Frequently Asked Questions
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An allergy is an exaggerated immune response to a substance that is harmless. It is a physiological error where the body reacts negatively and inappropriately to stimuli such as foods, airborne particles and other stimuli. This can occur through contact with the skin, inhalation, injection or ingestion of the substance.
The immune system normally protects the body against harmful substances, such as bacteria and viruses. The immune system can mistakenly read a substance such as mold, pollen, dust, pet dander or a food as harmful. The body will react by creating a specific antibody to the allergen which it perceives as a threat. The next time the individual is exposed to the allergen, the immune system releases massive amounts of chemicals, such as histamines, in order to protect the body
These chemicals trigger a cascade of allergic symptoms that can affect the respiratory system, gastrointestinal tract, the skin or the cardiovascular system. This can cause itching, swelling, coughing, sneezing, mucus production, hives, rashes, muscle spasms, digestive disorders, elimination disorders, breathing problems and other symptoms, which vary from person to person. The most extreme reaction is a condition called anaphylaxis which is a sudden, severe, potentially fatal systemic allergic reaction.
Conventional western medicine has several methods for testing allergies. Traditional allergy testing and treatments are painful and expensive. These include the “Intra-dermal test,” “Patch test,” Scratch test,” and various blood tests such as the “RAST test” and the “ELISA test.” These can identify dozens of allergens from one test or from one blood sample.
The standard medical treatment is drug therapy using either antihistamines or steroids to control allergic symptoms. The treatment ranges from avoidance of the substance to a long term course of allergy shots. The treatments are designed to desensitize you to the allergen or to mask or reduce the symptoms with antihistamines and other drugs. Unfortunately, this does not correct the underlying problem and often the allergy sufferer experiences serious long term side effects.
At Midwest Allergy Relief Centers, we use a special technique called Advanced Allergy Therapeutics (AAT).
Advanced Allergy Therapeutics (AAT) is an advanced and proven technology that eliminates the reactions from most forms of allergies and sensitivities. It is a technology that merges 21st century science and technology with 3,000-year-old Traditional Acupuncture principles to create a non-invasive, drug-free treatment. Rather than treating the symptoms, AAT treats the problem at its source by retraining the body so that it no longer reacts inappropriately to the allergen. Once treated, patients can recommence contact with the substance that had previously caused the allergic reaction or sensitivity.
The AAT treatment was developed from over a decade of clinical research. The success of the treatment is attributed to the extensive knowledge base and in-depth study of allergens, allowing for the treatment of a broad range of symptoms. In addition, the global network of AAT health care professionals contributes on-going research and expertise in the field. This collaborative research is leading the world in the treatment of allergies.
With AAT you can live life free from allergies without shots, without needles, without drugs, without herbal allergy remedies and supplements and without avoiding allergens.
AAT uses gentle pressure to stimulate points on the back, which correspond with the major organ systems. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, this stimulation relaxes the body and temporarily strengthens each of the major organ systems. The patient is simultaneously exposed to very subtle and safe levels of a digital signal representing the specific allergen. You do not feel this signal. The body associates the positive stimulus with the exposure of the allergen and no longer perceives it as harmful. In other words, the body associates the positive stimulus with the exposure of an allergen, perceiving it as beneficial instead of a threat. The body alters its perception, correcting its own erroneous response.
With this therapeutic breakthrough, the AAT treatment does not rely on the use of painful shots, medications, herbal remedies or supplements. The treatment is safe, painless, effective and available to all ages including infants.
We treat any sensitivity or inappropriate allergic reaction, from foods such as dairy, wheat, sugar, corn and fruits to airborne allergens such as pollens, grass, pollution, dogs and cats. We even successfully treat for stimuli such as sunlight, motion sickness, and barometric pressure. We also treat for allergic reactions to medications and vaccines.
