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Everything You Need to Know About Allergies

Summary:

"Allergies, also known as allergic diseases, are a number of conditions caused by hypersensitivity of the immune system to typically harmless substances in the environment. These diseases include hay fever, food allergies, atopic dermatitis, allergic asthma and anaphylaxis."

Overview

In March 2020, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a safety alert to warn the public that epinephrine auto-injectors (EpiPen, EpiPen Jr., and generic forms) may malfunction. This could prevent a person from receiving potentially life saving treatment during an emergency. If a person has a prescription for an epinephrine auto-injector, they can view the recommendations from the manufacturer here and talk with their healthcare provider about safe usage.

An allergic reaction occurs when a person’s immune system becomes hypersensitive to certain substances, such as foods, pollen, medications, or bee venom. A substance that causes an allergic reaction is called an allergen. Many allergens are everyday substances that are harmless to most people. However, anything can be an allergen if the immune system has a specific type of adverse reaction to it.

One of the roles of the immune system is to destroy harmful substances in the body. If a person has an allergy to a substance, their immune system will react as though that substance is harmful and will try to destroy it. Over 50 million people in the United States experience an allergic reaction each year. This reaction can lead to symptoms such as swelling. If swelling affects the airways, it can become life threatening. In this article, learn about the risk factors, symptoms, and treatments associated with allergies.

What is an Allergy?

Allergies develop when a person’s immune system overreacts to substances that are usually harmless. The first time a person is exposed to an allergen, they do not usually experience a reaction. It often takes time for the immune system to build up a sensitivity to the substance.

In time, the immune system learns to recognize and remember the allergen. As it does so, it starts making antibodies to attack it when exposure occurs. This buildup is called sensitization. Some allergies are seasonal. For example, hay fever symptoms can peak between April and May, when the tree and grass pollen count in the air is higher. A person may experience a more severe reaction as the pollen count rises.

Allergies Symptoms

An allergic reaction causes inflammation and irritation. However, the specific symptoms will depend on the type of allergen. For example, allergic reactions may occur in the gut, skin, sinuses, airways, eyes, or nasal passages.

Below are some triggers and the symptoms they may cause in people with an allergy.

Dust and Pollen

a. a blocked or congested nose b. itchy eyes and nose c. a runny nose d. swollen and watery eyes c. a cough

Food

a. vomiting b. a swollen tongue c. tingling in the mouth d. swelling of the lips, face, and throat e. stomach cramps f. shortness of breath g. rectal bleeding, mainly in children h. itchiness in the mouth i. diarrhea

Insect Stings

a. wheezing b. significant swelling at the site of the sting c. a sudden drop in blood pressure d. itchy skin e. shortness of breath f. restlessness g. hives, or a red and very itchy rash that spreads across the body h. dizziness i. a cough j. chest tightness

Allergies Medication

a. wheezing b. swelling of the tongue, lips, and face c. a rash e. itchiness

If Symptoms Become Severe, Anaphylaxis can Develop.

Anaphylaxis Symptoms

Anaphylaxis is the severest form of allergic reaction. It is a medical emergency and can be life threatening. Anaphylaxis can develop quickly, with symptoms appearing within minutes or hours of exposure to the allergen. Research suggests that anaphylaxis most commonly affects the skin and respiratory system.

Some Symptoms Include:

a. hives, flushing, and itchiness b. difficulty breathing c. wheezing d. swelling e. low blood pressure f. changes in heart rate g. dizziness and fainting h. loss of consciousness

Recognizing these symptoms can be crucial to receiving timely treatment.

Causes

An allergy starts when your immune system mistakes a normally harmless substance for a dangerous invader. The immune system then produces antibodies that remain on the alert for that particular allergen. When you're exposed to the allergen again, these antibodies can release a number of immune system chemicals, such as histamine, that cause allergy symptoms.

Common allergy triggers include:

1. Airborne allergens, such as pollen, animal dander, dust mites and mold 2. Certain foods, particularly peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, soy, fish, shellfish, eggs and milk 3. Insect stings, such as from a bee or wasp 4. Medications, particularly penicillin or penicillin-based antibiotics 5. Latex or other substances you touch, which can cause allergic skin reactions

When an allergic reaction occurs, allergens bind to antibodies that the body produces called immunoglobin E (IgE). Antibodies combat foreign and potentially harmful substances in the body. Once the allergen binds to IgE, specific types of cells - including mast cells - will release chemicals that trigger the symptoms of the allergic reaction.

Histamine is one of these chemicals. It causes the muscles in the airways and walls of the blood vessels to tighten. It also instructs the lining of the nose to produce more mucus.

Risk Factors

People may have a higher risk of allergies if they are under 18 years old or have a personal or family history of asthma or allergies. Some researchers have suggested that those born by cesarean delivery may also have a higher risk of allergies, as they do not have exposure to the mother’s microbiome during childbirth.

You might be more likely to develop an allergy if you:

1. Have a family history of asthma or allergies, such as hay fever, hives or eczema 2. Are a child 3. Have asthma or another allergic condition

Common Allergens

Potential allergens can appear almost anywhere. In theory, a person can have an allergy to any food. Specific components - such as gluten, the protein present in wheat - can also trigger reactions.

The Eight Foods Most Likely to Cause Allergies Are:

a. eggs, especially the whites b. fish c. milk d. peanuts e. tree nuts f. crustacean shellfish g. wheat h. soy

Some Other Common Allergens Include:

a. pet fur, dander, skin flakes, or saliva b. mold and mildew c. medications, such as penicillin d. insect stings and bites e. cockroaches, caddisflies, midges, and moths f. plant pollens g. household chemicals h. metals, such as nickel, cobalt, chromium, and zinc i. latex

Diagnosis

If a person believes that they may have an allergy, their doctor will be able to help them identify what is causing the reaction.

The Person Should be Ready to Explain:

a. any symptoms they have noticed b. when and how often they occur c. what seems to cause them d. any family history of allergies e. whether or not other household members have a similar reaction f. The doctor may recommend some tests or refer the person to a specialist.

Allergies Tests

Your doctor might also recommend one or both of the following tests. However, be aware that these allergy tests can be falsely positive or falsely negative. Below Are Some Examples of Allergy Tests:

1. Blood tests: These measure the levels of IgE antibodies to specific allergens in the immune system.

2. Skin prick tests: A doctor will prick the skin with a small amount of a possible allergen. If the skin reacts and becomes itchy, red, or swollen, the person may have an allergy.

3. Patch tests: To check for contact eczema, a doctor may tape a metal disc with a small amount of a suspected allergen to the person’s back. They will check for a skin reaction 48 hours later, and then again after 2 days.

If your doctor suspects your problems are caused by something other than an allergy, other tests might help identify - or rule out - other medical problems.

Treatment

The best way to manage an allergy is to avoid the allergen, but this is not always possible. In these cases, medical treatment can help.

Medications

Drugs will not cure an allergy, but they can help a person manage the symptoms of a reaction. Many treatments are available over the counter. Before using a medication, however, a person should speak to a pharmacist or doctor.

Options Include:

1. Antihistamines: These block the action of histamine, which the immune system releases during a reaction. 

2. Decongestants: These can help relieve a blocked nose. 

3. Corticosteroids: These are available in the form of a pill, cream, nasal spray, or inhaler. They help reduce inflammation. 

4. Immunotherapy: This can help a person develop long-term tolerance. A person will take gradually increasing doses of the allergen, either as a tablet or an injection. 

5. Leukotriene receptor antagonists (antileukotrienes): These may help with some allergies if other treatments have not worked. The drugs block some of the chemicals that cause swelling.

Treatment for Anaphylaxis

Anaphylaxis is a potentially life threatening medical emergency that may require hospitalization. If a person has difficulty breathing following exposure to an allergen, they will need immediate treatment. This will usually be in the form of an auto-injector.

Using an Auto-Injector

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommend that people at risk of anaphylaxis carry two epinephrine auto-injectors with them at all times. If one dose is not effective, the person will need the second. Use an auto-injector to deliver a measured dose of epinephrine (adrenaline) within minutes of any severe symptoms appearing. Someone should also call the emergency services.

EpiPen is a Common Auto-Injector. When Using an EpiPen, the FDA Advise People to:

1. Hold the injector in one fist, with the orange end pointing downward. 

2. Remove the blue safety release with the other hand, without bending, twisting, or making any sideways movements. 

3. Swing and push the orange end firmly against the outer thigh, at a right angle to the leg. There will be a click as the needle exits from the orange end. 

4. Hold the needle in place for at least 3 seconds. 

5. After activation, the orange end will cover the needle, and the window will be blocked. If the needle tip is still visible, do not reuse it. 

6. Do not use the thumb to flip off the blue safety release. Always use two hands to prepare the injector.

Incorrectly removing the safety device can cause the injector to release its contents too early. As a result, there may be no medication in the device when a person needs it. The EpiPen is just one type of injector; there are many different versions. All injectors have the same effect, but the ways of using them may differ.

Prevention and Precautions

There is no way to prevent or cure an allergy, but it is possible to prevent a reaction or manage the symptoms if a reaction occurs.

