As a child I was fortunate not to know what an allergy was. But by the age of 25, I suddenly had an allergic reaction to something that ended in a sinus infection. From that moment on, and several sinus infections later, I continued to suffer the intermittent seasonal sneezing and congestion, sniffling, and coughing symptoms of allergies for an additional 20 years.

Was it reassuring that allergic rhinitis has had such an enormous and negative impact on the general population in the U.S.? No, and treating the symptoms of my allergies with chemical solutions to counter the release of histamine by messing around with my body's natural water system regulator substance was no real solution either.

Drugs that block your body's natural release of histamine by using drugs, called 'histamine blockers' or (anti-histamines), cause your body to become more dependent on these substances. It also messes with your body's natural water regulating system, and it is not curing your allergies by merely masking the symptoms.

Roughly 40 million people in the U.S. suffer from allergies, thousands do not even realize they do. Many suspect they have allergies and ignore their symptoms or routinely self medicate. Self medicating can become a vicious cycle of decongestant pills, cough syrups, and nose sprays. Used regularly you may become dependent on these over the counter or prescription medications.

Some of you can pin point your allergies rather quickly when your eyes well up when you are around the offender such as cats, trees budding out in April, or ragweed in September. But many times the problem is not so obvious.

Before you turn to medications again, out of habit or lack of knowledge for a better way, here are some valuable pieces of information that may kick your allergies in the butt, naturally. Many of you, but not all, could get some real relief for good. Mineral deficiencies and dehydration problems are common among the masses in the U.S. population.

Perhaps, it is not an unlikely accident that there are other conditions that are also associated with mineral deficiencies as well such as asthma, fibromyalgia, headaches and migraines, attention deficit disorders, and mitral valve prolapse. These conditions often occur in clusters together within the same individual, and may be a red flag marker. Experimenting, by using a simple inexpensive mineral supplement like coral calcium may produce some surprising results.

Quite by accident I read a book called "The Calcium Factor" by Robert Barefoot and Carl Reich M.D. After reading this book I decided to experiment a little and began taking coral calcium to see what it would do for me, if anything. I noticed rather quickly, among a few other benefits, that this supplement unexpectedly cleared up my allergies.

I applied another piece of sound advice I gained from another book called, "Your Body's Many Cries For Water" by F. Batmanghelidj M.D, by drinking my body's daily requirement in pure water. I also added some unrefined salt, rich in natural minerals, to the water intake and ultimately cured my allergies for good! That has been four years ago.

One last added tip on this subject, get out into the sunshine and add some natural vitamin D to the mix. When it is not seasonally available try using a nutritional form of this vitamin, such as cod liver oil. Many coral calcium supplement companies do add it to their product as an added benefit.

What would you not miss about having yearly bouts with your allergy symptoms? Having your head clear up nicely and be back in the game of life again, or having a little more disposable income to spend on other things besides allergy medications and doctor visits? May be both, right? I am sure both of these ideas would not hurt your feelings to much.

Water, salt, minerals, and sunshine could very well be your allergies worst enemies and become your best friends.