How to Cure Allergies

Allergies are more common than most people imagine. The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology estimates that more than 50 million Americans suffer from some type of allergy. While research is still being conducted for newer, more powerful drugs that can completely eliminate allergies, much can be done to treat and cure the symptoms in the meantime.

Instructions

1. Know your allergies. This may require a series of medical tests in order to determine not only what allergen can trigger an attack on you, but also what amount of the allergen needs to be present for this to happen. Allergy tests are either done on the skin or using blood. Skin tests are divided into three--skin prick, intradermal test and skin patch. They all involve placing or injecting an allergen solution directly on (or into) the skin and waiting to see the effects. Blood tests are used to search for antibodies and mostly on people who don't react well or can't have skin tests.

2. Consider natural antihistamines. While there are several herbs that contain antihistaminic properties, supplements containing butterbur and mangosteen are the most reliable. Feverfew, most commonly known for its properties in easing headaches, can also help relieve allergies. Bee pollen, sold at natural health food stores and certain pharmacies, can help build up resistance to environmental allergens, which ironically include pollen (a common allergen) as part of its components.

3. Build up your immune system. The easiest way to do this is to make sure that you eat a balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables, although this may take some time to show improvement. For faster results, you may want to add supplements to your diet, starting with gingko Biboba, Golden Seal and ginseng, the three biggest immune system enhancers. Echinacea, either in tea or tablet form, is also a great addition, and it has the added benefit of reducing the severity and duration of colds. CoQ10 and cat's claw are not as popular, but equally effective. Regular exercise and getting enough sleep also help build up your immune system.

4. Take Acidophilus. A probiotic that contains bacteria helpful for the digestive process, acidophilus is usually found in yogurt or added to milk, but it can also be found in capsule form at health food stores. Acidophilus supplements produce an environment that is hostile to bacteria, so allergens have a hard time sticking around in the body and causing an attack.

5. Don't forget your vitamins. Vitamin C, especially when taken along zinc and antioxidant flavonoids like quercetin, can also alleviate allergy attacks. If taken regularly, this combination can eventually reduce the number of allergy attacks and even contribute to the disappearance of certain allergies, such as those associated with season changes.

6. Take your prescriptions. Severe allergies may require medication on an ongoing basis to suppress or at least control allergies. People with pets, for example, or those with asthma, will need ongoing treatment or repeated doses of a specific drug, in order to cure their allergies. Fexofenadine (Allegra), Levocetirizine (Xyzal), Loratadine (Claritin), Montelukast (Singulair) are the four most commonly prescribed for treating seasonal allergic rhinitis, asthma attacks and chronic urticaria.

Tips & Warnings

• Not all allergies can be made to disappear completely, in which case avoiding allergy triggers can be the best solution. Pollen, dust mites and specific foods (especially nuts and seafood) are the main causes of allergy attacks. Not only is it important to stay away from the actual item that causes the allergy, but also to stay away from products that may contain or have been in contact with the allergens.

References

• American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology

Resources

• Natural alternatives to common drugs
• Probiotics and allergies