Allergies (food/seasonal)
What is it?
Allergies are the immune system's response to a foreign substance that has entered the body. This normally protects us from illness and disease and without our immune system, our lives would be very short. However, when our immune system is not functioning in an ideal manner, food and environmental factors such as pollen and pollution become triggers. As a result the immune system responds and we suffer the consequences. For some the response is a sensitivity that results in digestive issues that then affect other parts of the body, or the annoying runny nose of spring. For others, the response is a hypersensitivity reaction which can be life threatening.
Key Points:
- Allergies have a major impact on many people's overall quality of life.
- Common food sensitivities include grains, dairy, nuts, and soy.
- Common food hypersensitivities include raw nuts, fruits (ex. strawberries or apples), and shell fish.
- Allergies often affect multiple members of a family
- Failure to introduce various foods at appropriate times may lead to allergies (ex. peanuts).
- More common in very clean environments.
- Breastfeeding is often protects children from developing allergies.
How do we treat it?
Naturopathic treatment focuses on removing allergens (agents we are allergic to) from your diet and environment. For pollen allergies, there are numerous natural treatments which work well. Ultimately, naturopathic treatment will focus on determining why you developed the allergies and treating the cause (ex. poor digestion or leaky gut). This will help reduce the likelihood of developing further allergies. For some individuals allergy testing may be of benefit to identify unknown allergens.