Those at Risk of an Allergic Reaction Should:

a. Take measures to avoid exposure to known allergens. b. Carry two auto-injectors and know how to use them correctly. c. Inform friends, relatives, colleagues, and others about the allergy and how to use the auto-injector. d. Consider wearing a medical identification bracelet with details of the allergy. e. Seek allergy testing to know which substances to avoid.

Prevention

Preventing allergic reactions depends on the type of allergy you have. General measures include the following:

a. Avoid known triggers. Even if you're treating your allergy symptoms, try to avoid triggers. If, for instance, you're allergic to pollen, stay inside with windows and doors closed when pollen is high. If you're allergic to dust mites, dust and vacuum and wash bedding often.

b. Keep a diary. When trying to identify what causes or worsens your allergic symptoms, track your activities and what you eat, when symptoms occur and what seems to help. This may help you and your doctor identify triggers.

c. Wear a medical alert bracelet. If you've had a severe allergic reaction, a medical alert bracelet (or necklace) lets others know that you have a serious allergy in case you have a reaction and you're unable to communicate.

Lifestyle and Home Remedies

Some allergy symptoms improve with home treatment.

A. Sinus congestion and hay fever symptoms. These often improve with saline nasal irrigation - rinsing out the sinuses with a salt and water solution. You can use a neti pot or a specially designed squeeze bottle to flush out thickened mucus and irritants from your nose. However, improper use of a neti pot or other device can lead to infection.

B. Household airborne allergy symptoms. Reduce your exposure to dust mites or pet dander by frequently washing bedding and stuffed toys in hot water, maintaining low humidity, regularly using a vacuum with a fine filter such as a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter and replacing carpeting with hard flooring.

C. Mold allergy symptoms. Reduce moisture in damp areas, such as your bath and kitchen, by using ventilation fans and dehumidifiers. Fix leaks inside and outside your home.

Conclusions:

Allergies occur when your immune system reacts to a foreign substance - such as pollen, bee venom or pet dander - or a food that doesn't cause a reaction in most people. The severity of allergies varies from person to person and can range from minor irritation to anaphylaxis - a potentially life-threatening emergency. While most allergies can't be cured, treatments can help relieve your allergy symptoms.

Your immune system produces substances known as antibodies. When you have allergies, your immune system makes antibodies that identify a particular allergen as harmful, even though it isn't. When you come into contact with the allergen, your immune system's reaction can inflame your skin, sinuses, airways or digestive system.

Best Regards, Solomon Jacob (Herbalist & Ayurveda Expert)

** Many Clinical Practice Guidelines Suggest that Some People with Chronic Allergic Symptoms May Benefit from Alternative Medicine Treatments!

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Can Complementary and Alternative Medicine Help Fight CoronaVirus (Covid-19)?

It Goes Without Saying that New, stunningly virulent and resurgent illnesses have been escalating around the globe, with alarming intensity, and advancing more rapidly than ever before. This epidemic of epidemics, and now the pandemic of pandemics in the coronavirus (COVID-19) phraseology, not only signal a crisis in human history, but also the tizzy dance of mutual adaptation that we ‘share’ with our microbial fellow travellers. We have got only to blame ourselves for such a horrid reality and also complexity. We have brought the pathogen ‘wolf’ through the door by rendering and disturbing the natural fabric of our environment, while changing our behaviours and, paradoxically, by our ingenuity to increasing the length and quality of our lives without nurturing the nature of our soul.

So, how — and, most importantly, why — have we gone wrong? In the words of Arno Karlen, PhD, a psychoanalyst, researcher, and author, “for each new disease known to the general public, there are a dozen others; because, the wheels of biological change keep turning faster. The common progression of humans and microbes has accelerated to a frenzied pace. For example, much has been written about AIDS, but far less about other new diseases.” He adds, “our scientific and historical research is fragmented, like pieces of mosaic rarely assembled in more bits and patches. We have been slow to understand that we live in a new bio-cultural era. For decades, we cherished the myth that infectious diseases were fading forever. This was a posture born of inherited optimism.” Karlen’s words speak of one inescapable truth: about new emerging viruses, such as the novel COVID-19, and its disastrous, cascading magnitude that has brought the world to its feet, aside from increased microbial resistance to drugs.

You get the point. Without seeing our larger evolutionary picture, we cannot respond intelligently to challenges facing our health and survival. For thousands of years, since the first hunter gatherers settled in villages, infections killed more people than war and famine. New diseases, as is obvious, do not fall from the sky, or leap from some mysterious black punnet. To paraphrase Karlen, “parasitism and disease are a natural, in fact necessary, part of life. They are fundamental to the existence of everything — from the earliest, simplest organisms to human beings.” Add to this, international travel and technology, our changing diet patterns, clothing, other fads, warped relationships and work-life (im)balance, and you are witness to a hysterical wave of new-fangled epidemics. This has also led to the (re)emergence of a chaotic, also amplified, panorama in the chronicle of natural history of disease retold.

Savage Test

This is a savage test: where do new diseases come from, why have old spectres, such as tuberculosis (TB) and malaria returned with avengeance, and why now? This is not all. Think of the terrifying impact of measles and smallpox that trembled the ancient empires of Rome and China, not to speak of intertwined stories of leprosy and the assault of European microbes that overwhelmed the natives of America, including the flu pandemic that killed millions, over a century ago — or, the diabolical emergence of new illnesses, with weird names, such as the ‘old-new’ dengue, chikungunya, SARS Coronavirus (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), H1N1 influenza, Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome Corona-virus (MERS-Cov), among others.

It is vital for us to understand the complex and dynamic relationship that exists between man and microbes, in the emergence of new difficulties postured and challenges flung by new diseases, especially viral illnesses. “Every age of new plenty,” as Karlen outlines, “demanded a price of biological re-adaptation.

Diseases occurred in increased numbers when our ancestors left the trees for the ground; when nomads became hunters and spread around the world; when village life began, and with the growth of cities; with the start of global travel, and then with the Industrial Revolution; and, with the social and technological results of prosperity.”

Mayan Saga Revisited

When we analyse history, it provides us with a gloomy case of the ordeals of the Mayan culture, to highlight a famed exemplar. The Mayan empire covered 200,000 square km and lasted 1,500 years, what with its fabulous stone cities. Yet, a thousand years ago, the empire collapsed; the jungle reclaimed its ruins, and people returned to village life. Studies of Mayan bones and of the Mayans’ living descendants showed that they were clued-up for catastrophe by their ‘use’ of the environment and their parasites.” Is this not a gloomy, yet dispassionate, example for everyone to learn from — in terms of history and reality?

It is apparent that for a thousand years before their empire fell, the Mayans’ over-reliance on maize and beans compacted their size and strength. “The skulls of ancient Mayan children showed pitting of the orbital bones and spongy degeneration of the cranium — a classical sign of acute iron-deficiency anemia. The soil the Mayans farmed was also poor in iron. As a result, so were their crops and mother’s milk. Their diet was low in vitamin C — which the body needs to absorb and use iron — and, protein, which is prerequisite for hemoglobin synthesis.”

“The custom of soaking maize in water,” as Karlen puts it, “destroyed most of the folic acid and vitamin B12 (cobalamin) needed for developing red blood cells. Maize contains iron, but it also has phytic acid, which inhibits iron absorption in the intestine. The Mayan practice of stone-grinding maize altered it chemically, so iron absorption was further inhibited. Heavy sweating, unavoidable in the Mesoamerican tropics, caused more iron loss, as did intestinal bleeding caused by hookworm, tapeworm, and other parasites common in Mayan farmers. In addition, the Mayan diet lacked zinc and other substances (nutrients) needed for growth and resistance to infections.”

The situation today is no less gloomy; it is also challenging, but not impossible. There is hope, notwithstanding the continuing misuse of our ecosystem, flawed food habits, the over stressed hygiene factor, which cares less for our natural immunity, or immunology, and more for promoting hand wash, soap, and sanitizers, aside from the dramatic changes that has emerged in the biosphere. The irony is stunning. Our forebears had to cope with new diseases, and so did our Stone Age forebears. So did the first farmers and the first city dwellers. However, in spite of all the struggles and crises, they were able to survive the challenges. Obviously, we all will too with modern medicine’s much-vaunted, also spectacular diagnostic and remedial armamentarium — which has, ironically, been found appallingly wanting in the COVID-19 pandemic, so far — and, other traditional systems of healing, aside from our buoyant, if lopsided, immune response, and imagination, including our amazing ability to adapt and flourish.

It goes without saying that we are caught in a flagrant web — the repetitive episodes of health crises through which we are accelerating the escalation and extension of new pathogens. They, like us, are trying to acclimatise and survive. The best thing to do is — we ought to, no matter what, conquer a majority of the illnesses, or diseases, and make a prudent armistice with some we just can’t defeat, despite our high-tech medical and therapeutic progress.

Let Nature Be

The lockdown has ushered in a skewed sense of time. For some, time just flies, as for others time stands still. Literally. So much so, an event that happened early this year feels like something that occurred 30 years ago. More than that an eerie sense of trepidation also seems to crawl at the back of everyone’s mind — there is an element of foreboding that pervades the horizon too.

