Counseling Sheet

Agatha M. Thrash, M.D.
Preventive Medicine

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The lovely mechanism that we have to help us fight disease germs and other foreign substances that find their way into the blood and tissues is termed the immune mechanism. The person who is endowed with an active immune mechanism is indeed fortunate. The allergic individual, however, may find that because of some malfunctioning his immune mechanism has become overstimulated and has run amuck, and now has turned its equipment upon itself. Generally the immune mechanism can distinguish between self and non-self, but under certain circumstances, the recognition mechanisms break down, or chemicals are produced that unite with the products of the warfare, which injure certain specific tissues, such as the skin, the nasal passages, or the gastrointestinal tract. Thus an allergy is born.

Allergies can be treated by correcting the lifestyle. The best way to do that is to begin in infancy. The infant needs only its own mother's milk. To give an infant dairy milk increases greatly the likelihood that allergies will develop in later life. To introduce solid foods before six months of life will also increase the likelihood of developing allergies. A baby should not be fed solid foods until he is drooling well and has produced some other evidence that his digestive apparatus is maturing, such as growth of teeth.

At any time one recognizes an allergy, simplification of the diet, especially the elimination of animal products as completely as possible, may assist in getting rid of allergies. To reduce one's exposure to various chemicals and to a wide variety of foods at one time can also decrease the likelihood of having allergies. That means: Do not eat more than two or three dishes at a meal and use no more than three eating experiences per day. Avoid between meal snacks.

Sinusitis is an inflammation of the sinuses, usually associated with allergies. Except for the acute sinusitis, which is generally caused by a virus, most cases of chronic sinusitis are allergic in nature. Always start identifying the allergen by eliminating milk; more than 60% of food allergies are due to milk. If merely eliminating milk has not been successful, the next step is to simplify the diet even further. Often such things as irritating spices (cinnamon, vinegar, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves) may be at fault. Nice-smelling flavoring agents are often allergens. Citrus fruits, strawberries, corn, eggs, the pea family (especially peanuts), tomatoes, wheat and other small grains, and other foods may be the culprit.

Next to cow's milk, the most common cause of food allergy is chocolate. A good substitute for chocolate in the diet is carob. One can easily learn to make "chocolate" foods by simply substituting carob powder for cocoa in recipes. The inconvenience is minimal, and the result may be most gratifying.

There are several very nice "simple remedies" that can be used for sinusitis.

• The first is a hot foot bath, simply putting the feet in hot water for about twenty or thirty minutes, followed by a brief cold water pour to close off the pores and prolong and intensify the action of the heat. This treatment may be done several times daily, or once daily for several days or weeks as long as the sinusitis lasts. The nasal passages can often be opened up in a matter of five minutes with the hot foot bath.
• Another very fine treatment to open up the nasal passages is that of a hot compress applied directly to the face. Squeeze a towel from hot water and apply it directly over the sinus areas for five minutes. At the end of that time, place a towel that has been squeezed from ice cold water or cold tap water over the area for thirty seconds. Repeat the hot with alternating cold for three changes, ending with cold.
• After each simple remedy the person should lie in bed to allow the treatment to "react." The reaction time insures that the full benefit will be obtained from the treatment.
• Avoid chilling the extremities, especially the ankles and backs of the arms. Cool or cold skin anywhere on the body is abnormal and generally prolongs chronic sinusitis. This is especially true in children.
• In serious cases, a fast of one or two days per week may be tried with good success. Initially symptoms are often worse because of released toxins, but improvement follows.
• Six charcoal tablets taken twice daily in the mid-morning and mid-afternoon for approximately two weeks will often do wonders for chronic sinusitis.