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Seasonal allergies

By Doug Sewell

Natural treatment options

I can always tell when spring

is close. My wife’s allergy sen- sors tell her that pollen, dust mites and mold spores are in the air. It has always amazed me, with even the slightest budding on the trees or spurt of grass, my wife experiences the first stages of her allergies to pollen. Pollen can trigger rhinitis, otherwise known as hay fever.

watery, itchy eyes, stuffy or runny nose, sneezing,

But there is also asthma, in-

flamed sinus and other reac- tions, all from simply touch- ing the skin or getting pollen into the mouth or nasal pas- sages. Pollen is an airborne allergen that is produced by plants during the fertilization process.

Pollen comes in many

shapes and sizes depending on its source and time of the season.

Trees are the early pollen

culprits that release pollen in the South as early as Janu- ary and late as May or June in the northern climates. Ac- cording the National Institute of Environmental Health Sci- ences there are 50,000 differ- ent kinds of trees but only 100 have been shown to cause al- lergies.

If you add trees to your

backyard avoid the species that aggravate your allergies. Tree pollens can travel great distances so it is best to avoid the outdoors between the hours of 5 and 10 a.m., when pollen levels are at their high- est.

Heavy rainfalls suppress

pollen levels but only tempo- rarily. Keep your windows and doors closed and use air conditioning if possible. Even with these precautions pollen can still attach itself to your clothing or even when your pet returns from outside. Don’t dry your clothes outside; you’ll only get more pollen at- tached. Instead, use a clothes dryer. The heat will get rid of the pollen on your clothes.

also be found in many other fruits and vegetables, along with teas, red wines and food supplements. It has also been shown to lower blood pres- sure in hypertensive patients. Animal studies have shown an anti-proliferative effect in many cancer cell lines. In ad- dition, these dietary flavonoids have been shown to improve cardiovascular function.

A traditional herbal treat-

Doug Sewell

Hay fever treatments

Allergies come from an

overreaction from our immune system, which identifies harm- less plant substances as dan- gerous and emits an inflam- matory response to protect the body. This response causes the release of histamines and other body chemicals that cause allergic reactions.

Anti-histamine medications

are normally used to treat this allergic response. How- ever, there are side affects you should be aware of, such as drowsiness, mouth dryness, blurred vision, loss of appetite and loss of coordination.

The authors of “Best Pills,

Worst Pills” recommend using a single ingredient antihista- mine to minimize adverse af- fects. Dr. Richard Firshein, di- rector of the Firshein Center, in an article for Bottom Line Personal, states that the many over-the-counter supplements act as a natural antihistamine/ anti-inflammatory to prevent, reduce or prevent allergy or asthma attacks.

Dr. Firshein recommends

Quercetin, a natural antihis- tamine that comes from plant pigments or (bioflavonoid) that blocks inflammatory com- pounds that cause allergic responses. He recommends a dosage of 300 milligrams, twice daily.

In severe cases

take 1000 mg. twice a day until the symptom subside, then go back to the original dosage. Quercetin does have blood thinning capabilities, so consult with your doctor before taking. Quercetin is a major dietary antioxidant in apples and onions but it can

ment for allergy conditions is stinging nettle leaf that prevents the body from pro- ducing prostaglandins that causes inflammatory respons- es to common allergy triggers. Nettle works quickly and can be taken when you experience a flareup. Other natural treat- ments for allergies are mag- nesium, butterbur, vitamin C, olive leaf extract. Hyperhealth also recommends green tea, due to its EGCG content that blocks histamines. Neem leaf, perilla leaf, holy basil, gingo biloba, flaxseed, rice bran, shark liver and oregano oils also help.

Rosemary and Siberian gin-

seng have also been shown to provide relief. The herb but- terbur gets a lot of press for its use in treating seasonal aller- gies. Butterbur is used exten- sively throughout Europe for allergy relief. The plants are native to Europe and South- western Asia. Studies have shown butterbur to be as effec- tive as the most popular drug for treating allergic rhinitis (runny nose). Essentially, it works by reducing the body’s production of histamines that cause allergic reactions. A teaspoon of raw honey during the pollen season can be help- ful in building a person’s im- munity against pollen.

As always, consult your

doctor first before self-treat- ing. Also, make sure your supplements are compatable with your medications.

Douglas Sewell is president

of the Detroit-based Painexx Corp., makers of the world’s most powerful topical pain reliever, Ringmaster Rubbing Oil. He can be reached at (313) 863-1200 or e-mail, painex@ comcast.net. The website is

www.ringmasternow.com.

Ringmaster Rubbing Oil is available at CVS and indepen- dent pharmacies.

Educator Hylton dies

Ethel Hylton died on March

30 at the age of 80. She was born in Macon, Ga.,

and graduated from Dunbar High School in Washington, D.C. She married Kenneth N. Hylton on Dec. 23, 1951 in De- troit.

After graduating from Talla-

dega College, Mrs. Hylton was temporarily employed with the local YMCA and then began her career with the Detroit Board of Education as an elementary school teacher. She taught at the Atkinson school, where she helped many children and continued her education at Wayne State University for her master and doctoral degrees.

Mrs. Hylton joined WSU as

Bishop Desmond Tutu. She was a founding member

of Gazelles, a group of like- minded women who were driven by the need for social interaction during times of racial conflict. Additionally, she was a member of the Smart Set Incorporated and the Renaissance Chapter of Links International and a life- time member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.

