Why does my child have allergies?
The mechanics are the same, whether for a child or an adult. All bodies work essentially the same in that if foreign substances get into the bloodstream, there will be a response from the immune system to deal with them. With allergies, it's called an allergic reaction. The allergic reaction can be mild to severe, depending on a number of factors. Examples of allergic reactions are rash, eczema, hives, puffiness, hay-fever, asthma, headache, running or stuffy nose, sinus "infections," digestive disturbances, fatigue, and even anti-social behavior.
If your child (or anyone) has an allergy, it's because a foreign substance or particle (referred to as an antigen) has permeated a cell barrier in the body and has come into contact with the blood supply or tissues nourished by the blood supply. In any case, the blood brings fluid and particles called antibodies and various body chemicals to the scene in order to neutralize and destroy the offending antigen. This is the antigen-antibody reaction. The first time this happens, antibodies are formed, generally without any symptoms. But the next time it happens, the antibodies are there to react swiftly, bringing noticeable symptoms, from mild to severe, even to the point of death in some cases (anaphylaxis). Therefore, your child has allergies simply because something has repeatedly gotten into his system that shouldn't have.
Some examples of antigens that can cause allergic reactions are drugs, vaccines, serums, cosmetics, insect venoms, poison ivy, pollens, dust, animal dander, foods, bacteria, molds, histamine, protein particles, etc. Some enter the body through injections, some through the skin, and others through the mucous membranes lining the eyes, nose, sinus cavities, throat, stomach and intestines. An antigen causing an allergic reaction is also referred to as an allergen.
Now the task is to realize WHY this has happened, and therein lies the cure. We are talking about cure, not avoidance. Healthy individuals remain unaffected when exposed to allergens; hence the emphasis must be placed on building health rather than on avoiding the environment. I cannot overemphasize this point. If allergies to food or things in the environment are treated only by avoiding the foods and things in the environment that one is allergic to, while this may be necessary temporarily, this is not building health. The person will still be allergic to those foods and those things, and will eventually develop allergies to more and more foods and to more and more other things in the environment as well.
There's a simple reason why antigens are able to enter the interior of the body where the allergic reactions occur, rather than staying on the outside, where they belong. The "outside" refers to being on the outside of the skin and on the outside of the mucous membrane linings, even though the mucous membrane linings are "inside" the body. And we are not talking about injections, where, obviously, the substance is injected directly into the body. We are talking about every-day antigens that do not affect healthy people---pollens, dust, pollution, animal dander, various foods, molds, etc.---all the things that drive you crazy because they're there all the time and maybe you or your child is allergic to any or all of them.
The antigens a person is allergic to can gain access to the body through the skin, but most commonly, they get in through the mucous membranes. These membranes, as mentioned, line the body cavities, from the eyes, nose, mouth and throat, down through the lungs, and the entire digestive tract. Normally, the cells of this membrane are knit tightly together and no foreign particles (and in the case of the digestive tract, undigested particles) are able to pass through them into the tissues.
Without adequate nutrition sufficient to meet the demands of the body, however, the mucous membrane can lose its health: instead of having tightly knit cells, it can become more porous and allow antigens into the tissues. When this happens, an allergic reaction can occur. If your child is allergic to pollen in the springtime, for example, that means pollen has gotten into his system and antibodies have been formed against the invading pollen. Antibodies stay in the system permanently, so next spring, if pollen gets through the mucous membranes again, there will be an immediate reaction---running or stuffy nose, itching, coughing, sneezing, etc. If the mucous membranes are still not getting the nutrients they need to grow tight and strong against invaders, they will continue to allow these invaders in. Over time, your child will become allergic to more and more different things---as more and more different things pass through the mucous membranes---unless the health of that membrane is built.
The state of health of the mucous membranes is not a permanent thing; it can and does fluctuate from month to month, and certainly from year to year. With the proper nutrients, sufficient to meet the demands of the body, it can be built up so that it is tight enough to no longer allow antigens access to the interior of the body---even the pollen in the air each spring, and even foods that you were once allergic to. It will take some time, but it can certainly be done. As the body is growing and replacing itself cell by cell, there is much you can do to insure that it will start creating more and more healthy cells. Be sure to read each section of this website so you can see what to do.
By the way, read the paragraph by Adelle Davis in the section to the left. If you try this, please let me know what results you got.
The body develops allergies in response to antigens entering the body through porous mucous membranes as a result of a sequence of events:
STRESS ON THE BODY from inadequate diet, growth, emotional upsets, insufficient sleep, infections, drugs, etc. The mucous membranes began to become porous. Suffering too many of these stressors, if prolonged, eventually leads to...
ADRENAL EXHAUSTION, from prolonged stress, rendering the body unable to cope as well as it should to stress because the adrenals are not functioning optimally. Adrenal exhaustion leads to...
LOW ADRENAL HORMONES, which definitely and seriously affect every body system, including the inflammatory response involved in allergies and asthma.
All of these factors are discussed in detail in the section, What happens in the body?