Can you permanently cure allergies?

Dealing with allergies can make one feel lousy, drained and sometimes even hopeless! If you suffer from allergies, you'd know how inconvenient and troublesome it is when your eyes, nose, mouth and ears start itching and watering. This leads many people to ask whether allergies can be permanently cured (not just treated).

While conventional medicine says that you can't cure allergies (i.e. you're stuck with this for life!), holistic medicine has a different opinion on the subject. Let's take a look at why allergic reactions occur in the first place and the various methods you can take to treat (and possibly cure) allergies.

What are allergies

An allergy is defined as a hypersensitive (or inappropriate) response from the immune system to foreign substances that enter or come into contact with the body. A substance that causes an allergic reaction is called an allergen - anything can be an allergen if the immune system has an adverse reaction to it. There are various types of common allergens such as nuts, bee venom, pollen, seafood, latex, lactose and dust, just to name a few! Some people never experience allergic reactions to any of these allergens while others experience allergic reactions to specific ones!

Some people also have allergies to processed foods, cosmetics, hygiene products and cleaning detergents, as these kinds of products almost always contain nasty substances which are very foreign to our natural bodies.

If someone is allergic to a substance (an allergen), their immune system responds to the substance as if it was harmful to the immune system, and therefore tries to destroy the allergen. This triggers a release of a substance called histamine, as well as other inflammatory compounds in the body, which cause the allergic response. Cue the sneezing, itchy eyes, sinusitis, snotty noses, phlegm-filled chests and itchy skin! 

Most allergens actually pose no threat at all to the body, which is why allergies are classified as 'inappropriate immune responses'. 

Treating and curing allergies

Acute allergic reactions are conventionally treated with over the counter anti-histamines or cortisone based medicines, which can bring some much needed relief, but only temporarily. These conventional treatments are often accompanied by side effects like drowsiness, dry mouth, blurred vision, dizziness, nausea, moodiness, difficulty urinating and confusion. 

However, did you know that there is a lot you can do to naturally prevent and treat allergies and therefore avoid the side effects commonly associated with these medicines? Holistic medicine has various methods to treat allergies, where many people have even reportedly been completely cured of their allergies for the rest of their lives!

Pharmacology

Histamine is a protein that triggers allergy symptoms such as sneezing, itchy eyes, and a scratchy throat. It therefore makes sense that people who are suffering from allergies would take an antihistamine, right? While antihistamines sourced from pharmacies, doctors and drug stores work well to block the allergy triggers, they can cause side effects which can be detrimental to your health! OTC (over the counter) and prescription antihistamine and cortisone medications have been reported to cause side effects such as drowsiness, nausea, dry nose or mouth, increased appetite and anxiety. As a result, an increasing number of people are turning to natural alternatives to help manage their allergic rhinitis.  

AllergiClear is a compound remedy containing herbal, homeopathic, tissue salt and nutritional ingredients known for their positive effect on preventing the allergic reactions to various allergens and improving respiratory and immune system health. Taken regularly, before and during the allergy season, or when exposed to known allergens, AllergiClear can help you to become allergy-free and reduce or even eliminate your dependence on synthetic antihistamines with their troublesome side effects. 

While AllergiClear acts as a preventative and reduces the allergic response, SOS-HistaDrops is a fast-acting herbal/homeopathic formula that provides on-the-spot relief from hay fever, allergic rhinitis or reactions to airborne allergens like pollen, grass seeds, house dust, animal dander, etc.

Immuno Synergy is a lactose-free and sugar-free tissue salt combination remedy that supports healthy immune system functioning and also helps to reduce the allergic response in people who have allergies.

Like all Feelgood Health products, AllergiClear and SOS-HistaDrops contain no animal products, gluten, artificial flavours, colours or preservatives and are not tested on animals

Homeopathy 

Many individuals with allergies elect to use homeopathic medications for the treatment and management of their symptoms. Research has shown that homeopathic medicines are often effective in long-term treatment of all sorts of allergies. Homeopathic treatment for allergies may be ideal because this type of therapy acts as an immunoregulator or immunomodulator, regulating or reviving the immune system. 

There's a host of homeopathic allergy preparations on the market, such as AllergiClear and SOS-Hista Drops. Homeopaths also formulate specialised homeopathic treatments, unique to each individual and what their body needs to overcome their allergy.

Allergen immunotherapy 

Another form of treatment is allergen immunotherapy, also known as desensitization, hypo-sensitization, the allergy vaccine or the allergy shot. Small, injected amounts of a particular allergen, in gradually increasing doses over a period of time, causes your body to build up immunity to the allergen(s) until your immune system becomes tolerant of the allergen(s).  

Some people show very positive results after their course of allergen immunotherapy and showed long-term success of up to 6 years! The downside of the allergy shot is that the allergenic extracts they use often contain preservatives and adjuvants in order to increase their stability and therapeutic efficacy. People also occasionally experience side-effects and adverse reactions from allergy shots.

The same concept of allergen immunotherapy can be applied in homeopathy, where a homeopathic version of the allergen can slowly be introduced to gradually build up a resistance to the allergen. The benefit of homeopathic allergen immunotherapy is that you will get the same therapeutic effect but without the preservatives and side effects!

Boost your immune system

This is one of the most important aspects of treating (or curing) an allergy. Allergic reactions begin in your immune system. The purpose of the immune system is to defend itself and keep microorganisms and foreign substances out of the body. If the immune system is strong and healthy, it can ward off infection against pollutants, viruses and other harmful airborne substances that may enter the body. Because allergies involve both local reactions (release of histamine and inflammatory compounds) AND immune functioning, treatment should be holistic and aimed at treating the whole person, rather than simply suppressing symptoms.

Boost your child's immune system: Help your little one's immune system cope with their immune response to allergens with Kangavites, a wide-spectrum daily multivitamin and multi-mineral. They come in chewable tablets with a yummy flavour. Parents love Kangavites because they're dairy-free, gluten-free, wheat-free and preservative-free - with no artificial ingredients! KiddieBoost is a herbal formula which helps to support immune system health in children.

Boost your immune system: If you're only going to take one daily nutritional supplement to boost your immune system, choose Solgar's Formula VM-2000, a wide spectrum multivitamin and mineral supplement that you can take daily to ensure that you are receiving all the nutrients you need to lead a healthy life. We especially love Formula VM-2000 because it's dairy-free, wheat-free, preservative-free and vegan friendly! Along with your daily Solgar multivitamin, use Immunity Plus, a herbal immune booster for teens and adults.

If you have any question, please contact us or leave a comment below for FREE health advice. We always love hearing from you!