ONE CURE FOR POLLEN ALLERGIES

From the first week of May to the end of September for 12 years or so, allergies to pollen of grass, ragweed, and other plants would cause me deep fatigue. I'd wake up exhausted, dehydrated, with swollen eyes as if I hadn’t slept for days. Some times my eyes would "glue" themselves shut. 

Finally, I went to an allergist. At first he prescribed wearing a dust mask 24 hours a day, close all the windows, and avoid fresh cut grass. I never did, so he had me try a new allergy medication at the time. Seldane twice a day worked great, as if I had no pollen allergies. My pollen allergies were so bad that if I forgot to take Seldane for more than a day, shortly after a dream started it would freeze frame until I woke up. I'd take some Seldane, go back to bed, and an hour or so later I'd be able to dream again. Four years later though, it was so expensive, I couldn’t afford it for another allergy season. 

About a month before another allergy season set in, I started taking a supplement of zinc citrate to strengthen my immune system. Unexpectedly, I had no deep fatigue symptoms when the allergy started and not during the whole allergy season. To be sure, I took the allergy medication several different times and didn't feel any better. Today, if I develop a zinc deficiency, the deep fatigue and other symptoms don't come back.

Twenty-five mg a day or 50mg every other day is plenty. Don't take more than 50mg every other day of zinc citrate. (Don't take 50 mg every day). Zinc is a core nutrient of the immune system, but too much zinc weakens the immune system, making the body much more susceptible to illness related to the immune system. Too much zinc can also keep blood sugar pushed down. A telltale sign of zinc deficiency is frequent coughing, and you may notice the cough stems from an itch or irritation in or near) your voice box. A long-term zinc deficiency can cause small white marks on fingernails, one form of Leukonychia.

Vitamin A is also a core nutrient of the immune system. Using zinc, the body (a.k.a. the cells of the body) turns beta carotene into vitamin A as needed. Taking beta carotene instead of vitamin A prevents you from taking too much vitamin A, which can cause a lot of problems, some of them permanent.

Beta carotene is usually sold in 10,000 and 25,000 IU supplements. Keep in mind that zinc supplementing on top of a vitamin A deficiency usually will make the vitamin A deficiency worse. One 10,000 IU supplement a day or one 25,000 IU supplement every other day of beta carotene will help the immune system prevent and fight chest colds, influenza virus (the flu), and the parasites (bacteria, virus) that cause pneumonia and bronchitis. In 2003, the flu and pneumonia caused 65,000 deaths.

One way to see when you're too low on vitamin A is to look for a circular patch of blood shot on the white of your eye below the iris. If the patch is there, you probably are too low on vitamin A. You can even see the blood shot patch in people on TV and in movies. Once a supplement of beta carotene is taken, the patch will disappear in about 4-6 hours. Pumpkin pie (without filler stock for pumpkin stock) contains a lot of beta carotene compared to other foods and a couple of slices can be enough to make the circular blood shot patch disappear. Having the patch is a good indication that there is a vitamin A deficiency, but this symptom probably doesn't occur in every one, so no blood shot patch doesn't necessarily mean no vitamin A deficiency.

Most sources will tell you beta carotene is non toxic and you can take all the beta carotene you want and not worry. Those same sources didn't double check their statement by taking a handful of beta carotene supplements to see what happens. A nutrient that is said to be non toxic means that supposedly, no matter how much you take of the nutrient, it won't kill you. A nutrient may actually be non toxic, but that doesn't mean a lot of the nutrient won't cause you symptoms or harm. Too much beta carotene causes fatigue and weakens the immune system and can lead to the illnesses you're trying to prevent.

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The information on this site is an opinion only and not a substitute for licensed medical advice.