This is a time when modern medicine is groping in the dark, trying to search for safe, and effective, drug interventions and vaccines. The twist also is the focus, as a result, has ‘shifted’ to natural treatments, viz., complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), as also integrative medicine, among others. The premise for such a change, however, is not for thrusting the all-too-cliched magic potion, as some proponents of CAM are animatedly indulging in, but to ‘up’ one’s immunity in the best manner possible. CAM and other protocols have had a long tradition in providing that natural fillip to our immune defenses. This holds the key to fight Covid-19 from the inside out and to the best extent possible.

Natural Supplements

Curcumin has been extensively used as a healing agent — right from ancient times. The active principle in turmeric, which also gives the herb its yellow hue, is curcumin. Curcumin is nature’s antiseptic, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and antioxidant. It is evidenced to have ‘aspirin-like’ anti-inflammatory effects, yet it is relatively safe, when used prudently, than conventional or synthetic aspirin. This primeval element has been confirmed and replicated through clinical studies.

That curcumin has received a renewed ‘look-in’ as a natural candidate to ‘jazz up’ our immunity, ever since the outbreak of COVID-19, is no surprise. Some open-minded physicians have been advocating the use of curcumin for reducing inflammation in the lung caused by coronavirus and also as a possible ‘preventative.’ Others maintain that curcumin has the ability to augment our immunity and possibly help to curtail certain COVID-19 symptoms.

It’d be interesting to note that most conventional treatment choices help, at best, to reduce just a few pro-inflammatory cytokines — a large group of proteins, peptides, or glycoproteins, which are secreted by specific cells of our immune system. Curcumin, on the other hand, has the potential to suppress more than just a handful of pro-inflammatory cytokines.

Curcumin delivers other benefits too — it helps to cleanse, or ‘detox,’ the respiratory tract and combat infections that trigger cold and flu. It is a first-rate immunity booster for individuals that suffer perennially from allergies, sinusitis and bronchitis. It helps to ease inflammation in the upper as well as the lower respiratory tract — this alleviates nasal congestion, bronchial asthma and other related conditions. Most important — the antiviral factor in curcumin reduces the replication of viruses.

The use of curcumin has amplified in the wake of the COVID-19 storm — be it Asia, the Middle East, Europe, or elsewhere. Most of us, especially in the East, have been consuming turmeric powder, as a tradition, in warm milk. However, the fact is — the quantity of curcumin in turmeric powder is just not adequate, or optimal. It is, therefore, imperative that consuming high-quality curcumin supplements is the need of the hour — primarily because the dose of curcumin in quality supplements is optimal, also therapeutically appropriate.

Thanks to best practices and new strategies aimed to resolve the ‘poor’ bio-availability and low aqueous solubility of ‘regular’ curcumin, you’ve a select range of high-quality curcumin supplements to pick from. In simple terms, they correspond to scientifically accurate and sufficient dosages of curcumin ‘earmarked’ to provide optimal relief, from viral and other symptoms, and with real-time safety.

A clinical trial of ArtemiC (artemisinin and curcumin), a food supplement, for the treatment of patients suffering from COVID-19 infection is now underway in Israel. The study is designed to help address viral infections with inflammatory complications. Open scientific data on artemisinin and curcumin support the testing of ArtemiC in COVID-19 patients. The double-blind, placebocontrolled trial will investigate the safety and efficacy of ArtemiC, a natural formulation intended for immune-modulation. The purpose of the project is to effectively treat certain pathophysiological complications of COVID-19.

In this context, it’d only be appropriate, also imperative, to highlight the recommendations of the Institute of Functional Medicine (IFM), US, and its approach to the COVID-19 crisis:

1. Adherence to all health recommendations from official sources to decrease viral transmission. 2. Optimising modifiable lifestyle factors in order to improve overall immune function. 3. Reduce progression from colonisation to illness. 4. Personalised consideration of therapeutic agents that may: a. Favourably modulate cellular defence and repair mechanisms. b. Favourably modulate viral-induced pathological cellular processes. 5. Promote viral eradication, or inactivation. 6. Mitigate collateral damage from other therapeutic agents. 7. Promote resolution of collateral damage and restoration of function. 8. Treatment of confirmed COVID-19 illness (as per conventional standards and practice): -- May reduce the severity and duration of acute symptoms and complications. -- May support recovery and reduce long-term morbidity and sequel.

A coronavirus, such as COVID-19, as the IFM underlines, can be lethal because of its capability to ‘fuel’ a part of the inherent immune response called the inflammasome (immune system receptor and sensor), which can cause unrestrained discharge of pro-inflammatory cytokines, leading to ‘cytokine storm’ and severe, sometimes irreparable, damage to respiratory epithelium. The COVID-19 virus has been shown to trigger inflammasome. It is evidenced that certain natural compounds, or phytonutrients, such as curcumin (turmeric), resveratrol, found in grapes, EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate), found in green tea, and quercetin, found in onion, are potent inhibitors of the inflammasome. Besides, such phyto-nutrients regulate inflammation. This is useful to counteract the COVID-19 ’hyper-inflammation.’ It is also suggested that such bio-active compounds may have the ability to inhibit the COVID-19 main protease, which is required for viral copying. Though supplementary research is necessary to prove their usefulness, the existing credo provides biologic plausibleness and systematic support for COVID-19 protease inhibition to support their use.

In an article published in Journal of Evidence Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, H A Mousa et al articulate, that, “in recent years viral respiratory tract infections, especially influenza viruses, have had a major impact on communities worldwide as a result of unavailability of effective treatment or vaccine. The frequent alterations in the antigenic structures of respiratory viruses, particularly for RNA viruses (Note: COVID-19 is one such virus), pose difficulties in the production of effective vaccines. The unavailability of optimal medication and shortage of effective vaccines suggests the requirement for alternative natural therapies. Several herbal remedies were used for prevention and treatment of viral respiratory illnesses.

Among those that were found effectiveincluded maoto, licorice roots, antiwei, North American ginseng, berries, echinacea, plants extracted carnosic acid, pomegranate,guava tea, and Bai Shao. There is scientific evidence regarding the effectiveness of several complementary therapies for colds. Oral zinc may reduce the length and severity of a cold. Taking vitamin C supplements on a regular basis only slightly reduces the length and severity of colds. Probiotics were found better than placebo in reducing the number of episodes of acute upper respiratory tract infections, the rate of episodes of acute upper respiratory tract infection and reduced antibiotic use. Alkaline diets or drinks might have antiviral properties as in vitro studies demonstrated inactivation effect of alkaline medium on respiratory virus.”

Astragalus - has traditionally been used to fortify the immune system and to treat colds, among other viral disorders. Some studies suggest that certain compounds found in the herb ‘upturn’ the production of white blood cells, particularly T-cells, macrophages and other cells imperative for immune system function. Astralagus has anti-inflammatory and antiviral effects;this includes a certain activity against a specific type of coronavirus that frequently infects poultry. In China, astragalus, alone and in combination with other herbs, has been advocated to possibly help prevent COVID-19 infections. The fact, however, is there is no fullscale clinical evidence that it can, like other popular herbs, prevent, or treat, coronavirus infection.

Green Tea - modulates the inflammasome while potentially targeting the COVID-19 main protease — in so doing, it reduces viral replication. Green tea has also been found to be useful in preventing flu in healthcare professionals.

Melatonin - may have an inhibitory effect on the inflammasome. This has led to the idea of using melatonin as a healing agent in COVID-19-like infections.

N-Acetylcysteine (NAC) - has been shown to be protecting in influenza. Says Richard Firshein, DO, a pioneer in integrative medicine, “Modern science offers (very) few drugs to combat viruses, but NAC may offer hope in this area. A study in Anti-Viral Research reports that NAC inhibited replication of the hepatitis B virus, reducing viral DNA fifty-fold. Exciting new research also indicates that NAC may protect the body against HIV.”

Quercetin - reportedly has antiviral effects against RNA (e.g., influenza and coronavirus) and DNA viruses (e.g., herpes virus). Quercetin is an antioxidant. It has anti-inflammatory properties; it modulates signalling alleyways related to post-viral remedial outcomes.

Resveratrol - is evidenced to ease the inflammasome. It has also been shown to have useful antiviral activity. Vitamin C promotes immune defence by enhancing a host of cellular functions of the immune system. Vitamin C augments microbial annihilation. Supplementation with vitamin C appears to prevent and also treat respiratory and systemic infections. Vitamin C has been used in hospital practice to manage and treat COVID-19 infections. Vitamin D supplementation may prevent upper respiratory infections. It may also ease, or alleviate, illness from COVID-19 infection.

Zinc - props immune defence. Studies suggest that it suppresses viral attachment and replication. Zinc deficiency is common with most people at risk of severe COVID-19 infections. It is reported that zinc supplements prevent viral infections; they also reduce their severity and duration. It has also been evidenced that zinc reduces the risk of lower respiratory infections. This obviously holds significance in COVID-19.

