Did you know that allergy symptoms have a lot to do with your immune system’s response to food and particles? So if your immune system is in poor shape, your chances of having allergies increase. You may have noticed that more and more children are growing up with allergic reactions to pets and foods. You also see more people with eczema, hay fever, lupus, multiple sclerosis, and asthma due to a poor immune system. You will find more and more families trusting and using the naturopathic care center for allergy testing and natural treatment.
All of the diseases mentioned above are caused by the immune system failing to recognize common substances that are harmless, such as peanuts and pollen. If this is a problem you have, then your body’s defense systems are out of whack. MS, lupus, type 1 diabetes, and inflammatory bowel disease are considered autoimmune diseases.
An autoimmune disease is when your body attacks itself, such as your nerves, digestive tract, or pancreas. According to experts, the number of people living with allergies and autoimmune diseases has quadrupled in just a few decades. In fact, more than 50 percent of Americans today have at least one allergy.
Why the increase in allergies?
There are different speculations about the reasons why this problem is growing at such a fast rate in a short period of time. One explanation given is that it is due to our modern way of life. Children today are growing up in sterile homes, which prevents their immune systems from getting stronger. In the past, your body was exposed to numerous bacteria and viruses at a young age, which helped build your immune system. This is known as the hygiene hypothesis.
Another explanation is that our diet and air pollution are to blame, along with our sedentary lifestyle and obesity. Both seem to point to how we live today, showing that whatever we’re doing, our health is getting worse. These problems are mainly seen in North America and Europe. However, allergies and autoimmune diseases are now beginning to increase in other developing countries.
Sterile lifestyles = increased allergies
One would think that living a cleaner life would be better for your body and your health, but if the hygiene hypothesis is correct, then this is why most people in the United States now suffer from allergies. Their immune system is underdeveloped and therefore cannot decipher between real threats and harmless particles, such as dust and pollen.
You may know some people who like to travel with a bottle of antibacterial hand sanitizer wherever they go. Then the foods they eat and the recipes they take are also full of antibiotics, which are used to kill all kinds of germs. This lifestyle prevents you from being exposed to germs, which in turn would allow your body to identify them.
The food and medical industry is too busy killing these bacteria and now, generations later, we have children and adults who have never been exposed to them. While it’s good that viruses, bacteria, and parasites are reduced, it’s not good for your body’s defense mechanisms.
Talking with a naturopathic doctor can help you learn how to best care for family members with allergies.
How the immune system works
There are two parts to your immune system: one releases white blood cells, which attack cells in your body that have been infected, and the other attacks the intruder responsible for infecting the cells. You should see a family care doctor who specializes in naturopathic care, so you can learn natural ways to treat allergy symptoms. You can also get other services, such as ozone therapy.
