Breathe Normally Again

Asthma and Allergies

It’s a ritual. Every spring and fall noses start dripping, people start sneezing and inhalers and medications come out. The seemingly inescapable, issues of breathing start in childhood for many or perhaps as a young adult and just won’t go away.

For my grandpa, it was mowing the lawn. He would gear up, mask, gloves, goggles and all, to care for his immaculate lawn and flower garden every week. We loved his yard and fortunately, none of us are allergic, but he couldn’t enjoy his work except far away.

Patients of all ages and types come into our office complaining of asthma, allergies, and lung issues. Interestingly they stem back to just a handful of causes, the most common of which is a compromised immune/digestive system.

These two systems are closely related. You cannot divorce the immune system from the digestive system or you would become infected by every pathogen you ate. Food is not sterile (*gasp*) and you don’t want it to be. The healthiest food is living food, and that means it is going to have a mixture of viruses, bacteria, and fungi in it, some good, some neutral, and a few bad. This has been normal and healthy throughout the history of our existence, in fact, there is evidence that a more sterile environment is bad for lung health.

Our immune systems are ever learning about the pathogens in our environment. A well-equipped and educated immune system handles potential problems quickly and easily. Lack of resources for the immune system can make us more susceptible. An underdeveloped immune system is another problem and makes us weak because it can’t respond appropriately or quickly enough.

Your lungs are an easy place to attack. There is a lot of surface area and breathing in airborne pathogens is impossible to avoid. Many would conclude next that they should kill all the pathogens in the air and in their house in general, but there is a paradox to sterile households. By the age of two, children need immune challenges to educate their systems. They need to play in the dirt and swallow a variety of bacteria, viruses, and soil-borne pathogens to stimulate their immune system for healthy responses. Growing up in a sterile environment keeps children’s immunity in an infant state and it’s not easy to catch up later. Studies have shown that children who grew up in a farm setting or with pets who frequent the outdoors receive the right type of stimulation for their immune systems. Specifically, being exposed to natural soil bacteria, especially when you are young, gives your immune system the right stimulation to function well.

Improving gut health is very helpful in reigning in an overactive system, especially for those with allergies. There are multiple factors that can make things worse. One is too many carbohydrates and sugars that depress the immune system and are known to cause damage in the body (when uncontrolled, they are the reason for diabetic patients losing their toes and eyesight) Another is an acquired sensitivity to toxins. Prolonged exposure to toxins and immune system irritants creates sensitivities to which the lungs may react.

If you have asthma or allergies one of the first things to do is take Antronex from Standard Process. It helps clear sinus and lung congestion, giving asthma and allergy sufferers quick relief. For allergy sufferers, another nutritional support to consider is Allerplex, Zypan, and Gastrex. For asthma sufferers take Calcium Lactate, Livaplex, or Pneumotrophin.

All of these Standard Process products support the body with proper nutrition, enabling the body to do what it is designed to do. We use these whole food supplements because food empowers your body to heal in ways no other remedies can. They provide raw materials for building up tissues and fueling the body that will empower the body to return to normal function.

As mentioned before, having exposure to soil microbes is essential for children and is helpful for adults. This may take the form of gardening or any activity that gives you direct exposure to the soil. Your system can’t function normally without it!

Have questions about lung health? Let us know in the comments or call 615-333-0021.

The information in this article is based on clinical experience and historical uses of nutrition as a therapy to support optimal body function. It is not to be construed as medical advice.