Raw Honey for Allergies

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Tansen said:
I feel I should rap this somehow but the method eludes me.

Eyes were scratchy last night
Less so This morning
Nose is runny as usual

Fri. May. 23Moderate
Oak - Moderate
Birch - Low
Ash - Low
How long have you been doing this? This kind of thing needs time. It's not magic wonder pill. Patient...as the Jade Master always says. :)
 
omfx said:
How long have you been doing this? This kind of thing needs time. It's not magic wonder pill. Patient...as the Jade Master always says. :)

No I know but the strange thing was when the pollen count was high I was ok. But since it went down it was like a ninja sneaking up on me
 
I forgot my jar goign home this long weekend but I'm pretty sure it was the incense (frankincense) that I burned and my face was on so itchy I think that thing didn't burn clean because my hands were dusty every hour and my eyes couldn't stop tearing up every time as well. It's my first time burning it but this is the first time I'm burning it after buying from not my regular supplier had to run my air purifier for hours but I think I got most of it.

Tue. May. 27High
Mulberry - High
Oak - Moderate
Pine, Fir, Spruce - Moderate
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1d31qrEKjk&feature=kp

Not that I have asthma but you get the picture

Wed. May. 28High
Mulberry - High
Birch - Moderate
Oak - Moderate
 
Fri. May. 30High
Mulberry - High
Pine, Fir, Spruce - High
Birch - Moderate

Some stuffy nose today but it could be the little adventure I had yesterday when it was 13 degrees out.
 
Mon. Jun. 2Moderate
Mulberry - Moderate
Pine, Fir, Spruce - Moderate
Buckeye, Horse Chestnut - Low

My eye has been bothering me I think I should attribute it to eye strain because I turned on my air purifier thinking it was allergies and popped an albeit expired reactine and no dice.
Screw you ubisoft and your disappointing game.
 
Nose has always stuffed in the morning

tissue-walrus.jpg



Thu. Jun. 5Moderate
True Grasses - Moderate
Pine, Fir, Spruce - Moderate
Mulberry - Low
 
Sun, sun, magical sun, ignite my allergies!

Fri. Jun. 6 Moderate
True Grasses - Moderate
Hickory - Low
Chestnut - Low

Woke up with nil just exhausted.
 
Mon. Jun. 9High
Chestnut - Moderate
True Grasses - Moderate
Pine, Fir, Spruce - Moderate

Dunno where this cough came from but it seems I am not the only one with it!
 
Tue. Jun. 10High
Pine, Fir, Spruce - High
True Grasses - Moderate
Chestnut - Low

I hate how every morning I can't smell anything.
 
Wed. Jun. 11Moderate
Pine, Fir, Spruce - Moderate
True Grasses - Low
Walnut - Low

I guess that may explain why I breathed so easy this morning
 
Thu. Jun. 19High
Pine, Fir, Spruce - High
True Grasses - Moderate
Dock, Rhubarb, Sorrel - Low

Keep forgetting to post but still been taking it, for the most part I don't see much of a change, no intense days of allergies ex. stuffy nose etc.
 
Hey Tansen,

I admire your commitment to your treatment regimen. Maybe I can offer some observations.

I'm not going to question the underlying rationale for the honey therapy. You seem to believe in it and that's important. As for the vendor's suggestion of using some extra pollens, that's not such a good idea. Presumably the idea is that it will result in desensitisation and thus greater tolerance to ongoing natural exposure, meaning reduced symptoms. Unfortunately that won't really work. It may make your symptoms worse but any improvement will be incidental and not attributable to the intentional pollen exposure.

Unfortunately many people who employ natural or alternative therapies and experience improvement assume that the treatment should be credited. This is the post hoc, ergo propter hoc (after this, therefore because of this) fallacy. It may well have resulted in the improvement and it may not. Sometimes we know it hasn't yet people will still believe it has. Provided the treatment doesn't actually cause harm and it causes no financial hardship there appears to be no real problem with this situation.

I see that you suffer from both allergic rhinitis (the stuffed nose and irritated eyes) and occasional hives. I note that you resort to assorted antihistamines. People certainly differ and it can be a case of horses for courses but during a careful treatment program like you are attempting it is important to have a plan and to stick to it. Jumping between different drugs isn't the way to go. If you feel the need to use pharmaceuticals for symptom control then try to stick to just one. Many will have other favourites and want to argue but the best choice given your symptoms is Loratidine (you probably buy it as Claratin or Claratyne).

