Skin Allergies and Your Immune System

Earlier this month, new study results were announced by Children’s and the University of Washington (UW). This study reinforces what we in the complementary and homeopathic medical fields have known for years – that there is a connection between autoimmune diseases – malfunctions of the Immune System – and skin allergies like atopic dermatitis, the most common type of eczema.

“Autoimmune diseases” refer to chronic illnesses of some of the body’s ten most important systems: Gastrointestinal, Endocrine, and Nervous Systems, for example. It also includes the severe diseases that come from lowered immune systems like HIV/AIDS, Diabetes, Lupus, and an Immune System depressed by chemotherapy treatment for cancer.

The immune cells (B and T cells) become disoriented, and instead of the Immune System providing protection and healing for its host, the person’s immune capabilities attack their own body.

How does this affect the skin?

The skin – or epidermis – is a major organ of the body; in fact, it is the largest one! When things go wrong on the inside, they will likely manifest themselves outside as skin allergies, and vice versa.

Both an immune disease and, unfortunately, the treatment for the disease can attack healthy skin cells and cause many disturbances. Atopic dermatitis is just one of the skin allergies that can result.

Atopic dermatitis and other chronic skin allergies which can be considered “allergic diseases” may run in families, and be related to hay fever and asthma. Its symptoms are:
• extremely itchy, red and inflamed skin
• rashes on the cheeks, arms and legs
• swelling and “weeping” skin
• cracks behind the ears
• scaling and crusting

Atopic dermatitis is not contagious from person to person, but scratching the itch will further irritate and can enlarge the site.

Topical Treatment helps Symptoms, but hurts in the Long Run

Using the usual over-the-counter or prescription hydrocortisone creams on a long term basis for skin allergies is detrimental. These creams are “corticosteroids”, in the steroid family, and can have side effects on many parts of the body by distorting the Immune System even further:
• irritability
• raised blood pressure
• osteoporosis
• cataracts
• muscle weakness
• stomach ulcers

Keep your Immune System at Full Function

Växa’s Immune-Aid+ is specially formulated to help the body increase the cells that help fight infection. It can help the rate of recovery from an ailment or keep the Immune System from sliding any further downhill.

Another thing very important to your Immune System is the balance of good and bad bacteria in your intestines. Healthy “gut” flora, as it is also called, can mean the difference between staying healthy or being susceptible to allergies and illness. “Probiotics” can be taken to replace your good bacteria if you’ve been ill, if you’ve taken or must stay on antibiotics or anti-inflammatories for an autoimmune disease for long periods of time. Re-Flora+ is Växa’s “probiotics” formula – a safe and wholesome replacement to re-balance natural bacteria.

How Much Do You Know about Irritable Bowel Syndrome?

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a chronic functional disorder which affects 15-20% of the American population. Also called “spastic colon”, “colitis” or “nervous stomach”, this very irritating, sometimes life-interrupting condition can have any or all of these symptoms:

* Constipation for 3-5 days or even 10 if severe, followed by recurring diarrhea
* Throbbing headaches or migraines
* Abdominal cramping or pain
* Stomach distention (“swollen stomach”)
* Acid reflux or nausea due to putrefied substances not being eliminated
* Fatigue and flu-like feelings

Irritable Bowel Syndrome is hard to Diagnose

IBS doesn’t show up in tests. Doctors usually diagnose Irritable Bowel Syndrome after a sufferer tests negative for abnormalities like polyps or colon cancer. The IBS patient may even be told that it is “all in their head” or “stress-related”, but many Irritable Bowel Syndrome sufferers say the IBS itself is their biggest source of stress, and can also cause anxiety and depression.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome sufferers, take heart!

IBS is not “all in the head”, although it can be more active during stressful situations. According to the International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders (IFFGD), Irritable Bowel Syndrome is now defined as a disturbance in the interaction between the intestines, brain signals, and nervous system that alters the regularity of the bowel’s function. It is not known why it happens in some people and not in others.

“Colitis”, as Irritable Bowel Syndrome is sometimes labeled, should not be confused with “Ulcerative Colitis”, which is much more serious and considered a possible precursor to colon cancer. IBS is not characterized by the pain, bleeding, or severity of explosive loose bowel associated with ulcerative colitis, and IBS is not shown in any study to cause more serious colon conditions. It is “chronic” because there’s no absolute cure and can be with a person from childhood through old age.

There’s help for Irritable Bowel Syndrome

IBS sufferers could improve by following these dietary and intestinal cleansing instructions:

* Eliminate sugary baked goods, fried foods, and dairy products. They all slow down the digestion. Replace cow’s milk and cheese with vitamin-fortified rice or soy milk products (unless allergic to soy). Greek feta cheese and goat’s milk may be consumed infrequently.

