"In order for true healing of allergies to occur, it is necessary to address their cause rather than just treat the outward manifestations or symptoms," says Doctor. "This involves identifying the substances a person is allergic to and eliminating them from the diet and environment. At the same time, the body needs to be purged of toxins and the immune system needs to be stimulated. Since no two people are exactly alike, therapeutic approaches will vary, and usually a combination of therapies is the best course of action."

TESTING FOR ALLERGIES

Among the therapies which have proven most effective in treating allergies are diet and nutrition, herbal medicine, acupuncture, Ayurvedic medicine, and homeopathy.

Currently, a variety of tests are available for identifying allergies. Regardless of which method is used, doctor points out that it is always necessary to demonstrate a cause and effect relationship between the suspected allergen and the outbreak of symptoms if the test is to be effective.

Skin testing: "Skin testing is one of the most consistent methods of testing people for pollen, mold, dust, chemical, and other environmental allergies," Doctor says. They especially recommends Serial Endpoint Titration or SET testing, which enables a physician to quantitatively evaluate how a person reacts to allergens in the environment. "Based on the testing result, allergy shots or drops can then be formulated that will usually bring on noticeable improvement for the patient within a few weeks." SET testing is also a more accurate method of evaluation than the commonly used scratch test, in which the outer layer of skin is pierced and minute amounts of the suspected allergens are placed within the surface break, where antibodies can react to them. "It's not unusual for patients to take shots based on scratch testing for a year or more before any benefit is derived," Doctor says.

The IgG ELISA and FICA test: According to doctor testing for food allergies can be far more difficult than determining environmental reactions, because most food allergies are dealt with in the body by IgG antibodies, while most allergy tests only measure the presence of IgE antibodies. The IgG ELISA and FICA (Food Immune Complex Assay) test, a recent breakthrough in the field of food allergy testing, offers new hope for food allergy sufferers, however.

"We know that one of the fundamental causes behind food allergies is the penetration of undigested or partially digested food from the digestive tract into the bloodstream," Doctor explains. "With the FICA and IgG ELISA test, we can measure the actual presence of specific foods and their specific IgG antibodies in the blood to precisely determine which foods a person is allergic to."

The IgG ELISA and FICA test is also convenient, automated, and currently the only commercially available test of its kind for delayed food allergies. It involves taking a blood sample that is then tested for the presence of IgG antibodies against over one hundred foods. The results are computer analyzed to determine which foods the patient is allergic to. The test can be done through the mail, as long as samples reach testing labs within seventy-two hours after the blood is drawn.

Electroacupuncture biofeedback: This form of testing is widely used in Europe to screen for both food and environmental allergies, and to determine what remedy to use to properly neutralize the allergic reaction. "A small current of electricity is introduced at specific acupuncture points on the patient," explains doctor. "Various allergens are then introduced into the circuitry, enabling the physician to determine any change in the way the patient reacts to the current."

According to Doctor, a healthy reading would be fifty on a scale of zero to one hundred. "Allergens cause the reading to be far above fifty," he says. "As they are found, various treatment doses are also added into the circuit. The correct treatment will cause the reading to climb down to a reading of fifty." Doctor states that using electroacupuncture biofeedback allows him to accurately test for a full spectrum of allergens, and that the entire battery of tests can be done in an hour.