horses, rabbits, cows and mice. “Allergies are caused when the immune system cannot discern the difference between a safe protein, such as egg, and a dangerous protein, such as mold, and it starts attacking the wrong ones,” says Barbara Meconis, a registered nurse and owner of Holistic Care Approach, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In the home, these proteins can easily become airborne and cling to surfaces and clothing. They can be carried by people to pet-free schools and hospitals, making the proteins difficult to avoid, so for those that deal with symptoms that range from watering eyes to difficulty breathing, allergies can flare up in unlikely places.
Parrish suggests that making lifestyle changes may enable some people to keep a furry friend in their lives. Effectively preventing allergic reactions requires limiting exposure to the offending animal proteins. This can mean vacuuming often, using HEPA-grade air filters, removing carpeting, leaving coats and shoes at the door and washing sheets, mattress covers—and the pet—on a regular basis.
Alternative Treatments
At Holistic Care Approach, Meconis is trained in Nambudripad’s Allergy Elim-
Traditional Medical Response “Allergies are one the most complex, unresearched topics,” says Meconis. Because of the general lack of knowledge in the field of immunology, people with allergies may have difficulty finding relief, especially when multiple or severe allergies are present. Pet owners aren’t given many choices. “In the last five years, there is a working theory regarding being desensitized with incremental exposures, but there is no proof,” says Meconis. “Elimination has always been the answer from mainstream allopathic medicine, so if you are allergic to pets, they say, ‘don’t have a pet.’”
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ination Therapy (NAET), a combination of allopathy, acupuncture, chiropractic, kinesiology and nutrition. Treatments are typically effective in as little as one session per allergy. “We reprogram the immune system so that it no longer ‘sees’ that particular allergen as an invader,” Meconis says. “By removing disharmony at the intercellular level, the body stops being so reactive.” Founded in 1983 by Devi Nambudripad, a California chiropractor and acupuncturist, today there are more than 12,000 NAET practitioners and they can be found at naet.com/practitioner-locator. Parrish recommends natural treatments for affected people such as steam showers and baths with thyme, eucalyptus and menthol to help clear passageways, along with anti-inflammatory supplements like boswellia, quercetin, nettle leaf, fish oil and magnesium. “Unless an allergy is severe, I think that living around cats, dogs and other furry animals is a really good thing and brings so much love and sloppy kisses into our lives,” she says. However, for a serious allergic reaction such as asthma, a pet lizard may be in order. Julie Peterson has contributed to Natural Awakenings for more than a decade. Contact her at JuliePeterson2222@gmail.com.
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September 2019
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