While treatment plans for allergies vary greatly, with results ranging from temporary relief to complete remission, the appropriate therapeutic program can often relieve allergy symptoms within a short period of time. The first objective is to reduce the acute allergy symptoms so that an effective strategy can be developed to address the underlying condition. As we are able to develop a holistic program we can effectively work to reduce and ideally prevent the allergic response from reoccurring in the future.
Allergies usually occur when our immune system is unable to digest or effectively process (i.e. metabolize, expel or protect against) a substance within our environment. Allergens can vary from pollen, pet dander, mold, various foods, drugs and more. The body reacts via an inflammatory process as a means of trying to remove the allergen or protect the body from it doing further harm.
Symptoms may include a stuffy nose, copious mucus, lung/sinus congestion, fatigue, headache, indigestion, irritable bowels, redness, swelling, etc. To develop a holistic program to reduce or eliminate the condition it is important that we consider the whole pattern of symptoms that the individual is experiencing. This includes considering dietary habits, energy levels, sleep patterns as well as other lifestyle practices.
At Everspring Health, we start by learning about you and your relationship with allergies – not only the specific allergen that your body reacts to and the symptoms you might be experiencing, but the severity of the reactions, when they began, if they change depending on the season or the time of day, and any other relevant information.
An in-depth knowledge of your personal experience helps us develop a treatment plan that will address your individual needs. In general, in order to relieve allergic reactions, we need to reduce your body’s exposure to the allergen, which could mean avoiding the allergen entirely, or washing the area exposed to the allergen. We seek to make sure other unknown stressors are not contributing further to your symptoms through a concurrent condition.
Effective therapy strategies will first focus on the acute symptoms in an effort to reduce them enough to address the underlying condition, then follow-up care for the chronic, remission stage begins. Oftentimes the acute stage is so influential that the chronic symptoms must be addressed in the opposite season (i.e. fall vs spring, winter vs summer) to make an effective investment in dissolving the underlying cause.
We seek an integrative therapeutic program to help reduce inflammation around the affected site and regulate the immune system to reduce overstimulation. Dietary changes are likely to be very beneficial in the effort to control the symptoms through the elimination of food and drinks that may further influence the formation of mucus. When our diet is optimized for our constitution and for our presenting condition, clients will experience less mucus, less inflammation, increased energy, better breathing and a greater sense of well-being. As always, we will examine the effect that stress, diet, and sleep have on your health, and make changes if need be in order to help your body combat the allergic reaction.