Hay Fever is an awful illness to deal with. Sometimes referred to as "allergic rhinitis", hay fever is a name given to an annoying collection of symptoms. These symptoms are the result of the body's overreaction to a substance it regards as poisonous. The symptoms associated with hay fever are nasal stuffiness, congestion, sneezing, runny nose, itchy and watery eyes, fatigue, difficulty sleeping, scratchy throat, irritating cough, and postnasal drip. Often, hay fever strikes people at different seasons of the year, but the result is the same. For the estimated one in ten who suffer from it, hay fever is torture.

Though genetics may play a part in allergies, there are other factors involved. Studies done on identical twins, who have the exact same genes, reveal that one twin may be allergic and the other not. If genetics were the only issue, all twins would react the same.

Different substances in the air are the usual triggers for hay fever. Normally innocent things that really aren't poisonous register in an allergic person's body as poisonous. Airborne triggers include mold, grass and tree pollen, different kinds of smoke including wood and cigarette, mites, and animal dander.

The healthy body normally doesn't react at all to any of these substances. With an allergic person, though, the body's immune system goes into overdrive and produces antibodies to defend against these supposed "poisonous" intruders. This unnecessary production of antibodies can affect the ability to breathe, the skin may itch, and the eyes and nose may oversecrete.

Normally, we count on the immune system to protect us from microbes that inhabit our environment. In the case of hay fever, however, the immune system is "shooting the sweater around your neck because it thinks the sweater is trying to strangle you". Obviously, there is a breakdown in the immune system of hay fever sufferers.

Controlling everything in the environment may be an obvious protection, but not an easy one. The confinement necessary to protect from allergies is torture as much as hay fever is torture. Medications are available, but they have their own set of drawbacks and, really, are only for temporary relief. Buying them and keeping them handy can be a nuisance, too.

One important factor in helping sufferers is realized by looking at the health of the immune system, again. We in chiropractic know that building up the immune system, using the body's own healing ability, is the best idea. People under regular chiropractic care appear to have higher immune system ability than people judged as basically healthy.

If chiropractic can help the immune system work better, then, maybe, it won't regard dust and pollen as poison anymore. Maybe the answer for hay fever sufferers is chiropractic care. Chiropractic continues to grow because our patients continue to see RESULTS. Call us and we will gladly do what we can to set you free from the torture of hay fever.