To be more specific, a sensitivity can cause symptoms in any organ system in the body. Some systems are prone to reacting to certain families of allergies or substances, such as the respiratory system reacting to pollen. However, a substance may affect any organ system, which could cause a multitude of symptoms varying from case to case. For example, a reaction to wheat may cause hives in one person, digestive issues in another, fatigue, wheezing or Acid Reflux all in different patients. AAT addresses the specific organ systems affected by the allergen or offending substance. For example:
Digestive System
Reactions include Acid Reflux, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), abdominal and intestinal pain, gas, bloating, diarrhea and vomiting. Primarily caused by food allergens or other ingestants.
Respiratory System
Symptoms include hay fever, wheezing, asthma, skin conditions, rashes and itchy, watery eyes. Reactions may be caused by allergies/sensitivities to pollens, dust, food, chemicals and animals (including dog and cat dander and bird feathers), air-borne substances and contactants.
Dermatological
Symptoms may include eczema, skin rashes, hives, blisters and atopic dermatitis. The main cause of dermatological reactions is allergies/sensitivities to food but can also be caused by allergies to plants, contactants and chemicals.
Headaches and Migraines
Migraines and headaches are often caused by allergies/sensitivities to food such as chocolate and caffeine, airborne irritants such as pollens and chemicals including household cleaners, perfumes and vehicle fumes.
Tiredness and Fatigue
Many reactions result in lethargy and feelings of fatigue. Tiredness can also occur at certain times of the day, such as in the afternoon after eating.
Multiple Systems
Allergies/sensitivities affect multiple systems in the body, resulting in headaches, irritability, hyperactivity, mood swings, fatigue, tachycardia, or inflammation. In children such reactions can manifest as Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), which is often accompanied with redness around the eyes and nose and repetitive behavior patterns.
General Substances and Stimuli
- Chemicals we come into contact with daily, such as, household cleaners, perfumes, building materials, detergents, fabric softeners, pesticides.
- Occupational Allergies such as latex or building materials
- Animals such as dogs, cats, birds, hamsters, guinea pigs, etc.
- Stimuli such as changes in heat, cold and humidity/dampness
AAT has treated tens of thousands of patients for more than a decade with long term results in the vast majority of cases. The success rate is not yet 100% as there are many variables in human physiology as well as the complexities of allergens; however, the overall success rate is extremely high particularly compared to other forms of allergy treatment. The AAT body of research is always expanding and the success rate continues to increase.
The total length of the treatment program varies greatly from one individual to another, depending on the number of specific allergies and the overall intensity of the allergic condition.
The AAT technique allows for one primary allergen (along with all of its components and subcomponents) to be treated per visit. For example, dog and cat are two separate families. Pollen, grass, peanuts, and dairy are four separate families. We must treat each allergen family separately so that the treatments hold. We want a complete and permanent resolution of your allergies and sensitivities.
The number of treatments required for elimination of a reaction to an allergen may vary not only between patients, but between different allergens with the same patient. The more severe the patient's reaction to a substance, the greater the likelihood that more than one treatment will be required to achieve lasting success. Approximately 80% of the time a single treatment per allergen family is all it takes. Booster treatments, or re-treatments, are needed about 20% of the time. Rarely are more than two treatments per allergen family needed. Our experience has been that the average case involves 6 to 12 treatments. Most patients come two or three times a week until their issues resolve. Thus the average patient is seen for a few weeks, not a few months or years.
Fourteen years of worldwide research with AAT has provided enough data to safely predict that 85% to 90% of the treatments appear to be permanent. Unfortunately, human beings can develop new sensitivities or allergies at any age which may require additional treatments.
AAT is able to eliminate the reaction caused by an allergy or sensitivity, allowing the patient to be exposed to the substance without any of the allergic reactions they had previously suffered and without any side effects that may come with other treatments. At the Midwest Allergy Relief Centers, we believe your quality of life is just as important as your allergy treatments.
