What is an allergy? An allergy occurs when your body has an adverse reaction to a foreign substance. Allergies can erupt as a skin inflammation, sinus congestion, and respiratory symptoms. Your body believes that a certain substance you have come in contact with is harmful. It perceives this as an allergy and forms histamines against the unknown substance.

An allergy can be the result of different triggers. One example of an allergy is an allergy to food. A food allergy can be suspected when one consumes a food that quickly results in gas, bloating, and diarrhea. A food allergy can be more severe with swelling of the face, lips, and throat. This type of swelling closes the airway and can send a person into anaphylactic shock. This type of shock can be fatal.

Another type of allergy involves your nasal passages. This can be referred to as seasonal allergies. When the pollen or mold count in your environment increases, your nasal allergy acts up. Nasal allergies consist of itchy red eyes and a runny nose. This type of allergy is often accompanied by sneezing and wheezing as well.

Another type of allergy involves your skin. When you are allergic to something your skin can form hives and become inflamed. For some people, the inflammation is a chronic condition known as eczema. You can also have contact dermatitis. Your skin has formed an allergy to certain fabrics in your clothing.

Nickel and wool are common offenders in contact dermatitis. Avoid wearing costume jewelry that contains nickel. Wash clothes thoroughly in a hypoallergenic laundry detergent such as Dreft.

You can also form an allergy to skin and environmental irritants. These irritants are the potent chemicals that are found in cleaning products. If a skin irritant is the major reason for your allergy then eliminating the use of that chemical can greatly benefit your situation. If eliminating the chemical is not possible then you can wear safety gear such as latex gloves.

Asthma is an illness which blocks or narrows an individual’s airways. The symptoms of asthma tend to be temporary—in other words, they come and go. Tell-tale signs of asthma include shortness of breath, breathing trouble, and a chronic cough. If the symptoms of asthma become severe, an individual may require emergency treatment.

Asthma is a serious public health concern. It is estimated that asthma is the cause for nearly a half-million hospital stays annually. The treatment of asthma can be costly—some estimates put it as high as billions of dollars each year. It is important to point out that asthma can afflict people of any race, sex, or ethnic group. While treatment of asthma has become routine in the U.S., there remain a great many questions about its causes and the best methods of prevention. While asthma is a potentially life-threatening illness, in the majority of cases, treatment can control its symptoms and permit an individual to live a productive life. Allergic or extrinsic asthma refers to a type of asthma in which the symptoms are triggered by an allergic reaction of some kind. This is the most common type of asthma. Allergens such as dust mites, pet dander, pollens, and mold can cause the passages in the airways of the lungs to experience inflammation and swelling, leading to an episode of asthma.

Non-allergic asthma refers to an asthmatic condition that is triggered by factors not related to allergies. Factors such as cold air, dry air, exercise, hyperventilation, stress, or anxiety can lead to this type of asthma. However, many of the symptoms of non-allergic asthma are the same as those associated with allergy-related asthma.

While it may be difficult to prevent asthma, there are steps a person can take in order to manage his or her treatment. One important thing to do is to minimize contact with asthma triggers. After an asthma episode, ask yourself what kinds of things you’ve been exposed to that might have triggered an asthma episode.

Another important action to take is to take asthma medications as prescribed. It has been estimated that more than half of people who use asthma inhalers do not use them properly. As a result, it’s a good idea to check with a doctor or nurse to make sure that you are using your inhaler correctly to control asthma.

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Smoking is very dangerous to your health. Most smokers feel that there is nothing that they haven’t tried in order to quit. However, they may not be aware of the many natural means available which others have used to finally end this very destructive habit. It is possible to quit smoking, if you devise a plan, cleanse and support the body and use natural methods to curb nicotine cravings.

Most, if not all, people in the United States believe that smoking is unhealthy. Why then do people smoke? The answer lies in the addictive nature of nicotine. Over 80 percent of smokers declare that they want to quit and plan to do so at some point. Even heroin addicts admit that nicotine is truly the hardest drug habit to kick. (Haas, p.964)

Almost one-third of cases of pancreatic carcinoma can be attributed to cigarette smoking. Most lung cancers are caused by cigarette smoking. (Smokers are five to ten times more likely to suffer from lung cancer than nonsmokers). The more cigarettes you smoke per day and the earlier you started smoking, the greater the risk of lung cancer.