Other Options

Ayurveda is the Science of Life. It promulgates the bounty of nature in the maintenance of optimal health and well-being — and, not merely the absence of disease, or illness. Ayurveda’s extensive knowledge base on preventative care accrues from two models based on dinacharya — daily regime — and ritucharya — seasonal regime — to sustain a healthy, balanced life. Ayurveda is a plant based science. Candace Pert, PhD, the co-discoverer of peptides, our ‘molecules of emotions,’ referred to Ayurveda as the completest of medical sciences. The amplification of consciousness about oneself and the synchronization of each individual, as Ayurveda also emphasizes, can be achieved by elevating and preserving our immunity in accordance with the medical system’s pristine and classical scriptures. That the genius of Charaka (300 BCE), the first physician to present the foundational premise of digestion, metabolism and immunity, could so articulately describe the contextual and also the ‘contour’ of a virus, such as COVID-19, is testimony to its great legacy.

It’d be heartening to note that the government of India has approved of a randomized controlled clinical trial to assess the efficacy of ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) as a potential preventative intervention among healthcare professionals and high-risk coronavirus population vis-à-vis hydroxychloroquine. The joint initiative of the ministries of Ayush, health, science and technology, through the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), with technical support from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), will encompass formulated and designed clinical research protocols for prophylactic studies and add-on interventions in COVID-19 positive cases through review and consultative process of experts of high repute from different organisations across the country. The purpose is to analyse and study different interventions — viz., ashwagandha, yashtimadhu (Glycyrrhiza glabra), guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia), pippali (Long pepper) and a poly-herbal formulation (Ayush-64).

This isn’t all. The Ayurvedic formula Fifatrol is reported to act as an immune booster. The natural formula is a multi-drug combination of Ayurvedic classical medicines and herbs. Research suggests that Fifatrol acts as a natural antibiotic and fights infection, flu and ache. It is evidenced that Fifatrol provides quick relief from nasal congestion, sore throat, body ache and headache. The formula also has micro-nutrients, along with a balanced combination of vital phyto-constituents, immune-modulators and antioxidants — this, according to clinicians, apparently justifies its beneficial effects in the treatment of upper respiratory tract (viral) infections.

Homeopathy is ‘bespoke,’ or personalised, medicine. Homeopathy treats the individual; it does not limit treatment to the diagnosis of illness alone. When you are ill, your illness has its own unique pattern of symptoms. You tend to get illnesses that result from the particular pattern of imbalance with your immune and other systems — one that is distinctive to your unique disposition and/or susceptibility.

Homeopathy is based on the principle that one can treat ‘likes with likes’ — that is, a substance which causes certain symptoms, when taken in large doses, can also be used in small (‘less is more’) amounts to treat the ‘same,’ or ‘similar,’ symptoms of the illness, or health issue. Homeopathy is unlike conventional medicine, where individuals are diagnosed on the foundation of just the illness, or disease — and, the same medicine is prescribed for each illness. Homeopathy prescribes a different remedy for a given illness, depending on a multitude of factors, such as the personality, or constitution, of the individual, their state of mind and lifestyle. In other words, the illness may be the same by name, but the presentation in no two individuals is always the same — so, they are given different homeopathic remedies that match their unique personality, or ‘individuality.’

Homeopathy has a long history in preventative medicine. Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843), MD, the founder of homeopathy, was the first to achieve significant outcomes in the prevention and also of the scarlet fever epidemic, a vicious form of ‘strep’ throat, which swept Germany in 1802. He was also the first experimental physician to lay emphasis on the importance of preventative medicine. This wasn’t all. He was also the first medical pioneer to think of ‘immunization,’ when Louis Pasteur, the founder of vaccination, was eight years old.

To highlight a case in point. The flu pandemic of 1918 is reminisced for its devastating death toll. It was the worst epidemic in US history, with 600,000 people dead. Besides, the deadly flu took away the lives of hundreds of thousands of people elsewhere. The Journal of the American Institute of Homeopathy (1921) reported, that in Dayton, Ohio, the overall mortality rate of flu patients was 28 per cent, and in 26,000 cases of flu treated homeopathically the mortality rate was 1 per cent.

The homeopathic Arsenicum album 30c is advocated to be a useful ‘immune booster.’ Ayush ‘recommends’ its use in India. Camphora 1m — with its classical pathophysiology that corresponds to COVID-19 — has emerged as the genus epidemicus — a remedy identified for preventing communicable illnesses in certain quarters. There are reports that it has been used with ‘good’ effect in Iran, also Europe, and elsewhere.

It’d be interesting to note that with Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) ‘making’ news headlines — albeit the credo of its ‘utility value’ to ‘easing’ the COVID-19 effect in certain countries, including India, is being debated — one could also, perhaps, think of a homeopathic corollary in the context. Bacillinum (made from maceration of the typical tuberculous lung) may, perhaps, be used as an ‘intercurrent,’ immune-boosting ‘prophylactic’ remedy, as also Tuberculinum (a nucleo-protein; a ‘nosode’ made from tubercular abscess).

The whole idea is, of course, ‘nascent,’ a probability premise. It led this writer into a conversation with Lionel Milgrom, PhD, the English chemist and homeopath, who graciously delved into its ‘nitty-gritty’ and formulated a possibility construct. Milgrom’s ‘take’ is simple, also reflective — if one were to ‘buy’ the so-called conspiracy theory approach and work on the basis that COVID-19 is a laboratory-based organism, then in order to grow and manipulate such a thing would require a substrate. There was this recently published article which suggested that the substrate for growing such a virus is bovine serum. So, there it is. Using something like Bacillinum and Tuberculinum — from a totally different perspective and/or the homeopathic miasmatic (constitutional susceptibility, or predisposition) point-of-view — would, perforce, make some sense, although its full essence and purpose may only be found, or established, by experiment. 

The Society of Homeopaths, UK, states, that, “Homeopathic medicines have been used extensively for flu-like symptoms and in epidemics around the world. If you decide to take a homeopathic medicine, this should be in addition to the various measures recommended and should not be your only approach. Selection of the most appropriate homeopathic medicine is based on an individual’s unique symptoms.” The European Committee for Homeopathy says, “(That) homeopathic health professionals should inform patients of the standard hygiene practices to contain and mitigate the spread of the epidemic. They may inform their patients of potential non-specific measures to increase their immunity. Homeopathic symptomatic treatments offer a safe and cost-effective possibility to support the self-healing processes of patients and are to be considered (within the therapeutic tool kit).”

Other adjuvant measures that would be useful are meditation, yoga, biofeedback, and counselling — especially to combating depression, anxiety, and stress, aside from the undulating effects of homebound, ‘shelter’ living, or isolation, and social and physical distancing.

Best Regards Solomon J. (Ayurvedic/Alternative Therapist)  

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** A New Hope for the Corona-Virus (COVID-19) Patients!

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Nicotine Dependence: Symptoms and Causes

Nicotine dependence occurs when you need nicotine and can't stop using it. Nicotine is the chemical in tobacco that makes it hard to quit. Nicotine produces pleasing effects in your brain, but these effects are temporary. So you reach for another cigarette. 

The more you smoke, the more nicotine you need to feel good. When you try to stop, you experience unpleasant mental and physical changes. These are symptoms of nicotine withdrawal. 

Regardless of how long you've smoked, stopping can improve your health. It isn't easy but you can break your dependence on nicotine. Many effective treatments are available. Ask your doctor for help. 

Symptoms

For some people, using any amount of tobacco can quickly lead to nicotine dependence. Signs that you may be addicted include:

1. You can't stop smoking. You've made one or more serious, but unsuccessful, attempts to stop.  2. You have withdrawal symptoms when you try to stop. Your attempts at stopping have caused physical and mood-related symptoms, such as strong cravings, anxiety, irritability, restlessness, difficulty concentrating, depressed mood, frustration, anger, increased hunger, insomnia, constipation or diarrhea. 3. You keep smoking despite health problems. Even though you've developed health problems with your lungs or your heart, you haven't been able to stop. 4. You give up social activities. You may stop going to smoke-free restaurants or stop socializing with family or friends because you can't smoke in these situations. 

When to See a Doctor

-- You're not alone if you've tried to stop smoking but haven't been able to stop for good. Most smokers make many attempts to stop smoking before they achieve stable, long-term abstinence from smoking. 

-- You're more likely to stop for good if you follow a treatment plan that addresses both the physical and the behavioral aspects of nicotine dependence. Using medications and working with a counselor specially trained to help people stop smoking (a tobacco treatment specialist) will significantly boost your chances of success. 

-- Ask your health care team to help you develop a treatment plan that works for you or to advise you on where to get help to stop smoking. 

Nicotine is the chemical in tobacco that keeps you smoking. Nicotine reaches the brain within seconds of taking a puff. In the brain, nicotine increases the release of brain chemicals called neurotransmitters, which help regulate mood and behavior. 

Dopamine, one of these neurotransmitters, is released in the reward center of the brain and causes feelings of pleasure and improved mood. The more you smoke, the more nicotine you need to feel good. Nicotine quickly becomes part of your daily routine and intertwined with your habits and feelings. 

Common Situations That Trigger the Urge to Smoke Include: 

a. Drinking coffee or taking breaks at work b. Talking on the phone c. Drinking alcohol d. Driving your car e. Spending time with friends

To overcome your nicotine dependence, you need to become aware of your triggers and make a plan for dealing with them. 

