allergy test 7/22/05


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Natural Herbs For Allergies : Your Plan B?

Have you been considering natural herbs for allergies? Natural medicines and alternative treatments are gaining in popularity not only for allergies but for many other ailments. Many of today’s medicines cause side effects that can be as dangerous or uncomfortable as the symptoms you are trying to treat in the first place.

The typical treatments for allergies usually revolve around antihistamines and decongestants. Antihistamines are well known for making you drowsy. I have found that Benadryl does help to manage my allergies but I often find myself choosing which one to use because if I use some of the ones with higher levels of antihistamines I don’t want to drive. I can get that sleepy. Decongestants on the other hand can lead to higher blood pressure. This is especially dangerous if you have a heart condition.

Thankfully you may be able to treat your allergies in a more holistic way. Natural herbs for allergies can be the answer and can actually help to prevent the symptoms before they start. This can be an effective way to manage many of the seasonal allergies that are common today.

What Should You Do First?

Modifying your lifestyle before diving into any treatment is a good idea. Even natural herbs for allergies can cause problems or interact with other medications. What can you do to reduce your allergy symptoms?

*Keep windows closed
*Use air conditioning
*Stay Indoors

Airborne allergies like pollen can be controlled by doing the above. At night it is important to control your environment since many times people have trouble sleeping because of their allergy symptoms. If these approaches are not providing you with the allergy relief you need it may be time to try natural herbs for allergies.

Natural Herbs to Try

Before trying any of these natural herbs for allergies please consult your physician. Herbs can have side effects too, and they can also dangerously interact with other medicines. Natural herbs that have been known to help alleviate allergy symptoms include:

*Stinging Nettle
*Butterbur
*Quercetin

Stinging Nettle works as a natural antihistamine without the drowsiness. This herb reduces the histamine production of the body. The immune system triggers the production of histamine which is the chemical produced by the antibodies in the body. The immune system in case of allergies has mistakenly identified your allergen as something that is harmful which is why the histamine is produced. Histamines are also responsible for the allergy symptoms like coughing, runny nose and watery eyes. When your body cannot produce as many histamines your symptoms are reduced too. Natural food and vitamin stores are a good place to find Stinging Nettle.

There are other natural herbs for allergies that work like Stinging Nettle to reduce the body’s ability to produce histamines. Butterbur is one that is harder to find here in the U.S. but may be worth tracking down. Quercetin is another good natural herb for allergies. It also has the added benefit of acting as a natural antioxidant that can reduce the risk of some types of cancer.

Advances are being made every day on different ways of treating and preventing allergies. Allergies have become so common that it is rare that someone in the family is not affected. Natural herbs for allergies can be your Plan B when you can’t get the relief you need from over the counter treatments or when the side effects of using the standard antihistamines and decongestants are too dangerous for you. Ask your doctor, he may be able to recommend even more options than those we have given you above.

Allergies are abnormal immune responses to allergens like pollen grains, dust, moulds and foodstuffs. The allergens can enter the body through inhalation, ingestion, injection, or external skin contact. Allergens cause abnormal production of immunoglobulin E (IgE), an antibody already present in the body in small amounts. When the antigen makes contact with some part of the body, it is taken up, processed by Antigen Presenting Cell (APC) and presented on a Class II MHC to Helper cells. In the early stages of allergy, a type I hypersensitivity reaction against an allergen, encountered for the first time, causes a response in the T helper cells. These T helper cells produce cytokines which stimulate B-cells to produce large amount of IgE by proliferating IgE producing plasma cells. Secreted IgE circulates in the blood and binds to an IgE-specific receptor on the surface of mast cells and basophils, which are both involved in the acute inflammatory response. The IgE-coated cells, at this stage are sensitized to the allergen. During second exposure, antigen binds to the IgE antibodies on the mast cells. Activated mast cells and basophils undergo degranulation to release histamine and other inflammatory chemical mediators (cytokines, interleukins, leukotrienes, and prostaglandins) from their granules into the surrounding tissue causing several systemic effects, such as Nasal Stuffyness, Sneezing, Runny nose, Watery eyes and mucous discharge. This animation delineates the …

Maintenance of the health care of your heart is very important to ensure a healthy life. The key to a healthy heart is a disciplined way of life. Our work atmosphere and schedules do not allow us relaxation, meditation or even regular exercises and due to lack of time, we survive on junk and processed foods that are high in cholesterol and calorie. Working with extensive deadlines and sheer competition exert enormous stress on our heart.

As a result we are very susceptible to different heart diseases. So as you cross 40, stay close to your doctor and maintain a chart of blood pressure. Restricted lifestyle with least alcohol, smoking and greasy food intake and light exercise can ensure sound health of your heart.