Children of smokers have an increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome, respiratory infections and lung cancer.

“Children of smokers have a much higher incidence and severity of asthma, bronchitis, colds and ear infections. They also have impaired lung development and reduced lung function tests.” American Journal of Public Health, p. 209, Feb. 1989)

If you eat a balanced diet, drink a lot of clean water and take a vitamin supplement daily, you may feel that you are generally healthy. However, if you smoke, this is typically not the case. Heavy smokers do not get as much of a benefit from a healthy diet. Blood levels of Vitamin C are much lower in smokers. Zinc, Vitamin A and folic acid are often depleted in the bodies of smokers.

Now that we have covered just a few of the negative effects of smoking on the body, let’s figure out how to quit - and without drugs! It may come as a surprise to you that there is a way to be free of this horrible addiction without using prescription medication for help.

Let’s now cover some ideas on how to actually go about quitting.

Have you tried to quit before and failed? Did you quit for awhile and then start again? You may feel that because you tried and failed, that it proves that you can’t quit. However, this is not the case. In reality, you get points each time you attempt to quit. You inevitably learned something each time you tried, which gets you that much closer to being successful in quitting. Most quitters did not do it on their first try. So just think of it as your “practice” run! (3)

A main part of your quit smoking plan, is to figure out which interventions you will use when you are hit with a craving to smoke. Try to avoid being around other smokers. Learn some deep breathing exercises that you can use to de-stress. Exercise is also a great way to limit stress and keep you busy.

Something to consider once you have decided to quit smoking, is how to get the toxins out of your body. One theory is that many dependencies originate in the liver. Cleansing and detoxifying the liver is a crucial first step toward breaking free of these addictions. Detoxifying the liver will reduce the cravings for nicotine. (ESP, p. 279)

You can use echinacea to help flush the nicotine out of the lymph system and lungs. Vitamin C is a great chelator of toxic substances in the body. (Which means it will “grab” the offenders and flush them out through the waste system). A usual dose of C is 1000 mg four times per day. N-Acetyl-cysteine 1000 mg, two doses of glutamine 1000 mg, four capsules of Evening Primrose Oils and 20 Sun Wellness Chlorella tabs are a good regimine for removing nicotine toxicity from the body. (Page p. 548)

It is important during your detox and quitting time that you “avoid junk foods and sugar that aggravate cravings” (Page p.548) Ginseng can help you to normalize sugar cravings, as can stevia, stevioside or FOS. Trace mineral and mineral deficiencies can play a part in some addictions. Magnesium, potassium, calcium and zinc should all be included in the diet when trying to quit smoking. (ESP, p.279)

The main concern when quitting tobacco are the cravings! There are many choices when it comes to this issue. Essential oils, vitamins and herbal teas are all on the list of items in the “cravings” category.

Eating a diet which promotes body alkalinity is said to show less desire for tobacco. To calm your nerves, try Magnesium 800 mg daily, stress B-complex 100 mg daily, valerian/wild lettuce drops in water. (Page, p.548) Young Living Essential Oils offers a blend called “Peace and Calming” which, some people have reported, was all they needed during their quitting time.

Oil of clove is also reported by many people to be extremely effective in their war with nicotine cravings. In Stanley Burrough’s “Master Cleanser” book, he states “For those who wish to quit smoking, place a small amount (of clove oil) on your finger - place it on back of the tongue and you immediately lose your desire to smoke. This is an easy way if you really want to quit.” Peppermint oil has also been reported to be effective. Just a touch of it on the tongue, in the same manner as you apply the clove oil will do it.

Single oils which may be helpful in smoking cessation in addition to clove and peppermint, are cinnamon and nutmeg. Other blends of oils recommended for reducing addictive behavior are Harmony, Thieves, Exodus II, Peace and Calming, JuvaCleanse and JuvaFlex. These can be directly inhaled or diffused, applied topically on the temples and/or back of the neck four times daily, or used as a warm compress over the liver.

