Quick view:
1) Lack of sensitivity in allergy testing can result in failure to identify problem foods and other irritants.
2) Damage to the gut and lung lining set the stage for allergy problems.
3) Poor diet (sugar, refined carbohydrate rich, alcohol) and antibiotics will feed pathogenic microorganisms which damage the gut and lungs.
4) Stress can damage the lining of the gut and lungs, in addition to hindering the adrenal glands ability to create anti-inflammatory hormones, thus creating an environment conducive to allergy problems.
5) Four steps to effectively address problem allergy symptoms.
In depth Austin Allergies
One of the most common allergy complaints in Austin, Texas is to juniper pollen, aka “cedar fever”. People often claim that if you move to Austin, that if you don’t have a cedar allergy you will in a few years. I’ve been here for 10 years, and it doesn’t bother me. The fact is, it’s not that there’s anything particularly harmful or problematic about cedar, ragweed, oak, and many foods that causes people to react to them, it’s because the body is breaking down, particularly the gut, and possibly the lung lining. Let me explain…
“Allergy” versus “Sensitivity” in foods: Allergies are reactions that involve specific actions of the immune system (IgE, IgG, IgA) that would normally not be created in somebody without the allergy. In essence the immune system attacks a substance, and commonly creates all kinds of undesirable chemicals like histamine and leukotrienes in the process, which can make you stuffy, itchy, and fatigued. However, not all bodily reactions to outside substances elicit the action of the immune system. Some foods contain lectins, and these lectins are simply biochemically incompatible with the normal metabolism of the body. As a matter of practicality, it probably doesn’t matter a whole lot to you if your light headedness from eating strawberries activated IgE, IgG, or whether strawberries just aren’t optimally compatible with your physiology. The bottom line is that strawberries in this example amount to some level of undesirable sensitivity within the body. This is important to consider if a blood or allergy test tells you there is no known problem with a particular food. Presently, there are no perfect tests for determining allergies or sensitivities. At best, we can use a variety of tests to ascertain what may or may not be problematic, and paying attention to symptoms alone can be one of the best tools.
Our Defense Shield: Our bodies are shielded from the outside environment through our skin, and through our mucus membranes that make up the lining of our sinuses, respiratory, and gastrointestinal tracts. It is largely the integrity and vitality of the mucus membranes which determines whether or not we will develop sensitivities to airborne agents like polllen, mold, dust, etc, or to food based agents like gluten, dairy, etc. thus becoming problematic to our bodies. Our mucus membranes are covered in microbes. It is an established fact that there are more micro-organisms living in and on our bodies than the number of cells that make our entire body! For this reason, living in harmony with the micro-organisms should be our goal. You could never eradicate them entirely, nor should you want to, as many microbes actually aid in digestion, and support immune system function. If the micro-organisms become out of balance they can create some damage to the mucosal lining, that will allow for substances to find their way into the bloodstream. In the case of the digestive tract, food should be fully broken down into amino acids, simple sugars, and small lipid molecules when entering the bloodstream through the intestines. Think of the mucosal lining of your lungs, digestive system, and sinuses as something that should be so secure that they never allow for relatively large substances like cedar pollen, ragweed pollen, or undigested food to find their way into the bloodstream. If these substances do make their way into the bloodstream in this state, then the body will create an immune system reaction to the substance. The more compromised the barrier, the more substances the body will react to. This state is commonly known as “leaky gut”, although there is good reason to believe that there is also a “leaky lung” syndrome too. It’s worth emphasizing here that if you find yourself reacting to more environmental substances, the higher the likelihood of leaky gut/lungs.
Seasonal Allergies: Why is cedar fever so problematic for so many people? Cedar pollen is high right around the time of the holiday festivities which commonly included excessive sugar, carbohydrates, and alcohol consumption. The over-consumption of such things will directly feed pathogenic microbes that can and do cause problems to your mucus membranes. Yeast in particular is always found within the body, but can be easily overgrown by you feeding it sugar and starchy foods. Yeast will really expand its real estate in your body when you take antibiotics and you consume sugar and starch as the antibiotics will kill a lot of beneficial bacteria that had held the yeast levels in check. In consideration of cedar fever, ask yourself, “How many people celebrate the holidays by overindulging? How many people consume antibiotics around that time because they had a cold? How many people make sure the food they eat doesn’t have antibiotics in it?” My point in asking this is to make you aware that the body is being set up for developing sensitivities to all kinds of things around that time, especially when juniper trees are pumping out massive amounts of pollen. Once that pollen finds a way to enter the bloodstream through a “leaky-gut” or “leaky-lung” then it is likely that the body is going to now react to the pollen. The immune system will program that into the nervous system as something to be on the alert for, and over time it can become more and more severe in its reaction.
