Sethi - Combating Allergy Naturally

Combatting

Allergy

Naturally

A K Sethi

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Copyright: Author

ISBN 978-93-813846-1-9

Edition: April 2011

The Copyright of this book, as well as all matter contained herein (including illustrations) rests with the Publishers. No person shall copy the name of the book, its title design, matter and illustrations in any form and in any language, totally or partially or in any distorted form. Anybody doing so shall face legal action and will be responsible for damages.

A llergy is the bane of our modern civilisation and has assumed epidemic proportions in all parts of the world. It poses one of the greatest health challenges of the 21st century, because no curative treatment has been found so far. Moreover, with scientific advancement, the menace of environmental pollution has also contributed towards the problem of Allergy.

Allergies are of several types. Some individuals are allergic to dust and changes in temperature; others are adversely affected by certain food substances or medicines. A few people suffer from skin allergy and a handful develop allergic symptoms due to insects and even their pet animals.

Since Allopathic treatment has failed to find a cure for the curse of Allergy, it is worthwhile trying other alternative forms of treatment like Ayurveda, Yoga, Homeopathy, Naturopathy, Magnetotherapy, Colour Therapy, Acupressure, Music Therapy, Vastu Shastra and Feng Shui.

I have ventured to write this book in order to educate the layman about the different aspects of Allergy and hope the readers will find it useful and enjoyable to read. For any queries and clarification, readers are free to contact me on telephone no. (011) 27044226 or 9811506972 or mail to Sethi62in@yahoo.com.

A t the outset, I must thank my publishers M/s Pustak Mahal for giving me the opportunity to write this book for the layman on an ailment which is widely prevalent around the globe, but there is no known cure for it.

I am grateful to the patients who came to our clinic for treatment of Allergy and benefitted from the alternative forms of treatment. I am indebted to the following experts in the Alternative therapies, i.e. Shri RLJaggi - Colour Therapy, Swami Ananta Bharati - Yoga, Shri NS Dabas - Vastu Shastra and Magnetotherapy, Dr Ruma Banerjee - Naturopathy and Physiotherapy, Dr RK Kumar - Homeopathy.

My special thanks to Shri SK Gaba for providing me the latest material on the modern as well as alternative therapies of Allergy. Mrs Kiran Arora has done the tedious task of computer typing, scanning and compiling the book.

My wife Dr. Sunanda Sethi, an Ayurvedacharya and a Reiki Grandmaster, has been a continuous source of inspiration for me. I thank my children Rupal and Mitali, without whose cooperation this book would not have been completed.

Dr AK Sethi

W hen we mention the word Allergy, majority of people correlate it with Aachoo - sneezing, running nose, watering of eyes, cough, etc. Some people think of allergy to medicines like Penicillin, Sulfa drugs, etc. and others connect it to food substances like milk, meat, cheese, etc.

Unfortunately, allergy has become the bane of modern civilisation and we find ourselves allergic to several substances like pets, insects, perfumes, wheat, food preservatives, latex (gloves), plants, metals like arsenic, etc. Allergy is also a complicated and enigmatic subject for doctors and scientists, since neither the causative mechanism is clear, nor the treatment is satisfactory.

In order to understand what allergy is all about, we must first understand its basic mechanism. Allergy is closely related to our Immune System - the system which protects us from sickness and diseases. Our body is so designed that whenever a foreign invader (bacteria, virus, chemical, heat, cold, wind, water, etc.) or inner enemy (tumour, aged cells, etc.) attacks our body, the immune system gets activated to protect us from this invader.

The innate (inborn) immune system consists of barriers such as skin and mucous membranes, enzymes and white blood cells (WBC) called neutrophils in its armamentarium. If the innate immune system is unsuccessful, the adaptive immune system takes over.

This system consists of cells such as lymphocytes and monocytes and their products such as antibodies, cytokines and antigen-specific cytotoxic (killer) cells. This system does not damage the body tissues, but destroys the abnormal material (invader). It also remembers the encounters with specific invaders such that subsequent encounters by the host with the same agents activate the immune response more quickly and vigorously, preventing recurrence of the disease caused by the invader.

In contrast to the adaptive immune system, in certain individuals there is an over-reactive immune system, i.e. there is an abnormal reaction to the ordinarily harmless substances (invaders). This disorder is called an Allergy or Hypersensitivity.

When a person with a hypersensitive or hyper-alert immune system is exposed to an invader (an allergen), a series of events take place :

1. The WBC of the body start to produce a specific type of antibodies called Immunoglobulin E (IgE) to fight the allergen.

2. These antibodies attach to another types of cells called mast cells, which are found in the airways and in the digestive system where the allergens enter the body.

3. The mast cells release a variety of chemicals like histamine, serotonin, etc. which produce localised effects like sneezing, running nose, watery eyes, itching, diarrhoea, vomiting, etc. or generalised effects like breathing difficulty, low blood pressure, swelling of body, weakness, loss of consciousness, shock or even death.

There are two major differences between the normal immune reaction and allergic reaction:

1. In a normal individual there is an antigen-antibody reaction, which protects the individual (host) while in a person with allergy, the reaction of allergen with tissue-bound antibody (IgE) can lead to several unpleasant symptoms to the body and causation of disease.

2. In an allergic person, the body does not produce antibodies (IgE) unless he has been sufficiently exposed to the allergen earlier and for a prolonged period. Hence in cases of Food Allergy, the person who has been eating the (allergic) food substance regularly is more prone to develop a reaction than to a new substance recently added to his diet.