Over many years of clinical practice I gradually became less and less inclined to use pharmaceuticals. I quite endorse your willingness to both take personal responsibility for your health (taking personal responsibility is an excellent attribute for trading so you are on a winner) and to try alternative therapies. The real clinical picture is much more involved however.

Your immune system is very active and constantly at work. Without it you would not last long. What most people don't know is that better that 90% of the cells forming the immune system can be found in the abdomen surrounding the bowel. They are there for a very good reason - the bowel is the entry point of the greatest threat in terms of constancy of assault on your physiological functioning.

Most people (probably literally everyone actually but no one likes absolutes) have some degree of reaction to one or more foods (well, stuff they ingest, not always having sufficient nutritional value to qualify as food). In most cases this is so mild it will never be noticed. For many however, there will be some degree of noticeable reaction, typically a bowel complaint like bloating or cramps or constipation or diarrhoea. Ignored for long enough this will progress to chronic conditions but I'm getting controversial so I'll leave that there. Some people of course will have full blown, life threatening anaphylactic reactions, the classic food allergies (such as those to shellfish or peanuts for example).

The strict food allergies are easy to identify and their impact on immune function is readily measurable. The food sensitivities are a different matter entirely. They are frequently ignored and sometimes actually denied (that is, some of my colleagues claim they do not even exist). It is indeed quite possible for people to react to foods and remain unaware of this.

Clinically, I consider that all patients presenting with hay fever (like you have) actually have one or both of two things going on in addition to whatever specific allergens may be triggering their presenting symptoms. Those things are unmanaged stress and some degree of food sensitivity.

My approach is immediate symptom control with Loratidine while exploring and dealing with the other two issues. Invariably it is those patients who constructively address levels of stress and make changes to their diets who eliminate their hay fever and no longer require any drugs.

To appreciate what is going on it may be best to think of your immune responses as operating at a variable level but normally below a critical threshold beyond which signs and symptoms of problems emerge. As you expose yourself to one assault after another your dutiful immune system goes about its work. At some stage however one or more things happen that push your system beyond the threshold and symptoms occur.

The aim is to take whatever steps are necessary to get functioning back below that threshold. Antihistamines appear to do this but they don't really do anything more than mask symptoms. This is useful for your comfort and day to day functioning but it is unsatisfactory for anything other than an occasional and very brief intervention. Of course it is all anyone will ever be offered if they do nothing about those other two issues.

When people react to pollens in seasonal rhinitis it is probably because their immune function was already subclinically stressed (that is they had some problems but were unaware of them) due to general psychological stress levels and consuming a reactive diet. When the pollens hit they become the trouble at the margins, so to speak, and the immune system loses it and generates symptoms to get your attention. If the underlying issues can be addressed the pollens may still provoke an immune system response but it will not be severe enough to produce symptoms.

So, try to become a bit more disciplined in your treatment plan. Try to stick to just one antihistamine and avoid the chemical soup effect. Work on good stress management. Identify and eliminate any causes that you can and then engage in regular vigorous physical activity to burn off the excess stress hormones. Examine your diet and see if there are any foods that you seem to react to. If you know of any, just avoid them. If you feel no abdominal symptoms whatsoever and believe you have no components in you diet that you don't tolerate so well, then focus on some groups and do a trial elimination (with hay fever, dairy is a good place to start the avoid list).

Anyway, despite a long and successful clinical and academic career I am now retired and have no registration or licence to practice so this is non-medical medical advice or mere education. I hope you don't mind my input. Best wishes. :)
 
You pegged quite specific things actually.

I did have a shingles attack and was completely unaware until my later college years. My parents frustrated the hell out of me with their stupidity to the point where I asked why is anyone universe included letting these people pro-create? I eventually broke down in what I thought was hives and I went to the doctor which told me I had shingles and said it was probably dormant for years and probably extreme stress levels finally reactivated it.

Only other case prior to the recent one I had was landlord was... randomly letting strangers who were thinking of buying the house into my room without my consent or notice even when I'm "sleeping" walk around my room while I'm still there. As a person who sleeps with blades, swords, and knives laying around his bed in arms reach I always assume someone is either coming from my window at the head of my bed or through the door which is just at the foot of my bed (As a Canadian they can be thankful I don't have my firearms permit yet). Went to doc asking if it was shingles again and he said no it's only centralized in certain areas this was all over and it was just hives from massive stress.