Infections: I am completely convinced that it will be fully understood that chronic low grade infections are involved with virtually every type of chronic illness, including most environmental sensitivies, cancer, parkinsons, alzheimers, and certainly auto-immune disorders. A chronic low grade infection would be defined as some type of micro-organism (bacteria, yeast, parasite, mycoplasm, or fungus) that evades the immune systems ability to eradicate, and/or that fails to be detected through clinical testing such as blood work. Vaccinations are one such method that may be to blame for many of the low grade infections, and/or altered immune system responses with allergy sufferers. Pioneering researchers such as Dr.Tulio Simoncini in Italy has linked cancer with a fungus (yeast). Other researchers, like Dr. Hulda Clarke, and Royal Rife have linked cancer with other pathogens. I’m personally inclined to believe they are all right, and that they are looking at different processes of different pathogens which are all the result of a compromised immune system. While I have emphasized yeast overgrowth, it should be recognized that the other pathogens can and do impair the mucosal lining primarily due to the toxic waste products these pathogens create in the body. This is not to make you paranoid about “germs”, as it is more the environment which allows for the pathogens to persist in the body to begin with. Think of these low grade infections much like a neighborhood that has a swamp, but also has a mosquito problem. While you could focus on killing the mosquitos with insecticide you would likely find more success in getting rid of the mosquitos if you drained the swamp which supports their existence. Toxins, poor oxygenation, and energetic disruptions of the body are the equivalent of a stagnant swamp that needs better ecological balance.
If you can picture that food particles or pollen may be able to enter into the bloodstream due to leaky gut/lungs, it shouldn’t be difficult to imagine one of the pathogens like yeast, parasites, etc finding their way into the blood and off to something like the knees, or whatever is the weakest link in the body. In my view, this is precisely how auto-immunity begins. I have not seen one patient with an auto-immune condition that did not have the findings of leaky gut.
Hidden Culprits: Other common things that damage the mucosal lining are found in tap water, environmental toxins, and toxins like genetically modified food (GMO). The chlorine in the water from your shower is not only absorbed through the skin, but is also inhaled. The inhalation of the chlorine will lead to damage of the mucosal lining of the lungs, and thus make you more susceptible to respiratory infections and “leaky lung syndrome.” Recent studies show that children who swim in chlorinated pools have greater incidence of allergies and asthma. Further, drinking chlorinated tap water will do damage to your gut mucosal lining, as the chlorine kills many of the beneficial microbes. Additionally, genetically modfied (GMO) corn makes up over 80% of the corn on the market today, and is a linked cause of leaky gut. Unfortunately, the list of dangerous GMOs is growing at a very disturbing rate.
Stress: Another way to impair your mucosal lining and create allergy symptoms is to remain in a state of stress. Unfortunately, most Americans do just that. The stress response, otherwise known as fight or flight, will cause your body to pull blood away from the digestive organs and direct it towards the muscles needed for quick action. Over time the impaired circulation, and overall state of fight or flight will impair the healing process, and degrade immune system resistance to pathogens throughout the gut and body.
The adrenal glands produce the hormone cortisol to respond to stress. Over time the adrenals can become compromised in their ability to produce adequate amounts of cortisol, which has anti-inflammatory properties to it resulting in more and more allergy reactions.
The reality: More and more people are dealing with combination’s of too much stress, consuming truly toxic GMO foods, drinking truly toxic tap water, and have taken too many antibiotics. Just one of these issues can cause problems, let alone the combination of more than one of them. A failure to address one key issue can certainly influence the outcome of somebody trying to heal their body.
What can be done?: The good news is that most allergies can either be managed effectively, or eliminated entirely. Part of my role as a doctor is helping patients navigate the outside world and the choices available to them each day. When an allergy sufferer is in my office, this is how I typically handle the problem.
1) Provide some support to help the body handle excessive histamine and leukotriene production. Quercetine, vitamin C, probiotics, and homeopathics.
2.) Identify and eliminate low grade infections irritating lung and gut lining.
3.) Rebuild the gut and lung lining.
4.) Desensitize the body to offending substances using energetic techniques like Neuro Modeulation Technique (NMT).
*This approach is provided only to members of the PMA.