Allergy sufferers are unanimous on the issue of ‘change of season’. Be it professionals, doctors, businessmen, mothers, teachers, students, grandparents - you name it and everyone thinks that for all their health problems and those of their kin, relating to cough, cold, allergies, fevers, aches etc. the weather is to blame. Poor weather!

It’s easy to understand why people blame getting sick on the weather. There are times of year when everyone around us seems to be suffering from some kind of an allergy. It could manifest itself in the form of eczema eruptions on the skin or allergic and dry cough or show up in the form of asthmatic symptoms, or sneezing & sniffling, runny nose, clogged sinuses or itchy skin.

But can frequent weather changes between hot/cold days really make people sick? Illnesses occur at all times, at different times in the year, whether in February, May or September but often get attributed to the weather.

Now some food for thought. Isn’t it more likely that the infection that you caught beginning of summer was not from the weather but your carelessness to wear a sweater while it was still cold in the evening? Or that the coughing that caught you unawares was not sent from the sky but from the ice cream you had in the beginning of winter?

So can we safely believe that allergies are caused by ignoring the indications of the weather, not dressing up appropriately to suit weather conditions or eating something not recommended for you?

If the answer is YES, then our life becomes easier. Because then we can surely avoid the allergy by avoiding all triggers that could lead to the allergy. But sadly this is not so simple. The answer is complicated.

Occurrence of allergies has been increasing at a phenomenal rate throughout the world. What is it that has catapulted allergy to the position of a global epidemic. Apart from declining air quality and rising pollution levels in many parts of the world, the primary reason that comes to the fore is Lifestyle.

We eat fast foods, we eat processed foods, we go to sleep late, we get up late, we sit in our closed office spaces the whole day through, go only to gyms for exercise, worse still we don’t exercise at all and to make matters worse all of this is done in an environment that can easily be termed as ‘stressful’. Are we still looking for reasons to develop an allergy?

How is it related to allergy?

Let me start in the reverse order with stress. Stress can trigger an allergy and also aggravate it. I will discuss this in greater detail in my next write up.

Fast foods are low on water content and vitamins. Eating fast food lowers body immunity like nothing else ever could. Processed foods have chemicals that can trigger allergic reactions in people. Faulty sleeping habits or lack of proper sleep gives less time to the body to repair itself thereby lowering body immunity. Low immunity makes the body more susceptible to allergies. Sitting in closed spaces throughout the day in air-conditioned offices dries out the fluids from the body including the mucous membranes of the nose making it weak so it cannot protect against viruses entering your nasal passages. Not to forget the stress such closed spaces can do to your mind with too much positive ionization all around. And yes Gyms. With everyone sweating profusely, gyms can serve as a haven for all kinds of infection-causing microbes if proper care is not taken to clean the equipment. Exercising in a closed space with barely any inlet for fresh air attracts dust mites and people with sensitive airways might be allergic to it.

So what is the solution? The solution lies in fighting not the allergy but the root cause of allergy. In all my write ups about allergy I never forget to mention the fact that allergy is not a disease on its own. It is our body’s reaction to the environment.

So lets look for a simple solution to the complex problem of allergy. Start by eating fresh. No saturated fats, no junk food, no excess carbs. Lots of water and fruits so that your system is cleansed of toxins. Sleep is a wonder drug. Its miraculous healing properties for both body and mind are irreplaceable. It’s a stress booster too. Remember allergies and stress go hand in hand. Exercising in gyms is okay but exercising outside in the fresh air is wonderful. The effects of negative ionization cannot be undermined. A walk in the open after a day’s long work is the best tonic for your body and mind.

So enhance your body immunity and say goodbye to your allergy woes forever!

Salt therapy is an effective therapy for enhancing body immunity by cleansing your lungs the natural way with no side effects!