silicone Dioxide and Stearic Acid.

Allergy Information

No Artificial Colors, No Artificial Flavors, Veggie Product, Corn Free, Gluten Free, Yeast Free

Precautions

Mild stomach upset or allergic reaction may occur with any herbal product. Move dose closer to meals or cease product use if symptoms persist. Persons allergic to bromelain/pineapple should not use Natural D-Hist. If you are pregnant or nursing, do not use Natural D-Hist. Persons using blood thinning medications should use caution while taking Natural D-Hist.