Allergies

Allergies are reactions of the immune system to certain substances that are completely exaggerated in their intensity. Often these are normally harmless substances such as pollen, dust or nuts. Since both, the number of people affected and the number of allergies per person affected, are constantly increasing, it is worth taking a closer look. Personally, I had to deal with several allergies at once. As a small child, I suddenly developed hay fever. Later I developed a mild allergy to hazelnuts, and when I was in my twenties, I also became allergic to certain cat hairs. The hay fever became so extreme at times that I didn't leave the house unless it was absolutely necessary. As an antidote, I was prescribed the usual antihistamines and eye drops. These medicines made me tired and a bit dizzy and I kept having strange, undefinable issues. When I read the list of side effects in the package inserts, I decided to stop taking the medication as soon as possible and instead develop other strategies to manage my allergies. One of the side effects was an increased risk of heart attack. I had been having heart problems for a long time for which no doctor had ever found a cause. In the end, the final straw was a day in the emergency ward because of these very heart problems. When nothing was found there either, the connection with the medication was clear to me. Thanks to the measures I took, I was actually able to eliminate the allergies, so that today I live practically symptom-free. Only the hay fever is still very rarely a mild problem. But that is limited to two or three weeks a year with extreme pollen count instead of seven months as before.

The Search for the Causes

In order to find the causes, the temporal relationship to possible triggers must be determined. I can't say when the hay fever started. I was still too young. The nut allergy developed after I was ten years old. I can't say much about that either. The cat allergy, however, I can pinpoint exactly because it only affected my parents' two cats and it developed from one day to the other. So what had happened? I had been preparing for a longer trip in India and had been vaccinated against rabies by a tropical specialist. The following day I visited my parents to say goodbye. The first allergy attack felt like hay fever. The only difference was that it stopped when I washed my face and left my parents' home. Besides, it was already autumn. So it couldn't be hay fever. When I returned home, I visited my parents again and there it was, the allergy. It stayed like that for years. I had to announce myself every time I came to visit, so that my mother could lock up the cats before my arrival. The reactions were severe. Something other than the rabies vaccination was out of the question as the cause. Nothing else had changed and I had not had this problem with their cats before. In fact, I never had this problem with other cats. The allergy only occurred when I visited my parents.

So what exactly does this vaccination do and what is in it that could trigger this reaction? I didn't have to look far, because the link between vaccinations and allergies has been established for a long time. You can find more than enough literature on this. Through vaccinations, so-called "pathogens" are introduced to the body in living, attenuated or dead form, which are supposed to lead to an immune reaction and thus establish immunity against the disease. So far so good. We all know that already. What I didn't know, however, are the additives that are added to the vaccines. Aluminium and mercury stand out in particular. Mercury has practically disappeared by now, but aluminium is still found in all vaccines in not exactly small quantities. Mercury was used for sterilisation and aluminium as an immune response enhancer. The effect of a vaccination is measured by the antibodies produced. Apparently, no immune reaction can be detected without aluminium. The question here is whether the body reacts to the pathogen or to the extremely toxic aluminium. If there is no measurable reaction without the additive, then what is the body's defence reaction targeted at? Is it possible that the immune system primarily fights against the aluminium and then, in combination with other substances that hit the organism at the same time, triggers some kind of panic reaction that we then call an allergy? It certainly seems to be the case. I can't explain it any other way. So the allergic reaction would not be aimed directly at the otherwise harmless substances such as pollen, but at the combination with the aluminium. That is the actual trigger. I don't know what other trigger substances there are and which pathways they use to get into the body. I could well imagine that there are many toxic substances that could trigger such cross-reactions. I cannot conclusively answer these questions myself. It's up to the scientists who work in this field to find out. But I can use this as an indication to define possible strategies that could perhaps bring about a reduction of the symptoms.

Other substances that can trigger allergies include fluorine and fluoride compounds. These are found in abundance in dental care products and salt. Unfortunately, in some countries they are also added to the drinking water. These compounds are very toxic and cause a variety of health problems, including cancer. It doesn't always have to be due to a vaccination, as in my case, it can also simply be the toothpaste. Cosmetic products would certainly also be a category to check. They contain a large number of really nasty chemicals that can promote allergies. As it is difficult to identify a temporal connection here, my strategy would be to simply replace the products with natural and, above all, non-toxic variants and then observe over a longer period of time if anything changes. Medications should also be checked. This is not difficult, as everything important is already written in the package inserts. If there are any suspicions, you can discuss it with your doctor. If he doesn't take it seriously, which can happen, I would look for another doctor.

Strategies to Reduce the Symptoms

Depending on the allergy you are dealing with, there are different strategies you can use. The first thing to do is to minimise contact with the allergens. If they are present in the air, such as pollen or dust, regular showering and hand washing is essential. If your eyes burn, you can simply rinse them with water. During spring and summer, I always made sure to only stay for long periods of time where I had access to running water. When the allergy comes, rinse the affected parts of the body thoroughly right away. If the eyes or respiratory tract are affected, be sure to rinse off your hair as well, and especially wash your hair before going to bed. Change clothes every day. If the skin is affected, it is certainly advisable to look at all chemicals in your household and replace them with natural products if possible. The less toxic substances you allow on and into your body, the less stress your immune system will be under and the gentler these panic reactions will be.