Risk Factors

Anyone who smokes or uses other forms of tobacco is at risk of becoming dependent. Factors that influence who will use tobacco include: 

1. Age. Most people begin smoking during childhood or the teen years. The younger you are when you begin smoking, the greater the chance that you'll become addicted. 2. Genetics. The likelihood that you will start smoking and keep smoking may be partly inherited. Genetic factors may influence how receptors on the surface of your brain's nerve cells respond to high doses of nicotine delivered by cigarettes. 3. Parents and peers. Children who grow up with parents who smoke are more likely to become smokers. Children with friends who smoke are also more likely to try it. 4. Depression or other mental illness. Many studies show an association between depression and smoking. People who have depression, schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder or other forms of mental illness are more likely to be smokers. 5. Substance use. People who abuse alcohol and illegal drugs are more likely to be smokers. 

Complications

Tobacco smoke contains more than 60 known cancer-causing chemicals and thousands of other harmful substances. Even "all natural" or herbal cigarettes have harmful chemicals. 

You already know that people who smoke cigarettes are much more likely to develop and die of certain diseases than people who don't smoke. But you may not realize just how many different health problems smoking causes: 

A. Lung cancer and lung disease. Smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer deaths. In addition, smoking causes lung diseases, such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Smoking also makes asthma worse. B. Other cancers. Smoking increases the risk of many types of cancer, including cancer of the mouth, throat (pharynx), esophagus, larynx, bladder, pancreas, kidney, cervix and some types of leukemia. Overall, smoking causes 30% of all cancer deaths.  C. Heart and circulatory system problems. Smoking increases your risk of dying of heart and blood vessel (cardiovascular) disease, including heart attacks and strokes. If you have heart or blood vessel disease, such as heart failure, smoking worsens your condition.  D. Diabetes. Smoking increases insulin resistance, which can set the stage for type 2 diabetes. If you have diabetes, smoking can speed the progress of complications, such as kidney disease and eye problems. E. Eye problems. Smoking can increase your risk of serious eye problems such as cataracts and loss of eyesight from macular degeneration. F. Infertility and impotence. Smoking increases the risk of reduced fertility in women and the risk of impotence in men. G. Complications during pregnancy. Mothers who smoke while pregnant face a higher risk of preterm delivery and giving birth to lower birth weight babies. H. Cold, flu and other illnesses. Smokers are more prone to respiratory infections, such as colds, the flu and bronchitis. I. Tooth and gum disease. Smoking is associated with an increased risk of developing inflammation of the gum and a serious gum infection that can destroy the support system for teeth (periodontitis). J. Smoking also poses health risks to those around you. Nonsmoking spouses and partners of smokers have a higher risk of lung cancer and heart disease compared with people who don't live with a smoker. Children whose parents smoke are more prone to worsening asthma, ear infections and colds.

Prevention

The best way to prevent nicotine dependence is to not use tobacco in the first place. The best way to keep children from smoking is to not smoke yourself. Research has shown that children whose parents do not smoke or who successfully quit smoking are much less likely to take up smoking. 

Diagnosis

Your doctor may ask you questions or have you fill out a questionnaire to see how dependent you are on nicotine. Knowing your degree of dependence will help your doctor determine the right treatment plan for you. The more cigarettes you smoke each day and the sooner you smoke after awakening, the more dependent you are. 

Treatment

Like most smokers, you've probably made at least one serious attempt to stop. But it's rare to stop smoking on your first attempt — especially if you try to do it without help. You're much more likely to be able to stop smoking if you use medications and counseling, which have both been proved effective, especially in combination. 

Medications

Some quit-smoking products are known as nicotine replacement therapy because they contain varying amounts of nicotine. Some of these nicotine replacement therapies require a prescription, but others don't. There are two approved quit-smoking medications that don't contain nicotine, and both are available only by prescription. 

Any of these products can help reduce nicotine cravings and withdrawal symptoms — making it more likely that you'll stop smoking for good. Using more than one may help you get better results. Although you can buy some quit-smoking products without a prescription, it's a good idea to talk to your doctor first. Together you can explore which products might be right for you, when to start taking them and possible side effects. 

Counseling

Medications help you cope by reducing withdrawal symptoms and cravings, while behavioral treatments help you develop the skills you need to give up tobacco for good. The more time you spend with a counselor, the better your treatment results will be. 

During individual or group counseling, you learn techniques you can use to help you stop smoking. Many hospitals, health care plans, health care providers and employers offer treatment programs. Some medical centers provide residential treatment programs — the most intensive treatment available. 

Methods to Avoid

Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) have not proved to be safe nor are they more effective in helping people stop smoking than nicotine replacement medications. In fact, many people who use e-cigarettes to stop smoking find themselves using both products rather than quitting. 

It's not a good idea to substitute another type of tobacco use for smoking. Tobacco in any form is not safe. Steer clear of these products: 

- Dissolvable tobacco products - Smokeless tobacco - Nicotine lollipops and balms - Cigars and pipes - Hookahs

Coping and Support

Social support is key to achieving a stable and solid, smoke-free life. Ask your family, friends and co-workers for support and encouragement. Be direct and let them know what would help you most. 

Also Consider Trying These Resources:

1. Support groups. Often available at little or no cost, support groups offer coaching and mutual support from others attempting to quit. Nicotine Anonymous groups are available in many locations. 2. Telephone counseling. Quit lines offer convenient access to trained counselors. In the U.S., call 800-QUIT-NOW (800-784-8669) to connect directly to your state's quit line. 3. Text messaging and mobile apps. A number of services are available to get reminders and tips delivered to your mobile phone. 4. Web-based programs. Sites such as BecomeAnEX provide free personalized support, interactive guides and tools, and discussion groups to help you quit. 

Preparing for Your Appointment

You're likely to start by seeing your primary care doctor. Here's some information to help you get ready, and what to expect from your doctor. 

What You Can Do To Get Ready for Your Appointment:

a. Consider your smoking triggers. List the circumstances when you're most likely to reach for a cigarette. In what situations has smoking become a ritual? b. Make note of any symptoms that may be related to smoking. Include the length of time you've had each one. c. Make a list of your medications. Include any vitamins, herbs or other supplements. d. Invite a family member or friend along. Sometimes it can be difficult to soak up all the information provided during an appointment. 

What to Expect From Your Doctor

Being ready to answer questions your doctor may ask reserves time to go over any points you want to spend more time on. Some questions your doctor may ask include: 

1. How many cigarettes do you smoke each day? How soon after waking do you smoke? 2. Have you previously tried to stop smoking? If so, what happened? What worked? What didn't work? 3. What is motivating you to stop smoking now? 4. Do you have any physical health problems, such as heart disease or diabetes, which you suspect are related to smoking? 5. Has smoking caused any problems at work or in your relationships? 

SOLIAIR™ is a company that specializes in alternative medicine and natural drug development that is privately owned. The SOLIAIR™ Food supplements are patented and are regularly used by doctors, pharmacists and patients in the U.S and around the world! - Please contact us for an advice and a professional treatment! 

Best Regards, Solomon J. (Naturopath/Alternative Therapist)

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What is Unani Medicine?

"Unani medicine is a system of alternative medicine that originated in ancient Greece but is now practiced primarily in India. Involving the use of herbal remedies, dietary practices, and alternative therapies, Unani medicine addresses the prevention and treatment of disease." 

Unani (UNANI TIBB - Greco-Arabic Medicine) is the Arabic word for Ionian, or Greek. Greece's Islamic neighbors call Greece Yunanistan, or the Land of the Unanis. While Western Europe was in the Dark Ages, Greek Medicine and other branches of classical science and learning found a safe haven in Islamic lands. But Greek Medicine didn't remain static or unchanging; it continued to grow and evelve as Muslim scholars and physicians continued to make important discoveries and contributions of their own.

In the process, Greek Medicine was "Islamicized" into Unani-Tibb, or Greco-Arabic Medicine. This transformation proved that Greek Medicine was flexible, resilient and adaptable enough to absorb and incorporate new developments and influences. Within a few short centuries after its birth, the Islamic world had expanded to stretch from the Atlantic ocean in the west to the Indian ocean in the east, from Moorish Spain to the plains of Hindustan.

Everywhere the Muslims went, their Unani physicians went with them, adapting themselves to the local conditions and resources. In the words of Unani medical historians, Unani Tibb enriched itself by imbibing new medicines, techniques and treatments from the various cultures and medical systems with which it came into contact, which included Indian Ayurveda and Oriental Medicine.

Around the time of the Crusades, the Islamic world produced a few very prominent and influential physicians and medical scholars. Their names were Latinized, and their medical treatises were imported into Europe and translated into Latin, to serve as texts and reference manuals in the medical schools that were just starting to spring up in Medieval Europe. Ibn Rushd, or Averroes (1120 - 1198) was a physician and Islamic scholar and philosopher in Moorish Spain.

He wrote a five volume treatise on medicine called Al-Culliyat (The Fundamentals), or Colliget. Al-Razi, or Rhazes (865 - 924) was a Persian physician, chemist and alchemist. He wrote a vast medical encyclopedia called Continens, with many excerpts from Hindu and Greek medical sources.

But the greatest of these was undoubtedly "Hakim Ibn Sina", or "Avicenna". He wrote a five volume treatise called The Canon of Medicine, which became a standard textbook in European medical schools. Today, it serves as the basic handbook for all practitioners of Unani Medicine.