The most recent time I broke into was just random I guess it was pent up stress but due to the nature of the job its unavoidable.

I only take allergy meds in extreme cases and in that case I dubbed it extreme because it wouldn't stop and by the time I got to work it had actually grown. I used to never really take them. I think it'd be more progressive if I could somehow narrow the spectrum of what I'm specifically allergic to because there have been many high pollen count days especially considering the long winter we had plants are probably in overdrive. But I guess if I don't try for the immune system to reach that particular limitation it has no reason to get accustomed to it over time.

What kind of medical physician were you?
 
Tansen said:
What kind of medical physician were you?

The maverick kind. I've always been my own person and an independent thinker so simply fitting in and following a "normal" career path was not for me. As a general physician (not GP) I had special interests in emergency medicine and aviation medicine. Medicine as such was never really satisfying and I developed a parallel career in clinical psychology. This required a doctorate in psychology which is not to be confused with psychiatry. I was strongly influenced by Thomas Szasz and his 'anti-psychiatry' psychiatry. I was able to bring both careers together in the academic domain (though obviously they always informed one another) and I quite enjoyed teaching and research.

Even then I was bored at times. Sitting in a university listening to colleagues constantly complaining about work pressure was a bit much to take. We all had to maintain research, teaching and clinical loads but I took on larger loads than many and in addition, over the years, managed to pursue many other interests, sometimes even involving additional "full time" commitments "on top". Indeed, I pursued a lot of study in different fields and still managed significant amounts of additional medical and psychology clinical practice.

I did a graduate diploma in information technology at a neighbouring university and then managed to do some (very limited) IT consulting on the side. It was interesting and stimulating and I needed the challenge. As you can imagine, recognising this need for stimulation, it has always been important for me to approach trading very professionally and not as a source of something to do.

I realised early that exchanging time for money is not a good deal if being more than a slave is important. So I began a self-directed program of study in finance and investing. I hold no formal qualifications in this area at all yet it has been the source of my freedom - a far better source than my professional income or salaries. Real estate was rewarding but hard work. Trading put me through the mill and caused enormous dystress -- sheer agony actually -- for some time before I developed enough humility to become a true student and let the market teach me a few things.

Trading allowed me to do considerable volunteer work, which I think probably benefited me more than I provided benefit to others. Or maybe it was a fair trade. Trading also allowed me to retire early so I can spend quality time with my family and be a big part of my grandchildren's lives, while still funding some services I established.

I have often wished people good health, wealth and happiness. Now that I'm old enough, I realise that while all three are important to keep in mind, the order is wrong. Having seen and experienced quite a lot in life, frequently seeing people at their best and worst moments, I believe the priority should be happiness, health and wealth. Wealth is a mere enabler and cannot buy happiness or health. Health, though foundational, can feel hollow and worthless without happiness and I have known many people who have suffered very poor health but maintained quality of life through genuine happiness. Of course any can take priority from time to time and when health is threatened it should be taken seriously.

So I guess I'm 'that' kind Tansen, just like most others, but different!
 
You possess a lot of my childhood broken dream accomplishments lol.

Fri. Jun. 20Moderate
True Grasses - Moderate
Pine, Fir, Spruce - Moderate
Chestnut - Low

No change, I think if I had to isolate more specifically what I'm allergic I'm compelled to say grass since the place I lived in before had copious amounts of grassy areas a lot of them uncontrolled and some mowed every week.
 
Tue. Jun. 24Low
True Grasses - Low
Pine, Fir, Spruce - Low
Plantain - Low

Today seems like an allergy free day.
 
Well I guess the honey is good for these days since the pollen count is low

Wed. Jun. 25Moderate
True Grasses - Low
Pine, Fir, Spruce - Low
Plantain - Low
 
Mon. Jun. 30Moderate
True Grasses - Low
Pine, Fir, Spruce - Low
Plantain - Low

I didn't catch what the pollen count was yesterday but it I was essentially in the woods. I like to think it was a heavy assault on my allergies but nope. Not even a sniffle all day. So I am unsure if I adapt every season over time almost as if I change gear in that season or something else.
 
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