Tips for Surviving Allergies
Tips for Surviving Allergies
by Dr. Noémie Long
July 2019
Living in New Jersey, it can feel like allergy season is year-round. Ragweed season for example can last
from March to October. Other allergies can be year-long, even in the winter. And then to make matters
more complicated, people can have sensitivities on top of all that. Where do you begin?
Definition: First, we have to understand what exactly an allergy is and how it’s different than a
sensitivity:
Allergy
Sensitivity
Reaction time
Happens immediately
Happens gradually: hours after exposure, up to 9 days later
Symptoms
Life Threatening: Sinus congestion, hives, difficulty breathing, face or hand swelling, itching, wheezing
Not Life Threatening: bloating, joint pain, headache, weight gain, diarrhea, fatigue, constipation
Mechanism
The immune system releases histamine in response to trigger
Typically, due to a leaky gut, the body becomes sensitive to a trigger which causes inflammation
What the results mean
Once an allergy is established, it is forever. However, the goal should be to manage the severity of symptoms
Sensitivities may be reversible through proper care and support.
What to look for on blood test
IGE marker. Ex: “Corn IGE”
IGG or IGA. Ex: “Corn IGG”
Reliable tests
Quest, labcorp, most major lab companies. An allergist may also run a scratch test.
Microchip testing (ex: Vibrant) or Cyrex testing.
*Cyrex is the only test to offer sensitivity to raw AND cooked foods.
Unreliable tests
ALCAT, MRT, LRA
What should you do for an allergy?
First, you need to find out what the trigger is. If you already know,
try to avoid that trigger 100% of the time. There are traditional medical options, such as an epi-pen if
the reaction is severe. For less severe allergies, natural antihistamines like AllerDHQ or D-Hist JR (a
chewable for kids) can be used. If your allergies are derived from oral allergies, HistDAO can be your
best friend. HistDAO supplements diamine oxidase, an enzyme you make to get rid of histamine in your
gut. Some people have genetic changes that lower this enzyme.
Environmental modifications can include dust mite covers for bedding, HEPA filters for your home/work,
and weekly washing of drapery or bedding using hot water.
What are your triggers?
If you don’t know what your trigger is, or are unsure if you have an allergy or
sensitivity, Core Therapies has providers to help you. My post-doctoral training includes focusing on
blood work interpretation and balancing blood chemistry. Often, our natural body’s chemistry can hold
clues and hints about primary shifts starting to occur. Think of your car, we would never ignore a
rumbling noise coming from the engine; we would look into it early and not wait for smoke to appear.
Secondary conditions like allergy symptoms or sensitivity symptoms may relate to an underlying
physiological shift. We want to identify and optimize those changes before they cause issue or progress.