Medications are often prescribed to treat the
symptoms of asthma and allergies without
further investigation into the underlying
causes of the condition

• More than 17 million people in the U.S. have been diagnosed with asthma.
• Asthma is the sixth most common chronic condition in the U.S.
• Asthma affects more than 4.8 million U.S. children, making it the most common serious and chronic disease among children.
• Approximately 40 to 50 million people in the U.S. have been diagnosed with allergies
• Pollen allergy (hay fever or allergic rhinitis) affects nearly 10 percent of the people in the U.S. (26 million people), not including those with asthma.
• Chronic sinusitis, most often caused by allergies, affects nearly 35 million people in the U.S.
• Urticaria (hives; raised areas of reddened skin that become itchy) and angioedema (swelling of throat tissues) together affect approximately 15 percent of the U.S. population every year.Many theories have been made over the years, but little has changed in the western medical diagnosis and treatment of asthma and allergies. Many patients find themselves dependent on steroid inhalers and allergy medications for the rest of their lives in order to keep symptoms at bay. The problem with this approach is that there is no acknowledgement or treatment of the underlying causes of the condition. Often, in Naturopathic Medicine, asthma and allergies are found to be two sides of the same coin. Clinically, although there can be many influences in the formation of asthma and allergies, we have found that there are two primary factors which seem to be strongly related to the disease process. These factors include:

• Toxicity
• Adrenal Fatigue

Toxicity is a very broad category which includes a multitude of factors, depending on the individual. Environmental toxins can come from the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat. Our bodies are constantly bombarded with toxins from the environment that we must detoxify and eliminate. In addition to dealing with environmental toxicity, our body is constantly dealing with toxicity produced from normal bodily processes such as digestion and metabolism. Our bodies must be in the position to effectively neutralize and eliminate toxins faster then they accumulate in order to remain free from symptoms of disease.

Natural medicine is effective in
discovering and treating the
underlying causes of asthma
and allergies

Adrenal Fatigue is another common factor involved in the occurrence of asthma and allergies. The adrenal glands sit on top of your kidneys and are responsible for the production of the stress hormone called cortisol, among other hormones. Cortisol is very similar to cortisone in that it increases blood sugar, decreases pain, and decreases immune function. Cortisol is produced and released in response to chronic stress or low blood sugar levels. Chronic stress includes physical, mental, and emotional stressors. When stressors accumulate over time, the body has a difficult time coping with the heavy burden that it is under. This can lead to overproduction of cortisol. The body can only cope with a high level of stress for so long before the system starts to decompensate. Decompensation can create a deficiency in cortisol production. When cortisol levels fall, so does immune system regulation. Without normal amounts of cortisol in the body to moderate immune function, immunity becomes erratic and hyperactive which can predispose the individual to an increased likelihood of asthma and allergies. In this state, the immune system can become very hypersensitive and reactive towards normally benign substances.

As you can see, the treatment of asthma and allergies can be very complex. Rarely will the treatment for one patient match the treatment of another. It is important that the underlying causes of dysfunction are properly discovered and treated. Naturopathic Medicine has shown tremendous promise in treating these conditions through the use of diet & lifestyle changes, clinical detoxification, homeopathy, herbal medicine, and nutrient therapy. Utilizing these therapies, we have found that many patients have been able to significantly decrease, if not eliminate their daily medications under the supervision of their prescribing doctor. If you are frustrated with merely treating the symptoms of your asthma and allergies with medications, and are interested in exploring the possible underlying causes of dysfunction, please call our office to schedule an appointment today at (650) 323-7345.