Natural Remedies To Prevent Allergic Reactions

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Allergies are an abnormal response of your immune system, which overreacts to exposure to substances called allergens. These allergens can be anything from food ingredients, drugs, household dust or mites and cigarette smoke to animals. Basically, your body misreads the substance and your immune system reacts as though you have come into contact with a poison. It then tries to eliminate it from the body, and in this process, your immune system creates substances that irritate your tissues, substances bearing ominous names such as histamine, leukotrienes, interleukins and tumour necrosis factor.

The result is redness and inflammation of the tissues, pain or itchiness of the skin, runny nose, sneezing, itchy eyes, diarrhoea, joint pains, dizziness and even shock that may be life-threatening.

The ageing process changes the way your immune system works and so you may find that, as you get older, certain foods you were allergic to when younger, don't affect you as badly as before. This is one of the good points of getting older: the allergy symptoms become less frequent and less severe.

Conventional drugs can cause epilepsy, liver damage and even osteoporosis

Remember, with allergies, your body's enemy is literally your over-reactive immune system and the substances it produces to fight off what it mistakenly thinks are dangerous substances. Histamine is one of the primary culprits in the allergic reaction, causing skin rash, itchiness and redness of the skin. Conventional treatments such as antihistamines are taken following an allergic reaction and work by reducing histamine levels within your body and thereby reducing symptoms.

One of the main problems associated with the use of antihistamines is drowsiness, but newer antihistamines (such as loradatine, terfenadine and acrivastine) are less likely to cause it. However these, as well as older antihistamines such as promethazine and Piriton can cause a host of other side effects such as headache, difficulty in passing urine, nausea and vomiting. Rarely, conventional antihistamines may also cause palpitations, epileptic fits and liver damage.

Another main conventional remedy used against allergies is the group of steroid drugs (such as prednisolone and betamethasone). These are used against skin allergies and also against asthma. Treatment with steroids can be effective quite quickly but the problem is that this treatment doesn't address the underlying cause of the allergy in the first place, and so, when steroids are stopped, the allergy may well reoccur. Side effects of steroid treatment include thinning of the skin and easy bruising, increased likelihood of osteoporosis (if used long term) and increased risk of thrush.

The good news is that the inflammation process can be controlled by using natural supplements such as omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids. These are the 'good' type of fats found in oily fish, flax seed oil and perilla oil, and also in capsule form. One of the best known of these anti-allergic and inflammation fighters is Gamma Linolenic Acid (GLA). This belongs to the omega-6 family and it is found in primrose oil, borage oil and blackcurrant seeds. The dose is 1,500mg a day.

Omega-3 acids such as docosahexanoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentanoic acid (EPA) are also effective, particularly if taken in combination with GLA. These are commonly available in health food stores. The dose for DHA and EPA is a combined dose of 3,000mg a day.

Reduce asthma symptoms with this amazing mineral

Magnesium is an essential mineral that plays a part in reducing the allergic reaction and minimising the effects of inflammation. Asthma sufferers have found that using magnesium supplements may reduce their symptoms. One magnesium tablet (500mg) should be taken daily. You can enjoy an even greater positive impact on your symptoms by taking magnesium in conjunction with ginkgo biloba. Research has also shown that ginkgo biloba may be effective in reducing the symptoms of asthma, and may also minimise the damage caused by allergies of the skin. The dose is 120mg of standardised ginkgo biloba extract a day.

An antioxidant cocktail to strengthen your immune system

Certain antioxidants, such as grape seed extracts, vitamin C and N-Acetyl-Cysteine (NAC) can be used to fortify your immune system and make it better able to cope with the onslaught of allergens. Vitamin C is believed to be a natural antihistamine agent if used at high doses, around 3,000mg to 5,000mg a day.

Grape seed extracts contain natural plant chemicals called bioflavonoids, which work together with vitamin C to reduce the allergic reaction Take 300mg a day in conjunction with vitamin C. Finally, NAC is a strong antioxidant that works wonders against allergies, particularly those affecting the lungs, such as asthma. NAC is taken at a dose of 600mg a day, preferably in association with vitamin C.

These treatments are mainly for short-term use. If you have allergies all year round, you can also use them over extended periods, in consultation with your doctor or health practitioner.

Complementary Therapies Against Allergies

• Hypnotherapy helps you relax and reduces the need for medication. Hypnotherapy can also relieve itching in skin allergies
• Yoga improves circulation to the bowels and glands and so stabilises the immune system
• Psychotherapy reduces anxiety that is sometimes caused by allergies. Anxiety can also make allergies worse.