Unani Medicine found fertile soil in India. The Delhi Sultanate and later the Moghul emperors were great patrons of medicine. Many eminent physicians from Persia and Central Asia came to India not only to seek fame and fortune, but also to find a safe haven from the wars and strife devastating their homelands.

Under British rule, all forms of healing except conventional allopathic medicine were discouraged. But Unani Medicine survived, due to its popularity with the masses, and the safe, gentle yet effective nature of its treatments. Hakim Ajmal Khan (1864 - 1927) was an Unani physician, and also an Indian patriot and freedom fighter in the struggle for independence. He was also a great advocate and champion of the indigenous systems of Ayurvedic and Unani Medicine, and pioneered scientific research into their treatments.

Relationship Between Tabiyat and Asbab-e-Sittah Zarooriah

In the Unani system of medicine, tabiyat is an individual’s internal power or capacity to withstand or combat disease and to perform normal physiological functions. Believing that it is only tabiyat that is engaged in actually curing a disease, Unani hakims hold that they only assist from “outside” by prescribing therapeutic relief. If not adversely affected, tabiyat can eradicate most infections without medical treatment, using what may be thought of as the natural defense system of the mind and body.

Unani medicine recognizes six physical, or external, factors, called asbab-e-sittah-zarooriah, which are essential in establishing a synchronized biological rhythm and thus living a balanced existence. 

The Six Asbab-e-Sittah-Zarooriah Are:

1. Hawa (air), in which the quality of the air a person breathes is thought to have a direct effect on his or her temperament and, thus, health.

2. Makool-wo-mashroob (food and drink), in which the nutritional value and the quality and quantity of one’sfood and drink are believed to ensure physical fitness by strengthening tabiyat.

3. Harkat-wo-sakoon-e-jismiah (bodily exercise and repose), which emphasizes the positive effects of balanced physical exercise on an individual’s internal resistance and tabiyat.

4. Harkat-o-sakoon nafsaniah (mental work and rest), which emphasizes the simultaneous engagement of the human mind in numerous emotional and intellectual activities. Just as the body needs systematic and planned exercise and rest, Unani medicine holds that the human mind and brain need adequate stimulation and proper relaxation as well.

5. Naum-o-yaqzah (sleep and wakefulness), in which an individual’s health and alertness are understood as being dependent on a specific amount of sound sleep in the course of a 24-hour (circadian) cycle.

6. Ihtebas and istifragh (retention and excretion), which considers the metabolism of food and liquid as both affecting and being regulated by tabiyat. According to Unani medicine, the assimilation of food andliquid facilitates the elimination from the body of excessive and noxious substances. Therefore, to maintain a harmonic and synchronized tabiyat, certain beneficial end-products of kaun-o-fasad (genesis and lysis) are retained in the body while harmful ones are expelled.

These six factors are believed by Unani practitioners to directly affect the harmony of the human mind and body. Socioeconomic, geographic, and environmental factors are considered secondary factors (asbab-e-ghair -zarooriah) in the Unani system and therefore indirectly influence tabiyat. However, both the primary and the secondary factors must be closely considered in the Unani process of treatment.

Modes Of Treatment

The initial approach to treatment in the Unani system entails the establishment of a regimen to normalize and balance the external factors (e.g., air, water, and food) involved in ailments and diseases. If this proves inadequate, then other means, such as treatment with natural medicines, may be recommended. Any Unani treatment prescribed by a hakim acts as an outside agent to help boost the patient’s tabiyat and thus restore good health and a sense of well-being.

There are various therapeutic approaches available to the hakim. Ilaj-bi-ghiza, or diet therapy, involves recommending a specific diet, which is the simplest and most natural course of treatment by a hakim. For fever, for example, Unani medicine stresses a nutrient-rich, low-roughage diet that might include dalia (porridge) and kheer (a milk broth). Both the amount and quality of food are taken into consideration. Relatively infrequent in modern Unani Therapy is ilaj-bi-misla, or organotherapy, a mode of treatment that involves healing a diseased organ with the use of tissue extracts from the same organ of a healthy animal.

Ilaj-bi-dawa, or pharmacotherapy, is the use of medicines by Unani hakims. This treatment method is considered by hakims to be natural, eco-friendly, and less intrusive and more effective than many other methods. The Unani system’s pharmacopoeia is vast, enriched with more than 2,000 medicines derived from various herbal, mineral, and animal sources. Unani medications are often processed by classical methods of preparation as originally described in Greco-Arabic medicine. Unani medicines are used singly or are compounded with other substances to achieve synergistic, antagonistic, or detoxifying effects or simply as bases for effective ingestion and assimilation.

In the 1920′s Indian physician Ajmal Khan revolutionized Unani medicine by advocating that research be conducted on various natural products that were claimed by ancient physicians to effect miraculous cures. In the 1930′s Indian-born scientist Salimuzzaman Siddiqui, who specialized in phytochemistry (the chemistry of plants), isolated potent constituents from a plant known in India as chhota chand (Rauwolfia serpentina). Subsequent pharmacological research determined that the plant was the source of a bio-active substance known as reserpine, which found use in Western medicine as a tranquilizer and as an anti hypertensive agent (lowering abnormally high blood pressure). Those uses supported some of the medical applications that had been described by hakims. Siddiqui named the derived medicines, which included ajmaline and ajmalicine, for Khan as a tribute to his groundbreaking research efforts.

Having gained recognition from the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1976, the Unani system became increasingly accepted internationally as a system of traditional medicine. In India several institutions engaged in Unani teaching and research. The Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine (CCRUM), an undertaking of the Indian government, for instance, facilitated the translation of classical heritage, the organization of clinical trials, the improvement of drug standardization, and the investigation of toxicological and phytopharmacological properties of natural products that had long been used by hakims.

Classical Unani medicine recommended established “regimental” therapies (tadabeer) in the treatment of various chronic and acute diseases. Those therapies include dalak (massage), hammam (bath and sauna), karat (exercise), fasd (venesection, or opening a vein to let out blood), hijamat (cupping, a process of drawing blood to the surface of the body by using a glass cup or tube), and amat-e-kai (leeching, or bleeding a person by using leeches). The essential function of all those regimens is to remove impure blood or impurities from the body.Surgical interventions, or ilaj-bil-yad, are a last resort. Their practice generally is beyond the realm of the hakim’s expertise.

Obstacles In Unani Medicine

Although a complete system of treatment, the Unani system, similar to other systems of medicine, has drawbacks in terms of application and effectiveness. The vast materia medica, from herbal and animal to mineral sources, as described in ancient Unani textbooks, is sometimes so vague that authenticity must be established by modern pharmacognostic assessments (by means of a basic, descriptive pharmacology) before medicines can be put to use. In addition, the use in Unani medicine of precious stones and minerals, the chief ingredients of many polyformulations (medicines containing multiple ingredients), is expensive. Those items often are unavailable as well, thereby hindering effective treatment.

Intense research is important for the use of kushta, the incinerated finely powdered substance prepared from known toxic metals, such as seemab (mercury), sam al-far (arsenic), sangraf (mercuric chloride), and khubs al-hadid (iron rust). Medicines made with those minerals, when used with caution and expertise, may be effective, but they have significant toxic side effects.

Today, the Indian government supports and subsidizes both Ayurvedic and Unani medical colleges and hospitals. But whereas Ayurveda has enjoyed a phenomenal surge in popularity, Unani Medicine still lags behind in recognition, perhaps due to its minority Islamic associations.

The SOLIAIR™ company regularly developed various blends and plant extracts that show promise and positive healing results in treating many illnesses and medical symptoms from a wide variety of diseases that are currently existing in this world. The SOLIAIR™ Food supplements are patented and are regularly been used by doctors, pharmacists and patients in Israel and around the world! - Please Contact Us for a professional advice and treatment!

Best Regards, Solomon J. (Naturopath/Alternative Therapist)

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The Magic of Massage Therapy

"Massage Therapy Takes Over Where a Spa Massage Leaves off. This Form of Alternative Medicine Can Help Ease Pain Associated with Cancer, Headaches, and Fibromyalgia." 

Massage therapy consists primarily of hands-on manipulation of the soft tissues of the body, specifically, the muscles, connective tissue, tendons, ligaments and joints for the purpose of optimizing health.

Massage therapy treatment has a therapeutic effect on the body and optimizes health and well-being by acting on the muscular, nervous and circulatory systems. Physical function can be developed, maintained and improved; and physical dysfunction and pain and the effects of stress can be relieved or prevented through the use of Massage Therapy.

Modern massage techniques can be traced back to the 1700s and the development of Swedish massage, the first systematic method of therapeutic massage based on physiology. Today’s Massage Therapists use their knowledge of anatomy and physiology to combine traditional Swedish and modern Massage Therapy techniques with exercise and other therapies to treat their clients.

At the end of a stressful week, a relaxing massage might be just what you need. For people coping with injuries or chronic pain, however, massage therapy can serve as a form of alternative medicine, not just a soothing treat. Nearly one in 10 people have used therapeutic massage for many conditions, including stress, anxiety, pain, and sports injuries.

One survey revealed that about 60 percent of those who used massage therapy felt that, in combination with standard medical care, it could improve their health.

Massage Therapy: What Is It?

