Charleston Real Estate

MIND OVER ALLERGY: POSITIVE THINKING AND EXERCISES

Positive thinking
We spoke to a young man who has been highly allergic to many things from early childhood on. He has learned to suppress allergic reactions at the first inkling of symptoms by concen­trating very, very hard and saying to himself, 'I will not react'. He calls it 'willing the allergy away'. And it works! There's nothing magical about it, either. Robert W. Boxer, an allergist in Chicago, told us, 'It's well established that, just as the body can affect the mind, the mind can affect the body. You can actually lower your body's levels of chemical mediators [hista­mine and other allergy-provoking substances] by your mental attitude - how you look at things and how you handle stress.'
'It comes down to a matter of how much control you have,' says Dr Bell. 'Some people are extremely good at using their minds to control their bodies. For them these techniques are ideal. Most of us fall into a range - we can be at our best if we're relaxing in some way, plus watching our diet and perhaps doing one or two other things.
'For most people, I see stress control as an additional aid. If you slide off your diet, it will help you recover. Or you may not slip quite as much or quite as fast.'

Exercise can calm you down — and cheer you up
Regular exercise may be an additional way to defuse stress in your life - and reduce your allergy symptoms at the same time. A study by Shae Graham Kosch, of the Department of Community Health and Family Medicine, University of Florida, and an associate at the Southern Academy of Clinical Nutrition, compared anxiety levels and overall health of two groups of people. Those in the first group either jogged fifteen minutes a day or walked briskly for thirty minutes a day. People in the second group did nothing more strenuous than play golf, garden or participate in other activities considered to be relatively low in exertion. The people who exercised regularly reported less anxiety and fewer medical symptoms than those who did not exercise. 'These findings imply that exercise . . . [is] capable of exerting a powerful influence on adaptations to [stress],' conclude the researchers.
There are definite reasons why exercise reduces anxiety: 'A hallmark of anxiety is the excessive, prolonged and useless secretion of adrenaline [a powerful hormone],' says Dr Jerome Marmorstein, from Santa Barbara, California. 'Use of exercise to improve conditions - even just walking - is the only natural release for that. It even helps to reduce the adrenalin buildup in the first place,' he says. 'Exercise is a balance factor. It promotes conservation of energy and an overall reduction of chronic anxiety. You feel better mentally and experience a sense of emotional well-being.'
So if allergies have you feeling depressed, exercise can give you a psychological lift. 'Just minor, non-vigorous exercise like walking can produce measurable, beneficial psychological changes,' says Dr Ronald Lawrence, a California psychiatrist-neurologist.

*109/65/5*
ALLERGIES