Allergy and Homoeopathy: Homoeopathy, The Perfect Cure For Allergy

Clinical experience suggests that homoeopathy while taking care of immediate problems also strengthens the body’s defence mechanism leading to a long-term cure. Allergy is linked to the weakening of defence mechanisms. Upcoming homoeopathic centres for allergy or positive health approaches are welcome steps. In a way, it projects the homoeopathic concept in common understandable language/terms.

Speaking of allergies and positive health, if we positively prove? favourable immunomodulation through homoeopathic medicine and link changes in pathology of the host or the disease or prove elimination of toxins or even relief by homoeopathic medicine, we will be doing good service to homoeopathy, it will definitely help scientific understanding of the action of homeopathic medicines. Such work is undertaken and founded by the people or organizations interested in the promotion of homoeopathy should be given the widest publicity and will be in the interest of both the promoter and homoeopathy.

Another area is skin allergies and mental aspects of the patient. Stress is linked with many ailments. This is being looked into deeply but why the sensitive and tense personality had more allergic problems should be thought of. The link of exposure to the strengthening of the immune system is a well-worked area(Antigen-antibody and immunoglobulins) but how mental behaviour affects it or how homoeopathic medicines correct it, is an area worth working on.

There is wide publicity on active and passive stresses. American researchers while distinguishing between passive and active stresses have defined the stress experienced by you while watching a horror movie as passive and stress you feel when you are trying to meet a deadline as active stress. While active stress boosts the immune system and increases your ability to fight off infection, passive stress lowers the immune response and makes you susceptible to infections. But when active stress is unusually prolonged it may not be good health. They advocate relaxation techniques like deep breathing, soothing music and physical exercises as stress-busting tools.

Also Read It's Your Lifestyle Or Skin Rashes

Stressed people smoke a lot and they know that smoking is bad for health, heart and immune system. An interesting research study suggests that elderly smokers may lose their ability to think, perceive and remember as quickly as their contemporaries who do not smoke. The studies tested 9,000 people over 65 years with parameters like short-term memory time and place orientation, attention and calculation skills. All participants showed some decline, but smokers had significantly a greater decline. Think how many of us are significantly a greater decline. Think how many of us are under active or passive stress or are active or passive smokers.

A good number of homoeopathic medicines cover allergies, skin and mental symptoms but some clinical studies have been reported on sweating. Apart from cooling the body, sweating helps to kill several types of bacteria and other growths. As per modern research, human sweat contains a peptide called Dermcidin, which has potent antimicrobial properties and kills bacteria like E.Coli, Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans. It is efficient and a very low concentration can kill these microorganisms. People who often get infections or diseases skin like dermatitis may be having less of this peptide in their sweat. Researchers now plan to test whether Dermcidin kills viruses and strains of bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics. In conclusion, healthy foods, a clean environment, positive thinking, and work-out and perspire? And homoeopathy.

Immune System- A Double-Edged Sword

Homoeopathic medicines act by stimulating the immune system is established. Clinical evidence suggested that it acts both as an immune stimulant or if needed as an immune suppressive agent as such the term immune modulator is currently used. Current research in immunology can be of our help in understanding the selectiveness of the action of homoeopathic medicines.

Researchers have identified co-simulators molecules that are capable of turning the immune system on or off and in the process profoundly affecting human health says a report recently published. These findings may help researchers learn how to manipulate immune system co-stimulators to serve such therapeutic objectives as stopping the body from attacking itself in autoimmune disease. The immune system is a double-edged sword. It can help and it can damage. It has a positive and negative capacity and understanding and controlling this is the key issue for the manipulation of diseases with a new concepts of treatments.

Oversensitiveness

Some people can see the future. Dr Hahnemann was one. After recognising vital energy force he went on to recognise the external factors which influence vital force, explained the miasms and chronic diseases, and the important aspect of mental influence on physical well-being. Higher levels of spiritual intelligence can foresee far-off sequences and consequences. In the study of idiosyncrasies or over-sensitiveness (Organon 117), immunoglobulins, a group of lymphocytes with specificity and memory, needed for the immune system have been dealt with even before their discovery. Drug allergy is different from drug aggravation: Susceptibility is different from sensitivity as anaphylaxis is different from urticarial even though broadly they are allergic reactions (Allergy from allus= altered .ergon= activity). Oversensitiveness is also observed when tolerance limits or toxicity limits are crossed even without the allergic reaction(without immunoglobulins coming into the picture). The immune system was originally meant to protect us from pathogens, but why in some persons it reacts abnormally to harmless substances?

Allergy: why do only a few suffer?

True allergy only develops after the substance causing it(allergens) has been encountered several times and the person has ignored the initial warning symptoms. It is also true that those who have high levels of IgE are more prone to allergy. Some suffer allergies and others never suffer. The answer lies in understanding the factors which weaken the immune system. Over-exposure to one chemical or a group of pollutants can cause sensitivity which often spreads to other related substances as well. Our nose, skin , lungs and bowels have their own fine-tuned sense and warning symptoms. Do we not adapt to many changes, covering up the eventually harmful effect at the cost of lowering our immune system? If due cognisance is given to early warning symptoms our suffering will be lower.

Modern View

Scientifically, allergy is an immunological reaction to a foreign antigen(allergen) causing the release of histamine, inflammation and organic dysfunction. It may be local or systemic. The two major pathways of immunologically induced reactions are known. They are separated by the involvement of T-Cell or B-Cell. It is found that of the five immunoglobulins three IgG, IgM, and IgE are often related to allergic reactions.

IgE-mediated immediate problems are allergic rhinitis, allergic asthma, atopic dermatistis and allergic? gastro enteropathy whereas, antibody-mediated cytotoxic allergy causes problems like anaphylaxis, bronchospasm, Gastrointestinal or uterine muscle contraction, urticarial or depression-linked angioedema. Sometimes both IgE and IgM are involved causing problems like immune haemolytic anaemia, Rh haemolytic disease, serum sickness and arthralgia, dermatitis and hypersensitive pneumonitis. The best way is to avoid the antigen. The second best way is the use of Allersodes or Isodes of homoeopathy.

Allergies as stated are a response resulting in the release of an inflammatory substance(histamine). The most successful way to turn off this mechanism has been the removal of the triggers or stressors. Anti-histamines help only temporarily. Apis, Echinacea, Eleutherococcus, merc. propolis, rhus-toxicodendron, thuja, Urtica urens etc. are increasingly being used to manage allergic reactions. These problems are best handled by taking care of the severity, symptoms, constitutions and specialised management. Since antibodies are found in many pathological conditions, the mechanism of their formation has been a subject of an intensive investigation involving the antigen-specific receptors, the sites, and the histocompatibility of gene complex, but their auto-regulation is the subject of continuing investigation.

FROM THE PONDERING VIEWS ON HOMOEOPATHY

Based on the writings of Dr. P.N.Varma