Allergies, asthma & hay fever

Allergies & hay fever

Antiallergy bedding-woven

Weekly laundering 120degrees minimum water, drying after

HEPA filter vaccuum- Kenmore Elite 31150, $350; Hoover Wind­Tunnel Max UH30600, $180; Miele Dynamic U1 Twist, $450

Portable air filters -Honeywell HPA 300, $250, large & GE AFHC21AM, $230 medium

Heating/cooling system filters- Lennox Healthy Climate CarbonClean 16 $100 & Filtrete Healthy Living Ultra Allergen 4 MPR 1550, $29

larger AC or dehumidifier to 30-50% humidity-small room top-rated GE AEM05LS, $210 CR Best Buy.

http://www.consumerreports.org/health/allergy-proofing-strategies/?EXTKEY=NH63N00H&utm_source=acxiom&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20160328_nsltr_healthalertmar2016

Saving this email to a “Health” folder may make access easier

Use this as an aide to your own research and share with your doctor as appropriate

You can use drugs.com or other trusted health websites to look up the latest information on prescription drugs, herbs, foods or other treatments possible side & interaction effects.

Allergies

What may help-

Probiotics

Cromolyn sodium

Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM)

Butterbur

Vitamin C

Wim Hof breathing

Pesticides & herbicides

Avoiding pesticides & herbicides by eating organic (& US grown) and chlorination & flouridation by using a filter & letting the water sit out for an hour (out of the tap) to evaporate may reduce allergies.  Agriculture corporations use more than 100 times more pesticides & herbicides than before GMO’s were introduced.

Bedbugs

Bedbugs release a lot of histamine & even 90 days after eradication may leave histamine levels 20x higher.

Histamine as an emergent indoor contaminant: Accumulation and persistence in bed bug infested homes

Zachary C. DeVries, Richard G. Santangelo, Alexis M. Barbarin, Coby Schal https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0192462

Wheat

The most common allergies-

Milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, wheat, yeast, corn.  Our current wheat has many times the gluten of the wheat we ate for thousands of years- spelt.  Spelt’s gluten is water soluble & breaks down easily, newer wheat just gets tougher & harder to break down when kneaded.  Newer wheat has an enzyme blocker that may make it far more difficult for us to digest it. The newer wheat appears to increase mortality significantly- a 39 percent increased risk of death in those with celiac disease, 72 percent increased risk in those with gut inflammation related to gluten, and 35 percent increased risk in those with gluten sensitivity but no celiac disease.

(i) Ludvigsson JF, Montgomery SM, Ekbom A, Brandt L, Granath F. Small-intestinal histopathology and mortality risk in celiac disease. JAMA. 2009 Sep 16;302(11):1171-8.

(ii) Rubio-Tapia A, Kyle RA, Kaplan EL, Johnson DR, Page W, Erdtmann F, Brantner TL, Kim WR, Phelps TK, Lahr BD, Zinsmeister AR, Melton LJ 3rd, Murray JA. Increased prevalence and mortality in undiagnosed celiac disease. Gastroenterology. 2009 Jul;137(1):88-93

Probiotics

Probiotics appear to help to prevent allergies, as well as reduce heart disease, cancer, and bacterial infections.  Probiotics may work best when taken an hour after the last food of the night and with a large glass of water, with only water drank until the morning.

www.naturalnews.com/046639_food_allergies_probiotics_Clostridia_bacteria.html#ixzz3DHpx86MU

Eight strain probio mix stopped allergic response including anaphalaxis and inflammatory bowel disease like Crohns & ulcerative colitis

http://www.naturalnews.com/042004_probiotics_food_allergies_inflammation.html

“Clostridia-induced IL-22 prevents allergens from entering the bloodstream.”

http://www.naturalnews.com/046639_food_allergies_probiotics_Clostridia_bacteria.html#ixzz3DLdg1LVa

Cromolyn sodium for allergies and hayfever

Cromolyn (Nasalcrom for hayfever or generic) appears to work against hayfever/allergies and is neither an antihistamine nor a decongestant nor a corticosteroid.  It appears to cause no drowsiness, no jitters, no “rebound” nasal congestion, and it’s non-habit forming.  In the short term it may be slightly less potent but may lower allergy/pollen sensitivity more over time.  It is also an asthma medicine.  It may be most effective against allergy & exercise induced asthma.

