Relief for Springtime Allergies

What are allergies?
By J. J. Gregor DC, DIBAK, DCCN

It's allergy season again here in North Texas.  I’ve been told since I moved here 14 years ago that there are two types of people here: those who have allergies and those who will get allergies.   

Growing up in West Virginia, I experienced horrible sniffling, sneezing, sinus headaches, you name it, for a week every spring and every fall.  What's crazy is that when I moved to Dallas, all my allergies 'went away'.  So, why when I moved to one of the worst allergy prone places in the US, I suddenly felt my best? 

Allergies are an immune response or reaction to specific substances.  Allergens are all around us and are particularly problematic in the spring with trees budding out, flowers blooming, grass being cut and tons of pollen flying through the air.  And in Fall, it's the budding of other seasonal plants and the sap moving in trees. 

Conservatively 10 to 20% of the population of the U.S. suffer from some seasonal allergy at various degrees; the real number is probably closer to 40 to 50%.  Symptoms range from itchy nose and eyes, sneezing, rashes and hives to severe headaches, nervousness, rapid heartbeats, and swelling.  

It's the seasonal weather changes which trigger most of these. The first thing people usually go for to help their allergies are 'over the counter’ remedies.  These don't correct the condition, but instead only put an emphasis on relieving symptoms.  For example, nasal sprays are not only temporary; but they can also cause more irritation to mucous membranes which means next time you will need a stronger dose to get rid of your symptoms; steroids cause a depletion of your adrenal glands, and longtime use can cause suppression of your immune system.  And let's be honest, staying indoors all season long is just unrealistic. 

To decide what causes an allergic reaction you must first determine the fundamental underlying cause of why your body isn’t reacting normally to natural substances, e.g., cut grass. This can be done through  Applied Kinesiology or by a blood test.  

Then a physical correction can be determined by evaluating the mechanisms that control the body.  Once your major problem or dysfunction is found, many alternatives exist to return the body’s controlling mechanisms back to normal including Nutritional and Homeopathic remedies.

So why did my move here what gave me relief for seasonal allergies that had plagued me?  Well, it wasn't what was in the air, but how I changed my lifestyle.  I’ve been able to track down two things that helped me eliminate the allergies that I once had.  First and probably most profound was that I drastically changed my diet.  I cut out all grains.   You might be wondering what grains have to do with your allergies.  Well, all grains are grasses even corn is a tropical grass.  So, if you have pollen or grass allergies why in the hell are you doing eating GRASS! The second thing that changed was that I received regular Chiropractic adjustments.