Dr Deirdre O’Neill, ND

Cherry blossoms are painting the streets of Victoria. They are part of the signs of spring and renewed life.  Flowers can bring such joy. This is not the case if you suffer from seasonal allergies. Then spring means sniffling, sneezing, itchy eyes, coughing.

Children’s asthma is increasingly being triggered by seasonal allergies. So out come the inhalers.

For your teen, allergies need to be investigated in otherwise unexplained migraines. This comes from a study published last year that showed a link between migraines in adolescents and the allergen picture of asthma and seasonal allergies.

Out of desperation, you may take medications to relieve your allergy symptoms that then leave you feeling groggy. Yet, when it comes to your child, you may hesitate to reach for these antihistamines, yet don’t want to see them suffer either.

Here comes in natural medicine.

Discover the allergen.

If your child is older than three, he or she can have skin scratch testing done by the naturopathic doctors at Sage Clinic. We test for the common inhalant allergens of grass, tree pollens, dust mites, cat, dog, ragweed, weed, and mold.

Unmask food sensitivities.

Food can be influencing your child’s immune system and increasing inflammation. It is considered that if we can reduce the total load on your child’s immune system, the seasonal allergens don’t have as much of an impact. We offer blood and electrodermal testing to uncover these food sensitivities.

Reduce exposure.

Leaving Victoria for the duration of the spring isn’t an option. So do what you can to control the quality of your indoor air. You may have noticed the air filters that are interspersed throughout the clinic. They are there to reduce airborne pollution. We have had many comments about how fresh our air is with these air filters in use. Learn more about these effective filters through www.iqair.com.

Enhance the immune system.

Some of the essentials for kids are high quality fish oil and probiotics. Zinc is another powerful immune enhancer.

Dampen the allergen response.

Vitamin C and Quercetin reduce inflammation, strengthen the mucous membranes and reduce histamine levels in the body.

Treat the symptoms.

Homeopathy is a safe and effective way to attack the symptoms that come up for your children. We have many options from combination remedies to single homeopathics to draw from to bring relief to your child.

Consider Sublingual Immunotherapy (SLIT).

These are oral drops of the allergen in a low potency to desensitize the immune system to the known allergen(s). This is an effective and convenient alternative to allergy shots. You can discuss the protocol further with the naturopathic doctors at Sage Clinic.

With natural medicine on board, get your child outside with ease and comfort for fresh air and play.

Dr. Lisa Polinsky, ND

Are you taking a trip to India and concerned about getting diarrhea?  Do you plan to go to Machu Picchu and want to help your body adjust to the high altitude?  Bringing your children to visit relatives and want to prevent infections?  Does the thought of an airline flight have your palms sweating?  As a naturopathic doctor I’ve seen many wonderful examples of natural medicine assisting in health care needs while travelling.  Often, issues with digestion and elimination or infections (respiratory, urinary, digestive or otherwise) pose a worry for those venturing into new locations and new environments.

Speak with your naturopathic doctor before you plan to go (1-2 months is ideal) so that they can assist you in creating a treatment plan. Ideally, a personalized consult with recommendations specific to your health care needs, medication history and travel style is preferred.  Consider these areas of support:

a)    Prevention for infections, that also doubles as treatment if needed (lung, digestive, urinary)

b)    Digestive support for introduction of new foods, limiting constipation & diarrhea

c)    Adjunct support for travel vaccines to assist the body in reducing possible negative reactions

d)    Recommendations for travel first aid to complement conventional recommendations

e)    Anxiety, stress, worry and difficulty with flying, driving and new environments

Travelling is wonderful and adventurous enough as it is that the less  you worry about your health the more present you can be to the entire experience.

Happy Travels!

Dr. Lisa Polinsky, ND

30 – 40% of all Canadians complain of difficulty getting a good night’s sleep and nearly everyone has experienced difficulties from time to time.  Sleep is our restoration and healing time and when it is problematic it can affect everything from stress hormones, to immune system, weight issues and aggravates depression and chronic illness.  When unraveling chronic health concerns if sleep issues are uncovered then typically they need to be supported first before other health benefits can be achieved.

Reasons why sleep can be illusive:

1)   Hormone imbalances – associated with thyroid issues, or during hormonal fluctuations (menopause, PMS, perimenopause)

2)   Depleted adrenal reserves and chronic stress – typically fatigue in the a.m. and then ‘second wind’ at nighttime can be the picture, or waking at 3-4 a.m.

3)   Food sensitivities and inflammatory reactions – celiac, gluten sensitivities or simple food sensitivities create increased stress on the body

4)   Chronic pain – joint pain, low back, headaches or fibromyalgia

5)   Anxiety, hypervigilant nervous system – difficulty falling asleep, rumination and busy mind are present

6)   Blood sugar imbalances – typically frequent waking at night, sugar cravings and waking hungry are present

What can you do?

