Allergies

It’s nearly impossible to make it through the day without getting a question about histamine. The low histamine diet was popularized some years’ ago. Many genetic reports offer insight into histamine production and metabolism pathways. Gut health reports can reveal the presence of histamine producing bacterial strains. There are even histamine supplements as well as low histamine strain probiotics! Reflux, eczema, sensitivities, migraines and Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) all have a connection to histamine. While conventional interventions can be helpful, it’s important to get to the root cause. Nothing improves high histamine like addressing its source.

Some people can go through an entire box of tissues in a single day. Nasal congestion can affect other nearby areas such as the ears, throat and facial skin. It’s not only disruptive, but can make a person feel miserable. It’s common to associate chronic nasal congestion with an allergy. This is not always the case though, especially if it’s persisted for years. OTC anti-histamines can make life more livable, but they also don’t address the root cause. When it comes to nasal congestion, a good health history performed during intake can often yield valuable clues about timing and onset. Better breathing (and sleeping!) may not be as out of reach as you might think. There are other options…and a box of tissues a day sure does get expensive!

Mold is another rapidly growing area of the Functional Medicine landscape. The symptoms are numerous, but are often attributed to something other than mold. When dealing with chronic and debilitating health issues, it’s important to test for mold or its byproducts known as mycotoxins. To overcome downstream problems like excess histamine or fatigue, it’s important to address upstream stressors like mold.