Naturopathic Solutions For Allergies

Allergies.

Seasonal allergies.

Food allergies.

Food sensitivities.

Navigating the differences in these areas can be tricky.

Certainly, they are all important in their own right.

But are there really many significant differences between them?

Absolutely.

Different types of allergies and sensitivities have many notable differences, including treatment differences.

Fortunately, naturopathic remedies can be effective against many types of allergies and sensitivities.

I’m Dr. JJ, a naturopathic doctor located in Toronto, Ontario with plenty of experience using natural remedies to help people with all types of allergies.

For instance, did you know that naturopathic acupuncture treatments can help relieve many allergy symptoms?

This is just one of the naturopathic solutions we’ll explore in today’s article.

So, buckle in, and keep reading or watch the following video to hear more about the differences between various allergies and what you can do about them.

What Are Allergies?

First things first: what exactly are allergies?

Allergies are a hypersensitivity reaction to an allergen.

This means your body is overreacting to a given allergen.

People with allergies experience an immune system reaction to some type of substance, or allergen.

As a result, allergies cause an allergic reaction with related inflammation.

This is different than a toxic response in a few important ways.

First, it doesn’t happen during your first exposure to an allergen.

Allergens are also typically considered harmless to the majority of the population.

It also takes a much smaller amount of an allergen to trigger an allergic reaction than a toxin would trigger a toxic response.

Common allergens include:

• Pet dander
• Dust
• Pollen
• Perfumes
• Peanuts
• Mold
• Certain medications, such as penicillin and sulfa
• Insect stings
• Latex

According to a 2017 report by Statistics Canada, approximately 27% of Canadians have some type of allergy.

Certain allergic reactions trigger the release of histamine, which is part of an immune response.

Your body releases it in response to any inflammation triggers you have, but it plays other roles in your body as well.

Are Food Allergies The Same As Food Sensitivities?

So, what’s the difference between food allergies and food sensitivities?

Food allergies and sensitivities both cause inflammation.

However, there are important differences between the two.

Full blown food allergies, such as that to dairy can cause symptoms such as diarrhea.

Food sensitivities, on the other hand, mostly only cause discomfort.

Why Are Wheat And Dairy The Most Common Allergens?

North American dairy products often use hormones and antibiotics in their production process.

Subsequently, people with allergies to these substances commonly experience an allergic reaction when consuming dairy products.

Similarly, wheat is very often genetically modified.

This process also commonly causes issues for people with certain allergies.

Therefore, we are seeing a rise of wheat and dairy allergies among North Americans.

In other parts of the world, wheat and dairy products don’t contain as many additives.

That’s why people with these allergies can often consume wheat and dairy products with little difficulty while travelling.

How Can You Tell The Difference Between A Cold And Allergy Symptoms?

Symptoms of an allergic reaction and of a cold are often very similar, however there are a couple key ways to tell the difference.

During an allergic reaction, your mucus will be clear.

However, if you have a cold mucus will have a yellow colour to it.

Allergies also do not bring with them a fever, whereas a viral infection often will.

Usually, a cold will only last a few days, however allergy symptoms can last for weeks.

Of course, you can always book an appointment with me to discuss the best preventive measures for catching a cold.

RELATED: Staying Healthy During Cold And Flu Season

Dr. JJ’s Solutions For Allergy Management

Dr. JJ has a number of suggestions to help you best manage your allergies.

Let’s take a look at some of them.

1. Quercetin

Quercetin is a natural product derived from the pigment of found in many plants, such as onions, apples, and berries.

It is used to help to stabilize mast cells, which release histamines.

Histamines are the substances that cause the inflammatory response of itchy swollen eyes, and runny nose, which are commonly associated with allergies.

It can also be used when travelling to areas with poor air quality.

2. Detoxification

Detoxification is another option.

Eating a cleansing diet can significantly help reduce allergy symptoms.

This includes eliminating common allergens from your diet, such as wheat and dairy, as well as cutting out sugar, pop, and caffeine.

Most people who have hypersensitivity reactions will feel better after a week of cutting out these foods.

After some time, you can slowly reintroduce these foods back into your diet and monitor the way your body reacts to them.

This process will help you pinpoint the exact cause of your allergic reactions.

3. Probiotics

Probiotics are a type of healthy bacteria beneficial for your health.

RELATED: What Are Probiotics?

They’re commonly found in foods such as:

• Yogurt
• Kombucha
• Kefir
• Sauerkraut
• Tempeh
• Kimchi
• Miso
• Pickles
• And much more

They are also widely available as a supplement in pill form.

Probiotics provide a variety of health benefits.

Most notably, they have many anti inflammatory properties.

However, be cautious of marketing tricks used by companies to get you to choose one brand over another.

You can avoid this trap by doing your research and finding the brands with the most active bacteria in them.

And of course, you can speak with me, Dr. JJ, for advice.

4. Acupuncture

Acupuncture can help with symptomatic relief.

For example, acupuncture needles around your face may help with a runny nose or sneezing.

Acupuncture is not something that is used as a preventative measure.

How Long Should Somebody Take Herbal Allergy Remedies?

Knowing what triggers your environmental allergies can help determine when you should take allergy remedies.

Whether you are affected by trees starting to sprout leaves in the spring, grass in the mid-summer or ragweed in August and September, you can start taking these remedies for prevention about a week before your particular allergen is expected to emerge.

Questions? Ask Dr. JJ

Are you worried about allergies?

Is something causing you to show allergy symptoms, but you’re having trouble figuring out exactly what is causing them?

I’m Dr. JJ, a naturopathic doctor in Toronto, and I’m here to help.

Book your appointment with me, Dr. JJ, today and let’s get to work figuring out your allergy symptoms.