HEALTH NEWSLETTER

I see quite a number of patients in the clinic who come in saying that they have recently started to experience spring allergies and have been getting sick much more often that in the past for no “apparent” reason, even though their diet is excellent and they exercise.

In this newsletter:

• Hay Fever / Allergic Rhinitis


• Take Action, Be Allergy Free


• Outdoor Exercises And Tips For Allergy Sufferers


• Simple Tips For Relieving Stress

HAY FEVER / ALLERGIC RHINITIS

Allergic rhinitis (also called hay fever) is the most common form of allergy that is experienced during the months of spring.

Signs and Symptoms

• Stuffy, runny nose
• Sneezing
• Itchy nose, eyes, and throat
• "Sinus" symptoms—headache, feeling of pressure behind the eye, pain above the cheekbones and on the lower forehead, aching teeth
• Skin rashes or hives
• Diarrhea or frequent urination

What Went Wrong?

Sudden allergy symptoms and decreased immune function can be a sign of “adrenal exhaustion”. Adrenal glands are two little leaf like organs that sit on top of your kidneys and help the body adapt to stress. During prolonged periods of stress, overwork, fatigue and not eating right, there is an increased amount of cortisol in the body.

Cortisol is the stress hormone produced by the adrenal glands to help adapt to stress, and to help the body in the “ fight/flight situations”, however prolonged periods of overwork and stress can cause high amounts of cortisol to stick around in the body much longer which can then cause allergies that were not present before . This leads to “adrenal exhaustion” causing other symptoms such as feeling fatigued all the time, low energy, feeling unrefreshed on waking, decreased immunity or in increased susceptibility to infections and illness and of course weight gain around the abdominal region.

TAKE ACTION, BE ALLERGY FREE

1. Determine your current health status and identify what your allergies are – food or environmental.


2. Work in improving your symptoms inside out ( treat the cause).


3. Track your progress and modify the plan as needed. We’ll help you every step of the way.

A key aspect of our ALLERGY FREE PROGRAM is relevant testing and targeted nutritional support. We may recommend specific medical tests provided at the clinic to understand what is hindering the body to function optimally and then based on all the evidence that has been provided through the assessment, specific treatments that are specifically designed to support your health and address your concerns will be provided to you.

We may suggest natural therapies and supplements that have been shown to improve and restore adrenal function, decrease histamine release naturally ( the key to treating allergy symptoms), and modulate the body’s immune reaction in order to decrease / improve your allergy symptoms without the use of over the counter medications which only suppress allergy symptoms.

The importance of the nutritional aspects of any healthy lifestyle program cannot be overlooked. In conjunction to nutritional support, we also provide physical, emotional and mental support using other natural and highly effective therapies such as hypnosis and acupuncture. Call us today to find out how you could potentially benefit from all these wonderful gentle naturopathic modalities.

OUTDOOR EXERCISES AND TIPS FOR ALLERGY SUFFERERS

Inhale through your nose when you exercise. When you inhale through your nose, you warm the air (especially important for asthmatics). Cold air constricts smaller air passages, and this can mean less air, less oxygen delivered to our cells. Your nose is also lined with hair that can help to filter some of the smaller microscopic particles.

Avoid environmental pollutants. Pollutants like second-hand smoke, disinfectants, dust, and even aerosol sprays can make the mucus lining of your airways more permeable and inflamed. This can then worsen your allergy symptoms and/or make you more susceptible to respiratory difficulties over time and repeated exposure

Eat some good fat! Cold water fish like salmon contains important omega-3 fatty acids that help inhibit the inflammatory response which is known to cause runny noses and teary eyes in response to harmless allergens.

Eat your fruits and veggies. Many studies suggest that antioxidants like Vitamin C and bioflavonoids help suppress the inflammatory response. Raw pineapple contains the anti-inflammatory enzyme Bromelain.

SIMPLE TIPS FOR RELIEVING STRESS

1. Believe in yourself and think positive.


2. Follow your heart.


3. Enjoy the company of your loved ones.


4. Practice relaxation and meditation.


5. Exercise at least three times a week.


6. Visit new places as often as you can.


7. Let bygones be bygones. Unclutter yourself!


8. Live a healthy lifestyle and eat healthy foods.


9. Find a satisfactory workplace.


10. BREATHE AND SING OUT ALOUD!

I encourage you to spring free from allergies and take that first step to better health by scheduling an appointment at my office.

For any questions, or concerns, or to schedule an initial naturopathic appointment, please contact us at 416 913 4325 (HEAL) or email us at [email protected]

* DISCLAIMER: The information on this article is the property of Dr. Sushma Shah, Naturopathic Doctor, and is not intended to treat, diagnose or cure any diseases or promote any services or products mentioned on the website.