Comprehensive allergy treatment – what does this mean?

Naturopathic doctors are well known for addressing diet and lifestyle with every single patient, regardless of their underlying health condition. Treating allergy is no exception.

The most powerful direct tool I have for treating allergy is immunotherapy, which changes the immune system to relieve symptoms. But there might be more to the picture for complete symptom relief, and this is where working with me, or a naturopathic physician, will benefit you. We go deeper to figure it out.

Some patients come to see me to inquire about sublingual immunotherapy having had allergy treatment in the past, usually through allergy shots, or medications to reduce symptoms, and they tell me that those therapies “helped a little bit,” or “ I think that helped mostly,” but their symptoms weren’t completely relieved. Why is this? There must be an answer, right?

This is where you gain the most benefit from working with me, or a naturopathic physician. We’ll go deeper, and here is what is different:

• We look at the local environment. Irritant triggers like smoke, perfumes and other chemicals in the environment, as well as hormones and weather changes can cause allergy-type symptoms that have nothing to do with allergy, so we find and reduce or minimize them as much as possible.
• We pay attention to diet. What we eat and how our body uses the food is one of the foundations of health. Getting the right nutrients in and reducing foods that are irritating to the system reduces inflammation, improves nutritional status, and reduces allergy symptoms.
• We make sure digestion is working well. Digestion and absorption must be strong in order to use all of the great foods that are being eaten. Elimination is also important, so we correct diarrhea, constipation, and other digestive disturbances.
• We evaluate energy, stress, and sleep. All of these comprise the greater environment of the person. High stress and poor sleep cause inflammation and tax all body systems, and poor energy is a sign that something is out of balance. Think of it this way – will your garden produce with deficient, sandy, or nutrient deficient soil? No, it won’t. If your body has underlying inflammation or is depleted due to any of the above imbalances, or is deficient due to poor diet or high stress, or if the underlying environment is unhealthy, symptoms are an expression of this.

What would it feel like to live without allergy symptoms next spring? With some work and investigation, along with directed therapies, it is possible.