Allergy Relief

Allergy Relief

What are allergies?

Allergies occur when a person has an increased sensitivity to a foreign substance, also known as an allergen. When a person is suffering from allergies, their immune system overreacts if they touch, eat, or breathe in the allergen. Reactions to the allergen vary from minimal (eye watering or sniffling) to life threatening (throat closing).

SCIMEDICA Health Group offers allergy relief that identifies and treats allergies as a condition. Our doctors can help you boost your body’s ability to self-regulate when exposed to an allergen, rather than relying on drugs to suppress the body’s response.

What are the types of allergies?

There are two types of allergies:

• Anaphylactic allergies (immediate hypersensitivities) are a life-threatening type of allergy, which trigger a response in the immune system to attack the body. This type of allergy is extremely dangerous and affects the patient’s day-to-day lifestyle.
• Non-anaphylactic allergies (delayed hypersensitivities) are the more common type of allergies, which do not result in life-threatening conditions. It can be difficult to identify the allergen with this type of allergies because, often, the immune system’s reaction is delayed.

What is the difference between sensitivities and allergies?

Allergies relate specifically to an immune-mediated reaction to a food or other allergen. The exposure elicits a response from the immune system that results in histamine release.

On the other hand, food intolerances are reactions to food that are not related to the immune system. A common cause of food intolerance is digestive enzyme deficiency (found in cases of lactose intolerance).

Although food intolerance reactions do not involve the immune system, they can still create extreme discomfort including symptoms such as inflammation, gas, bloating, and cramping.

What are some signs and symptoms of allergies?

What is SCIMEDICA’s allergy relief program?

Some forms of allergy relief focus on suppressing the immune system in order to relieve the symptoms associated with the allergic reaction. While suppressing symptoms may make a patient feel better initially, it often leads to an exacerbation of the symptoms or the decline of the effectiveness of the original treatment method.

At SCIMEDICA Health Group, our naturopathic medicine experts manage allergy conditions by determining the underlying reason for the allergic reaction. Often, advanced therapies, such as desensitization, can offer allergy resolution without the side effects experienced with immune system suppressants.

Why is the allergy relief program used?

SCIMEDICA Health Group uses a naturopathic approach for allergy relief to:

• Decrease allergy symptoms without suppressing the immune system
• Treat the causes of allergy conditions rather than just allergy symptoms
• Support the immune system
• Prevent worsening symptoms caused by traditional allergy treatments

What does the allergy relief program involve?

The SCIMEDICA allergy relief program consists of the following two steps:

• Food & allergen sensitivity testing is similar to allergy testing, during which a patient’s blood serum or immune cells are exposed to a series of food proteins, and then observed for abnormal reactions. Compared to conventional food and allergy testing, SCIMEDICA offers testing options that can detect immune reactions that may occur hours or even days after exposure, as well as food intolerances that are food reactions unrelated to the immune system.
• Sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) is an environmental allergy treatment used to treat allergies without suppressing the immune system. Instead, SLIT works to strengthen the immune system by exposing it to the allergen in small doses until symptoms desist. SLIT is given to a patient orally (with no needles) and is absorbed under the tongue. Statistically, sublingual allergen desensitization is just as effective as weekly allergen injections, often completed in a matter of weeks instead of years.

What are the advantages of the allergy relief program?

The advantages of entrusting SCIMEDICA Health Group with your allergy relief include:

• Easy, convenient, and effective
• Needle-free and long-lasting allergy relief
• Less likely to produce side-effects than traditional allergy medications or shots
• Can be given to patients of any age, even young children and babies who cannot have allergy shots yet
• Is safe to give to a patient who currently has chronic sinusitis, bronchitis, or another illness

If you are suffering from allergies, SCIMEDICA Health Group can help. We invite you to schedule an appointment at our naturopathic medicine clinic, serving the Greater Vancouver area, by calling (604) 541-8811. Our team looks forward to working together with you to maximize your health and energy.