Currently viewing the category: "allergies"

Obama’s Dog Woes

By On · Add Comment · In allergies, dander, dog, HEPA filters, hypoallergenic, Obama, president

Sorry Obama family–there’s no such thing as a hypoallergenic dog. Responding to the president-elect’s first press conference after winning the election last week, where he said his eldest daughter, Malia, “is allergic,” allergists have disclosed that there just is no such thing.

Are you a dog lover? Do you think that some breeds are better than others when it comes to minimizing allergies? Well, no such luck. As it turns out, all dogs produce proteins that can cause allergies in humans. These proteins can be found in a dogs’ dander–which is dead skin cells, not fur–saliva and urine. Regular grooming can help, probably why misconceptions abound about hypoallergenic breeds as some breed are groomed more regularly than others. But as far as hair length goes, short hair is no different than long when it comes to allergies.

If you have a dog, and you are allergic–specifically allergic to dogs, not generally allergic to everything–then take solace that many people “outgrow” their allergies, although it may take years. But here are some things you can do to lessen the discomfort:

  • Clean the house often, with vacuums equipped with special filters (HEPA filters are best) and double bags.
  • Keep the dog out of the allergic person’s bedroom.
  • Remove carpeting, where dander can also build up.
  • Bathe the animal weekly.

Or better yet, if you haven’t got a dog, and you or your child is allergic–don’t get one. How about a presidential goldfish?

Probiotics May Protect Against Allergies

By On · Add Comment · In allergies, antibodies, bacteria, digestion, good bacteria, IgG, immune system, kefir, Lactobacillus casei, probiotics, yogurt

Probiotics may be beneficial for more than just digestion, a new study shows. The good bacteria that make up probiotic drinks and supplements may actually change the immune system’s response to grass pollen–the cause of hay fever. And even better it may help balance antibodies reducing allergies in general.

Oh, blessed be the Lord, I say! If these findings are correct, then those of us who suffer from seasonal allergies (which in L.A. means year round) can breath a sigh a relief. One in five Americans suffers from some sort of allergy. That’s fifty million sniffling, snorkling, and stuffed-up people suffering on a daily basis. The allergy remedy industry is booming, as people try to find relief from this maddening malady.

Enter probiotics. Probiotics are supplements containing various strains of beneficial bacteria–bacteria that reside naturally in our gut; symbiotic squatters, if you will. Everyone has heard of acidophilus. The probiotic strain used in the study, however, was Lactobacillus casei. Volunteers were given a milk drink–some with the bacteria and some without–which they imbibed daily for five months. Researchers took blood samples before the grass pollen season, at its peak, and after the end of the season. They found that people who had been drinking the probiotic drink had lower levels of an antibody that help produce allergy symptoms. And the people receiving the probiotic drink had higher levels of the antibody IgG, which protects against allergy symptoms.

I’ve been taking probiotics regularly myself for a couple of weeks now and I feel amazing. I started my regimen for digestive purposes and they have definitely delivered. Can’t recommend probiotics enough. Our modern lifestyles leave us susceptible to diminished gut bacterial colonies and we need to replenish regularly. Probiotics are it. Yes, you can eat yogurt, and you can certainly drink kefir, but for my money I want the biggest bang, and that comes from supplementing with probiotics. This is the brand I like and carry in my office. Great company, great product. And now great news for allergy sufferers. You heard it here first: supplement with probiotics for optimal digestive, immune and respiratory health.

Even Chiropractors Need Chiropractic

By On · Add Comment · In adjustment, allergies, cervical vertebra, chiropractic, chiropractors, muscle spasms, neck, pain, sleep, subluxation

Yes, that’s right, even chiropractors need a good adjustment some times. In fact, they probably need it more than the average Joe.

I tweaked my neck ten days ago while drying my hair after a shower. Oh, it was bad – I could barely move my head without excruciating pain. I toughed it out at work, but…it wasn’t good.

I had a subluxation of my first cervical vertebra (the atlas); it was rotated and wedged to the right. Aside from the pain, I had severe muscle spasms of the upper trapezius muscle (upper back and shoulder) on the left, which meant…more pain. I was having trouble sleeping. Every night, I woke up several times throughout my sleep despite the fact that I’m usually a very sound sleeper. And on several occasions, I woke up at 4 or 5 am and couldn’t fall back to sleep – a definite anomaly for me.

I also noticed an increase in symptoms related to allergies. Now, granted it’s been windy here in L.A., I guess I am connecting the allergy symptoms to my subluxation, because the second after I was adjusted today, the symptoms cleared up.

I feel better now, but I know that I’ll have to be adjusted again in a couple of days. I generally try to get adjusted once a week, but in these types of situations I need more. All in all, I’ve been adjusted three times since developing the tweak, each time I felt better than the last. That’s how it works – sometimes it only takes one adjustment, other times, more.

Hey, I’m just happy I’m feeling better. I accept pain an an occasional part of life, but like most people, I don’t love it. I take the presence of pain as a sign that something is not right, and I’ve got to get it checked out and corrected. BINGO – that’s the way the body works.

So, if you’re feeling pain – go visit your chiropractor – don’t wait for it to “go away on its own”, because, the fact is, it probably won’t.

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