Natural Relief ~ Natural Solutions
I am now making lifestyle changes to help
with multiple environmental allergies, MCS (multiple chemical sensitivities)
and Candida. I’m finding that many of
the changes I am making address all three challenges as they are in many ways
inter-related or over-lapping. I would
greatly appreciate any recommendation that could be added to this page. My prayer and hope is that the Lord will
continue to lead me in finding natural solutions. What I wanted to list here are the changes that have helped me
the most! We are not encouraging anyone to stop following the advice or ignore the
counsel of their physician. But, we do
encourage everyone to Seek
God, His wisdom and guidance, in all your decisions.
1. Create a sanctuary. One symptom that I experience is a
tightening of my chest and troubled breathing.
Of coarse other symptoms follow…
My husband’s and my bedroom is my lungs ‘sanctuary.’ It has little in it other than our bed,
lamp/table and a stand with a TV plus an air cleaner. The mattresses and pillows are covered with dust covers and
everything ‘washable’ is washed in hot water once per week. Each week, everything is dusted with a wet
cloth.
2. No unnecessary decorations / knick-knacks. I could think of many things I would rather
do than spend my days dusting. Because
of this I only keep ‘decorations’ out that give me true enjoyment. We keep our photos in albums that are quick
and easy to dust. All extra ‘stuff’ is
kept in large plastic containers in the closets (I realize that some people are allergic to plastic and there is
some concern about toxicity, but since I can’t tolerate cardboard, for now this
is our best solution). This wonderful
journey to a simpler life that God has been leading us on for years has helped
immensely. No, I am not into decorating
a home, but yes I am into filling it with love and what’s important.
3. We have furniture that is either
wood or leather. I realize these
are expensive alternatives, but we have just gone without and added as God
provided.
4. Yes we do have pets, and yes I am
allergic to each one. We have prayed
and prayed about this and now do the following pet care. Pets find our bedroom off limits. My daughter baths the cat once per week, the
bird once per day. My husband baths the
dogs once per week. Our cat receives a
‘lion cut’ as needed. All their bedding
is also washed once per week in hot water.
We open all the windows and doors throughout the day, even in the very
warm weather we get here in Texas.
5. We do not keep cardboard boxes,
everything (such as holiday decorations) are stored in plastic tubs. I know even the plastic tubs aren’t the
perfect solution ~ but the best we can do at the time.
6. We do have a tremendous number of
books and the collection is growing with God’s blessings. All the books and shelves are kept dusted
by our sweet Roxanne. We are trying
some non-toxic approaches to ‘problem’ books.
Two approaches that have helped some are to put the book in the freezer
for a number of days (seems to kill mold to an extent) and put in a container
with baking soda. A very affective help
has been the ozone machine I mention below.
7. Remove all household plants. I love plants, but because of the mold, not
to mention the dust mites they harbor, all plants are kept outside. When I work
with our many plants I wear a mask.
8. We have rid our home of all toxic
cleaning and personal items. Since
we live in a very humid area that mosquitoes love, we planted many mint plants
in our patio garden, especially close to our door. Mint is supposed to keep mosquitoes away and it seems to be doing
the job. For non-toxic cleaners and
toiletry items please check our pages of alternative recipes and non-toxic
products.
Non-Toxic Cleaners
Non-Toxic Toiletries
9. I use a Neti Pot twice per day (more
often if I feel a sinus infection or cold coming on) to irrigate my
sinuses. This is the gentlest method I
have found! It washes away bothersome
pollens, viruses, mucus and bacteria. I
use a saltwater solution, which I make with mineral sea salt. If you are interested in finding out more
about this click on the link below.
10. I have found a great relief in a visit
to the ocean. The salty air seems
to help when I have an extreme headache and congestion.
11. Our home is thoroughly ventilated
each day. We open the windows and
turn on the ceiling fans. We follow-up
by running the air cleaner to remove pollens and molds that may have made their
way in.
If you are interested in reading about
indoor air pollution click on the following link:
http://www.lungusa.org/air/indoor_factsheet99.html
12. Our clothes are kept in wardrobe
bags to keep down the dust.
13. I wear a mask when doing all
cleaning and yard work. I’ve
purchased mine through the following website.
AMERICAN ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH FOUNDATION
14. We replace the filters in our air
conditioner regularly.
15. Because of my many allergies and
MCS, I spend most my time at home or out in the fresh air with my family. When I know a visit to another’s home,
shopping, or such will almost always result in a headache in the least, and
extreme headache and vomiting in the most, I pick and choose outings. Outside of my relationship with the Lord,
my relationship with Keith and Roxanne is most important. For that reason, I would rather forgo a
visit or fun outing, to feeling good with my family here at home.
16. The change in diet has been
one of the biggest helps! To see what
we do eat, and what we don’t eat, please see the Food For Restoration.
17. In place of Vancense (a nasal
steroid spray) and Nasal Crom I now use Sinus Survival, a botanical Nasal
Spray. *There is a warning to
pregnant or nursing mothers to check with their physicians before using. To check out more about this product click
the link below:
I have also used Grapefruit Seed extract
as a nasal rinse. I could share the
many uses of Grapefruit Seed extract, but as the saying goes “instead of
re-inventing the wheel” I’ll just give you a link to some of the best
information on this product!
18. When I do get exposed to something
that I am allergic to I have found that 1 t. of pure ascorbic Vitamin C
crystals in an 8 oz. glass of water every hour or so until the reaction
subsides really helps!
19. I have tried a few alternative
antibiotics. Both Olive Leaf and
Grapefruit Seed Extract are natural antibiotics and have helped. But there is one made from Biotics Reseach
Corporation called Neutrophil Plus that has worked the best for me.
NEUTROPHIL
PLUS. For sinuses infections
I have found Colloid Silver to help.
20. A good Pro-biotic is
important!
21. A new addition/blessing has been a Ozone
Machine from Flair. A bit of
research will show you that these machines are controversial, as is much that
falls under alternative choices. This
has tremendously helped both my allergies (especially with the molds), MCS
(cutting way back on the affect and time of out-gasing from a new product), and
with my asthma. If you are interested
in reading more about the Living Air – air purification system you can use the
following link. *Just a note…read about
an Ozone Blaster. It really does work,
though my husband is the one to start and turn off the machine and air out the
area that we blast. NEVER run
the machine where you can smell the ozone and be in the same room. It is terribly irritating and for myself is
instant in setting off my asthma! But
used as directed and with the help of my husband, this machine has become a
valuable help to us!
22. No carpets or curtains. No curtains was never a problem, but as
renters, finding a place with no carpet seemed impossible. Since beginning this site in 2001, my family
and I have been blessed with a home of our own. God gave us the perfect one, one with all wood flooring, (except in our bedroom where we had tile
installed). What a HUGE difference no
carpet has made!
23. Praise and Prayer! God has been my greatest natural
relief. I know no matter how I’m
feeling physically, spending time with Jesus always brings refreshment!
Please carefully consider through prayer any changes that you
make!
If you would like someone to pray for your needs or just to visit,
I would love to hear from you!
No information on this site is meant as
medical advice, and it is not given from a medical professional. I am
simply sharing my journey. I recommend
that you seek professional counsel regarding any specifics and concerns.