Dr. Arun Uday

Allergies are caused by unnatural reactions between your body's immune system and foreign substances, which have gained access into the body. When these substances, known as allergens, enter your body, your immune system produces antibodies, which are responsible for warding off unwanted substances like harmful viruses or diseases and helping in the body's overall resistance.

The main cause of allergy is the uncontrolled reaction between the immune system's antibodies and harmless allergens. Allergic reactions are triggered when antibodies, like histamine, come into contact with particular types of allergens. These may include:

1. Certain eatables: Peanuts or sea food
2. Medications: Penicillin or penicillin-based antibiotics
3. Airborne allergens: Pollen, mold, or dust mites
4. Insect stings: Bee stings or scorpion stings
5. Latex: Latex or other substances, which are responsible for causing allergic skin reactions

Symptoms of allergies depend upon a wide range of factors, which are subjective and vary from person to person and from allergen to allergen. Depending upon the type of allergen involved and the nature of the allergy, symptoms may include any of the following:

1. Facial swelling
2. Wheezing
3. Severe itching
4. Swollen or red and watery eyes
5. Hives
6. Flaky skin which can peel off

These symptoms are common in mild to moderate allergies, such as atopic dermatitis, hay fever, drug or food allergies. There are certain rare cases (say, scorpion stings), however, in which the allergic reaction turns out to be potentially life-threatening. This type of reaction is known as anaphylaxis. Here are its signs and symptoms:

1. Nausea and vomiting
2. Loss of consciousness
3. Skin rashes
4. Intense shortness of breath
5. Lightheadedness

Homeopathy effectively deals with any sort of allergy by taking into account individualistic symptoms and thus nipping the root cause in the bud. Natrum Mur, Urtica Urens, Sulphur and Natrum Carb, among others, are very effective medicines against allergies. But these must be taken after due discussion with the doctor as they check out the symptoms and then prescribe the medicine basis that. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a homeopath.

Asthma is a chronic respiratory disorder. In asthma, the airways of the lungs get inflamed. Due to this inflammation, there is swelling inside the airways. This also causes excess production of mucous. The combined effect of swelling and mucus production is that the passage of air gets obstructed. This makes breathing difficult. A whistling sound or wheezing is often heard in such patients. Often the patient gets cough due to this obstruction of the airways. This cough is a reflex of the body to get rid of the excess mucous in the airways. A sense of tightness or heaviness is felt in the chest. One cannot expand the chest fully while inhaling. This is a medical condition characterized by paroxysmal wheezing respiration dyspnoea.

Signs And Symptoms

• Recurrent episode of paroxysmal dyspnoea (difficulty in breathing).
• The breathing is laboured, with a wheezing sound, mainly on expiration.
• Asthma attacks often occur in the early hours of morning (when there is no immediate precipitating cause). During the attack patients often prefers to sit then lie down.

Homeopathy for Asthma-

When it comes to the treatment of Asthma, Homeopathy is much better at treating asthma. It is in stark contrast to allopathy, where inhalers and steroids are used to suppress inflammation. Homeopathic medicines do not aim at just reducing inflammation. They also intend to cure the basic cause of the recurrent inflammation. This way, not only the symptoms of asthma are treated but the incidence of asthmatic attacks is completely eliminated. With a couple of months of Homeopathic treatment, you will be able to live a disease-free and medicine-free life. It is worthwhile to mention here that all Homeopathic remedies are natural and do not contain any chemicals. That is why these purely natural homeopathic remedies do not have any side effects at all. Here is a list of the top homeopathic medicines for asthma, along with the symptoms when they are used-

1. Ipecac: Ipecac is used in treating asthma, where the patient experiences symptoms like heaviness and tension around the chest area. Sudden wheezing, suffocation is experienced followed by other symptoms like motions, vomiting and gagging. Cough remains constant, and the chest gets filled up with phlegm. Cold and perspiration is also likely to be experienced. A patient may feel as if a lump is present in the chest. Increased salivation is also indicated.

2. Arsenicum: Arsenicum is an efficient homeopathic medicine, which treats asthma attacks, which take place after midnight. The patient is anxious, restless, and cannot sleep because of the fear of being suffocated. In such cases, the patient dozes off a bit, and wakes up with great burning sensation and sore feeling in the chest. Arsenicum is prescribed during chronic stages of asthma, usually in elderly people.

3. Nux Vomica: Nux Vomica is used when asthma attacks occur due to gastric disorders and during simple spasmodic asthmas. People who consume an excess of caffeine or alcohol are more likely to experience such attacks. A constricting feeling in the lower chest region may be experienced. These attacks commonly occur during the morning.

4. Kali Bichromicum: This homeopathic medicine is used is asthmatic patients where the asthma attacks occur because of potashes. The attacks generally occur between three to four a.m. in the morning. The patient gets compelled to rise from sleep and sit up in order to breathe. A stringy yellow mucus may be produced, and the patient feels a lack of air in his chest.

5. Natrum Sulphuricum: This is another effective medicine for treating asthma. The symptoms of asthma treated with this medicine get worse in damp weather. Most asthma attacks occur with a rattling sensation being felt in the chest. Bowel movement may become loose after this type of asthma attack. Alcohol and aerated drinks make the symptoms even worse. Such attacks are common in the morning with the production of a green mucus.

Homeopathy has no side effects and treats the underlying cause of asthma. You should consult a homeopathic practitioner before starting homeopathic treatment for asthma.

When the immune system of the body reacts against the tissues of its own body, it is called an autoimmune disorder. To put it more dramatically, the body becomes its own enemy. The immune system of your body keeps fighting disease causing germs and bacteria, but in rare cases, the immune system might malfunction and fight its own body causing different disorders. These disorders may be caused due to genetic issues or due to mutations. According to ayurveda, autoimmune disorders are a result of constant unhealthy lifestyle and diet. Ayurveda works at the root cause of the disease where it starts treating the malfunctioning immune system.

Here is how ayurveda treats autoimmune disorders:

1. Toxin removal: Ayurveda starts working on removing the toxins from the body. According to ayurveda, toxins or ama in the body interfere with the proper functioning of the immune system, which often leads to autoimmune diseases. Usually shunthi, haritaki, pippali, maricha, hingu and saindhav lavan are used to detoxify the body.
2. Metabolism correction: Not only will ayurveda detoxify the body, but it will also correct the metabolism which gets messed up when afflicted with an autoimmune disorder. Neem, guggulu, guduchi, vasa, patola patra and ghrita are used to correct the metabolism.
3. Increase in ojus production: Ojus is the component which helps in the nourishment of the immune system. It is generally received from the food you eat. Due to dysfunctional immune system causing the impairment of metabolism, production of ojas decreases to almost nil. Hence ayurveda increases its production. Guduchi, haridra, manjishtha, amalaki, nirgundi, yashtimadhu and pippali are used to increase ojha production.
4. Immune system correction: Lastly, ayurveda works at correcting the immune system. If the immune system is not corrected, then the above treatment procedure will just be useless. Ghrita, haritaki, bahera, amalaki, ela and dadim are used generally to calm the immune system and rejuvenate it. They help correct the immune system for normal functioning.

Autoimmune disorders may not be easily treated, but that doesn't mean you cannot expect it to cure or witness a miracle. You just need some faith and confidence alongside proper treatment and you are ready to roll. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult an Ayurveda.