from THE GATHERING SPACE
Holistic Health Talk with Afua Bromley, L.Ac.

ALLERGIES AND ASTHMA

Allergies
Summer need not be a season to dread for allergy and asthma sufferers. There are things you can do to minimize and/or eliminate allergic reactions and asthma attacks. An allergic reaction is usually caused by a hypersensitive reaction to a substance that is normally harmless or a substance that is an actual toxin.

Diet plays a very important role in dealing with allergies. With the proliferation of chemical additives in nearly all the foods we eat, chances that you may develop allergies are greater than ever. To help reduce your suffering, dietary and lifestyle changes are necessary.

First, make certain you are getting adequate rest, exercise and nutrition and you are not internalizing the stresses of everyday life.

Secondly, dietary changes may slowly reduce your hypersensitivity to certain substances. Avoid processed foods, refined sugar, dairy, eggs, foods containing sulfite, coffee, black tea, food dyes, chocolate, shellfish, polluted meats(ones with hormones), polluted air (more of us need to move collectively away from the pollution of the city), and polluted (chlorinated, fluoridated) water. In addition, opting for hard wood or tile floors will limit exposure to dust mites.

Include foods and herbs such as ginger, onions, garlic, bamboo shoots, cabbage, beets, beet top tea, carrots, leafy greens, yams, and sweet potatoes. Eating organically grown fruits and vegetables will eliminate the pesticide factor; however, if you cannot make that change economically, make sure you thoroughly wash all fresh fruits and vegetables with some type of cleaning agent that removes pesticides (castille soap works well). Also, eating more foods high in Vitamin C, which has been shown to have antihistamine properties, will help your body respond better to allergens.

ASTHMA
Depending on the type of asthma you have, you may be able to either eliminate your asthma attacks or control the frequency and severity of your attacks. No asthma sufferer should use any type of dairy product (i.e. milk). Milk products create an abundance of phlegm in the body, particularly the lungs. Eating foods such as broccoli, parsley and kale will help you acquire the calcium you need. You may need to begin experimenting with eliminating certain other foods since some food allergies can lend themselves to the onset of an asthma attack.

Some other common culprits of asthma attacks are fatigue, stress, cold air, drinking cold water, smoke, and processed foods. Cucumber, parsley, garlic, celery, and watercress are excellent foods for asthmatics. Suggested herbs include alfalfa, nettle, mullein leaf, and marjoram.

A very effective treatment for less severe attacks or a temporary stabilizer for severe attacks is taking 5-10 almonds, heating them up in the microwave or on the stove top for approximately one minute, then eating the almonds while warm. This will open up the bronchial pathways at least temporarily.

Learning to control your breathing pattern, especially during exercise and times of fatigue or stress and allowing yourself to be calm at the onset of an attack, will prevent or significantly reduce the severity of an attack. Repetitive inhalations and exhalations on specific counts (i.e.in 2-3-4, out 2-3-4) helps to prevent the possibility of the "panic" feeling that many feel at the onset of an attack. As someone diagnosed with stress induced asthma, I can personally vouch for the effectiveness of breath control and dietary changes. I have not needed to use an inhaler in over 15 years.

Traditional Chinese medicine does offer treatment for both allergies and asthma, but these lifestyle changes will help regardless of what type of treatment course you pursue.

To comment or begin conversation on this article, click "comments" below.