First, work with a naturopathic physician to determine the cause(s) of your particular sleep issues.  Conventional medicine focuses on sleep medications such as zoplicone or antidepressants, however, they are best used temporarily and don’t encourage deep REM sleep.  Once the cause is established then a plan can be monitored.  Sometimes in more chronic cases several issues can be overlapped necessitating follow-up and adjustments.

What can everyone do for better sleep?

A dark room at night helps optimize melatonin levels so using blackout curtains or eye masks to limit light exposure at night can pretty much help everyone.  Light reduces melatonin levels, even as minimal as clock radio lights, or street lights streaming in the room around curtains.  Create a dark ‘cave’ and see how much better you can sleep.

We all have busy lives and need good sleep to maintain our stamina.  Don’t let good quality sleep elude you!

Dr Deirdre O’Neill, ND

It’s hard for a parent to witness their child in pain. This holds true with the very common infection in the ear, otitis media. Most parents will notice the warning signs of an inner ear infection in their children with the onset of screams, tugging at the ear, fever and red cheeks. However, I have seen some kids come in the office completely stoic despite being amidst a raging ear infection.

Young children, from 6 months to 5 years of age, are most likely to develop ear infections. The most common reason children are brought into the doctor’s office is to have their ears looked at. Children who have repeated episodes of otitis media are a concern as this is the age when speech and language development is so important.

So how do these infections develop?

The ear contains a Eustachian tube that drains into the back of the throat. This tube constantly drains secretions from the inner ear and helps with pressure equalizations. If the Eustachian tube is inflamed, these secretions get backed up and build pressure inside the ear. This pressure leads to pain and the secretions can be a breading ground for bacteria.

Conventional treatment involves pain medication, antibiotics and surgically implanted ear tubes when the child is presenting with frequent infections that are affecting the child’s speech. Current trends are for doctors to take a watch and wait approach since it has been shown that most children with nonsevere ear infections recover without antibiotics.¹

Natural medicine has much to offer when treating ear infections. We take the approach of boosting a child’s immune system, reducing the inflammation of the throat and around the Eustachian tubes to improve healing time and prevent recurring infections. For repeated infections, we look at discovering the culprits that are triggering these infections.

Some natural tips to consider are:

1. Breastfeed to ease pain, provide comfort and boost immunity
2. Keep your child hydrated
3. Feed babies where their head is at a 45 degree angle
4. Decrease sugar, juice and dairy intake
5. Decrease exposure to cigarette or wood smoke
6. Address colds and throat infections before they can lead into the ear

Reference:

McCormick, David P, et al. 2005, Nonsevere Acute Otitis Media: A Clinical Trial Comparing Outcomes of Watchful Waiting Versus Immediate Antibiotic Treatment. Pediatrics 115:1455–1465.

Dr. Kristin Schnurr, ND

What an absolutely beautiful weekend!  It was wonderful to spend time in the garden prepping the beds for planting, doing some much needed weeding (with some help from my little one) and picking bowlfuls of fresh leafy greens for dinner.

So much is in bloom, nettles, fawn lilies, shooting stars…Spring has definitely arrived.

In Acupuncture theory, Spring marks the beginning of the yang cycle.   After resting through the Fall and Winter, you should notice that you are feeling more energetic and social.  Spring is a good time to take action on plans that have been developing through the winter months, with clear vision and a sense of purpose.  Many people feel the urge to de-clutter and do a ‘spring’ clean.   And, with increased daylight hours and warmth, we spend more time outside interacting with friends and family.  This often supports a shift in perspective.  Spring is the time for growth and change, a great time to let go of old patterns that no longer serve us.

The element associated with Spring is Wood.  In traditional Chinese medicine, the Wood element represents the liver and gallbladder.   The liver from this perspective provides us with our vision of the future, helping us to find the direction we must take to live our lives harmoniously.  The gall bladder gives us the ability to make decisions and judge wisely.   When the Wood element is unbalanced, decision-making and establishing a clear sense of direction can be difficult.  It is not uncommon in this state, to feel frustrated, stuck or even angry.   Alternatively, when these organ systems are in balance we are able to see new possibilities and to consider wisdom of the past, in making decisions.

Support yourself through this transition by adjusting your diet:

• Consider starting your morning with fresh lemon juice in water,
• Incorporate lots of leafy greens, beets, carrots into your meals
• Enjoy high quality protein rich foods – eggs, fish, raw nuts/seeds and whole grains.
• Harvest some young spring nettles, full of minerals and excellent lightly steamed and added to soups/stir fries.

Certain herbs also support this organ system, and acupuncture can be effective in helping us to transition smoothly with the season.

The Wood energy of Spring is an expression of life at its strongest, a time to expend the energy you have conserved through the winter months.  Enjoy!