Histamine is the primary driver of the allergic reaction. It's a messenger molecule that is responsible for inflammation, among other things. In principle, inflammations are not evil. The body creates them to carry out repair processes. The tissue swells, is supplied with more blood and the temperature rises locally. This ensures a faster metabolism in the affected areas. Toxins are removed more quickly, etc. The symptoms of typical allergic reactions are basically nothing more than a combination of inflammation and cleansing mechanisms such as sneezing and coughing. They can be treated accordingly. There are a variety of natural remedies that can be used to minimise inflammation. These can be external remedies that you apply to your skin in the form of creams or oils, for example, or internal applications in the form of foods, herbs, teas, etc. The idea here is to lower histamine levels in the body in general, so that allergic reactions, when they do occur, are not so extreme. Suppressing inflammation generally with medications seems to me to be a rather bad idea, as this naturally also interferes with the regular repair processes in the body. However, it may be necessary to go this route if the reactions are so severe that the situation becomes life-threatening. This should definitely be discussed with the doctor.

After years of research on this topic, I have come to the conclusion that there is probably always a trigger substance involved in the allergy. How else can one explain the fact that allergies suddenly appear and target substances with which one never had problems before. Something must have changed. It can't be genetics, because then it would have been like that from the beginning. It must be something that has accumulated in the body and is now occupying the immune system to such an extent that it is panicking. It can be quite difficult to track down the effective trigger, as I tried to do with the aluminium in the rabies vaccine. As far as I know, there is no testing available for this. So I would just consider a general detox. Whatever is causing the allergy needs to get out of the body. If you've had a lot of vaccinations in your life, like I have, it's anyway a good idea to get rid of mercury and aluminium. I already described on another page how to do this in a completely natural way. A thorough detox does not do any harm to the body. The sooner you start, the better. The process takes quite a long time and it can't make things worse.

Until the detox shows its effects, here a few general tips for you:

• Use fluoride-free dental care products.
• Use fluoride-free salt.
• Apple cider vinegar can reduce inflammation and because it's a probiotic, it also strengthens the immune system. You can drink it diluted in a glass of water in the morning and in the evening.
• Salt water rinses can be used to rid the nose of allergens. You can buy special devices for this purpose at the pharmacy. Works wonderfully.
• Eucalyptus essential oil opens the airways and thus facilitates breathing. Can be used for example in the diffuser or massaged onto the chest diluted with coconut oil.
• Frankincense essential oil has an anti-inflammatory effect. Can be used like eucalyptus oil in the diffuser or diluted with coconut oil and applied locally to affected areas.
• Lavender essential oil is a natural anti-histamine. It can also be used in the diffuser. If you need to go fast, rub two drops on the palms of your hands, form a bowl with your hands in front of your nose and mouth and inhale deeply.
• Lemon essential oil is is a powerful antioxidant that can help reduce inflammation. Also use this in a diffuser or diluted with coconut oil and massage onto the chest and neck. A soothing tea can easily be made with 1-2 drops of oil in hot water and a spoonful of honey.
• The stinging nettle is a natural anti-histamine and anti-inflammatory. Available as extract, tea, powder and in capsule form. Or outside in nature. ;)
• Quercetin is a strong antioxidant colour pigment found in large quantities in, for example, capers, apples, onions, chives, green beans, broccoli, kale, citrus fruits, cranberries and blueberries. Similar to nettle, it is considered a natural anti-histamine and anti-inflammatory. Either adjust your diet accordingly or consider supplementation.
• Reduce the consumption of inflammation-promoting foods such as meat and wheat. If you have problems with gluten, you can try original spelt. That's tolerated better. Sweet chestnuts do not contain gluten. Its flour can be used as a substitute for wheat.
• Turmeric and ginger have anti-inflammatory properties. They are great to include in your diet. Furthermore, ginger can also be used externally.
• Consume honey exclusively from local production, so that the body comes into contact with the pollen it contains. Theoretically, this corresponds to the hyposensitisation therapy in allopathic medicine.
• Homeopathic remedies can help to alleviate the symptoms of the allergy. This method is particularly popular in Switzerland.
• Acupuncture and other methods of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) can be helpful under certain circumstances. I haven't tried it myself, but I've heard a lot of good things about it.
• The medicinal mushrooms Agaricus (Agaricus blazei Murill) and Hericium (Hericium erinaceus) have anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting properties. Agaricus is said to be particularly helpful for problems with the skin and respiratory tract, while Hericium is more beneficial for the stomach and intestines. It's best to seek advice from a specialist.

When using essential oils, make sure that they come from clean organic production! Cheap industrial oils, such as those offered for fragrance lamps, are not suitable for consumption. It does not matter whether the oil is swallowed, inhaled or applied to the skin. It is absorbed by the body through all three ways.