In massage therapy, a trained therapist applies pressure to the muscles and other soft tissues to help heal underlying conditions. There are more than 80 different forms of massage therapy, including shiatsu, Swedish, pressure point, and deep-tissue massage. Massage usually is intended to decrease pain, relax muscles, and let blood and oxygen flow freely to that area of the body.

Healing techniques involving massage are thousands of years old and have been mentioned in ancient texts from Egypt, Rome, China, Greece, India, and Japan.

Massage Therapy: When Is It Used?

Massage therapy can be used to address a number of different health problems, including sports injuries and chronic pain. “Musculoskeletal problems, pre- or post-surgical treatment, lymph-edema [excessive fluid buildup that often occurs in the arms or legs] — those all are probably most effectively treated by massage,” says Ron Schneeweiss, professor of family medicine at the University of Washington in Seattle. According to Schneeweiss, massage therapy is the type of alternative medicine most often acceptable to conventional doctors. 

Massage Therapy: Is It Effective?

Massage Therapy has Been Shown to be Effective in Varying Degrees. Massage Can Help: 

1. Ease pain in cancer patients. A study of 380 adults with advanced cancer, some of whom were in hospice care, showed that massage therapy, provided by trained massage therapists, helped to reduce patients pain and improve their mood. 

2. Relieve lower back pain. Therapeutic massage has been shown to be useful in alleviating lower back pain. 

3. Ease migraine headaches. Some research suggests that massage therapy, in combination with other treatments, can help offset pain associated with migraines and other chronic headaches. 

4. Reduce shoulder pain. Shoulder massage has been shown to help reduce pain and improve range of motion.

5. Reduce pain and symptoms associated with carpal tunnel syndrome. One small study showed that a 15-minute professional massage once a week for four weeks, with additional self-massage therapy at home, improved pain and muscle weakness due to carpal tunnel syndrome.

6. Ease fibromyalgia symptoms. Some studies support the use of massage therapy to reduce muscle stiffness and pain in women with fibromyalgia. Although massage therapy has few side effects, people who have blood clots, tend to bleed or bruise easily, or are at risk of fractures should check with their doctor before scheduling a therapeutic massage. Pregnant women should also talk to their doctors before undergoing massage therapy. 

Massage Therapy: What Should I Expect? 

Massage therapy sessions typically last between 30 and 60 minutes but may be as lengthy as two hours. Some massage therapists can come to your home or job; others may require you to visit their office in a clinic, hospital, or fitness center.

A massage therapist usually creates a tranquil atmosphere, with calming music, relaxing scents, and soft lighting. Fully or partially clothed, you will lie on a specially designed massage table or sit in a specially designed chair. 

Licensed massage therapists typically receive at least 500 hours of training and must pass nationalized exams. Don't hesitate to ask for details about a massage therapist's training or background in working with clients who have your same health condition. Keep in mind that some massage therapists are more experienced than others. 

“Massage therapists do not necessarily receive the training needed for some of these advanced therapeutic massage techniques,” observes Schneeweiss. For example, massage therapists who work with cancer patients should undergo additional training in the techniques of oncology massage.

Your Massage Therapy Treatment

Before a treatment, your Massage Therapist will propose a personalized treatment plan based on an initial assessment and health history. The assessment consists of various tests to determine the condition of your muscles and joints. Any personal and health information you provide to your Massage Therapist is completely confidential and will be safeguarded. Your health record cannot be released or transferred without your written consent.

Your Massage Therapist must also obtain your consent to work on any part of your body, regardless of whether you are fully clothed, or fully or partially covered with sheets or blankets. Your privacy will always be respected, and you may withdraw your consent for treatment at any time.

Various specialized movements of the hands, over the skin or clothes, make up the Massage Therapy treatment. The Massage Therapist will work with your level of pain tolerance during the treatment, and the treatment can be stopped at any time should the treatment become uncomfortable.

Massage therapy is not covered by OHIP, but many private insurance companies cover treatment from a Massage Therapist as part of their extended healthcare plans. Please consult your policy. 

SOLIAIR™ is a company that specializes in alternative medicine and natural drug development that is privately owned. The SOLIAIR™ Food supplements are patented and are regularly been used by doctors, pharmacists and patients in Israel and around the world! - Please contact us for advice and a professional treatment! 

Best Regards, Solomon J. (Naturopath/Alternative Therapist)

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What are Herbal Remedies?

Herbal remedies are substances derived from plants, which are used as a way of treating and preventing different health problems. They can come in various forms such as capsules, teas, liquid drops or skin creams. Often herbal remedies are part of alternative therapeutic approaches to healthcare, such as Ayurvedic Medicine, Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Western herbal medicine. 

Some may be referred to as 'Supplements', typically meaning products which aim to boost your health and wellbeing in some way (such as drinking camomile tea to promote good sleep). Others may be referred to as 'medicines', typically meaning products which aim to treat, cure or prevent a diagnosed health problem (such as using St John's wort to treat depression instead of prescription antidepressants). 

What Can They Treat and How do They Work? 

The Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych) publish detailed, reliable information on which herbal remedies are used for different mental health problems, how each remedy works, how effective it is, what side effects it can cause, and what drugs they can interact with. 

How are They Different from Psychiatric Drugs? 

Unlike psychiatric medication, most herbal remedies are: based on long-standing traditional use (not based on scientific research studies using clinical trials) available to buy over-the-counter without a doctor's prescription not typically offered by NHS doctors (because there is not enough reliable evidence that they are effective at treating mental health problems) licensed under a different scheme occasionally prepared bespoke for you by a herbal practitioner.

Are They Safer or Easier to Take Than Psychiatric Drugs? 

Some people assume that herbal remedies must be safer than psychiatric drugs, or less likely to cause side effects. But this is not necessarily true. Herbal remedies can cause side effects, and they can interact with other drugs – just as prescription drugs can. You should approach any kind of supplement or medication with equal caution (prescription and non-prescription), and make sure you have all the information you need to feel confident about your decision. If you are in any doubt about whether any medication (including a herbal remedy) is safe for you to take, seek advice from your GP or local pharmacist. 

When Might They be Unsuitable for Me? 

Although herbal remedies are easily available to buy without a prescription, some may not be suitable for you, or could be harmful. For example if you: 

1. are pregnant or breastfeeding.   2. are taking any other medications, as they may interact badly (for example, you should never. take St John's wort at the same time as any prescription antidepressant, as this increases the risk of dangerous side effects). 3. have another physical or mental health problem which could be made worse by taking a herbal remedy. 4. take too much, or don't take them as instructed on the packaging.   5. are due to have surgery (some herbal remedies can interfere with anaesthetic).   6. are buying your medication online - there are risks that the product could be fake, unlicensed or contaminated. 7. take a remedy that is not licensed. For example, there is some evidence that some unlicensed Traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic herbal medicines contain toxic levels of metals such as mercury and lead. 

Bespoke Herbal Preparations 

After holding a consultation with you, a herbal practitioner may make you their own herbal preparation to take. Typically these are made from different parts of plants, minerals and sometimes metals - but because these preparations are not licensed it's not possible to be sure what's in them, or in what dose.

It is important to discuss any concerns with your doctor, pharmacist or herbal practitioner. You might ask: 

A. what is in the preparation. B. how it might make you feel. C. what side effects you should expect. D. what you should do if you experience side effects that you were not told about. 

How are They Licensed? 

Most herbal products sold in supermarkets, pharmacists and health shops in the UK are licensed by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) - the same organisation that licenses other kinds of drugs, including psychiatric medications. But herbal remedies come under the Traditional Herbal Medicines Registration scheme. Under this scheme, registration is based on the long-standing use of a plant as a traditional herbal medicine - not based on clinical trials, as prescription drugs are. 

Licensed Herbal Products Should be Marked with the Registration Mark Shown Here: 

This indicates that the herbal medicine is safe to an acceptable standard, provided it is used according to the instructions on the packaging. The product should also have a registration number, starting with the letters ‘THR’. Bespoke herbal remedies prepared by herbal practitioners are not licenced. 

How Can I Find a Herbal Practitioner? 

Herbal practitioners play an established role in 'Western herbal medicine', 'Traditional Chinese medicine' (TCM) and 'Ayurvedic Medicine'. But currently there are no rules around who can call themselves a herbal practitioner - you can practice without having any related experience or qualifications. 

SOLIAIR™ is a company that specializes in alternative medicine and natural drug development that is privately owned. The SOLIAIR™ Food supplements are patented and are regularly used by doctors, pharmacists and patients from Israel and around the world! - Please contact us for an advice and a professional treatment!  

Best Regards, Solomon J. (Naturopath and Alternative Therapist) 

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What is Alternative Medicine?

Alternative medicine is a treatment practice unrelated to drugs, medical and chemical drugs, and traditional medicine, which aim to treat diseases from nature with natural plants and herbs or psychological practices such as meditation and relaxation or traditional traditional practices such as Chinese acupuncture, cupping and hypnosis, and despite the benefits of plants used in treatment Herbs may have some health damage in some cases, and Chinese needles and cupping can have some side effects that vary in severity.