Efficacy of Beclomethasone Nasal Solution, Flunisolide, and Cromolyn in Relieving Symptoms of Ragweed Allergy

WELSH, PATRICK W.STRICKER, WILLIAM E.CHU, CHU-PINREESE, MARSHALL E.REED, CHARLES E. et al.

Mayo Clinic Proceedings , Volume 62 , Issue 2 , 125 – 134

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0025-6196(12)61882-5

Effects of topical nasal treatment on asthma symptoms

C.E. Reed, MD, J.P. Marcoux, MD, P.W. Welsh

Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology

Volume 81, Issue 5, Part 2, May 1988, Pages 1042–1047

Cromolyn sodium nasal solution in the prophylactic treatment of pollen-induced seasonal allergic rhinitis ☆: A tri-city study of efficacy and safety

Nathan I. Handelman et al.

Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology

Volume 59, Issue 3, March 1977, Pages 237–242

Preseasonal IgE ragweed antibody level as a predictor of response to therapy of ragweed hay fever with intranasal cromolyn sodium solution ☆ ☆☆

P.W. Welsh et al.

Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology

Volume 60, Issue 2, August 1977, Pages 104–109

Use of Intranasal Cromolyn Sodium for Allergic Rhinitis

Paul H. Ratner et al.

Mayo Clinic Proceedings

Volume 77, Issue 4, April 2002, Pages 350–354

Cromolyn in one study worked best with women, people with high IgE levels, and people with markedly positive skin test reactions to epidermoids and to foods.

Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology

Volume 58, Issue 1, Part 2, July 1976, Pages 121–128

Treatment of perennial allergic rhinitis with cromolyn sodium: Double-blind study on 34 adult patients

Robert H. Cohan et al.

I used to have “force 10” hayfever, which feels like the worst cold you’ve ever had.  I had to keep my windows closed overnight through the morning, and if I was driving in the summer without air conditioning I had a choice of passing out from the heat with the windows up or being miserable with hay fever.  I tried cromolyn sodium because it said it had no side effects.  It worked the first time I tried it.  It also worked the next day.  But then I didn’t need it again for two days, then four days, then a week, then two, then a month, etc.  The cromolyn sodium helped me stop being allergic to pollen, & appeared to help lower ALL my allergies.  Now I am no longer allergic to pollen.  Cromolyn sodium has worked for others with horrible hay fever as well.

It may have worked so effectively because I sprayed it once then again after my nasal passages opened up more 45 minutes after.

Histidine

Taking histadine, an amino acid, may lower allergy symptoms.

N-acetylcysteine (NAC)

Taking NAC may help hayfever & lower inflammation in the respiratory lining.

Leo Galland, MD

Broccoli

Broccoli may reduce pollution intensified hayfever.

Leo Galland, MD

Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM)

MSM is a major anti-inflammatory/painkiller that is found in many foods that also helps hair & nails.  Once in the body DMSO works the same as MSM.  MSM is made from DMSO.  Most users take 2-8g per day.

MSM appears to improve reduce allergy symtoms, constipation, dementia symptoms in people with Alzheimer’s, muscle spasms, scar tissue (topically), giardia infections, and autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis/lupus/scleroderma.

