Thursday, January 16, 2014

What Causes an Allergy? What to Do

If you are suffering with watery eyes, runny nose, and sneezing then you may not care what causes an allergy. You just want relief at that point, right. But if you are in between allergy attacks then understanding what causes an allergy can help you be ready to avoid future attacks. Basically causes of allergy are related to the immune system and its response to pollen, grass, ragweed, pet dander, dust mites and mold entering your system by touching, inhaling or swallowing it.

More specifically, here's the process of what causes an allergy.
  • You are allergic to one or more allergens and ingest it usually into your nasal passages or lungs.
     
  • Your immune system labels the allergen as a foreign invader, like it would for a virus or bacteria, and begins making antibodies to attack it.
     
  • The antibodies locate the allergen in your body and inform blood cells to release histamine into the bloodstream.
     
  • The releasing of histamine creates inflammation causing tissues around blood vessels to tighten and fluid to escape.
     
  • The escaping fluid becomes the symptoms you experience such as a runny nose, itchy watery eyes, and sneezing.

What To Do For Causes of Allergy
Here's a little bit more about what causes an allergy and what you can do to combat causes of allergy. When you have an allergic reaction, your body releases an antibody called immunoglobulin E (IgE). Research indicates that the levels of the good bacteria that live in your gut, called probiotics, can affect how much IgE your body produces, and how severe your allergy symptoms. Studies show that having a healthy population of acidophilus in your small intestine can reduce the amount of IgE that your body produces in response to ingesting allergens. Taking an enzyme supplement between meals can support your body's immune response because your body uses the extra enzymes to surround, break down and remove pollen grains from your system, reducing the amount of overreaction from your body's immune system by creating an excess of histamine.

I have found two other supplements that help with supporting the immune system and modulating the body's inflammation response. The first  uses a combination of phycocyanin (the unique blue pigment from bluegreen algae), Ecklonia cava (Seanol®, a marine algae), standardized turmeric, bromelain, and bluegreen algae. Bromelain is an enzyme that naturally occurs in pineapple and has been found to reduce inflammation. Ecklonia cava is a rich source of bioactive derivatives, mainly phlorotannins, including triphlorethol-A which are strong antioxidants. Curcumin, found in turmeric, has been the basis of much research and found to have benefit as an anti-inflammatory. The second supplement  I find helpful is one that combines six of the most extensively researched mushrooms that show positive immune system support: reishi, cordyceps, maitake, shiitake, Turkey Tail, and Agaricus blazei, with astragalus, beta glucan and bluegreen algae. Besides the immune boosting support of these medicinal mushrooms, this supplement provides WGP beta glucan which is able to activate macrophages (type of white blood cell in body's defense system). Activating these macrophages can result in a stronger immune system.

More To Do For Causes of Allergy
Chances are you know what you are allergic to. If not, testing is available from allergy specialists that can help determine what allergens you will react to. Once you have this knowledge, you can try avoiding these allergens whenever possible. Find a good source that reports allergen levels in your area such as a pollen report and plan outings for days when the pollen count is low. If you have to go outside when counts are high, you might wear a filtering mask to help. Extra vacuuming of carpets and furniture can help reduce your exposure to allergens. And don't take them to bed with you! When your particular allergens are high, take a shower and wash your hair as part of your bedtime routine. Some people find HEPA air filters helpful too.

Knowledge is power. Empowering yourself with the information on what causes an allergy and natural solutions that can help with causes of allergy can help you avoid the miserable symptoms that accompany allergies and the side effects of the over the counter allergy medicines.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the feed to have future articles delivered to your feed reader. Also, check out the free health resources or order blue-green algae products  on our website.
 
Image courtesy of David Castillo Dominici / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Sources:
http://www.webmd.com/allergies/ss/slideshow-allergy-attack?ecd=wnl_day_092213&ctr=wnl-day-092213_ld-stry&mb=Xenvmz6dAtHtkRjp7Is6CeHnVev1imbCfXusP2Lh3sM%3d


No comments:

Post a Comment