April 2008
Heading into the 2008 allergy season, you may find yourself dreading the cure almost as much as the problem. After all, side effects from pharmaceuticals impact a person's everyday quality of life just as allergies do. And, if you're like most moms, you're even more concerned about side effects in your kids. So how can you relieve allergy symptoms without risking long-term health?
Attack the problem at its source
Dr. Andrew Carey, an allergist at Allergy & Asthma Associates of Central Maine in Falmouth, says that patient history is the most important element of any treatment plan - more so even than blood or skin tests. As long as the patient discusses his or her triggers with an open mind, Carey finds that simply removing those triggers goes a long way in relieving symptoms.
Those who seek conventional allergy medicines do so because they want to treat symptoms like runny nose, itchy eyes and congestion. However, Dr. Sasha Rose, a naturopath at Portland-based Wildwood Medicine, believes such treatment - though it has a place - is not a whole answer.
"Conventional medical treatment often suppresses the symptoms, which we believe drives the illness deeper," Rose says. "The way that we look at allergies is not to target the allergen as the cause, but to question why the person is reacting to the allergen.
"For example, we're all exposed to ragweed [at] certain times of the year, but only some of us react to it. So our ultimate goal is to treat the individual, perhaps by supporting his or her immune system so it knows when and when not to mount an inflammatory response."
The problem with conventional medicine lies in its chronic use. Decongestants such as Sudafed have received much media attention in recent years because of their adverse effect on blood pressure. Carey points out that other allergy medications, like antihistamines, are considered safe. So are corticosteroids - as long as they are used in proper dosages. Nasal steroids can irritate the nose, he adds, and argument exists that high doses of inhaler steroids can affect an individual's growth over the long term.
These issues have collectively driven some allergy patients toward more natural treatments.
Natural treatments
Enter naturopathy, which is often fast acting and can supplement conventional efforts. Natural treatments for allergies are quite diverse. They might include homeopathy, which Rose defines as "a system of medicine involving the administration of minute doses of a substance that would produce symptoms of the disease in healthy persons; it is based on the belief that 'like cures like.' " Other treatments include acupuncture or acupressure; parents can often be taught to use the latter at home.
Rose says typical homeopathic remedies include euphrasia ("if the child has red, itching eyes or tears that feel as if they burn") or pulsatilla ("a clingy, weepy child"). Nettles are an herb that can be taken in capsule form or in tea, while bioflavonoids provide natural anti-histamines.
Carey also uses natural substances to treat patients. Fish oil can reduce the effects of asthma; an East Indian formula of salt water and glycerine clears nasal passages. Finally, Intal, a solution used in inhalers to reduce inflammation, is based on the Mediterranean herb khella.
A child prescribed a homeopathic treatment can take advantage of tasty glycerine formulas, or powdered supplements that can be mixed with a favorite drink or food. Children attending school, says Rose, need not have their medications dispensed by the school nurse. "To make life easier for all, I usually have parents give the first dose before school, the next one after school, and if there's a third, that one is before bed."
Finally, diet analysis is a low-impact, but important, treatment - especially if the child is already taking other medications, which can interact with herbs.
"There are various techniques to discover what [dietary triggers] may be," says Rose. Parents of children with allergies must analyze everything in the child's diet - including what they eat at school and at friends' homes. Common allergens like dairy and wheat may need to be replaced in kid-friendly forms. Also important, says Rose, are environmental factors, which can include second-hand smoke or mold.
Know before you go
The job of a naturopath is not to replace a primary care physician. In fact, Rose works with medical and osteopathic doctors to treat patients, especially if they have prescribed medications.
"I rarely take a patient off of a medicine prescribed by another doctor," she says. "If the patient chooses to do this, I suggest he or she return to the prescribing doctor to wean appropriately."
Carey, likewise, supports patients who seek a more natural approach to their allergies - "As long as they are not ignoring their health,Ó he explains. "For instance, they continue to require objective monitoring of a condition like asthma."
Although, Rose notes, homeopathic remedies don't have "side effectsÓ as some pharmaceuticals do, plants are potent. "Some herbal remedies have what is called a 'narrow therapeutic window,' " she says, "where a small dose is ineffective, but a large dose is toxic. For this reason it is generally advisable to only take natural remedies prescribed by a qualified practitioner." Herbs can also interact with pharmaceuticals, so patients must have the ND review any current medications to minimize this risk.
Allergies may not be totally preventable; Rose says some children, especially those with family history of allergies, are born with constitutions that predispose them to bad reactions. However, allergies' effects can be minimized.
Starting in infancy, children should be breastfed, or if this isn't possible, given probiotic supplements. Parents should not introduce solids until their baby is at least six months old and showing interest in food. Rose recommends The Super Baby Food Book by Ruth Yaron.
Finally, parents would do well to consider the "hygiene hypothesis," which posits that children raised in non-sterile environments - such as farms - develop healthier immune systems at earlier ages, and are less prone to allergies and autoimmune diseases as adults.