In contrast, conventional allergy treatments can have a significant impact on a person’s quality of life. For people with multiple allergies/sensitivities, conventional treatment recommends avoiding the allergens. However, particularly with food, that requires a heavily restricted diet. Drugs, such as antihistamines, may relieve symptoms of environmental allergies but do not eliminate the cause of the reaction, so once the sufferer stops using the drugs, the symptoms typically return. Additionally, aside from the short term nature of drug-based treatment, many people suffer side effects from drug use, from prescription medications to over-the-counter drugs. The long term effects of the use of these drugs on the body are unknown.
The other most common conventional allergy therapy involves desensitizing the patient to allergens through a series of injections over many months and sometimes years, often with mixed results. At the Midwest Allergy Relief Centers, our specialization in Advanced Allergy Therapeutics, results in relief of symptoms within hours or days, not months or years. From the moment you enter our facility, our warm, caring, and attentive staff welcomes you. We want your experience to be as comforting, encouraging, and reassuring as possible. We want you to Live Life, Allergy Free.
Since an average case will involve 6 to 12 treatments, we have out-of-state patients stay at a local hotel and are treated twice a day for a week. Although we can only treat one allergen family at a time, you can be treated twice in one day if there is a three-hour window between treatments. This approach is helpful for people who come from long distances.
The first visit can last 45 to 60 minutes. We either email or send you in advance the office forms you need to read and complete before your first visit. After an initial consultation, you will have a detailed clinical examination of all major allergens shown on the New Patient Information Form we send to you. You will also receive a treatment on your initial visit.
Do not smoke, apply perfume or cologne, drink caffeine or alcohol, or take drugs (other than those prescribed by your physician) at least two hours before your visit. These can affect the testing and treatment. Also, do not eat candy or chew gum during treatment.
Everyone is unique and reacts differently to the same allergens. Some people feel more energy. Some find instant relief. Some patients do not feel any difference right after treatment. In 80% of the cases, patients feel symptom relief within 24 hours for the allergen family treated.
From the tens of thousands of cases treated with AAT in the last 15 years, it appears the symptom relief can be life long. In our experience, if the treatment is still effective 24 hours after treatment, it is lasting and should be for the life of the patient. We generally do not see a recurrence of allergies from a successfully treated allergen. But that depends upon a person’s lifestyle, work environment, medications, stress levels, diet, etc. Allergies are an error message—the body perceives something as harmful when it isn’t. No one knows why an allergy or sensitivity can come back. But, the good news is that after AAT, it is rare for an allergy or sensitivity to re-occur and, if it does, it usually only takes one booster treatment to handle that allergen family. For most people, the treatments appear to be permanent.
As in all forms of health care, there is no guarantee; however, an extremely high percentage of our patients respond favorably to the AAT treatment on a long term basis and usually don't need follow up treatments. As stated above, we can't guarantee that you won't develop new allergies in the future.
Yes. AAT is perfectly safe for pregnant women.
Yes, absolutely. AAT is safe and effective for patients of all ages.
No. We do not treat anaphylaxis or life-threatening allergies. While the average person can come into contact with an allergen that needs multiple treatments and have little effect, anaphylaxis is too extreme a reaction to take lightly.
No. AAT (Advanced Allergy Therapeutics) is not N.A.E.T (Nambudripad’s Allergy Elimination Techniques). N.A.E.T. utilizes homeopathic solutions. AAT is an advanced proprietary technology only available from authorized and trained, licensed healthcare professionals. All AAT practitioners must hold a medical license in one of the following areas: allopathic medicine, osteopathic medicine, oriental medicine, or chiropractic medicine. Each practitioner utilizes the same protocols and administers the same technique.
AAT is currently considered an elective procedure similar to certain dental procedures, so the patient will be responsible for paying for the treatments. If you have a Health Savings Account, you may be eligible for reimbursement.
The initial visit is $195 and follow up visits are $95. We accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express and personal checks. The value received from the AAT treatments far outweighs the cost incurred by shots, allergy medications, your time away from family and work and the side effects suffered from conventional treatments.
Just call our office at 847-392-7901 to schedule your appointment. You may not know it yet, but a life-changing experience awaits you!
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