AREN'T YOU GRATEFUL THAT COLD AND FLU SEASON HAS FINALLY GIVEN WAY TO ALLERGY SEASON?
Well…it’s that time of year again. Allergy season! This month’s newsletter is dedicated to all the sneezes, watery/itchy eyes, and sore throats that persist through the prolonged (seems to start earlier and end later every year) Atlanta allergy season.
Let’s get the first concept out of the way. What is an allergen? You might want to blame all the flowering trees, fresh cut grass, or the food you’re eating. Well, I’m here to tell you that all those things, plus Grandma’s four kitties are absolutely innocent. INNOCENT I SAY! I hate to tell you but the real problem is you. Actually it’s your immune system. Most of us have certain allergies to certain things, but it’s not the “allergen” that is the real culprit. It’s the fact that your body’s immune system has mistaken these mostly harmless irritants for serious threats and then attacks them. So, it’s not the threat itself, but our body’s misguided attack on those threats - what amounts to an over attack.
The next question is who gets them and when do they start? All of us to some degree get allergies. Obviously some more than others, and that starts with genetics. Kids of one parent with allergies are over 30% more likely to develop allergies themselves. Two parents with allergies - 70% chance. Even with the chances being that high, everything has to come together just right for you to have an actual allergic reaction. Reaction to any allergen begins with exposure (go figure), of which you can go years being exposed without any reaction whatsoever. For some reason, and we are unsure why, at some point the body marks the allergen as an intruder. During this invasion the body creates antibodies and becomes sensitized to the allergen.
Let’s get the first concept out of the way. What is an allergen? You might want to blame all the flowering trees, fresh cut grass, or the food you’re eating. Well, I’m here to tell you that all those things, plus Grandma’s four kitties are absolutely innocent. INNOCENT I SAY! I hate to tell you but the real problem is you. Actually it’s your immune system. Most of us have certain allergies to certain things, but it’s not the “allergen” that is the real culprit. It’s the fact that your body’s immune system has mistaken these mostly harmless irritants for serious threats and then attacks them. So, it’s not the threat itself, but our body’s misguided attack on those threats - what amounts to an over attack.
The next question is who gets them and when do they start? All of us to some degree get allergies. Obviously some more than others, and that starts with genetics. Kids of one parent with allergies are over 30% more likely to develop allergies themselves. Two parents with allergies - 70% chance. Even with the chances being that high, everything has to come together just right for you to have an actual allergic reaction. Reaction to any allergen begins with exposure (go figure), of which you can go years being exposed without any reaction whatsoever. For some reason, and we are unsure why, at some point the body marks the allergen as an intruder. During this invasion the body creates antibodies and becomes sensitized to the allergen.
Now, the next time you are exposed to Great Aunt Sheila’s dusty couch, your body attacks that allergen that you have now become sensitized to by activating mast cells. What is a mast cell and what is it doing in my body? Let me quickly enlighten you! Mast cells produce histamine, which is a chemical involved with inflammation. It's the histamine that causes all the problems. Histamine causes vasodilation (widening of cells) and swelling, as well as airway shrinkage (perish the thought). This leads to all the symptoms- runny nose, itchy eyes, breathing troubles - that wreak havoc on you during the Spring season.
The last question is, what do we do about it? Now that you have all these mast cells dancing around like it's an 80's retro party......who ya gonna call? (couldn't resist). There are several things you can do to help not only treat the symptoms, but to help with the root cause of allergies.
Below is what we call the Meric Chart. It is a map of what nerves feed what organs in your body. Everything is fed by nerves in your body. If that area of the body is being stressed then it can't perform its job like it should. Think of it like a light bulb that should be shining at 100 watts but is only shining at 75 - you're losing 25 watts of efficiency! As chiropractors we can work on C2 and T9 (in this case) which feeds the eyes, sinuses and adrenals (all things involved with allergies) and often help reduce the severity of symptoms by “tightening” that light bulb and making sure your body is working at 100% efficiency. Check out the chart below to see what “symptoms” can be caused when the brain/body connection is working poorly. I know this is the more “metaphysical” side to chiropractic, so if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask. There is also an outstanding supplement by Vitamin Power called Allergy Aid (100% natural) which I have found to be of great help during the spring sneeze season. As well, there is always Allegra, Flonase (I take both on bad days), etc to also help. As usual.....I am happy to help in any way I can. Good luck and may the yellow haze pass quickly this year!
The last question is, what do we do about it? Now that you have all these mast cells dancing around like it's an 80's retro party......who ya gonna call? (couldn't resist). There are several things you can do to help not only treat the symptoms, but to help with the root cause of allergies.
- Avoidance - avoid what you are allergic to (imagine that)! If it's pollen like many of us during this time of year, stay inside during the morning and evening hours as these are the time periods that pollen counts are at their peak.
- Take a shower- seems pretty straight forward, but take your showers at night. The pollen builds in your cloths and hair during the day. The last thing you want to do is sleep all night in a pile of the very thing you are allergic to.
- Clean your house - again, pollen is carried into the house by you and the constantly shedding long-haired dog you own. Vacuum daily to reduce the buildup and change out the HVAC filters at the beginning of the season to help with the quality of the air in the house.
- Immunotherapy - put simply.......allergy shots. You get tested for what you are allergic to and then the allergist gives you shots of increasing dosage of the allergen so you slowly develop an immunity. Although more painful than others, many agree that this is the most effective method.
- Chiropractic - What??? A promotion for chiropractic in a chiropractic newsletter? Yep...I actually don't do it frequently, but in this case I can often help.
Below is what we call the Meric Chart. It is a map of what nerves feed what organs in your body. Everything is fed by nerves in your body. If that area of the body is being stressed then it can't perform its job like it should. Think of it like a light bulb that should be shining at 100 watts but is only shining at 75 - you're losing 25 watts of efficiency! As chiropractors we can work on C2 and T9 (in this case) which feeds the eyes, sinuses and adrenals (all things involved with allergies) and often help reduce the severity of symptoms by “tightening” that light bulb and making sure your body is working at 100% efficiency. Check out the chart below to see what “symptoms” can be caused when the brain/body connection is working poorly. I know this is the more “metaphysical” side to chiropractic, so if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask. There is also an outstanding supplement by Vitamin Power called Allergy Aid (100% natural) which I have found to be of great help during the spring sneeze season. As well, there is always Allegra, Flonase (I take both on bad days), etc to also help. As usual.....I am happy to help in any way I can. Good luck and may the yellow haze pass quickly this year!
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Thanks for reading,
Dr. Wiskind DC, CCSP
Please visit our site to read any of the other newsletters
http://www.vitalitysportschiropractic.com/blog
Thanks for reading,
Dr. Wiskind DC, CCSP
Please visit our site to read any of the other newsletters
http://www.vitalitysportschiropractic.com/blog
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