* Don’t take advice to “eat more wheat” as fiber for your constipation. Wheat – and also barley, white rice and oats – contain “gluten” which irritates the intestines and colon. Replace these with breads, pastas and cereals made from brown rice, millet, or quinoa – found in health food outlets or health aisles at some grocery stores.

* The IBS sufferer should get their 25 grams of fiber per day from dark green vegetables, beans, lentils, a limited amount of fruits with skins (apples, plums, etc), and sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes can have 5 more grams of fiber than a dish of spinach. Or choose our fiber supplement VäxaGreens – it equals 5 salads!

* Avoid pork and alcoholic beverages. Pork takes a long time to digest and can putrefy in a person with Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Alcohol contains lots of sugar, yeast and can attract parasites. Speaking of which…
* Irritable Bowel Syndrome may be exacerbated or accompanied by bad bacteria, yeast, or parasites. A 30-60 day colon cleanse can help, using Parasitin+ to rid parasites (now known to inhabit 85% of us, most don’t easily show up in medical tests!), Colon-Aid+ to re-regulate intestinal movement (“peristalsis”), cleanse and repair damaged tissues, and ReFlora+ to inhabit the intestines with “good” bacteria (“probiotics”). Follow this with 30 days of Candid-Free to cleanse yeast overgrowth, which also normally isn’t revealed in tests, but breed from sugary/starchy diets, anti-inflammatories or antibiotics. IBS sufferers should take “probiotics” like ReFlora+ every day.

April is National Irritable Bowel Syndrome Awareness Month. Be considerate of folks with Irritable Bowel Syndrome if they announce an inability to partake of certain foods and drink!

Grown-Ups Get Acne, Too!

You’re frustrated because you had a great complexion as a teenager and young adult. Now you’re 35-ish, 40-ish or 45-ish, and you’ve got all kinds of stuff popping up on your face!

There’s that little white thing you thought was a whitehead, but it won’t pop (naughty you for trying). Your forehead is oily and bumpy, you’re trying to pass the blackheads off as freckles, and then there’s the “watchamacallit” - the red bump that won’t come to a head and hurts to the touch. And those are on your neck, too.

You may have what is classified as “adult acne”.

But you’re not alone. Approximately 50% of women and about half as many men have adult acne.

Some adult acne and other middle-aged skin breakouts don’t become the same acne that you saw on those poor guys in school – with large red, pus-filled boils and pimples. However, it can manifest itself in:

• Sebaceous cysts – tiny lumps with black or brown surface appearance like blackheads; when drained they exude white or yellow sebum, an oily secretion that clogs pores and sometimes carries a foul odor.
• Pustules (that’s the little white thing, with or without redness around it), also secreting white pus when drained.
• The blackheads, red nodules and whiteheads (yes, some of them will be whiteheads)

What causes adult acne?

So many factors can cause adult acne. Remember, you’ve lived a lot longer than a teenager. You’ve likely had more illnesses and taken more medications. If you’re a man, you’ve shaved longer. If you’re a woman, you’ve been wearing makeup longer! Here are some major contributing factors to adult acne:

• Lost nutrients from poor diet (eating on the run, too many chocolate lattés?)
• Stress (job or financial pressures, taking care of baby or playing chauffeur to the kids’ rigorous schedule?)
• Hormone imbalance (starting menopause, entering middle-age?) Hormonal imbalances lead to overproduction of sebum.
• Not enough sleep (working overtime?)
• Clogged pores or hair follicles
• Sweating from exercise or hard work
• Bacterial, yeast and fungal infections
• Medication for an illness – antibiotics, steroids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatories
• Just plain aging and a change in complexion (oily to dry or vice versa)

Treating your skin on the outside won’t get to the inside problem.

Try Växa’s homeopathic, all-natural Clearin. Clearin is not a skin application. It’s a capsule formula which addresses your body’s needs from the inside out, specifically made to support the body’s own ability to heal adult acne and other skin blemishes.

Note: Rosacea, the red rashy cheek, forehead and chin syndrome, is not a form of acne but is often confused with adult acne as it primarily hits people between age 30 and 50. Its other symptoms are small visible blood vessels on the face, bumps or pimples and watery or irritated eyes.

For either adult acne or rosacea, you might need a good antioxidant vitamin/mineral formula like Växa’s Anti-Oxin, or some Essential Fatty Acids – the “good” fats known as Omega 3-6-9, as in our Omegacin+. A poor complexion lacks all of these, and when your body doesn’t produce or synthesize these items on its own, supplements are needed. Both formulas work inside to enhance your outer glow and skin health.

Goodbye, adult acne!