The Miracle of MSM by Jacob, Lawrence, & Zucker

Randomised, Double-Blind, Parallel, Placebo-Controlled Study of Oral Glucosamine, Methylsulfonylmethane and their Combination in Osteoarthritis

Dr P. R. Usha, M. U. R. Naidu

Clinical Drug Investigation

June 2004, Volume 24, Issue 6, pp 353-363

Efficacy of methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) in osteoarthritis pain of the knee: a pilot clinical trial 1 2

L.S. Kim, L.J. Axelrod, P. Howard, N. Buratovich, R.F. Waters

Osteoarthritis and Cartilage

Volume 14, Issue 3, March 2006, Pages 286–294

doi:10.1016/j.joca.2005.10.003

Efficacy of methylsulfonylmethane supplementation on osteoarthritis of the knee: a randomized controlled study

Eytan M Debbi, Gabriel Agar, Gil Fichman, Yaron Bar Ziv, Rami Kardosh, Nahum Halperin, Avi Elbaz, Yiftah Beer, Ronen Debi

BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2011, 11:50  doi:10.1186/1472-6882-11-50

http://altmedicine.about.com/cs/herbsvitaminsad/a/MSM.htm

Butterbur

Butterbur is an herb that appears to help lower allergy symptoms.

Randomised controlled trial of butterbur and cetirizine for treating seasonal allergic rhinitis

BMJ 2002; 324 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.324.7330.144 (Published 19 January 2002)

BMJ 2002;324:144

Lee, D. K. C., Gray, R. D., Robb, F. M., Fujihara, S. and Lipworth, B. J. (2004), A placebo-controlled evaluation of butterbur and fexofenadine on objective and subjective outcomes in perennial allergic rhinitis. Clinical & Experimental Allergy, 34: 646–649. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2222.2004.1903.x

Butterbur Ze339 for the Treatment of Intermittent Allergic Rhinitis

Dose-Dependent Efficacy in a Prospective, Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-Controlled Study FREE

Andreas Schapowal, MD, PhD ; Petasites Study Group

Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2004;130(12):1381-1386. doi:10.1001/archotol.130.12.1381.

Treating intermittent allergic rhinitis: a prospective, randomized, placebo and antihistamine-controlled study of Butterbur extract Ze 339.

DOI: 10.1002/ptr.1705

Butterbur, a herbal remedy, attenuates adenosine monophosphate induced nasal responsiveness in seasonal allergic rhinitis

D. K. C. Lee et al.

Clinical & Experimental Allergy Volume 33, Issue 7 July 2003 Pages 882–886

Vitamin C

Vitamin C lowers histamine levels, & is used as treatment for allergies & pollen.  Liposomal vitamin C may be 25x more effective than other forms of vitamin C.  It can be made very cheaply at home with an ultrasound cleaner (mixer), vitamin C and lecithin.  Mercola has an inexpensive version that can be taken daily, & Liv on Labs has a more expensive version people more often use for acute attacks.

http://www.prevention.com/health/health-concerns/3-supplements-allergies

Antihistamine effect of supplemental ascorbic acid and neutrophil chemotaxis.

Johnston CS1, Martin LJ, Cai X.

J Am Coll Nutr. 1992 Apr;11(2):172-6.

Effect of vitamin C on histamine bronchial responsiveness of patients with allergic rhinitis.

(PMID:2221490)

Bucca C, Rolla G, Oliva A, Farina JC

Dpt. di Scienze Biomediche e Oncologia Umana, Università di Torino, Italy.

Annals of Allergy [1990, 65(4):311-314]

Serum Vitamin Levels and the Risk of Asthma in Children

Raida I. Harik-Khan, Denis C. Muller and Robert A. Wise

Am. J. Epidemiol. (2004) 159 (4): 351-357.

doi: 10.1093/aje/kwh053

Use this as an aide to your own research and share with your doctor as appropriate.

Saving this to a “Health” folder may help access.

Wim Hof breathing

The Wim Hof method- no longer feel cold/hot/stress/autoimmune overreaction

Wim Hof is a Dutch man who learned to become immune to cold, heat, & control his immune response to a strong degree.  He has been in ice up to the neck in a tub for almost 2 hours.  He has ran a marathon in a desert at 104 degrees with no water or food, and one above the Arctic circle barefoot.  He has killed an injected bacteria that should have made him very sick in a medical experiment.  Now he is teaching others how to do it, and it only takes one minute a day & people get big benefits after just the first time.

