ANTIHISTIMINES
By Dr. Lon Jones, D.O.

          Antihistamines and decongestants are in all of the cold pill and congestion medications that are heavily advertised on television. These drugs have been available without a prescription for the last 25 to 30 years. During this time ear infections in the U.S. have tripled and cases of asthma have doubled. Is there a connection? In my opinion, the answer is clearly yes!
        Ear infections begin in the back of the nose. The bacteria that live on the mucus get into the Eustachian canal that leads into the middle ear and cause infections. When a child's immune system senses the bacteria it tries to wash the invaders out. The immune system's response to pollutants in the nose is dilution; the nose runs.
         Asthma and allergies are triggered by irritants in the back of the nose. Again, the immune system's response to get rid of these irritants is to wash them out. It does this by stimulating the release of histamine, which opens small blood vessels causing them to leak. The leaking plasma fluid washes the nose. Therefore, histamine can be compared to a washing machine for the nose. During this process, the body also releases enzymes. These enzymes act as a soap for washing the back of the nose.
         Antihistamines are taken to stop the bothersome symptoms associated with runny noses. However, the effect is to block this washing. Decongestants are taken to close down the small leaking blood vessels, causing the nose to stop draining. Yet the effect also blocks the immunes system's response to flush out the irritants and pollutants in the nose. When one takes medication to block the washing of the nose, the bacteria increase leading to future illnesses. The same also applies to irritants that trigger allergies and asthma; turning off the washing blocks the immune system's attempts to get rid of the irritants. When the immune system senses a serious problem, it is likely to try and protect the lungs by closing down the bronchial tubes, resulting in an asthma attack. Since medications have been available to stop the closing of the bronchial tubes, twice as many people have asthma as in the past.
Currently, steroids administered in the nose have replaced some of these medications. These steroids do not block the washing of the nose. They do turn off the sensing mechanisms causing the immune system not to recognize when the nose is dirty. However, the effect is the same and the nose gets dirtier.
          Why do people persist in using medications that provide a degree of comfort in the face of such potential harm? Joseph Chilton Pearce, in talking about "The Roots of Intelligence," distinguishes between intelligence and intellect. All living organisms have a degree of intelligence. Lewis Thomas, author of Lives of a Cell, talks about the intelligence of cells. Intelligence will not let people do something that will harm them. Intellect, on the other hand, is only interested in, "Is it possible?" For the last 50 years the educational system has been geared at training the intellect. The development and use of antihistamines, decongestants and nasal steroids is an example of unrestrained intellect. It is possible to turn off the bothersome symptoms associated with nasal cleaning. However, this theory, in Pearce's words, is "totally devoid of intelligence."
          There are options that actually help the immune system wash the nose. One such example is a nasal wash that contains saline and xylitol. It does not make sense to stop the immune system from doing what it is naturally designed to do. In my experience, regular use of the xylitol and saline nasal wash also stops ear infections and asthma. Ask about it at your local pharmacy.