Allergies, Asthma, Eczema and Food Sensitivities

Notes from the Autoimmune Summit
This is not a transcript but my cliff notes from listening to these summits. the speakers are doctors, nutritionists and specialists in their field of health that practice functional medicine. These are not your normal health tips but the medical reasons you may be experiencing health problems and how to fix it. For additional information see links below.

Kara Fitzgerald ND

Allergies, Asthma and Eczema are you immune system gone haywire and you are getting a hyperactive response which is another epidemic we have now. There are two types of allergic responses one you get right away and the second may take up to three days for a reaction. The first case of Hay Fever in the 1800’s was from smog, pollution and chemicals.

Toxins are multigenerational, we are still inheriting DDT that was banned decades ago. These toxins and nutrient deficiencies contribute to the allergies and skin conditions. Epigenetics more than your genes are responsible.

You need to run tests on the gut and check for leaky gut, leaky lungs, leaky skin, deficiencies, on medications, stress and diet. Supplements to correct the deficiencies are EPA, DHA, GLA, Vit D, quercetin, nettles, boswellia, and magnesium. Safe for adults and children, work with a nutritional doctor for children’s dosages.

Clean up your home environment with a hepa air filter, test for mold, saline rinses and neti pots.

Asthma – add omega 6, nebulized glutathione under physician care only.
Remove gluten and seasonal sinusitis is gone.
Eczema and Dermatitis – bleach baths under doctors instructions or mineral salts, fatty acids, water based moisturizer followed by a fat based moisturizer plus probiotics.
Test for filaggrin mutation common in skin condition.
Dermatitis find problematic foods.

Getting away from allergy shots to sublingual immunotherapy taken under the tongue in drops patients do themselves. You also still have to clean up the toxins and food and treat the gut.

Histamine intolerance relatively common can present as an allergy but it’s not. Symptoms include migraines, hives, dermatitis, and abdominal pain after certain foods. This must be addressed different from true allergies.

If you get a reaction to cheap earrings this is from the nickle in stainless steel avoid foods containing nickle. This can show up as dermatitis.

Sublingual mesquite in the south for histamine problems

We are too clean today especially with children contributing to weak and underdeveloped immune systems plus hypoallergenic and antibacterial products as additional contributors. There is also a lot of cross reactors a food may be fine until you cross it with pollen together and latex is also a big problem cross reacting with food. Oral allergy problem where mouth gets itchy with certain foods.

1) Take care of microbiome
2) No pro-inflammatory or antigenic foods
3) Optimize vitamin D

Dr. Kara Fitzgerald web page 

Podcast interview on this here 

 Dr. Susan Blum MD MPH          Food Sensitivities

The best way to find food sensitivities is with an elimination diet, you feel worse when you eat something better when you don’t. Allergies cause visible reactions like hives. Systemic food reactions can be brain fog, fibromyalgia, pain, and inflammation. This can take up to 72 hours making it difficult to figure out on your own which is why the elimination diet is best.

The classic five are gluten, dairy, soy, corn, eggs, next would be peanuts, caffeine, sugar, alcohol and shellfish. Eliminate these for three weeks and then slowly add back one at a time waiting 72 hours for each to see if you get a reaction. Except for gluten stay off this one. Your body knows better than any test.

If you react to all foods it’s not the food it’s your gut, clean up the diet and repair the gut. When you fix the gut you can eat most foods again.

A healthy gut is a healthy immune system.

Good healthy flora makes your vitamins and keeps your gut lining healthy. The immune system malfunctions because of chronic low level stimulation from toxins and bad food.

Recovery Plan – fix the food – repair the gut – detox – manage stress
Do a stool analysis for gut flora, a breath test for SIBO (small intestine bacterial overgrowth), a urine test and check for intestinal permeability. The stool test is not the same a conventional doctor does it’s far more thorough.

She uses herbs, herbal antifungals and some prescriptions if necessary. She also uses DMSA an oral chelation to remove heavy metals and a detox genomic profile, see her site for more information she has free support for healing the gut.

Stress is how you react to it, it’s hormonal and neurological suppressing the immune system creating imbalance. She does an adrenal saliva test for fatigue from stress. Try meditation, walks, yoga, deep breathing, find a local class or video online.

Triggers that create imbalance are molds, heavy metals and infections all damaging cells. The liver needs a lot of nutrients to filter out the toxins. Pesticides are a huge problem you need to clean up your environment. Get a water filter, eat clean food and eliminate as many plastics as possible.

Do a liver support program once or twice a year. Without lifestyle changes anything you fix can come right back you must eliminate the cause.

Seven steps to do
1) Gluten free diet
2) 7 hours minimum sleep
3) Probiotics
4) Elimination diet
5) Water filters
6) Clean up enviroment
7) Add new greens to your diet one at a time.

Dr. Blum web page

 

 

Disclaimer: The information contained on this site is for educational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for diagnosis or treatment rendered by a licensed physician. It is essential that you discuss with your doctor any symptoms or medical problems that you may be experiencing.

M. Scherker medical researcher.