Breathe easier with allergy relief.

Breathing is taken for granted unless you are having troubles with it. For instance, breath is the life-force for the existence on earth.

Breathing is critical to life and to health. Health is a greater abundance of life and disease is a loss of life energy and a movement towards death.
Congestion is a symptom that lets us know we are getting sick...

Sinuses plug up or start draining usually in large quantities

• Sniffle
• Sneeze
• Cough

Your body is looking for allergy relief by trying to get rid of it.

What do people do for this?

Run out and buy antihistamines and over-the counter cold medicines to dry it up? If you do, this suppresses the symptoms and gives you temporary allergy relief but does not help fix the real problem.

Cleanse the digestive tract, decongest and expel the mucus, and reduce inflammation.

The root of respiratory problems in the lungs and sinuses are found in the digestive tract.

The Chinese recognize the connection of the colon and lungs as the “swords and shields” that protect our body from disease. The immune system is represented as metal energy in Chinese medicine. The connection is - both are lined with mucus membranes.

The membranes are an internal protective layer, like the skin is an outer protective layer that keeps dirt, microbes and toxins out of the body. This is the primary line of immune defense because the membranes of the respiratory and digestive system are more permeable than the skin.

The membranes are made to absorb oxygen and nutrients into the body and expel harmful materials at the same time. Unless the outer skin gets punctured or damaged in some way, it’s not likely to admit infection. The internal protective layer is more easily damaged. To protect themselves from the environment, a thin layer of fluid, what we call mucus, creates a barrier between irritating substances and the mucus membranes.

An example is: when we inhale smoke or chemical substances in our respiratory system, the body will flush the irritant out by sneezing, coughing, and mucus drainage.

Chronic sinus and respiratory congestion are usually signs of chronic irritation to the mucus membranes of the digestive tract.

How do you reduce the irritation in the digestive system to get rid of the respiratory congestion?

*Enzymes – are needed to break down food for assimilation (as we get older, we have less enzymes). When food is not digested properly, it is irritating and causes congestion.

*Respiratory problems can be a sign of poor protein digestion.

*Food Enzymes supplements can be taken with meals to improve digestive function.

*Fiber – is needed to keep your colon eliminating and cleansed.

Psyllium Hulls is a good supplementation for fiber, Everybody’s Fiber is gentler for sensitive digestive tracts. I like using the packaged cleansing programs also to detox and improve liver and bowel function. Tiao He Cleanse works great for my guys and the Dieters Cleanse for me.

Don’t forget: Good clean water is important for the body - flush and replenish.

To decongest and expel the mucus...

Mucus is made from lymphatic fluid when the lymphatics become congested.

Excess mucus production is an outlet for the digestive tract debris when the lymphatics are congested. Once the debris is in the lymphatics the body has to find a way to clear it out. Decongestants are herbs that help to break up the congestion by thinning the lymphatic fluid and mucus for better drainage.

You cough and sneeze when mucus gets sticky and gets stuck or can’t move. When this happens the cilia (tiny hair like projections that line the lungs and sinuses) becomes irritated and sends a message to the nerves and then reflexes kick in which try to force the mucus to break up and expel.

Expectorants help the body in coughing and sneezing to expel the loosened phlegm. The cilia is activated to sweep the mucus to the throat for elimination.

Over-the-counter medications for respiratory problems tend to dry up and stop the discharge which interferes with the flushing action of the mucus and the cilia. This provides you temporary relief but does not help you with the problem.

I like using AL-J, an expectorant and decongestant that loosens phlegm and drives it out from the body. I combine it with garlic for congestion in the lungs.

If coughing becomes spastic, Lobelia acts as a relaxant to dilate the bronchials and aids in the expulsion of phlegm. Lobelia is also used for halting asthma attacks.

EW can help with bloodshot eyes, scratchy throat, congested ears, and a drippy, runny, itchy nose with thin, watery mucus. It is a upper respiratory decongestant that helps tighten the mucus membranes without interfering with the body’s efforts to expel the irritants.

Chronic sinus problems...

Sinus Support helps break up the old mucus in the sinus cavities and clears up the underlying congestion that comes from chronic sinusitis.

Adding a colon cleanse is helpful.

Sinus Mucus is 95% water, water is a good expectorant and helps flush the system.

Reducing inflammation:

* Inflammation to the mucus membranes can be the problem for most respiratory ailments.

* We talked about how irritants can affect mucus membranes, irritation to the tissues can cause inflammation. Inflammation can cause swelling and restrict the air passages.

* The pores dilate which causes excess fluid release. That means too much fluid and mucus in the lungs and sinuses. Chronic inflammation can weaken the respiratory system and cause more serious respiratory ailments.

* There was a study done at University of Virginia and University of Aarhus in Denmark.The pressure from blowing your nose during a cold can spread the infection and germs into the sinuses which will make matters worse. You might want to try blowing one nostril at a time, it cuts down on the pressure.

Looking at reducing the irritants that causes inflammation:

Foods that trigger allergic reactions hyper sensitize mucus membranes in the digestive and respiratory tract. This contributes to asthma, hay fever and chronic sinus congestion.

Wheat and dairy are the most common food allergens. Pasteurized, homogenized milk and low fat dairy products can trigger lymphatic and respiratory congestion.

Raw milk from grazing animals and cultured dairy products like whole milk yogurt and kefir are less likely to cause problems.

Wheat, grains and nuts. The traditional practice is to soak seeds before cooking and eating. The seeds are made to block enzymes (breakdown food) and bind minerals in order to keep the seed in a dormant state until it sprouts.

You may not have allergic reactions with sprouted grains and natural sour dough breads.

Refined sugar, high fructose corn syrup and other simple carbohydrates spike insulin production and cause inflammation.

Processed vegetable oils have trans fat and do not have vitamins or omega-3 essential fatty acids which will reduce inflammation.

Fruits and vegetables have antioxidant nutrients that help reduce inflammatory and allergic reactions.

You should avoid inhaling irritating substances.

Smoking, is a serious one.

Chemicals from cleaning solutions and solvents.

Air pollution (Mexico City-half of the children have asthma because the pollution is bad there) home air purification system may be necessary if you live in an areas where there is a lot of air pollution.

Pollen, if you want to try to desensitize yourself to pollen, try eating a little bit of bee pollen or raw, unfiltered honey from local bees. Young children should not eat honey. Start with a very small amount and gradually increase the amount, this is a homeopathic approach to reduce the reaction from pollens.

There are homeopathic remedies to use for allergy relief with

mold, yeast, dust, animal dander and other inhaled allergens.

Supplements can help reduce inflammation directly or inhibit allergic reactions.

Thai-Go is an excellent antioxidant beverage that has mangosteen, wolfberry, sea buckthorn, applephenon, blueberry, concord grape, grape seed, grape skin, red grape, green tea and raspberry.

Everyone I have talked to and including myself have had inflammation and pain reduction and allergy relief with Thai-Go.

HistaBlock can reduce allergic reactions in the intestines and the respiratory passages. It stabilizes immune reactions so the body doesn’t overreact to irritation.

The adrenals can be weak when you have asthma. The adrenal glands produce the hormone called cortisol which controls inflammation. Adrenal support can be helpful in supporting the adrenals to reduce any swelling and congestion from inflammation. It may help hay fever also.

If you are having trouble with respiratory problems and you want to be able to breathe freely, cleanse your digestive tract, make the dietary changes and take supplements.