I know only a handful of people, myself included, who have it rough with environmental allergens, be it in-door or out-door. I'm told people who suffer a lot from allergies often have a sensitive immune response. Why do I bring this up? Here's why...
About two nights ago I was watching Jay Leno's "Late Night Show" on NBC. One of his guests that day is a host of some show on Animal Planet. Anyway, one of the topics they discussed caught my attention...sensitivity to allergens. Leno's guest told a story about a friend who was a serial sufferer of allergies, and was told by his doctor that he had a sensitive immune response, which was why he had all that trouble with allergens. One solution to fight that sensitivity, he was told, was to have tapeworms (
Taenea spp) (yes you read that right...tapeworms!!) in his digestive tract. The logic behind it is that an infection of one's gut by tapeworms suppresses the overall immunune system of the host, thereby lowering the sensitivity to allergens. So, the friend of Leno's guest requested his doctor to deliberately infect him with tapeworms, which his doctor refused of course, because it would be unethical on the doctor's part. To cut a long story short, the guy found a way to infect himself. He doesn't suffer from allergies now according to the story.
The story got me thinking... I wouldn't want a tapeworm living in my digestive tract (albeit it can be seen as a mutualistic association in the story above). For the most part it is parasitic, not to mention it is a gross looking thing. I'm quite sure there a some healthier remedies once can find that can help. Does anyone know any good ones out there?