In 1998 a review of the methodology of studies to assess its prevalence in 13 countries about 31% of cancer patients used a form of alternative and complementary medicine. Alternative medicine varies from country to country. Ernest Aidsard says that in Austria and Germany CAM is mainly in the hands of doctors, while some estimates suggest that at least half of alternative practitioners are American doctors. In Germany, herbs are regulated tightly, with half prescribed by doctors and covered by their own health insurance on the basis of the E Committee.

Facts About the Pharaohs in Alternative Medicine

One of the greatest civilizations on Earth is that the ancient civilization of Pharaonic Egypt, which stunned the entire world and stood in front of the interpretation of the mystery of this greatness that extended for centuries, did not fade or decay like other modern civilizations that could not withstand the changes that Passed by the world.

Important Note: 

The Pharaohs discovered alternative medicine before Greece! Although the discovery of antibiotics has been fairly recent, the ancient Egyptians used to treat the infection using mold bread. The moldy bread grows on Penicillium, which extracts penicillin, one of the most common antibiotics.

When the body was embalmed, the body was emptied from all organs, from the brain to the intestine. Each of these organs was placed in a dedicated vase, but the only organ that was not removed was the heart.

Alternative medicine in China

A set of inherited medical rules or beliefs that rely on the principle of the existence of energy for the body in general called “qi” and the pronunciation of "ki", which moves through the body through different levels called meridians, and therefore any imbalance or loss of balance in the energy flow of this body leads to the emergence of "ki" Chinese doctors have practiced these medical beliefs in China for thousands of years and these techniques have begun to gain popularity among the peoples of the western world recently. 

Chinese Herbal Medicine 

Since ancient times, China has excelled in the use of medicinal herbs through the practice of alternative medicine. Chinese herbs are the mainstays of Chinese traditional medicine. Despite the controversy over the effectiveness of these herbs, there are studies that confirm that they succeeded in treating various diseases, Many herbs have been used in ancient Chinese medicine. Sources of most of these herbs have been used in the Arab world. The secret of herbal and alternative medicine is known to be from the era of Chinese emperors. 

Chinese acupuncture and hermitage were first used. In ancient Chinese literature, the emperor (Fu-Ze) was the first to give the Chinese wisdom, analysis and interpretation of cosmic and natural phenomena and was also the first to introduce Chinese acupuncture. The Emperor (Fu-Zi), along with the Emperor Shen-nong, are the first to introduce the idea of. "hermit farms" in China for the widespread exploitation of Chinese herbs used in the treatment of various diseases. 

TCM can be used in many medical fields. The Chinese Medicine Department of Tian Tan Bukhua treats many of the most common diseases, and TCM treats some diseases such as: 

1. Chronic pain for neurological diseases and their activation 2. Digestive problems 3. Irregular menstruation 4. Chronic fatigue 5. Cough and asthma 6. People with weak immunity 7. Relieve mood disorders 

Chinese Acupressure 

Chinese acupuncture is a method of ancient Chinese medicine, which is based on the stitches of several needles too thin in the skin of the patient in the count of areas or by disease, and is a complementary medical procedure (complementary medicine), as it differs radically from the different methods and followed in The traditional basis of Chinese acupuncture is based on the belief that energy in the body travels through channels, which are called meridians. 

They believe that any loss This energy has the ability to move p T the body lead to the occurrence of diseases and that acupuncture treatment is that restores the flow of energy and help wellness treatment. This method is used to treat many diseases, but often used to relieve pain such as headaches, tooth pain and back pain. It is rumored that this method of treatment addresses asthma, anxiety and some infertility. 

How is Traditional Acupuncture Treated? 

Before the acupuncturist begins to examine the condition, the individual is required to fill out complete data regarding his / her health condition. Then the acupuncturist will ask some important questions for the individual, including his / her health, lifestyle, diet, emotions and emotions, blood circulation, temperature, appetite, pressure, food sensitivity, response to changes in atmosphere and seasons.

The specialist also examines the person, sees the color of his face, his voice and the color of his tongue, and examines three pulse points in the wrist of each hand and evaluates them to find out the twelve Meridians.

The acupuncturist then begins to diagnose the condition and start treatment. Typically, the specialist uses 6-12 needles during treatment. The number of needles does not indicate the intensification of treatment, but rather the importance of replacing the needles in the body in a precise manner. 

When needles are inserted, the person feels a slight tingling. Once the needles enter the body, the person will not suffer from any pain and will feel comfortable throughout the treatment. The individual should tell the treatment specialist if he feels pain, numbness or discomfort.

Best Regards,                                                                                                    Solomon J.                                                                          (Naturopath/Alternative Therapist) 

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Nutritional Supplements are Going Clean and Clear Label!

"Clean, clear and transparent botanical ingredients are here to stay." 

Nutritional supplements are going clean and clear label. In the same way the food industry is overhauling its major branded foods to be more transparent with clear and clean label ingredients that are less processed, not chemically sounding and closer to raw plant ingredients, the nutritional supplement industry is undergoing this shift as well. 

Consumers are looking for ingredients that they are familiar with. These ingredients are more likely to be plant-based, non-GMO, possibly organic and part of a sustainable supply chain. Plant proteins, fibres, superfruits and foods with focused phytochemicals are front and centre. The nutritional supplement industry is providing more reliable and respected scientific studies to support the functional use for these supplements, creating greater levels of acceptance by the general consumer base. 

The “hot trend” plant proteins are pumpkin seed, faba bean, lentil, coconut, pea, alfalfa and hemp. These plant-based proteins are both clean label and a viable alternative to dairy and animal based proteins. They have fewer off-flavour issues than some other protein sources, so these proteins can be added to other ingredients to round out a great tasting protein shake or snack bar. 

Fibres are the next hot trend supplement ingredients. The growing concern about getting enough dietary fibre has put the spotlight on psyllium as a well-known and proven source of fibre. Psyllium is also one of the fibres that’s allowed to make a label claim as per the new FDA ingredient requirements. 

FDA has determined within its definition of dietary fibre the substances that benefit human health; these ingredients include ß-glucan soluble fibre, psyllium husk, cellulose, guar gum, pectin, locust bean gum and hydroxypropylmethylcellulose. Gut health is growing in importance, especially with our ageing population. These fibres are great prebiotics! 

Clean and clear label ingredients are also being used to replace binders and excipients that sound like chemicals, such as silicon dioxide. Bamboo fibre or rice hulls are being used to replace these items, while, at the same time, still producing a quality tablet with a clean, clear label. 

Colours and flavours are being switched to natural colours and flavours. Some of these natural colours and flavours do create some challenges for the formulator, affecting stability and introducing some quality concerns. These challenges can be overcome, however, to present a truly clean, clear label and high quality nutritional supplement. 

Today, the prevalence of functional foods using botanical ingredients to clean up their label is noticeable. They are being incorporated into product applications across a number of ranges, including ready-to-drink beverages, soft drinks, nutritional bars, powdered drink mixes, juices, chips, cereals, soups, frozen dinners, convenience foods and much more. Energy drinks with guarana as a natural source of caffeine, ginger ale with green tea as a natural source of polyphenols, pumpkin seed protein nutritional bars, kale chips and psyllium fibre cereals, are just a few examples. 

Adding botanicals to your foods and beverages will not only add to your bottom line, it will also fulfil the demand of today’s consumers - baby boomers, gen X and millennials - for clean label functional foods and beverages, and will only continue to grow with the next generation of consumers. 

To meet the current and future demands for plant-based foods and beverages, formulators need to continually incorporate creative, regionally and culturally diverse botanical ingredients. Clean, clear and transparent botanical ingredients for the nutritional industry are not only a hot trend, they’re here to stay!  

SOLIAIR™ is a company that specializes in alternative medicine and natural drug development that is privately owned. The SOLIAIR™ Food supplements are patented and are regularly been used by doctors, pharmacists and patients in Israel and around the world! 

Best Regards, Solomon J. (Naturopath and Alternative Therapist) 

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SOLIAIR™ is a company that specializes in alternative medicine and natural drug development which is privately owned. Its owners have developed various complected mixtures of extracts plants showing promise and positive healing results in treating a lot of illnesses, diseases and medical symptoms such as: asthma, bronchitis, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), seasonal influenza, pneumonia, allergies and other respiratory infections. As well as healing urinary tract infections (UTI) such as: bladder infection, kidney infections, urinary stones, hematuria, recurrent infection, women’s diseases, late menstruation, sexually transmitted diseases, allergies, skin diseases, vascular diseases, depression and various mental illnesses! 

SOLIAIR™ markets and sells natural medicines, nutritional supplements and herbal extracts that where developed as private label products. The company's mission is to provide alternative and natural remedies as supplements Through advanced advertising and distribution services that effectively and reliably reduce cost for retailers And consumers alike. Its products include the best ingredients such as: ginseng, ginkgo biloba, herbs and Different antioxidants from the best and highest quality available on the market today! The SOLIAIR™ food supplements are free of side effects and has no interaction with any conventional medication that have been used. The SOLIAIR™ food supplements are patented and are regularly used by doctors, pharmacists and various patients in Israel and around the world! - Please contact us for a professional advice and medical treatment! 

Best Regards, Solomon J. (Naturopath/Alternative Therapist) 

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Company Contact Info: Name: Solomon J.   Address: Derech Freud 12  Haifa, 34753 Israel Phone: [phone] Mobile: [phone]