Australians are the most allergenic in the World! Why?

Allergies are nearly unheard of in under developed countries.

Ok, why are allergies experienced in such large incidences in Australia (and other “developed countries”)?

What are common allergens (things that cause allergies)

And what things can you try to get rid of them?

Allergies are reactions to items in our surroundings that trigger-off our inflammatory response. The component of the item that we react to is called an allergen.

Typical items include pollens, seeds, food, pesticides, herbicides, chemicals, preservatives, toxic fumes and dust, dust mites, dog hair, animal bites (eg spider bites), other rodent and animal matter.

The initial reaction is an immune reaction. In fact the management and study of allergies falls under the care of an “immunologist.”

The body’s surface (skin, mucous membranes of the mouth, throat, lung and gut, bladder, vagina) can respond to contact or exposure to certain allergens and can all suffer from a reaction.

Typical reactions are due to the release of mast cells and a subsequent rise in eosinophils ( a type of white blood cell), these lead to mucous production, swollen, itchy and constricted membranes. If this occurs in your lungs, you may experience a wheeze as the air travels back through tightened openings (or airways ) and is commonly known as asthma.

You can have allergies to all sorts of things – some really common ones are food chemicals, wheat, milk and dairy, grass seeds, dust mite and pet dander (hair).

There are a few ways to get rid of the allergies:

Acute management

When things have just happened and are REALLY severe and quick in onset – you could be suffering an anaphylaxic reaction (the mucous membranes in your throat enlarge, so that breathing is an issue, or your tongue swells, or you come out in an all over body rash) then you need to get emergency help (either go to hospital or call an ambulance). Some people have had a few dramatic Reactions and will carry an Epi pen (epinephrine) with them.

Medium term management

There are some extremely good natural products available via a naturopath or homeopath for reactions not as severe as above.

Medical options include anti-histamine (stop histamine being released which causes the mucous and swelling reactions. Adrenaline is reserved for severe cases but used frequently in hospitals, steroids can help (not the gym/muscle building ones).

Longer term approach to decreasing allergies

Natural medicines offer more options compared to conventional medicine.

Mainstream medicine grapples a little and tends to go down the avoid-if-you-know-what-causes is and if you goof it up, take an anti-histamine.

Natural medicines including decreasing the body’s over-amplified immune reaction either by retraining, decreasing TH2-cells or decreasing allergens and seem to offer the best overall result. Building a person’s immunity is key in managing allergies. This can be done via probiotics, zinc, a range of herbs and diet elimination. Ask a naturopath or nutritionist for guidance.