In this link is an explanation of how to do this his way, which includes meditation, a breathing method, and cold exposure:

Here is the simplified one minute a day version-

If you have a heart or lung condition ask your doctor if fast breathing & holding your (non) breath is ok for you.  If you are sick you can wait until healthy before starting.  Wim Hof wisely recommends only doing this from a secure sitting position for safety and NEVER around water.

What I found important is heavy breathing for oxygenation for 30 breaths/30-60 seconds, then breathing out completely & holding the nonbreath (empty lungs) until my body makes me take a breath (15-30 seconds).  It’s ok if the first time is only 15 seconds, our ability gets a little better every time.

Wim Hof recommends exercising during the breath holding like pushups or some other exercise on the ground to avoid falling.   I do it after eating my rice (carbs) so I have the energy for the exercise, but if people would rather just hold the (empty) breath it appears to work nearly as well.  Wim Hof has people do this six times a day, but once a day is fine for the long run.

After I did this once for one minute I was able to be comfortable in my apartment at three degrees colder than ever before for a full day (57 degrees). Every time I do this I am able to experience greater & greater amounts of cold.  Wif Hof recommends testing ourselves with cold showers or ice buckets, but I have seen all the benefits without.

I have tested myself by being very comfortable after one week in my apartment in the low 50s for hours.  Most people don’t like the cold and the knowledge they don’t have to do the cold challenge but will still lose their sensitivity to cold makes it more likely they will do the exercise.  We know its working when we walk outside in the cold & it doesn’t bother us anymore & we don’t feel like turning on our car to warm it up anymore.

One funny thing about the ability to endure cold- my knees still don’t like long exposure to cold temperatures even if the rest of my body has no problem:-)

Conscious control of cold & heat

Wim Hof suggests paying attention to how the body feels & consciously giving energy to different parts, especially if they are cold.  This is supposed to give conscious control of our body temperature.  I did this in a sauna when too hot to stay in & thought about being cool inside & I was soon comfortable enough to stay another 40 minutes.  Meditating seems to improve the conscious control of body temperature.  I’ve also done this when out in the cold & it works just as well.  It may also be useful to breath out & hold an empty breath once or twice whenever feeling too cold, hot, or stressed in order to get immediate relief as well as the long term benefit.  Holding (empty) breath after an exhale is also supposed to help cramping when exercising.

Control of stress

I and others have found that our stress levels have gone down measurably since doing the breathing exercise once a day.

Autoimmune responses

Wim Hof & the people he trains have been able to kill bacterial infections that should have made them very sick in an experiment after just 90 repetitions.  That’s three months when doing it once a day.  It appears that their bodies are shutting down the overactive immune response to the bacterial infection.  Other people have noted their autoimmune disorders (like rheumatoid arthritis) being helped greatly by the breathing method.

http://www.medicaldaily.com/natural-inflammation-treatment-breathing-exercises-and-ice-baths-may-quell-immune-337890

https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn26102-three-ways-the-iceman-controls-his-immune-system/

http://www.livingflow.net/influence-immune-system-at-will/

http://www.livingflow.net/wim-hof-method-autoimmune-disease-rheumatoid-arthritis/

Cold exposure?

So I suspect that we get many of the benefits even if we don’t do the extreme cold exposure that Wim Hof suggests and that holding our nonbreath/empty lungs is the key.  Doing this once a day is easily possible (I do it after eating so I have the energy) and results start immediately, after the first time.

Conscious control over internal temperature

What Wim Hof’s suggestion of the extreme cold exposure (explained in the link) coupled with meditating on being warm appears to do is give conscious control over body temperature, especially with practice.  We can all use this when we are in a situation we feel cold in.