Mrs. Hylton is survived by

Ethel Hylton

an adjunct professor and co- authored several books, in- cluding “A Gun Is Not For Fun” and a coloring book featuring

her husband, Kenneth Hylton Sr.; two sons, Dr. Keith N. Hylton and Kevin N. Hylton; a brother, Joshua Washington; a sister, Alma W. Foster; and a host of other relatives.

Self-Service Station program turns 5

After five years, Michigan’s

Self-Service Station program for conveniently renewing ve- hicle license plate tabs contin- ues to set records for custom- ers served, Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land recently an- nounced.

Since Land introduced the

ATM-style machines at the end of March 2005, the number of transactions in the program has climbed each year. In the last 12 months ending March 31, more than 224,000 trans- actions have been recorded. That is the highest total to date and an increase of more than 750 percent over the first year of the program. The pro- gram also set a record high for transactions in a month in March with 24,163.

“Self-Service Stations have

saved thousands of hours of our customers’ time,” Land said. “They remain an impor- tant part of this department’s commitment to providing ef- ficient, quality service while overcoming budgetary chal- lenges.”

The machines allow resi-

dents to print off their license plate tabs by simply scanning a bar code on their renewal notice and then swiping a Visa, MasterCard or Discover Card to pay their registration fees. The do-it-yourself trans- actions, which free up office staff to assist other custom- ers, are often completed in two minutes or less.

There are 59 Self-Service

Stations statewide,27 of which may be accessed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They are located at 44 PLUS Offices,

Opportunity is knocking!

Don’t miss it.

Process Technology Scholarships

Marathon Oil Company is offering 10 scholarships in 2010 to qualified Detroit residents for FREE course work toward certification in Process Technology (PTEC).

Scholarships are available at Wayne County Community College District and Henry Ford Community College.

A PTEC certificate prepares you for a career in technologically complex environments. PTEC careers are versatile and rewarding. Entry-level process technicians in various industries can earn from $30,000 to $50,000 annually.

It is estimated that there will be 1,000 PTEC job openings a year based on annual attrition forecast for the next 10 years in southeast Michigan.

Call 313-845-9874 for more information

six SUPER!Centers, six tradi- tional branch offices and three municipal buildings. Stations will be installed at an addition- al 11 offices across the state

in the near future. To learn more, visit the

department website at www.

Michigan.gov/sos.

THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE

April 7-13, 2010

CHAT WITH CHAPS

By Chaplain PJ Banks- Anderson

The president of the United

States has put his career on the line and, God forbid, may have put his life on the line, for garnering enough votes to pass health care reform. What do I mean by this?

Congress has access to the

best health care, insurance and retirement plans in the world. Still, the opposition to health care reform con- tends that it is too expensive for an already out-of-control deficit. Did they say that last year when they gave them- selves a salary increase? Did they say that about the former president’s defense or bailout budget? Who, then, was talk- ing about borrowing money that our children and grand- children will have to repay? Could we be just a little more sanctimonious?

One of my bones of conten-

tion that led up to the vote is with the individual who called out “baby killers.” My fellow armed service members and I have been accused of that also, and it is not true of us either. It is tragic but true that babies are killed by the hundreds during war. Yes, abortions happen every day. And, yes, federal dollars often undergird these abortions as are the dol- lars that bring drugs into the country that create drug lords and ladies over which our chil- dren are killing each other. Name calling, pointing fingers, and blaming one another has not, will not and cannot ever be the solution.

Do you really think that by

replacing Republicans with Democrats or vice versa on election days really makes any difference? My friends, the system – political, edu- cational, religious, etc. – will

maintain the status quo. If it were possible to replace the 100 senators and the 435 rep- resentatives in one full sweep, it would not matter. That is also true of the presidency.

When Roosevelt initiated the

Social Security Administra- tion was he called a socialist? When Johnson initiated Medi- care was he called demonic? When Obama initiated health care reform he was called both and more. Plus, don’t you think it is being said too often that “this will cost him a second term”? The person holding the office is not the point.

With the help of Congress,

the president has risen to the occasion to do business as unusual. If you knew your actions would help millions of Americans and cost you your job, what would you have done?

Health program to help Detroit residents manage diabetes

The National Kidney Foun-

dation of Michigan (NKFM) is hosting a health workshop on Detroit’s northwest side May 5-June 9 to help individuals manage diabetes. The Diabe- tes Self-Management work- shop will meet Wednesdays from noon until 2:30 p.m. at Thea Bowman Community Health Center 20548 Fenkell.

The workshop provides in-

formation and skills to adults with type 2 diabetes so they can improve their health and manage their symptoms. As a result, participants are better equipped to face the daily chal- lenge of living with diabetes. Two trained leaders conduct the workshop, one or both of whom are peer leaders with diabetes themselves.

Leaders teach techniques

to deal with the symptoms of diabetes, as well as fatigue, pain, stress and emotional problems associated with the disease. Participants also learn about appropriate ex- ercise, eating healthy, using medications wisely, and how to better communicate with health care providers.

Registration for the Diabe-

tes Self-Management work- shop is necessary and enroll- ment is limited. Registration is $15 and scholarships are

available. To register, or for more information, contact the NKFM at (800) 482-1455 or

call Thea Bowman Communi- ty Health Center at (313) 255- 3333.

Erian Dawn O’Neal

Celebrating Her Big 21st Birthday on April 6, 2010

Page B-3

I’d like to wish my beautiful granddaughter, Erian Dawn O’Neal, a wonderful birthday! She is the next broadcast journalist on the hori- zon, graduating from Lawrence Technicalogical University in May 2011. Just keep believing in yourself and all your dreams will come true

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