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About Allergies

You shouldn't have allergies. With all the other problems in life, why should anybody have a stopped-up nose? A head-to-toe rash? Terrifying asthma leaving one feeling as if they were about to suffocate? No, life isn't fair. Some folks have allergies. But then, you already knew that.

"Why me?" the patient asks. "Why not you?" my father used to say. There are many technical theories on "why me" but basically it amounts to picking the wrong parents (just as you suspected... it is all their fault). It also has to do with having a really terrific immune system.

There is nothing "wrong" with your immune system. You do not have an "impaired" immune system. People with poor immune response get frequent "colds" and infections. Their immune systems do not function well in the face of external threats such as bacteria, virus or even malignant tumor cells. In my years of practicing allergy, I have had only one patient develop a cancer.

Allergy patients have immune systems that are "too good." The problem is not one of "impairment" or poor response, but rather one of "super-efficiency" or "over responsiveness."

The immune system was designed (by God), to provide us with defenses to our "enemies." The enemies are bacteria, virus and toxins. If your immune system didn't protect you against these enemies you would die. If your immune system works normally you won't have much trouble with these enemies.
But, if you have allergies, your immune system gets "twitchy" or "hair-triggered" or "hyperactive." It protects you from bacterial and viral enemies all right, but it also tries to protect you from cedar pollen, mold spores, milk, chocolate, and on and on.

Allergy sufferers have immune systems that "protect" them from almost any pollen or mold that comes along and sometimes from almost anything they eat. We don't need this. This happens when we move from area to area. It probably began when our ancestors migrated from their home countries to new lands where their immune systems became increasingly confused by the vastly different environments and foods. Some immune systems began to mistakenly react to or "attack" the new or "strange" materials. If the new material is not a true "enemy" (bacteria, virus, or toxin) then we call the mistaken immune response an "allergic" reaction.

It seems to be passed on from parent to child increasing from generation to generation. Little boys tend to begin having allergy symptoms at a very early time, and then most outgrow them by their mid teens. Girls tend to begin allergy symptoms in their mid-twenties to mid-thirties. And many girls do NOT outgrow their allergies.

What is the solution? I don't know. Exercise helps MOST. But it takes a LOT of exercise for me. Knowing my food allergies helps. I am usually able to avoid the worst ones (pizza, ice cream and cheese). I take a lot of vitamins and minerals (30-40 a day). No, I don't "know" if they really work. However, after years of listening to successful patient's stories of good results from vitamins, I now take them myself. I "believe" they help. I am convinced they do NO harm. So, I will continue to take them. Besides, my allergies are in such great control and I feel so incredibly good I am afraid to stop any of the things I am doing. The things I am doing are the things I urge all of you to do:
  1. Exercise: All you can, every day.
  2. Nutrition: Balanced diet, avoid allergy foods.
  3. Attitude: Say your prayers, be positive.
  4. Vitamins: If they help you, take them.
  5. Medicine: Stay symptom-free as best you can.

And remember, your Grandmother knew all of this...

 

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