Quitting smoking is not an easy task to undertake. However, if you give your body the right tools, you can repair the damage done by smoking, you can reduce your cravings and YOU CAN QUIT! Try some of these simple, natural and effective helpers. Nature is the best medicine, so believe in yourself and watch it happen!!

Some resources for people who would like more information:

Young Living Essential Oils, http://www.verygoodbusiness.com/sadiesgift
Easyway by Allen Carr order at www.half.com or www.amazon.com
American Lung Association, www.alamn.org (then click “quit smoking”)
Committed Quitters, www.committedquitters.com
National Cancer Institute, www.smokefree.gov
The Stop Smoking Center, www.stopsmokingcenter.net
The Master Cleanser by Stanley Burroughs, order at www.half.com or www.amazon.com

Bibliography:

1. Haas, Elson. Staying Healthy With Nutrition . Berkeley: Celestial Arts, 1992.

2. Essential Science Publishing(2004). Essential Oil Desk Reference, 3rd Ed., www.essentialscience.net

3. American Lung Association pamphlet Quitting For Life, 2003

4. Linda Page, Ph.D. Healthy Healing: A Guide to Self-Healing for Everyone, 12th Edition. Healthy Healing, Inc., 2004

5. Retrieved March 4 , 2005 from http://www.getoutraged.com/facts_top_pg2.html

Renee Suchy has been a Health Unit Coordinator for seven years, and is currently working toward earning both a Bachelor of Natural Health Studies degree and a Doctor of Naturopathy degree. She has also been studying aromatherapy for over a year. You can visit her site for therapeutic grade essential oils at http://www.verygoodbusiness.com/sadiesgift

On April 7th, 2005, the manufacturer of the vagus nerve stimulator( Cyberonics, Inc.) announced that it had been notified by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration(FDA) that one the few remaining conditions of final FDA approval had been satisfied. Cyberonics also announced that it was very confident that the two remaining conditions will be expeditously satisfied and that final FDA approval will be issued in May.

Robert P. (“Skip”) Cummins, Cyberonics’ Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer commented: “This major step forward towards the accomplishment of Cyberonics’ mission to improve the lives of people touched by refractory epilepsy and treatment-resistant depression (TRD) would not have been possible without the timely, diligent, interactive and cooperative efforts of the entire Dallas District Office staff led by Michael Chappell, District Director, and the Cyberonics regulatory team. Cyberonics and CDRH continue to make good progress towards our goal of satisfying the remaining conditions of final TRD approval.”

The official launch of vagus nerve stimulation as a treatment for depression will take place at the American Psychiatric Association’s Annual Meeting at the World Congress Center in Atlanta from May 21st to May 25th. The Annual Meeting will be attended by over 20,000 psychiatrists.

Major depressive disorder is one of the most prevalent and serious illnesses in the U.S., affecting nearly 19 million Americans every year. Depression is the second leading cause of disability for the general population and the leading cause of disability for American women. Approximately 20 percent of depressed Americans, or approximately four million people, experience chronic or recurrent treatment-resistant depression that has failed to respond to multiple antidepressant treatments. If approved, the VNS Therapy System will be the first implantable device-based treatment for depression and the first treatment developed, studied and labeled specifically for patients with treatment-resistant depression.

Vagus nerve stimulation will be the mainstream treatment for chronic or treatment-resistant depression. Over four million American suffer from chronic depression. The final FDA approval will be considered one of the major breakthroughs in medical device history.

You can learn more at http://www.VagusNerveStimulator.com. There is a free electronic newsletter to keep you up-to-date.

Charles Donovan was a patient in the FDA investigational trial of vagus nerve stimulation as a treatment for chronic or recurrent treatment-resistant depression. He was implanted with the vagus nerve stimulator in April of 2001. He chronicles his journey from the grips of depression thanks to vagus nerve stimulation therapy in his book:

Out of the Black Hole: The Patient’s Guide to Vagus Nerve Stimulation and Depression

The book will be exhibited at the American Psychiatric Association’s Annual Meeting in May.

He is editor the http://www.VagusNerveStimulator.com Web Site