ALLERGIES

Dr. Guilford's training in Ear, Nose, Throat, Head and Neck Surgery led him to an interest in the causes of irritation in the lining of the nose and sinuses. Inflammation related to allergy is the most common cause of irritation. In 1981 he began treating allergies using both skin tests and what was then a new technique, blood sample testing.

He became interested in the use of low doses of allergen dilutions, and in the mid-1980's began using homeopathic remedies as part of his practice. At present, he uses a homeopathic approach for the treatment of allergy. The results have been consistently good using oral drops and in some cases are improved using a "booster shot" with the same extremely dilute combination. Homeopathically speaking, one would not expect to see a difference between oral drops and injection, but the results can be dramatic. Many scientists remain skeptical that homeopathics, because of their extreme dilution, can do anything at all. There are double blind, placebo controlled studies published in the prestigious mainstream medical journal Lancet, in 1986 and 1996, that showed benefit from homeopathic allergy treatment for hayfever and asthma that exceeded the response of the placebo. Later, he added another assessment of allergy response, Eosinophilic Cationic Protein to his practice.   ECP is released during allergic reactions. The combination of the specific-IgE screen, IgG molds and ECP level is a very effective evaluation to identify allergy. Many patients with low IgE scores, with elevated IgG to molds are showing significant elevations of ECP. This finding suggests strongly that inflammatory reactivity or sensitivity to molds is a common cause of allergic symptoms. It turns out that the level of glutathione in the immune cells involved with allergen identification plays a big role in stimulating the inflammatory response we call allergy. Supplements that increase the level of glutathione play an important role in treating allergy. Find out more about this in the section dedicated to glutathione. MOLD SENSITIVITY Over the years it has been observed that many people have a minimal or negative skin and/or IgE blood test response to molds, but have prominent symptoms upon exposure to mold in the environment. IgG, the antibody you hear about in regard to the response to immunization and chronic inflammation, is often elevated in patients with clinical symptoms of mold reactivity. If you are interested in what the State of California has to say about allergic reactions to mold, check the mold section. The allergy drops we use include a variety of molds.