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The Heartland Naturopathic Clinic Email Newsletter - May 2003  

The following is an issue our email newsletter with helpful information on staying well and our practices. They include articles on home care, natural healing, cured cases, commentary on current issues in the field of health care and medicine and other interesting and useful information. If you are interested in receiving this newsletter simply send your email address, name and a request asking to be added to our email address list to: Staff@HeartlandNaturopathic.com. 

CONTENTS
* Outdoor Allergies and Herbs
* Hormone Replacement Therapy in the news again
* Naturopathic Hydrotherapy

ALLERGIES AND HERBS
If you haven’t noticed it already, allergy season is upon us. Whether you sneeze whenever you are outside or happen to see the cottonwood flowing in the breeze, we know it’s here. Many people have what is called environmental allergies, which are caused by pollen from grasses (including corn), weeds and trees. Here in Omaha the tree pollens have been at high levels, with the grasses at a moderate level, but this will go up as the grasses grow during the summer.

People can get exposed to these allergens in the spring, not only because the plants are more active but also because we are more active, especially when the weather is nice. Nature has provided many herbs to help with these problems. Herbal medicine can be a very effective way to treat these kinds of allergies, sometimes even better than the common drugs.

A great anti-allergy herb is commonly known as nettles (urtica diocia). Nettles is a plant that many people are afraid of touching because it has ‘stingers’, small hairs that produce a stinging sensation and later an itchy hive reaction when they come into contact with skin, very much like an allergic reaction. It is because of this reaction that nettles work so well when taken internally. This is a great example of “like cures like”, a prime belief of Homeopathic healing. A good dose is to start with two capsules three times a day of the freeze-dried Urtica diocia by the Eclectic Institute.

Another good herbal treatment for hay fever type allergies is the herbal formula by Herb Pharm with eyebright (euphrasia off.) and nettles together along with several other herbs. This is especially good when the eyes are very irritated. A good dose to start with is one half dropper full three to four times a day as needed. This formula tends to work quite quickly. Both these allergy treatments are available though the office. We can even mail them out to people. 

If you have been taking nettles, eyebright/nettles or some other form of natural medicine with relief but find at certain times that your symptoms continue even when inside, there are some things you can do to help. Keep you bedrooms as clean from pollens as possible. Some ways to do this, especially if you have been outside are:
* Keep windows and door shut, so wind blown allergens can’t get in
* If you’ve been outside a lot undress out of you bedroom, leaving the clothes outside the room until they are cleaned
* Wash your hair before going to bed; this will keep pollen from getting on your pillows
* When driving avoid opening windows and keep the air conditioner on “recirculate.”

HRT IN THE NEWS, AGAIN, AND IT’S STILL BAD
Last summer we found out nationwide that HRT, especially combined estrogen and progestins therapy wasn’t as good as people thought. In fact it was so increased the risk for cancer that the study was stopped. New information released this week from that same study has shown that the combined HRT may significantly increase the risk of dementia, instead of improving reasoning and cognitive function as was originally thought. The western medical researchers believe that many of the problems stem from the use of the progestins. So much in fact that one of the researchers, Dr. Yaffe, notes that the lack of benefit seen in the current studies may have stemmed from the presence of progestin in the HRT regimen. "Progestins, especially medroxyprogesterone, have been reported to modify the beneficial effects of estrogen……” If you are on any form of progestins, weather in HRT or in a birth control regimen, and wish to stop it, please call the clinic to make an appointment and speak to one of the doctors about alternatives. 

NATUROPATHIC HYDROTHERAPY
Hydrotherapy, or water therapy, is the application of water in any form to initiate healing. Naturopathic medicine has taken the healing benefits of water a step further than convention medicine, which uses hydrotherapy very little. Naturopathic hydrotherapy is based in the belief that health and therefore healing, is proportional to the normal flow of healthy blood. The goal of hydrotherapy is to improve the circulation and quality of blood. This is important because blood delivers nutrients to and removes wastes from tissues and organs. If circulation is poor or slow, healing nutrients cannot be delivered and toxins cannot be removed, which causes degeneration of the tissues and organs. By improving the quality of blood flow, more nutrients are available for cells to use and toxins are managed more efficiently.

Hydrotherapy has certain advantages over any other type of medicine because:
* It is almost always available
* It is easy to learn and perform
* It’s painless with little if any side effects
* It is inexpensive and can be done at home 

There are several methods of hydrotherapy. On our website we list the cold sock treatment and fever therapy, both great techniques to use during infections. Contrast hydrotherapy is a technique that can be used for traumas, local skin infections and wounds, and several types of musculoskeletal pain. It can be used as a local application or as a series of baths.

Instructions for Contrast hydrotherapy

Preparation: For local application have basins filled with hot water and a basin filled with cold water with ice cubes (alternatively, a bag of frozen peas or corn works well too). Application should be done with cotton towels or hand cloths.

Step 1. Apply hot compress to affected part for 3 minutes.
Step 2. Apply cold compress to affected part for 30 seconds.
Step 3. Repeat steps 1 & 2 two more times.
Step 4. The cycle may be repeated again but it is important to always end with the cold application.

Caution: Do not apply water that is hot enough to burn. People have different tolerance levels for hot water on different parts of their body. Tolerance levels can change from treatment to treatment, depending on emotional state, degree of injury or illness, and body temperature.

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