North Vancouver Allergy

We're baaaackkkk! With new CoVid 19 protocols and cleaning in place we are re-opening on May 19, 2020. We look forward to working with you again

By donation, bring your kids for a treatment....

By the end of summer, mold growth on the West Coast doubles as a result of higher levels of precipitation and moisture. Mold spores are found indoors and outdoors and peak in the late summer and early fall. Outdoor molds can be found in falling leaves, vegetation, soil and rotting wood, whereas indoor molds can be found in damp areas like washing machines, dryers, refrigerators, showers, garbage cans, basements, carpets and upholstery. If you are experiencing itchy eyes, nasal congestion, sneezing, runny nose, wheezing or a cough, mold exposure might be a contributing factor.

Although there are many types of molds, only a few dozen are known to cause allergic reactions. Molds most likely to trigger an allergic response include the following: Alternaria, Aspergillus, Aureobasidium (Pullularia, Cladosporium (hormodendrum), Epicoccum, Fusarium, Helmin-thosporium, Mucor, Pencillium, Rhizopus, etc. When mold spores are released into the environment, they can deposit on the inside lining of the nose, causing hay fever symptoms. The spores also can reach... the lungs, triggering asthma symptoms in sensitive individuals. In general, the symptoms of mold allergy are very similar to the symptoms of other allergies. If you have an allergy to mold, you may experience some of the following symptoms: Sneezing Runny or stuffy nose Itching of the throat, or inside the ears Hives Swollen eyelids, itchy eyes Cough, wheezing, or difficulty breathing

On the foliage-rich West Coast red alder begins to pollinate as early as mid February and continues for up to three weeks. Those who react to alder tend to react to birch trees as well, which pollinate about a month after alder. If you are currently suffering with hay fever, these are likely the culprits...

(Thanks to Give a Shit about Nature for the image!)

Happy Mother's Day!

Quercetin is an antioxidant that belongs to a class of water-soluble plant substances called flavonoids. Although research is sketchy, many believe quercetin-ri...ch foods (such as apples, berries, red grapes, red onions, capers and black tea) prevent histamine releaseso they are natural antihistamines. See more

In Canada, April and May are the months when tree pollen counts are at their peak. For people with tree allergies, the culprits are the varieties that shed airborne pollen. Trees produce great quantities of pollen because they have to rely on the wind to get it to the intended target, and the odds are much of it won't reach its goal. Among the worst offenders are ash, alder, birch, box-elder, cedar, elm, maple, mulberry, oak and walnut. For species with both male and female trees, like ash and box-elder, it is only the male tree, since they produce the pollen.